Blumenau: a German city in Brazil
And here is another of the little trips that we went on at the weekend. Once again we went in a little group in a rented car with a new destination in mind: Blumenau. We had spoken with other people doing an exchange and with those who had been there one year to enjoy Oktoberfest in 2012. As a German city, it would leave a little to be desired if this fantastic festival wasn't among its traditions, don't you think? I wasn't able to go (a problem with the dates), but the city is still worth a visit.
I am always in favour of going to new places whenever I have the opportunity and a bit of time (and above all, money! ) which is why despite not being the most beautiful city that I have ever seen, I am always excited to create a new memory to take with me.
In my opinion, the most relevant characteristic of this city is its German personality within a Brazilian country, to which some of the culture, customs and architecture has come from one of the European countries. However, although it is a unique trait and one that may help to increase its characteristic, I do not intend to fool anybody: Brazil, like Spain, loves to party, and the strong point of the city is the annual celebration of Oktoberfest, where a totally overwhelming quantity of people come to meet, as though it were Tomorrowland.
As always, I will contextualise the trip, and I will tell you a little about the history and some references about its people, its economy... for those interested that want to travel to have some idea before they leave, to keep them informed.
BLUMENAU
Also, in the Santa Catarina state, the city of Blumenau is situated some 150 kilometres (about two hours away by car) from my beloved and adored island: Florianopolis. The city doesn't have any sea despite being situated near to the Brazilian coast. Nevertheless, the city of 500 km2 sits on the Itajaí Valley, on the banks of the Itajaí-Açu river.
History
Blumenau is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the south of Brazil, quite young as it was founded in 1850 by a German citizen (Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau, the city's name was derived from him), who arrived by steam boat (which, by the way, was exposed in the "Ponta Aguda" neigbourhood), along with other compatriots whilst he explored the region along the waters of the Itajaí-Açu river. These first settlers threw out the indigenous people that lived on these lands and took over the territory. The first activity that the Germans established, just like other immigrants that came later, was the agriculture. It was 50 years later, in the 20th century, when the process of development and urbanisation of the city began, buildings were constructed in the image of German architecture of the time period, which is why if we were to walk through the historical centre we could think that were in a city in Bavaria.
INFLUENCE
Nowadays the city is populated with nearly 300, 00 inhabitants among which, as well as the great German influence there is also an Italian and Polish influence that is appreciated, due to the immigrants that came here soon after the Germans (although in smaller measure), with two neighbourhoods and Cultural Centres where they offer activities from every culture, for example: the Italian area offers the festival of Festitalia.
Its this multiculturalism among the people of Blumenau and cohabiting of the German and Brazilian customs and culture that give this city a touch of distinction and therefore makes it unique.
ECONOMY
Blumenau, as well as its multiculturalism, stands out in different sectors of the economy such as the textile industry, being the pioneer municipality in the whole of the region in this sector and the major producer of labels in the world. Currently, about 70% of the municipality's income comes from this sector. As a German city, another activity that stands out in the area (although it's not one of the most beneficial) is the production of craft beers. Furthermore, the city is slowly converting into a very important focus point in the field of computer science. Of course, tourism is a fundamental part of its economy, highlighting both its historical and ecological tourism (very common in Brazilian cities). It also has one of the largest HDI (Human Development Index) but there are many problems with the contamination of the water and air and the existence of favelas (shanty towns).
WHEN TO GO
Regardless of the weather or whether its the high or low season, the best time to go to enjoy Blumenau is in October, during the Oktoberfest festivities. It's these kinds of events that define the high and low seasons in the city, and not the weather or time of year. If it's not possible for you to come then, or if they're not to your liking, then the city will welcome you with open arms all year round.
Despite the climate being subtropical, it's very similar to our own (among other things that was also one of the things that influenced the settlement of the German: the similarities of the climate). In fact, it has one of the coldest winters in the territory (between the months of June and September), something to keep in mind if you decide to go during these months, as you will need to bring a coat with you.
