Feliz Natal from Gramado, Latin America's Christmas capital!

[David Paul Appell]

When you think about Brazil, chances are it’s all about Rio de Janeiro, perhaps with some Amazon and Bahia thrown in (or just maybe even the futuristic architecture of capital Brasilia). But all the way down south in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the terrain is rolling to mountainous; the climate consistently temperate to cool; and the culture akin to the gauchos of neighboring Uruguay as well as strongly flavored by the German and Italian immigration of generations ago. It’s also home to the charming little city of Gramado, where the downtown architecture mimics Bavaria and which for 80 days a year enthusiastically transforms itself into Christmasland, where an Alpine vibe meets Latin style... keep reading