Travel Guide Filadelfia

Don't expect to meet Mennonites in ox carts as you sometimes see them in the eastern region. Filadelfia is the centre of a modern and progressive colony of 25 hamlets. It was founded in 1930 by Russian refugees fleeing the Bolshevik revolution, which forbade them to practice their faith. They arrived after a long two-year journey through China, the Middle East and Europe (a long stay in Germany). Like its neighbors Neuland and Loma Plata, the Fernheim colony ("Distant Place") became a big economic machine that attracted many non-Mennonite populations: Indian populations (Enlhet, Nivaclé, Western Guaranís), but also "Paraguayos latinos" from the eastern region, and Brazilians. To manage the influx of these populations, Filadelfia was granted district status in 2006, with a municipality to administer it. This cosmopolitan city has a population of 18,000, one-third of whom are Mennonites. It is divided into three zones: industrial, commercial and residential. The residential area is made up of Mennonite neighborhoods, Indian neighborhoods (Barrio Uj'E Lhavos, Villa Guaraní, Yvopey Rendá, Cacique Mayeto) and "Paraguayan" neighborhoods (Amistad, Villa Primavera). Urban planning was done in the 1930s. It is made up of 0.75 ha of land, distributed around wide east-west and north-south oriented avenues. Beware, the cuadras of Filadelfia are double the usual Paraguayan cuadras and, when the sun hits, wear a cap, like the Mennos! The two main avenues, Hindenburgh and Trébol, were only paved in 2009. The sheet metal roofs are covered with a yellow-grey dust, lifted by freight trucks and a quantity of 4X4 vans. Unlike the rest of Paraguay, there are a lot of bikes here and, much to their surprise, the bikers are wearing helmets! Yeah, the highway patrol doesn't mess around. And you can cross safely, the pedestrians here are respected. People are generally very friendly and welcoming, even when you don't speak German! Staying in Filadelfia is quite an experience. Don't miss the Jacob Unger Museum and feel free to engage in conversation with the locals, Mennonite or not, you will learn a lot. But Fildelfia is also a good starting point for discovering the natural and historical sites scattered in the surrounding area.