The old European-style tourist complex, “The German Inn”, built in the 80s and linked to Carlos Leder, today remains in ruins visible to those who travel between Armenia and Pereira.
News Colombia.
Located in the mountainous area of Quindío, “The German Inn”, a European-style tourist complex was conceived as a luxury destination in the 80s and came to have multiple services, but today its deteriorated structures contrast with the tourist growth of the region.
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In the mountainous landscape between Armenia and Pereira, near Salento, Quindío, you can still see the ruins of what was one of the most ambitious hotel projects in the region during the 1980s: the so-called Posada Alemana, a tourist complex that belonged to former drug trafficker Carlos Leder Rivas and that today remains in a state of abandonment.
The current state of the place and several of the historical and architectural details have been recently documented by the Colombian youtuber Kevin Bolañoswho took a tour of the area and shared the record on his YouTube channel, showing the conditions in which the buildings and land are located.
At first glance, from the main road that connects both capitals, you can see the deteriorated structures of what was once a large-scale tourist complex.
The project occupied a large plot of land on both sides of the road and was conceived as a luxury destination with an architectural proposal inspired by German and Swiss styles, recreating an alpine environment adapted to the temperate climate of the Coffee Region.
A large-scale tourist complex
According to records and testimonies of the time also taken up in Kevin Bolaños’ tour, the Posada Alemana had 24 luxury cabins and multiple services: discotheque, bar, convention center, restaurants, tavern, souvenir shop, green areas, ecological trails and stables.
The existence of an electrical system used to facilitate the movement of horses within the property is even mentioned, a rare innovation in the region in those years.
The buildings, although today they are invaded by vegetation and deterioration, still preserve details of their finishes and their European design.
Currently, many of the structures are empty and show damage, graffiti and clear signs of abandonment. In several sectors, grazing animals occupy the spaces where lodging and recreation areas previously operated.
Capture, domain extinction and abandonment
In 1987, Carlos Leder Rivas was captured and extradited, becoming one of the first major Colombian drug trafficking bosses sent to the United States. After his arrest, the process of forfeiture of his assets in Colombia began, including the Posada Alemana, which passed into the hands of the State.
With the change of administration and the lack of a sustained recovery project, the complex entered into progressive deterioration. Although for years the possibility of developing a new tourism project there has been mentioned, the initiatives have not materialized and the place continues without comprehensive intervention.
