What to see in Gramado and Canela takes us on a tour of these two cities with a European feel located in southern Brazil.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
Have you seen our posts about Uruguay?
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
