If you don’t want to drive a bus from Porto Alegre airport to Gramado it may be a good option

This winding, tree-lined route, so much so that in some parts it seems like you are in a tunnel, will take you through villages colonised by Europeans and, just like in Gramado and Canela, you will be struck by the type of buildings.

We did it in spring, but it must be even more beautiful in autumn, as the leaves turn gold to colour the path, and in summer the hydrangeas accompany the route.

The route passes through 14 municipalities of Serra Gaúcha,  São Leopoldo, Novo Hamburgo, Estância Velha, Ivoti, Dois Irmãos, Morro Reuter, Santa Maria do Herval,  Presidente Lucena , Linha Nova, Picada Café,  Nova Petrópolis ,  Gramado, Canela and São Francisco de Paula .

It is a journey to be done slowly and enjoying it. Most of these towns and cities were colonized, as we said, by Germans who settled in the Serra Gaúcha in the first half of the 19th century, with Italian immigrants arriving in this area at the end of that century and beginning of the 20th century, settling in Caxias, Bento Gonçalves, and vineyard areas.

Given all of the above, you can imagine that apart from the landscape that dominates this route, the buildings and flavors do as well.

You have to be careful not to take the wrong route, since there are two ways to get to Gramado from Porto Alegre, and one of them is via the Romantic Road.

The Romantic Road is marked by a banana leaf and points of interest are marked on it. Here we will take the BR116 from Porto Alegre to Nova Petrópolis and then the RS235 to Gramado.

We first passed through Novo Hamburgo, 43 kilometers from Porto Alegre, known as the shoe capital due to the concentration of shoe factories.

Then we will arrive at Ivoti, a peaceful town. You can deviate from the route at Ivoti and go through Presidente Lucena, or continue and go through Dos Irmaos and Morro Reuter, both ways ending up at Picada Café.

The postcard of the city of Picada Café is the mill with an iron wheel, whose function was to grind the beans, its construction dates back to 1928. In the old mill flour and oils were manufactured.  Currently it houses the headquarters of the Municipal Secretariat of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of Picada Café. Very picturesque.

Many colonial cafes, shops selling sausages, leather goods, wood and small churches line the road, as well as lush vegetation. For those of us who like to travel by car, the miles that separate us from our destination are a pleasure.

As we said, we can do this route if we enter Ivoti and continue straight to Dois Irmaos, Morro Reuter and arrive at Picada Café

Of course we are only talking about doing the tour by car, it goes without saying that you can stop and enjoy the places.

We arrived at Nova Petrópolis, the gateway to the “hydrangea region” tourist corridor that includes Nova Petrópolis, Gramado, Canela and Sao Francisco de Paula, but unfortunately we did not go during the flowering season.

The immigrants who arrived in Nova Petrópolis from 1858 onwards were mostly from the German states: Pomeranians, Saxons, Rhinelanders and Bohemians from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition to these, there were some French from the Franco-German border regions, Dutch, Belgians, Poles, and Russians.

The city’s highlights include the Immigrant Village Park and Zaandam City, which transports us to the Netherlands without leaving Rio Grande do Sul.

If you are staying a few days in Gramado you have an excursion to Nova Petropolis to learn more about German immigration in the city and its highlights.

Between Nova Petrópolis and Gramado we find a beautiful viewpoint towards the mountains, I recommend you to stop. Es Parad da Torre, there you will find a cafeteria, an inn and a viewpoint not to be missed. On RS 235, 195

If you want information about Gramado and Canela, and see everything you can do in them, I invite you to visit our previous post. ►What to see in Gramado and Canela

NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links

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La entrada Romantic route to Gramado by car, Serra Gaúcha, Brazil se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.

Gramado is located about 120 km from Porto Alegre in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul. The Serra Gaucha with its wonderful natural landscapes is the setting for this city where European immigrants, both German and Italian, have left their mark at every step.

Often described as the Switzerland of Brazil, this city is different from many other Brazilian cities due to its climate, which is far from tropical and often receives some snowfall in winter, the type of buildings we see and the order and care they maintain.

Next door and almost without realizing it we arrived at Canela, a city with the same characteristics as the previous one, together Gramado and Canela form the most important tourist center in Rio Grande do Sul and one of the most visited in Brazil.

What to see or do in Gramado y Canela?

The porticoes of Gramado welcome us if we arrive by car, whether you enter by the romantic route via Nueva Petrópolis, a route that we will see in a future video, or if you enter through the ERS 115 via Taquara.