During the spring, you can enjoy the majority of the cultural events of the city, and the weather is also perfectly agreeable for a walk and for moving through the area without getting too cold or too hot. The summer months are have a place among other events such as the Summerfest. The autumn and winter months are more treasured for the Brazilians that live further north where, for them, the whole year is summer and they go to look for lower temperatures.
HOW TO GET THERE
Incidentally, I should tell you something that we did not know about and that we experienced when we got there. If you intend to go by car, like we did, it is highly recommended that the driver is not a novice, because the city is not easy to drive through due to the uneven surface and lack of signs although, on the other hand, the advantage is that traffic is quite smooth and large traffic jams are not common, not even at rush hour, although there is a high rate of vehicles in the city, almost one car per inhabitant.
If you'd prefer to take a coach or bus to the city, there are several companies that travel from the bus station to the center of Florianopolis. And once in Blumenau, public transport, although we didn't need to use it, seems to be quite good and effective, consisting of 6 terminals and 97 bus lines (of course, it is a system based on that of curitiba, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná).
TOURISM
Blumenau is not just beer and the spectacular festival of Oktoberfest. I will dedicate another entry to talking about it, but here I will only present the most touristic sites in the city and all the leisure opportunities offered by Blumenau, beyond those of the famous festival.
The culture, memory and tradition are also very present. During 18 days of celebration, the inhabitants of Blumenau show everyone their rich culture, through typical gastronomy, dance and music, which preserve the customs of ancestors that came from Germany to form these colonies in the South. The integration is such that you can communicate in German anywhere in the city without any problem and everyone is dressed in the typical Bavarian costumes.
There are also different parades around the city center, that animate tourists and show the typical costumes.
For these reasons, the most faithful version of the original Munich brings together so many people and has created other festivals in other cities in the state of Santa Catarina.
Tourist schemes
As in one of my first entries about the city of Rio de Janeiro, I am going to give you an outline of the most touristic places in Blumenau, which could prove useful when you're deciding what you want to see.
I will only explain about the places that I have been to, so I cannot tell you about everything.
1. Museums
Water Museum:
It is the first water treatment station (ETA), from 1943, and is still in operation today, with the function of purifying the river's water. Inside, it has a museum where everyone can see the history of the plant, photographs and old pieces, explaining how the water purification process works. It's not overly interesting (for me, who doesn't understand much of the subject), but it does have some interesting information. Best of all are the views that you have from the lookout points, from where we can see the city center of “Boa Vista”
Glass Museum:
One of the known activities of this city is the glass industry, an activity that is honored in Glaspark (the name of this museum from 1997), where pieces of glass of both local and European origin are shown to the public. In addition, information about the history and the process of preparing the material is also included. The truth is that some of their products are great, with many very anarchic shapes and colours.
Furthermore, this museum also allows guided tours for the visitor to see the different processes of how these pieces are made. Of course, you have to book and organise the tours prior to your visit.
Beer Museum:
Of course, the city couldn't not have a museum dedicated to its most characteristic and representative element. Here they will show you the process of brewing beer, its origins, and they have also preserved some important documents of old beer brands.
Ecology Museum of Fritz Müller
He was a German trained in biology who played a key role in the development of the city. This museum exhibits the house where he lived and kept his furniture, books, photographs... as well as the colorful garden where the plantations made by this man are preserved. In addition, they also exhibit dissected animals, aquariums and terrariums where the predominant ecosystems in southern Brazil are shown.
From my point of view, I do not usually visit these types of houses unless I have a guide that explains them to me, because from my own knowledge I can only appreciate, but I cannot understand any contextual significance. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this house because it was traditionally German, and the contrast with Brazilian life is exaggerated.
There is also the Colonial Family Museum, however with a house of natives it was already enough hahaha, and so this last one we did not visit (I guess it would be more or less the same).
