Porto Alegre is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and the largest city in the south of Brazil. The city is the cultural and economic heart of the south and has a very dynamic character. Porto Alegre lies halfway between the metropoles Buenos Aires and São Paulo.

Porto Alegre has a population of 1,3 million people, the sixth of Brazil. Immigrants from the Azores founded the city in 1742, at the easternbank of the Tiver Guaiba. They where supported by the Portuguese crown to keep the the Spanish form enterering Portuguese territory.

Due to its location some distance away from the sea the city didn't grow substancially for centuries. It was only at the end of the nineteenth century, with hug German and Italian colonization and the building of the first railways, that the city began to expand rapidly.

It is a very pleasant to visit, with some interesting museums, good restaurants and a huge park (Parque Farroupilha) in the central area, where locals play soccer, sip on their “chirmarão” and come to meet eachother. It is, however, the spectacular surroundings that make a visit to Brazil's sourthen corner so worthfull. Porto Alegre is the gateway to some of Brazil's best natural highlights!

A beautifull ride through the mountains leads to the mountain towns of Gramado and Canela. These cities were founded by German immigrants in 1824 (some decades later followed by Italians). Both towns look a lot like villages one finds in the European Alps. The region is also known as the Região das Hortênsias (Hydrangea Region), with flowering hortensias all over the area from the beginning of october till the end of april. The two towns are very popular places for people who want to escape the city of Porto Alegre.

Our personal favorite destination is the national park “Aparados da Serra” in the north of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, approximately 180 km from Porto Alegre.