Have you ever wondered what would happen if the ice caps melted? Have you ever wondered what would happen to Santa and Mrs Clause and the elves of the North Pole was no more? Where would Santa go?!
Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Yup, Brazil.
Gramado
Gramado is a small tourist town in the Serra Gaúcha region. The town was originally settled in 1875 by Azorean descendants and 5 years later received the first German immigrants, followed shortly after by Italian immigrants from Caxias do Sul. The small town of 32000 accommodates about 1.5 million tourists during its annul 2 month Christmas festival, Natal Luz.
Our tour of Gramado began with Alejandro declaring his mission to sample all the chocolate in Gramado so that he could make an informed decision when he bought some to take home. A demanding mission if you consider the vast number of chocolatiers and the quality of the chocolate in Gramado (ask any Brazilian and they’ll tell you that the best chocolate comes from Gramado).
Lugano Chocolate Factory
After a parade in the main street we drove up to Expo Gramado for a theatre performance. Our group was a little older than the target age group but we all enjoyed the performance. The troupe performed classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. We returned to the main street for a lovely performance by the local children’s choir, followed by the ceremonious lighting of the Christmas tree in front of St Peter’s church. The next morning we took a leisurely stroll around Lago Negro before popping into Santa’s Village to visit Papai Noel and take in the view of the town from the mountains. Our last activity, a trip to the chocolate factory of Alejandro’s favourite chocolatier, left us all in good spirits.
A little Christmas cheer
Christmas Wishes – Santa’s Village
There are about a thousand activities going on at anytime in Gramado during Natal Luz, and its possible to find something to do whether you’re a couple, a family or a group of friends – make the effort to visit Gramado next Christmas season. If you’re looking for a little magic, you’ll find it in Gramado.
Highway to Porto Alegre 