Mausoleum
A building from 1974 that houses the remains of the founder of the city and his relatives, brought especially from Germany. We didn't go in, we only saw it from the outside because we wanted to see the monument to the founder, Otto blumenau, who they built a statue of in front of the mausoleum in order to honor him and to represent the importance of immigration in this city.
2. Churches
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Catedral São Paulo Apóstolo (Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle).
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Church Igreja Evangélica da Paz
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Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Historic Patrimony of Santa Catarina since 2002)
During our stay, we didn't visit the churches with too much enthusiasm. We only went to see the last one, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil because of the fact that it is a cultural heritage site. In this church, Sundays celebrate a mass given in German (in Brazil... how strange it all is).
3. Squares
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Praça do Estudante (Student Square).
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Praça Dr. Blumenau.
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Praça Fonte Luminosa (Luminous Fountain Square).
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Praça Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (Prainha).
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Praça Victor Konder.
Praça Hercílio Luz
I can only tell you about this last square because it was in fact the only one I paid some attention to and it was because it has the same name as the iconic Florianópolis bridge. It is a place where there was a lot of activity at the beginning, because when it was located in the old port of Blumenau it brought many of the colonisers together. Furthermore, it is essential to go there because that is where the beer museum is located, a must for all lovers of beer!
4. Bridges
Aldo Pereira de Andrade Bridge:
This bridge, better known as the iron bridge, is another of the emblematic places of the city being both an icon of the city and also, at the height of 18 meters a viewpoint, along its 315 meters of the incredible landscapes of Blumenau. Personally, the views are not wonderful. By that, I mean that compared to other sites it may not be the best landscape I have seen, but it is certainly worth a visit, to see all of the German houses together.
Originally, from 1929, it was the passage of the railroad, connecting the city of Blumenau with the port of Itajaí. In 1991 it was restored, allowing traffic to flow between Blumenau and the center of the Ponta Aguda neighbourhood. It's considered a cultural heritage site.
Arch Bridge:
Anyone who wants a postcard of Blumenau should take an image of this bridge, because it is like the cathedral of Santiago to Santiago de Compostela. It is situated on Itajaí Street at the entrance of the city. 160 meters long, it was inaugurated in 1951 to link the railway line between the city and the municipality of Gaspar.
5. Outdoor attractions:
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Portal do Sol Water Park (13km from Blumenau)
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Springs Park (23km from Blumenau)
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Spitzkopf Ecological Park
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Foz do Ribeirão Garcia Municipal Park
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San Francisco De Assis Park
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Recanto Silvestre (14km from Blumenau)
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Morro do Aipim
Spitzkopf Ecological Park
This is an incredible park, truly beautiful. The only thing is that you would need to have a car as a requirement (I don't know if public transport comes to here) because it is located about 15km from Blumenau. It has gorgeous waterfalls and natural pools. Furthermore, it has hiking trails, some of them even take you to the highest point, which is 930 metres in height. We were told that it was a fairly simple drive, one without too much uneven road, but for lack of time we could not do it (I still regret not being able to enjoy the views from the top of the park today... ). You could, if it were of your interest, even can spend the night there, although you must first get all the necessary permits.
Other touristic points are...
Castelinho da Havan:
It is one of the most typical buildings of Blumenau, better known as Moealmann there, being a replica of the German Prefecture of Michelstadt. It is a house in the most genuine German style, dating from 1978 and that nowadays functions as a restaurant and pub.
Municipal Town Hall
A 1980 building that shows clearly the German style of the city. It has several landscaped areas where children play, and it's where they keep the first locomotive that was used on the railway line from the previous point, and is called Macuca.
XV November Street
It is one of the oldest streets, where you will find the main buildings, restaurants and shops. Furthermore, the scene is very characteristic with low houses, each in a different colour to match the awnings above the doors... even if you do not go with the idea of buying anything, it is worth spending some time here because it is a very beautiful place.
