Puerto Montt is located in the south of Chile in the Reloncaví Bay. From the middle of the 19th century, thousands of German emigrants came to the port city in search of a new life. They have left their mark to this day. The whole area looks like the Black Forest on the Pacific. The city was founded in 1853 and its name honors President Manuel Montt Torres, who encouraged the immigration of many Germans from 1848 onwards. Puerto Montt is often called the "Gateway to Patagonia". Many ships depart from the port to Tierra del Fuego, the Strait of Magellan and the glaciers of Patagonia. The city is considered an important hub for fishing in the "Región de los Lagos". The most interesting and oldest building in the city, which was severely damaged in a severe earthquake in 1960, is the "Iglesia Catedral" from 1856 on the central "Plaza de Armas", under whose walls the foundation stone of the city lies.