A piece of Germany carved into Santa Catarina. This is the Itajaí Valley, where the cities of Blumenau, Brusque and Pomerode preserve the culture and the traditions of the immigrants that colonized the region. The Germanic reverence is visible in the architecture and the cooking, in the crafts, the festivals, and in the blue eyes and blond hair of the population.

Blumenau is the center of that German enclave. The leading textile manufacturing city in Brazil and famous for its crystal and porcelain, the city sits along the banks of the Itajaí-Açu River. Wide avenues marked by traditional buildings, bridges that hug the river, and beer halls accompany a hospitable people. Vila Itoupava, 25km from the center of the city, is an interesting group of buildings in German "enxaimel" style, with typical restaurants and stores that sell colonial products.

With more than 120 industries, Brusque is known as the "City of Fabric". It is the largest center of ready-for-shipment clothing in southern Brazil. It has a per capita income around US$ 6,500.00 - well above the national average - and attractions that range from its architecture and typical German cooking to the fascinating Botuverá Cave, one of the most beautiful in the country.

Although smaller, Pomerode is considered the most German city in Brazil. It is 32 Km from Blumenau, and is known for its china, its bilingualism (95% of the population speaks fluent German), and of course for its typically German architecture and cooking.