Altos de Chavon 16th Century Village Re-Creation In Dominican Republic
We visited Altos de Chavón, a re-creation of a sixteenth century style Mediterranen village in the town of La Romana, on our Southeast road trip through the Dominican Republic. This place was quaint and very well done.. Every brick, rock or timber was shaped by hand, right down to the hand crafted hinges on the doors. Altos de Chavón is located atop the Chavón River in La Romana, Dominican Republic, near Punta Cana. It is the most popular attraction in the La Romana and hosts a cultural center, an archaeological museum, and an amphitheater. The project was conceived by the Italian architect Roberto Copa, and the industrialist Charles Bluhdorn.
You will find narrow, cobble-covered alleyways lined with lanterns and shuttered limestone walls with several good Mediterranean-style restaurants, a number of quaint shops featuring the diverse craftwork of local artisans, and three galleries.
Other attractions in the village include:
* St. Stanislaus Church (Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia in Spanish) with its plaza and sparkling fountain that is a popular wedding venue.
* 5,000-seat, Roman-style amphitheater that hosts 20th century musical acts
* The Génesis nightclub provides a popular dance venue for guests from the Casa de Campo resort nearby.
* And finally, Altos de Chavón is also home of the Regional Museum of Archaeology (El Museo Arqueológico Regional), an astonishing collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts unearthed in the surrounding area.
Altos de Chavón overlooks Rio Chavón and the Dye Fore golf course of Casa de Campo; both built by former Gulf+Western chairman Charles Bluhdorn, as was Altos de Chavón.
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Expat
Expat travel
Cabrera Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic tourist attraction
Altos de Chavon
Casa de Campo
Punta Cana
Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic, North America
The biggest attraction in La Romana, Dominican Republic, is Altos de Chavón, a re-creation of a medieval European village conceived from the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Pictures set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn. Its construction began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the Chavón River had to be blasted through a mountain of stone. Charles Bludhorn, chairman of Paramount then parent Gulf+Western, had the idea of using the stones to build a sixteenth-century Mediterranean village. Construction was completed in the early 1980s. Charles Bluhdorn's daughter, Dominique Bluhdorn, is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation. Narrow, cobble-covered alleyways lined with lanterns and shuttered limestone walls yield several good Mediterranean-style restaurants, a number of quaint shops featuring the diverse craftwork of local artisans, and three galleries exhibiting the talents of students from the on-site design school (La Escuela de Diseño, an affiliate of Parsons School of Design in New York City). Notable attendees of the Altos de Chavón Design School have included Lisa Thon and Mía Lourdes Taveras López. Adding authenticity to the entire fantasy is the charming St. Stanislaus Church (Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia in Spanish) with its plaza and sparkling fountain that is a popular wedding venue. The Church of St Stanislaus was named after the patron saint of Poland in tribute to Pope John Paul II, who visited Santo Domingo in 1979 and left some of the saint's ashes behind. It was in this church that Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou married Venezuelan heiress Maria Margarita de Vargas y Santaella on November 6, 2004. A Roman-styled 5,000-seat amphitheater hosts 20th century musical acts The Pet Shop Boys, Frank Sinatra, and Julio Iglesias to name a few while Génesis nightclub provides a popular dance venue for guests from the Casa de Campo resort nearby. Visitors shouldn't miss the Regional Museum of Archaeology (El Museo Arqueológico Regional), an astonishing collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts unearthed in the surrounding area. Altos de Chavón overlooks Rio Chavón and the Dye Fore golf course of Casa de Campo; both built by former Gulf+Western chairman Charles Bluhdorn. There are rumorss that Apocalypse Now was filmed on the Rio Chavón, although the movie was actually filmed in the Philippines. To Have Access to Altos de Chavon, there is an entrance Fee of US$25.00 per person, no tour guide included.
Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, La Romana, Dominican Republic, North America
The biggest attraction in La Romana, Dominican Republic, is Altos de Chavón, a re-creation of a medieval European village conceived from the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Pictures set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn. Its construction began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the Chavón River had to be blasted through a mountain of stone. Charles Bludhorn, chairman of Paramount then parent Gulf+Western, had the idea of using the stones to build a sixteenth-century Mediterranean village. Construction was completed in the early 1980s. Charles Bluhdorn's daughter, Dominique Bluhdorn, is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation. Narrow, cobble-covered alleyways lined with lanterns and shuttered limestone walls yield several good Mediterranean-style restaurants, a number of quaint shops featuring the diverse craftwork of local artisans, and three galleries exhibiting the talents of students from the on-site design school (La Escuela de Diseño, an affiliate of Parsons School of Design in New York City). Notable attendees of the Altos de Chavón Design School have included Lisa Thon and Mía Lourdes Taveras López. Adding authenticity to the entire fantasy is the charming St. Stanislaus Church (Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia in Spanish) with its plaza and sparkling fountain that is a popular wedding venue. The Church of St Stanislaus was named after the patron saint of Poland in tribute to Pope John Paul II, who visited Santo Domingo in 1979 and left some of the saint's ashes behind. It was in this church that Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou married Venezuelan heiress Maria Margarita de Vargas y Santaella on November 6, 2004. A Roman-styled 5,000-seat amphitheater hosts 20th century musical acts The Pet Shop Boys, Frank Sinatra, and Julio Iglesias to name a few while Génesis nightclub provides a popular dance venue for guests from the Casa de Campo resort nearby. Visitors shouldn't miss the Regional Museum of Archaeology (El Museo Arqueológico Regional), an astonishing collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts unearthed in the surrounding area. Altos de Chavón overlooks Rio Chavón and the Dye Fore golf course of Casa de Campo; both built by former Gulf+Western chairman Charles Bluhdorn. There are rumorss that Apocalypse Now was filmed on the Rio Chavón, although the movie was actually filmed in the Philippines. To Have Access to Altos de Chavon, there is an entrance Fee of US$25.00 per person, no tour guide included.
Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic, North America
The biggest attraction in La Romana, Dominican Republic, is Altos de Chavón, a re-creation of a medieval European village conceived from the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Pictures set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn. Its construction began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the Chavón River had to be blasted through a mountain of stone. Charles Bludhorn, chairman of Paramount then parent Gulf+Western, had the idea of using the stones to build a sixteenth-century Mediterranean village. Construction was completed in the early 1980s. Charles Bluhdorn's daughter, Dominique Bluhdorn, is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation. Narrow, cobble-covered alleyways lined with lanterns and shuttered limestone walls yield several good Mediterranean-style restaurants, a number of quaint shops featuring the diverse craftwork of local artisans, and three galleries exhibiting the talents of students from the on-site design school (La Escuela de Diseño, an affiliate of Parsons School of Design in New York City). Notable attendees of the Altos de Chavón Design School have included Lisa Thon and Mía Lourdes Taveras López. Adding authenticity to the entire fantasy is the charming St. Stanislaus Church (Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia in Spanish) with its plaza and sparkling fountain that is a popular wedding venue. The Church of St Stanislaus was named after the patron saint of Poland in tribute to Pope John Paul II, who visited Santo Domingo in 1979 and left some of the saint's ashes behind. It was in this church that Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou married Venezuelan heiress Maria Margarita de Vargas y Santaella on November 6, 2004. A Roman-styled 5,000-seat amphitheater hosts 20th century musical acts The Pet Shop Boys, Frank Sinatra, and Julio Iglesias to name a few while Génesis nightclub provides a popular dance venue for guests from the Casa de Campo resort nearby. Visitors shouldn't miss the Regional Museum of Archaeology (El Museo Arqueológico Regional), an astonishing collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts unearthed in the surrounding area. Altos de Chavón overlooks Rio Chavón and the Dye Fore golf course of Casa de Campo; both built by former Gulf+Western chairman Charles Bluhdorn. There are rumorss that Apocalypse Now was filmed on the Rio Chavón, although the movie was actually filmed in the Philippines. To Have Access to Altos de Chavon, there is an entrance Fee of US$25.00 per person, no tour guide included.
City Tour and River Boat Dominican Republic
Carnival cruise excursion.
The port of call was: La Romana.
River tour was on the Chavón River.
City toured: Altos de Chavón.
Some info about the city:
Designed by Dominican architect Jose Antonio Caro and Paramount Pictures master designer Roberto Coppa, this replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village was handcrafted by skilled Dominican artisans down to the last brick. The hamlet is now home to the Altos de Chavon School of Design, an affiliate of New York's Parsons School of Design. Altos de Chavón's main attraction is the 5000-seat Roman-style amphitheater. Frank Sinatra was the first to perform here in 1982, and the venue has since hosted stars like Marc Anthony, Shakira, Sting and Gloria Estefan. Explore the impressive structure while enjoying views out over the valley and the River Chavón. Peruse artisan shops featuring jewelry, clothing, embroidered linen and fine cigars. Stop by the Regional Museum of Archaeology to see the collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts sourced from the region, then browse the many art galleries in town to see more modern works. Dine at one of the many Mediterranean restaurants or cafes.
Info from-
Some river info from same website.
Follow the same winding waterway as popular films like Jurassic Park, Rambo and Apocalypse Now along the Chavón River, arguably the most picturesque river in the country. The best way to see the river is aboard one of the river cruises that pass through steeps gorges, up to 250 feet tall in places, and offer glimpses of the unique wildlife that lives along the riverbank, including freshwater turtles and hawks. The Chavón River also passes by the interesting and beautiful Altos de Chavón, an artist’s colony perched high on a hill above the river that was designed to look like an ancient Mediterranean village, complete with cobblestone streets and an Greek-style amphitheater.