Blumenau - Santa Catarina

It is located 164 kilometers away from Florianópolis.

It is the tourist place of Santa Catarina, not only by being the venue where of the famous “Oktoberfest-Festival of the Beer” (the biggest festival, in its genre, of Brazil and the second one in the world) takes place, but also by its contrast between the old and the modern constructions.
Blumenau is located to the northeast of Santa Catarina, 45Km from the highway BR-101, which is being enlarged and functions as the main way among the big centers of Mercosur, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
It is possible to get there, by BR-479. There are three options, if you arrive by plane: The Regional Airport of Blumenau; the Airport of Navegantes to 59 Km. or the International Airport Hercilio Luz, in Florianopolis (130Km away).
The weather varies from template to warm; whose average temperature is from 16,1ºC to 27ºC. The European style can be appreciated in the architecture, the gastronomy and even, in the warm Brazilian people making Blumenau different.

Blumenau has hospitable people, tourist attractions, and German traditions mixed with the Oktoberfest, gastronomy, dance and music. This festival became at its peak by being the biggest one of the Americas German tradition.
Oktoberfest – the biggest Festival of the Americas German Tradition
The Oktoberfest takes part in the history, preserves the German traditions brought by the colonists, 150 years ago. It is a sixteen-day festival, the inhabitants and the visitors come from Brazil and from other countries. There are German groups, floats parades, and the beerwagen(truck that distributes beer by the streets of the city), hunting and archery’s clubs,. At night there are folk groups and plays.

It is interesting to visit:

- Evangelical Church (1877).
- Evangelical Cemetery , (where the immigrants and the scientist  Fritz Müller mortal remains are
- Headquarter Church of Sao Paulo (1963)
- Marco de los Inmigrantes (1900).

Spitzkopf Ecological Park

"Spitzkopf" means “Pointed Head”. The park is located 15 Km. away from the downtown, has an area of 5.000000m2 of virgin Atlantic Forest, with waterfalls and a natural pool. It has several signposting paths for walking; one of them leads you to the highest point of the park, (936 meters of weight). There are good installations for passing the night.                    

Edith Gaertner Horto Botanic Park

Edith Gaertner, liked this place among the trees, where she pass her happiest moments of her solitary life, what now forms  part of the Colonial Museum. She had a lot of cats, that’s why it was named “Cat’s Cemetery”. Nowadays, it is preserved in a rural zone of the park. The area has a small native forest and a mini zoo.     
Address: Alameda Duque de Caxias, 78. A

Das Nascentes Park   

It is located 23 Km away from the downtown of Blumenau, has 35 Km of path, 25 Km of highways, and an area of 53.000.000 m2 of Atlantic Forest. The territory was donated to the municipality by Artex Company and was changed into a Conservation Area, where there are developed researches of ecotourism and environmental education. . It has lot of water sources, camping and lodging zones too.

São Francisco de Assis Municipal Natural Park

It is located on 7 de Septiembre street, inside the Neumarkt Shopping Center, the entering is by Ingo Hering street. It has an area of 23.000 m2 and is one of the best and original areas of Atlantic Forest of the state. Its fauna includes a lot of birds and other species.                               

Recanto Silvestre

They are wonderful parks with green grass, clear waters and fresh air. It is located 14Km away from the downtown; it has a camping zone, a restaurant with steak house and 2Km of paths with wild vegetation.                                    
Address: Santa Maria Street, 4269, Progresso Neighborhood. Phone: 47/ 336-5447.

Portal do Sol Aquatic Park

It is located 13Km away from the downtown, has an area of 26.000 m2 approximately,  pools for children and adults, slides, courts, steak house, chalets, snack and restaurant. The park opens from October to March, everyday from 8 to 19hrs.                               
Address: Jordão Street, s/n, Progreso. Phone 47/ 336-5126.

Museu da Cerveja (Beer’s Museum)

It is located close to the Continental brewery, on Hercilio Luz square, at the beginning of XV de Novembro Street.

Museu do Cristal (1997) -Museum

It shows the crystal’s history, raw material production, containers and toolboxes, (painting, stones, serigraphy) and art.
Address: Rudolf Roedle Street, 147, Salto Weissbach.

Monument to the Immigrants

The statue of the founder of the city is in front of the Mausoleum.
Address: Rua XV de Novembro, 161.

