Blumenau Itinerary - On foot

Much more than the Oktoberfest

When we talk about Blumenau, we always think of the famous German Oktoberfest, but the city offers much more than the event, even though the German atmosphere of one of the most traditional German colonies in the country always refers to the festival.

Located in the metropolitan region of the Itajaí Valley, it was founded in 1850 by Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau, from whom it inherited its name. Its impeccably clean, well-kept streets decorated with gardens that adorn the city in unparalleled good taste really made me feel like I was in a little piece of German land.

So, in order to explore it better, I decided to take the stroller and wander around the area, since I was very well located, in a central area of the city, at the Hotel Gloria , after all, there's no better way to get to know a city than to go out in search of what you like best, enjoying your own pace, without a set itinerary, like what happens on excursions, for example.

As we had been invited to see the gastronomic wonders of SC Gourmet, our days in the city were practically dedicated to the theme and we ended up with little time to actually "tour" Blumenau, but thirsty as I am for new places, I've tried to bring you some of what I managed to do in just one afternoon and share it with you. We left the hotel in the direction of Vila Germânica, where the Oktoberfest traditionally takes place, an approximate distance of only 3 kilometers, but we decided to stop along the way and see as much as possible!

We continue along Rua XV de Novembro, where all the buzz of the Oktorberfest and its parades takes place, where you can easily find Germanic buildings and important tourist attractions such as the Blumenau Cathedral, built in red granite in 1958, very grand and beautiful!

Just ahead we find the old Moellmann Castle, now one of the Havan Stores, which is another of the city's famous tourist attractions. Designed by the entrepreneur Schadrack, it is a copy of the oldest town hall in Germany, located in Michelstadt, but the Moellmann Castle's days are numbered, giving way to the Havan Store. During the renovation to become the department store, a controversial underground tunnel was found with connections to strategic locations. Obviously this generated a lot of speculation and legends, the most likely being that the tunnel was used to receive and transport materials received directly from Germany, which was forbidden during World War II, in the fight against Nazism.

I had to go into the store and see these tunnels up close, I thought they were incredible and there's no denying that they're not just galleries but a secret route.

From there, we continued along the parallel street, which is on the banks of the Itajaí-Açu river that cuts through the valley. With beautiful scenery, it's an ideal place for exercise or even a walk to explore different angles of the city. I stopped at one point to enjoy the pleasant weather and play with the baby, as there are several benches scattered along the way.

Straight ahead, we came across Blumenau City Hall, another beautiful tourist attraction, impossible not to stop and enjoy. Right in front of the town hall we found the Macuca locomotive, another tourist hotspot! This locomotive was built in Germany and in May 1909 pulled the stretch between Blumenau and Warnow.

From there we went straight to Vila Germânica, where you can't help but feel the German atmosphere, full of typical restaurants and shops that take you back to the European continent! Even the locals help in this regard, when they mix Portuguese and German in their conversations.

Even without a party, Vila Germânica is always cheerful and festive, a place for tourists and locals to enjoy themselves, with live music shows or even ambient music depending on the establishment.

I loved the city and I confess I want to go back as soon as possible to visit everything I didn't have time for!

It's worth remembering that even on Saturdays, life in the city center closes early, so if you're interested in getting to know the typical life and seeing the historic center at work up close, the tip is to do it by Saturday morning. Also, because I left a little late for my tour, I didn't manage to visit the Hering Museum, which is a shame because they say you can see a lot of the city's history there.

What about you? Did you like it too?