Blumenau travel guide

Blumenau is in a prosperous district settled mostly by Germans. A clean, orderly city with some almost caricatured Germanic architecture, the enxaimel design (exposed beams and brickwork) typifies some of the more famous buildings such as the mayor’s residence, the Molemann Shopping Centre, built to resemble a medieval German castle, and the Museum of the Colonial Family (Av Duque de Caxias 78, Tue-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200 and 1400-1630, Sun mornings only, US$1.15) the German immigrant museum, dating back to 1868.

The first Germans to arrive were the philosopher Herman Bruno Otto Blumenau and 16 other German explorers, who sailed up the river in 1850. Work began on building schools, houses and the first plantations; the city soon became a notable textile centre. Today, high-tech and electronics industries are replacing textiles as the town’s economic mainstay. There is a helpful tourist office (R 15 de Novembro, on the corner of R Ângelo Dias) .

Sights of interest include the German Evangelical Church, and the houses of Dr Bruno Otto Blumenau and of Fritz Müller. The latter two are now museums (both 0800-1200 and 1330-1730, free) and are worth a visit. Müller, a collaborator of Darwin, bought the Blumenau estate in 1897 and founded the town. Museu Ervin Kurt Theichmann (R 15 de Novembro 791, T047-3387 0282) has sculptures. The Museu da Cerveja (Praça Hercílio Luz, 160, T047-3326 8380) examines the history of the region’s breweries and the origins of Oktoberfest. Just out of town, the Museu Pomerano (Rodovia SC 418, Km 3, T047-3387 0477) tells the story of the colonial family.