►Transfer from Porto Alegre Airport

And we start with a tour of the center of Gramado and then visit the natural places and the theme and amusement parks

São Pedro Mother Church

In the center of Gramado, the first place on this tour of what to see in Gramado and Canela awaits us: the San Pablo Mother Church. At the entrance, we find the figures of the 12 apostles.

This stone church was built in 1942 on the site of a small wooden chapel.

Entrance to the church is free and well worth the visit. Don’t forget to admire the stained glass windows created by a German artist depicting some of the moments in the life of St. Peter.

From November to January you can enjoy the Christmas lighting and celebrations with choirs.

Natal Luz Gramado

Gramado’s Natal Luz is an event that attracts the attention of tourists. Many people come here to see how each place in the city has been illuminated in a special way and the Christmas and celebration atmosphere fills the city. If your visit coincides with these dates, it is the main option for what to see in Gramado and Canela.

This year 2022 the Natal Luz runs from October 27 to January 29. Natal Luz website.

Fonte do Amor eterno

Leaving the church, and taking just a few steps, we find the Fountain of Eternal Love. A typical fountain full of padlocks as a sign of the union of couples, something we see a lot in all cities. Gramado is also a city chosen as a romantic destination and the fountain is no exception to that environment.

We visited Gramado in September, and we found the Gastronomy Festival, but depending on the dates you go you will always find different activities ranging from a film festival, the grape harvest, Easter, concerts, a colony festival, and the outstanding one, as we said, Natal Luz. I have been there several times for Easter and I tell you that the spectacle of seeing the city full of large stuffed rabbits is fantastic for both children and adults.

Rua Coberta

Connecting Rua Borges de Medeiros with Rua Garibaldi we find the famous Rua Coberta, the covered street of Gramado.

Originally called Madre Verônica Street, it was covered with an acrylic structure a few years ago and became pedestrianized, giving way to numerous restaurants and cafes. A picturesque place. We chose to have dinner here two nights at Sabor de Frutas Gramado, it was a good choice.

Rua Torta

If we talk about picturesque places we go to a street in the style of San Francisco, we talk about Rua Torta.

Known for its sinuous and tortuous shape, it reminds us, saving the distances, of one of the most famous streets in California, Lombard Street.

We will find many people here posing gracefully for the camera, so we cannot ignore this place in our tour of what to see in Gramado and Canela.

Praça das Etnias

 Almost opposite Rua Torta we find the Praça das Etnias. In this space, three houses have been reproduced that represent the immigrants who colonized Gramado. That’s why you’ll find a house with Italian architecture, a German one (which is Casa do Colono) and a Portuguese one.< wpml_nbsp >There is also a stone house on the site, where you can purchase agritourism tours, the starting point of which is in front of the square.

Black Lake

Now if the transfer is a little longer, about two kilometers separate us from Lago Negro.

Due to a fire in 1942 in this area, most of the trees were completely burned. In 1953, on the initiative of Leopoldo Rosenfeldt, who was one of the first to see the tourist potential of Gramado, the site was reforested. Rosenfeldt imported tree seedlings from the Black Forest region of Germany (his country of origin) which were planted around the lake. Today we see it surrounded by trees and flowers that beautify it.

We leave Gramado for a moment, we will return to visit attractions, and we head towards Canela.

Belvedere, Vale do Quilombo

The journey just 10 minutes away offers us wonderful views of the Serra Gaucha, we arrive at Belvedere, the Quilombo Valley.

On Avenida das Hortênsias, towards the city of Canela, before arriving at the viewpoint, there is a place to stop the car, so you can then reach the sidewalk that overlooks the valley.

A few years ago, padlocks were left on the railing, but these were removed because their weight could compromise it. Now, in their place, we find colored ribbons.

Cinnamon Stone Cathedral

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Stone Cathedral dominates the image of Canela. The construction of the church began in 1953, and it has become the symbol of the city.

It has a bell tower with 12 bronze bells and its large tower, more than 60 metres high, is impressive and can be seen from afar. At night, we could see the cathedral illuminated in a beautiful light show. In 2010, it was recognised as one of the seven wonders of Brazil through a popular vote organised by a Brazilian website.

Estaçao Campos de Canella

Before going to a natural highlight on this tour we will go to visit Canela Estaçao Campos de Canella.

The Campos de Canella Station revitalized the old railway station, where we find shops and restaurants. The Ferreo restaurant, located at the entrance of the shopping center, has a dinner car for those who want it and it was our choice for one of the nights. A different dinner that was worth it.

Caracol Waterfall

And now if we go to one of the highlights on this tour, the Caracol Waterfall.

