Outings and excursions · Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos: a World Heritage industrial landscape and the beaches of Las Cañas
Photos: Elbetobm / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Where the meat extract and corned beef that fed Europe were produced, today a UNESCO site on the Uruguay river.
Fray Bentos, capital of the department of Río Negro, was for more than a century one of the world's kitchens. In 2015 UNESCO inscribed the Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape on the World Heritage List.
What it protects
Some 275 hectares on the Uruguay river: the former Liebig-Anglo meat plant, its industrial facilities, the docks, the slaughterhouse, the grazing fields, the homes of managers and workers and the recreation areas. From 1865, the Liebig's Extract of Meat Company exported meat extract and corned beef to Europe; from 1924, the Anglo plant exported frozen meat.
The visit
Touring the neighbourhood and facilities, with the Museum of the Industrial Revolution, shows how a riverside town in Uruguay became connected to world markets.
Las Cañas
About 8 km away, the Las Cañas resort adds river beaches, camping and lodging: the perfect complement for a weekend stay.
Tips
- Check guided tour times before you go.
- Las Cañas is very busy in summer: book ahead.
