The streets immediately above Plaza de Armas, particularly Quillota and Pedro Montt, hold the surviving German-style timber houses from the late 19th century — high-pitched roofs, fish-scale shingles, wraparound verandahs, and painted gables. Most are now offices, hostels, or private homes.
The German settlement programme launched in 1853 was organised by Vicente Pérez Rosales, who recruited the first families from the Hessen region. Their descendants — and their architecture — still define the visual identity of the Lakes Region.