Rota Romântica

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Rio Grande do Sul State Road RS-235 within Gramado city limits - the road is lined by blue hydrangea flowers
Rio Grande do Sul State Road RS-235 within Gramado city limits - the road is lined by blue hydrangea flowers

The Rota Romântica, Portuguese for the "Romantic Route", is a scenic tourist route which runs through 13 municipalities located in the mountainous Serra Gaúcha in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The area was originally colonized by German immigrants 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 in Brazil. 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 Northern European 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, and São Francisco de Paula.

The cities of Nova Petrópolis, Gramado, Canela, and São Francisco de Paula are also cities included in the Região das Hortênsias, a scenic tourist route which is a subset of the Rota Romântica scenic tourist route.

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