Exceptional Brazil: Looks like Europe, but it’s Brazil!

This is my first post and I’m not going to write long texts. I would like to show the Brazil that most foreigners don’t know, and of course if anyone gets interested in more details, I can send them by email. I’m not a touristic agent, and I’m not earning anything doing this, but I’m a local resident who loves Brazil and the real beauty we have here (which is not Carnival, beaches and football).

Gramado and Canela are two cozy cities located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south of the country), and they are one of the most popular destinations in Brazil chosen usually for couples in their honeymoon or families. They are small towns, however they are always crowded not only because of the attractions, festivals, museums, theme parks, but also because the breathtaking landscapes. The climate here (in the south) is different from the rest of the country. We have a cold winter starting in July and ending in September. It even snows in some cities (surprised?!) and because of that, the mountains region is compared to Europe. By the way, the temperature this weekend will be around 0° to -3°C.

The nearest airport is in Porto Alegre (POA). Both cities are around 130 km far from Porto Alegre and distance between Gramado and Canela is 9,5 km. As they are very close, people can easily stay in one of them and visit both.
Is not difficult to rent a car or get there by bus. Most of hotels there offer the transfer service, from the airport to the hotel. This is included in the hotel price, however can be negotiated.

GASTRONOMY:
This is certainly something that people enjoy there! If none of the attractions catches you (and that I doubt!), the restaurants will surely do! Is possible to appreciate the local gastronomy, which is different from other states of Brazil as we have a strong influence from Italian and German cultures here, but also you can easily find restaurants that serves the best of the international gastronomy.

FESTIVALS:
The annual Brazilian Cinema Festival takes place in Gramado, usually in August (by the way, is happening this week). There are premieres, famous Brazilian and South American artists and trendy parties. The best actors, actresses and movies are awarded with a statue called Kikito.
In the Christmas time, the city really celebrates life. In Gramado, this festival is called Natal Luz. In Canela, it is Sonho de Natal (or Christmas’ Dream). From the beginning of December to January, the cities are decorated with lights and many other Christmas ornaments. There are lots of attractions that pleases different preferences (music, parades, art, theater plays, etc).

MUSEUMS AND THEME PARKS:
Besides the historical museums, showing in rich details the history of those two cities, there are also very interesting and different museums, like the delicious Chocolate’s Museum, the amazing Super Cars Museum, Fashion Museum (one of my favorites) and the Wax Museum. For those who are not that into museums, there are the theme parks like Snowland, Minimundo and Mundo a Vapor.

LANDSCAPE:
The pictures will speak louder than words...