At first, the colonists called this street Wurststrasse (Sausage Street), as it is a narrow street with an irregular path. Steamboat
It is in the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Square (better known colloquially as "com prainha"). Nowadays, it is used for navigating along the Itajaí River, it tells the history of the city. It also has a museum that allows tourists to learn about its ancestry.
In my opinion...
Why go to Blumenau? Is it worth it?
To summarise everything that I have just told you about, I am going to give you a list of reasons to visit the German city of Blumenau, and give each of you the opportunity to judge whether or not it would be a good destination for you:
1. Oktoberfest:
I couldn't be able to start in any other way than with this reason. Let's not kid ourselves. The city has lots of beautiful and attractive things, but the main reason for the tourist attraction is the celebration of this festival. Maybe if you are German, it wouldn't be your main focus, of course, for any Brazilian it is a unique event, and even for me, or for any European who has not been to Spain, it is an opportunity to experience a big party in Brazil, the only place you will find such a typical German festival with such little predominance of the German language. And, what the heck, if you are a beer lover and you really enjoy it, what better way to do so than in the company of thousands of people, in a relaxed atmosphere with music and with typical foods and beers that are both national and imported. And if you do not like beer, there may be other festivals that are more to your liking, which doesn't necessarily mean that you don't enjoy Oktoberfest because, in addition to beer, there are shows, parades and leisure and cultural opportunities that you can enjoy, offered to you by the city on the days of the festival, during the breaks you take between the parties and parties and parties.
2. People:
It always helps that the locals are friendly wherever you go and are willing to help. Well, people in Blumenau are very nice, it might have nothing to do with German character. As a curious fact, I will tell you that three of the Misses that were “Miss Brazil” came from this town, among other personalities of the Brazilian country.
3. Cultural richness:
Of course, for all those who like to enrich themselves with new experiences every day, Blumenau is the place to go. It's very strange to walk through its streets and realise that you are in a Brazilian city that doesn't follow typical Brazilian construction, but introduces a totally new culture. And not just German, but also Italian and Polish. It's interesting to see how the typical Brazilian elements coexist among other, totally different elements that nevertheless get them to "marry".
In addition, if you want to make the most of your stay in Blumenau, you could enjoy a historical route through the city, a walk of about 2 and a half kilometers which will bring you to the most symbolic historical places: the old country house, the Mausoleum, the buildings of the XV November Square, the Colonial Family Museum...
And not only symbolic in terms of architecture or history, but because of customs, meals... in the same dish you could eat a Bratwurs with Farofa, which leads me to the next reason to go to Blumenau.
4. Gastronomy:
Where else will you find such a varied mix such as the one I mentioned before: Bratwurs with Farofa? Take advantage of the opportunity that you have from being in Brazil and experience a little piece of Germany, and find out a little more about its culture, trying the classics: Eisbein, Stuffed Marreco...
5. Beer, naturally:
Of course, you could drink a beer in any city in the country however, where would be better than the place that has it as its typical and traditional drink? You could take a trip to the city's breweries and taste the best beers in the world (always after Estrella Galicia, of course hahaha) that are made here. Furthermore, you can visit the factories and see first hand how they make the product such as, for example: Cia Hering, Sulfabril...
6. Nature:
It would be almost impossible for me to not mention the nature found in any of the places that I visit, or to ignore the hiking trails that I find through their landscapes. Of course, Blumenau was never going to let me down. As well as being a very green and colourful city due to the quantities of different species of flowers that will catch your eye, it has various parks such as the Parque das Nascentes (with approximately 350 species of flowers and other such fauna), the Wpitzkopf park (with routes through its trees for activities from hiking to running), the natural Park Sao Francisco de Assis or the Nova Russia (an ares within the Atlantic forest with opportunities for horseback riding and guided tours in the silver mines, and it even gives you the possibility of bathing in the river).