”Voluntarios de la Patria” Monument

The monument represents to the soldiers of the War against Paraguay (1865/ 1870) and the 2ª Worldwide War (1939/ 1945). The monument was done with cement by the sculptor Miguel Barba.
Address: Street XV de Novembro, 161.

Mausoleum  (1974)

It contains the mortal remains of the city founder, Dr Hernan Bruno Otto Blumeau and his relatives. They were brought from German in 1974, for the 150 years of the German migration to Brazil.
Address: Street XV de Novembro, 161.

Fritz Müller Ecological Museum (1939)

It develops ecological activities. Initially, there were few collections of natural history. This was the house of Fritz Müller, German Researcher, and the collaborator of Charles Darwin. Fritz Müller came to Brazil for studying the Brazilian flora and fauna and spent two thirds of its life in Blumenau.
Address: Itajaí Street, 2195.

Museo de la Familia Colonial (1864) (museum)

It has Enxaimel style; the immigrants and the founder belongings are exhibited inside. It was the former house of Victor Gaertner, merchant and consul of Blumenau.
Address: Alameda Duque de Caxias, 78.

Museo del Agua (1940) (museum)

The “Museo del Agua” is one of the city attractions located on the top of Boa Vista hill, almost in the middle of  Blumenau; has an spectacular panoramic view. It was the first station for water processing of the municipality. It has materials, documents and photos that show the water sewage.
Address: Rua Lages (at the end of the street).

OKTOBERFEST: GERMAN FESTIVITY OF THE BEER- (1984)

It is one of the main events of the state and is considered the biggest festival of the German culture of the American continent and the second festivity in its genre. It was born inspired to the Oktoberfest of Munique in 1810, for the commemoration of their marriage; King Luis I and Princess Teresa de Saxónia, 200 years ago approximately.
The Oktoberfest is a-17 day’s feast, 450 hours of music and in 22 years it has gotten together to 15 million of people. The beer consumption gets to 7 million of liters.

It got famous because of its authenticity, since Blumenau is the best German city in the Americas; and kept the original traditions brought by the colonizers in 1850, in spite of the festival transformations.
In the center of the city, there are parades, chops distribution by the Bierwagen(truck of beer), groups music and the commerce. In the park of the Oktoberfest, there is music, dance and entertainment every night.

In the typical restaurants, the visitor will find the best region’s gastronomy and also the traditional chop.
But, the Oktoberfest is not only beer; it is folklore and tradition. During the17 days, the inhabitants show their cultural richness in the love of music and the typical gastronomy. It keeps the customs of ancestors who came from Germany in order to have colonies in the south region.

For the tourist enjoyment, there are sportive, recreational and cultural activities of the hunting and shooting clubs, and folk groups. All of them give special colorful scenery, parades in the center of the city, the participants livening up to the tourists flaunting its typical costumes and so on.

Attractions during the feast

Parades by the "Rua XV de Novembro"

The participants are: folk groups, typical bands, hunting and shooting clubs, theater groups, the miss and the princess of the Oktoberfest. There are representations of the festivals of October from other “catarinenses” cities. The parades´ thematic is the colonization of Valley of Itaiaí, granting a show of representation of the first immigrants that get in 1850.

Folk groups

There are typical dances by folk groups of Blumenau and from other cities that illuminate the streets with their colorful typical costumes and their movements.

Chop in Metro

The drinkers participate in the National Contest of Chop Drinkers in Metro. The winner is who drink faster the 600ml of chop in a one-meter glass, the record is 10s78.

Villa Germánica – Stores

It is one of the main attractions of Blumenau. In Villa Germánica Park there are snacks, a restaurant and stores that provide the whole necessary for enjoying in the party or buying a souvenir of Blumeau, all of them open the whole year. The local goes back to the old German settlers. The façades and roofs of the constructions were inspired in the German architecture. The Villa is not only the Oktoberfest reference; it is also part of the most peculiar images of Blumenau into the postcards.

Typical Crafts

The souvenirs stores offers a variety of printed t-shirts, glasses, hats, typical dolls, porcelain objects, key rings and a lot of souvenirs. In Villa, there is a store of wine, liquors and chocolates of the region and the restaurant has varied menu.

Enxaimel Architecture.

The houses surroundings are authentically constructions with enxaimel technique, the one that mark the Blumenau architecture in the first years of its history.