The cost of admission to the Caracol State Park is 30 reais, and is sold only at the entrance ticket office to the park.

The schedule is from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Caracol Park website.

Although one is attracted by the main waterfall that you have seen in countless photos, the park has much more to offer, being able to spend hours of rest and natural tours.

The main viewpoint will give way to a wonderful view of the snail waterfall.

It is formed by the river of the same name and falls from 131 meters.

They also have an observatory to admire the waterfall and the nature that surrounds it, the price of the climb is 15 reais.

We did it to be able to show them, but in my opinion it is not essential, since from the viewpoint of the park it looks very good.

You have many paths to explore going down to the creek and there you will find a wonderful place like this, the rapids are a beauty.

As I said, you can spend many hours here doing tours, but we chose to continue on our way, since another place with impressive views was waiting for us.

 There is a cable car within walking distance that takes you to a viewing point, we have not used it so we cannot tell you what the views are like from there. The ones you take outside the park are called Parque Da Serra aerial cable cars and the price is 80 reais.

A transparent catwalk that we wanted to know was the one that called us there.

Skyglass Cinnamon

Skyglass Canela is a tourist attraction located in a natural setting of the Serra Gaúcha, the Vale da Ferradura, the horseshoe valley.

Here we find two attractions, the skyglass, the transparent walkway, and the abused monorail with suspended chairs that will take you on a 360-meter ride over the Caí River. 

They are separate options, the park prices are parking 20 reais, platform + monorail 170 reais.

►Get your ticket for Skyglass Canela

They have lockers at the entrance to each of the attractions because it is not allowed to enter with backpacks, etc. On the platform they can take photos and film, but not on the monorail.

Alpen Park

There are many theme parks and attractions in Gramado and Canela, but since I planned the visit there is something I wanted to see and it did not disappoint me, the train. What is it? Let’s go to the AlpenPark and I’ll show you. We continue in Canela.

The AlpenPark is an amusement park, which if you go with children I recommend it, but if not, too, we have had a lot of fun.

The Treno is a 900-meter route in a natural environment with a sled on rail, in the style of some in Europe. I had seen similar ones in videos from Switzerland and I had wanted to try what it was like for a long time. It reaches a speed of 40 km per hour, but you regulate it.

You can enjoy the roller coaster or the free fall, you have several attractions to enjoy. The truth is highly recommended if you are in this area for a few days.

►Alpen Park passport ticket

The price of the passport for various attractions is 120 reais for adults and 60 for children.

Mini World

Mini Mundo was born more than forty years ago, in 1979 with the creation of a dollhouse.  A father and a grandfather built a Dollhouse and a mini train for their children, thus beginning the history of this miniature city.  Today, already in the fourth generation, the family continues to build and maintain this work.

The truth is that even though I have been to the city many times and always wanted to go in, I had not done so. There are many theme parks in the city, and when I say many, I mean literally, so plan carefully which ones you want to visit, because it will be impossible to visit them all. Before the video ends, I will name some of the most visited ones.

The replicas of places from the world exhibited outdoors are created by the park’s own workshop, and are simply….. Wonderful.

It reminded me a lot of Mini Europe in Brussels, and I would put it among the essentials of what to see in Gramado and Canela.

The schedule is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the average time of the visit is 90 minutes and the entrance fee is 78 reais.

►Mini World

As said in the previous park, if you go with children it is ideal, but if not it is also ideal.

Many of us Americans from this southern region choose to spend our holidays in southern Brazil, mainly on its beaches, but a few kilometres away we find Gramado and Canela, which are a different route, another option for winter holidays or if you like the mountains. Tell me in the comments if you already know the area.

From here you can take the wine route, the route of flavors, the romantic route that passes through many villages, or go to Cambará do Sul to see the canyons, some fabulous places.

Theme parks abound, as well as chocolate shops or colonial cafes, all designed to be enjoyed.

As other theme parks to visit we highlight the Steam World, Hollywood dream cars, the automobile museum, dreamland the wax museum, the Santa Claus village, super cars, snowland, in short, as I said there are many

Where do we stay?

We stayed at the Tri Hotel Le Chateau, located in Gramado, I leave you a link in the description so you can see it in detail. It’s convenient, with free on-site parking, and breakfast included.

►Search a hotel in Gramado

►Find a hotel in Canela

This is just some of everything you have to see in Gramado and Canela, cities to enjoy.

Did you know that you have some wonderful canyons nearby?►Itaimbezinho Canyon

Map

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NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links

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La entrada What to see in Gramado and Canela, Brazil. se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.