Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING AND DRINKING
Bar do Banana
Av Brasília at João Pessoa, Prainha
T
47 3444 0785,
W
bardobanana.com.br.
Popular
with twenty-somethings (and cruise-ship passengers)
looking for reasonably priced drinks, food and fun by the
sea
. Daily 11am-11pm.
★
9
T
47 3444 8071.
Opposite the main entrance to Museu
Nacional do Mar (and attached to the exit), this small café is by
far the most atmospheric place to drink or grab a snack in
town. It's a mellow, artsy space with old shed walls, part shop,
part snack bar, with coffee, beers and light meals on offer.
Tues-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-midnight, Sun 1-6pm.
Café do Museu
Rua Manoel Lourenço de Andrade 133
Blumenau
With Joinville now an international boomtown,
BLUMENAU
, to the south, has
succeeded in promoting itself as the “capital” of German Santa Catarina. The
distinction is rather moot, however - like Joinville, Blumenau will seem thoroughly
Brazilian to anyone who has actually been to Germany, with a dynamic modern
economy and commercial centre, albeit with slightly more evidence of its
Teutonic roots.
Brief history
Picturesquely located on the banks of the Rio Itajaí, Blumenau was founded in 1850
by Hamburger
Dr Hermann Blumenau
, who served as director of the colony until his
return to Germany in 1880 - as late as the 1920s, two-thirds of the population spoke
German as their first language. Things changed during World War II (see box, p.591),
however, and now German is virtually extinct in the city, despite domestic tourism
revolving around its German heritage - especially
beer
and the madness of
Oktoberfest
(see box below), established in 1984 to boost visitor numbers.
Rua XV Novembro
The commercial heart of Blumenau lies south of the river along
Rua XV Novembro
(once known as Wurststrasse), sprinkled with a handful of original German-style
homes (now shops or banks) in between the concrete, and culminating at the starkly
modern
Catedral São Paulo Apóstolo
, built in 1958 with its tall, brick bell tower.
Nearby, the Havan department store at Rua XV Novembro 1050 is the most striking
Hanseatic-style building in the country (which makes it a major photo op). Known as
the Castelinho, it's actually just a skilfully crafted replica, built in 1978 (based, loosely,
on the world-famous Michelstadt Town Hall, built in 1484).
Mausoléu Dr. Blumenau
Rua XV de Novembro 161 • Daily 10am-4pm • Free •
T
47 3326 6990
The oldest part of Blumenau lies across a small bridge on the continuation of
Rua XV de Novembro, where the
Mausoléu Dr. Blumenau
preserves the memory
of the city's earnest founder. Inside you'll find the graves of Dr Hermann Blumenau
(1819-99) and his immediate family, along with a handful of reverentially displayed
personal effects and photos. The bronze statue of the great man outside was created
in 1940.
OKTOBERFEST IN BLUMENAU
Blumenau's crazy
Oktoberfest
(
T
47 3326 6901,
W
oktoberfestblumenau.com.br) has
been held since 1984, usually over 18 days in October. Besides vast quantities of beer and
German food, the main attractions are the local and visiting German bands and German
folk-dance troupes. The festival takes place at the Parque Vila Germânica, on Rua João
Pessoa on the city's outskirts (frequent buses run during the festival period), as well as
in the downtown streets. If you intend to visit during Oktoberfest,
advance hotel
reservations are essential.
