Gramado, known as “the Brazilian Switzerland”, is a Rio Grande do Sul Brazilian city located 71 miles north of Porto Alegre, the State capital. The city has an exuberant Nature richness, being the most important touristic destination of Rio Grande do Sul and one of the destinations preferred by Brazilian tourists. Gramado receives tourists all year round, attracted by its beauties among which you have hills, valleys, crystal clear creeks, pine forests, its template climate and European legacy, mainly Italian and German.

Besides its beauty, Gramado is also famous for its events. Highlights in the local calendar are the Gramado Movie Festival (in August), the most important cinema festival in Brazil that prizes the best Brazilian and Latin America films, as well as the “Natal Luz”, a December Christmas event full of lights, fireworks, parades and classical music concerts.

Nowadays Gramado is one of the most important Rio Grande do Sul counties, crowning the touristic corridor known as “The Hydrangea Region”; it also stands out for the furniture, leathercraft, chocolate and knitted products.

Gramado is one of the most important Brazilian producers of crafted chocolate, known as the famous “Gramado Chocolate”. To attract tourists, Gramado invests increasing amounts in stores that offer chocolate candies, truffles and tablets. The Caracol factory shows with special lights and sound effects in “The Chocolate Kingdom”, the history of chocolate since Azteca times through Europe to Brazil. At the entrance a huge chocolate bunny sculpture that weighs 1.640 kg and took more than 20 days to build, welcomes visitors.

Other factories in town also have attractions for those who are interested in learning more about the chocolate industry. The major selling shops – Prawer, Planalto, Lugano and Florybal- organize free guided tours of their production lines.