Blumenau

A German immigrant city in the Itajaí Valley, famous for its half-timbered houses and Brazil's biggest Oktoberfest, close to Pomerode, "Brazil's most German town".

Blumenau lies in the Itajaí Valley in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It was founded in 1850 by German pharmacist Dr. Hermann Blumenau, who led a group of German settlers here, and its German heritage remains strong to this day: half-timbered buildings, German food and beer are everywhere. It is also a major center of Brazil's textile industry. Sightseeing is concentrated downtown along the Itajaí-Açu River: Rua XV de Novembro is home to the Castelinho da Moellmann, the Beer Museum, the Colonial Family Museum and the cathedral; to the west, Vila Germânica is the festival grounds and food area; and on the outskirts are the breweries of the Beer Valley (Vale da Cerveja) and Spitzkopf Ecological Park. About 30 km to the north, Pomerode bills itself as "the most German city in Brazil", and its Half-Timbered Route (Rota do Enxaimel) and zoo make a good day trip. Held every October, Oktoberfest Blumenau is Brazil's largest German-style festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors, so accommodation is tight and should be booked well ahead; in November–December there are Christmas light displays. The climate is humid subtropical: summers (Dec–Mar) are hot with frequent thunderstorms, and the valley has a long history of flooding; spring and autumn (Sep–Nov and Mar–May) are the most pleasant, while winters are cool with occasional cold snaps. Getting there: the nearest airport is Navegantes, about 60 km away; Florianópolis is about a 2-hour drive, and long-distance buses connect to cities such as São Paulo and Curitiba. Plan to stay 2–3 days; for a beach break, head to Balneário Camboriú, about 60 km away.

Top sights

• Oktoberfest Blumenau – Brazil's largest German-style festival, held since 1984 and billed as one of the biggest beer festivals outside Munich, drawing hundreds of…
• Vila Germânica – A festival complex of half-timbered houses modelled on German architecture. It is the main venue for the Oktoberfest, and on ordinary days…
• Pomerode – Known as 'the most German city in Brazil', where descendants of Pomeranian immigrants still speak a German dialect, and half-timbered farmh…
• Rota do Enxaimel – A country road in Testo Alto, outside Pomerode, lined with about 50 German half-timbered farmhouses from the 19th century, said to be the m…
• Rua XV de Novembro – Blumenau's main street, lined with German-style buildings, shops and cafes. During Oktoberfest, costumed parades pass along it.
• Castelinho da Moellmann – A half-timbered 'little castle' on Rua XV de Novembro, modelled on the town hall of Michelstadt in Germany, and Blumenau's most photogenic…
• Museu da Cerveja – A small riverside museum at the start of Rua XV de Novembro, telling the story of German immigrants brewing beer in Blumenau, with old brew…
• Vale da Cerveja – A beer route through more than ten craft breweries in Blumenau and nearby towns, where you can tour brewing rooms and taste German-style an…
• Parque Ecológico Spitzkopf – An Atlantic Forest reserve on the southern outskirts of the city. The summit, at about 936 meters, overlooks the valley, and streams, water…
• Zoo Pomerode – Opened in 1932, the oldest zoo in Santa Catarina state, home to lions, tigers, jaguars and many native South American animals.
• Catedral São Paulo Apóstolo – A modern Catholic church built of granite, with a tall bell tower and stained-glass windows, a striking landmark in the city centre.
• Museu da Família Colonial – A museum in the former home of the family of Dr. Hermann Blumenau, the city's founder, showing German immigrant family life. The garden hol…
• Ponte de Ferro – A steel truss bridge completed in 1929 that originally carried the railway and is now a road bridge over the Itajaí-Açu River, a great spot…
• Museu Hering – A corporate museum in the historic plant of the Hering textile company, founded in 1880, telling the story of German immigrant industrializ…
• Teatro Carlos Gomes – Blumenau's main cultural centre, hosting concerts, plays and dance, and home to the city's historical and cultural groups.

Where to eat

• Moinho do Vale – A long-established German restaurant on the banks of the Itajaí-Açu River, opened in 1971 and famous for its stuffed du…
• Abendbrothaus – A family restaurant in a historic half-timbered German house in Vila Itoupava, open only on Sunday lunch for its stuffe…
• Alemão Batata – A house-brewed beer hall in Parque Vila Germânica, the main Oktoberfest venue, known for its signature stuffed baked po…

Itineraries

• Curitiba, German Heritage Valley & Island – Take a scenic train down the mountain from the ecological capital, pass through German-heritage towns, and head south t…
• Southern Brazil: Falls to Canyons 14-Day Overland – Journey south from Iguazu through Curitiba, German-heritage valleys, coastal islands, and high plateaus, ending at the…