- Rota Romântica
The Rota Romântica, Portuguese for the "Romantic Route", is a scenic tourist route that runs through 13 municipalities located in the mountainous
Serra Gaúcha region of the southernmostBrazil ian state ofRio Grande do Sul . The area was first colonized by Germanimmigrant s in the first half of the 19th century. The strong German influence can still be seen in each of these beautiful towns and villages - this truly sets the tour route apart from others inBrazil . The Germanic roots are visible in the architecture, gastronomy and occasionally in the accent and language (Riograndenser Hunsrückisch ) of the people - and, of course, in their NorthernEurope an appearance.The Rota Romântica is approximately 184km (about 114 miles) in distance and extends from São Leopoldo to São Francisco de Paula. The 13 municipalities along the route are:
São Leopoldo ,Novo Hamburgo ,Estância Velha ,Ivoti ,Dois Irmãos ,Morro Reuter ,Santa Maria do Herval ,Presidente Lucena ,Picada Café ,Nova Petrópolis ,Gramado ,Canela , andSão Francisco de Paula .The cities of
Nova Petrópolis ,Gramado ,Canela , andSão Francisco de Paula are also included in theRegião das Hortênsias , one of Brazil's tourist hot spots and very popular throughout the country in the winter and holiday seasons, for its breathtaking scenery, rich European cultural heritage and picturesque architecture.External links
* [http://www.rotaromantica.com.br/ The Rota Romântica]
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