Blumenau, a city in Brazil that is part of the Vale do Itajaí region and the state of Santa Catarina, is visited by many tourists not only for its famous Oktoberfest celebration but also for the rich architecture and culture that reflects its German roots.

The city of Blumenau was founded by German philosopher Bruno Otto Hermann Blumenau. It was after him that the city was named. He came along with other German immigrants who decided to settle in the city. Most of these German immigrants decided to come to Blumenau because of their search for land and for opportunities. During that time, Germany was getting highly populated and thus good opportunities were hard to find. That was why they found the under the populated city of Blumenau much to their liking.

This was in 1850 but after this, a number of other European immigrants also came to the city and decided to also make this their home. Although there were other settlers in Blumenau, it was still the Germans who made an impact and left behind much of their culture and traditions.

Blumenau actually up until now is still inhabited by German-speaking locals. German is one of the languages that is widely understood and is spoken in the city. Blumenau is also site to German-style houses and architecture.

The Vila Germânica or the German Village is one such example of this. It is home to an array of German-style houses that are still in use. If you go to Vila Germânica, you will also be able to purchase trinkets that are sold in these German-style houses. The village is also where you will find the hall where Oktoberfest is celebrated every year during October.

Oktoberfest is the second biggest beer celebration in the world next to Germany. Evidently, the Oktoberfest Blumenau is of German descent and is patterned after the first one in Germany. And like the one in Germany, it is heavily attended by locals and tourists alike.

It is a 17-day celebration of good music, food and of course beer. Every night at the village, during the celebration of Oktoberfest, people gather to party. On weekdays, the party goes on until 1 AM and on weekends it goes on until the early mornings.

However, beer is not the only thing that you can enjoy during the Oktoberfest. There is a parade along the Rua XV de Novembro which is participated by folk groups that showcase their colorful costumes and performances. Theater groups, hunting clubs, and shooting clubs are also participants to the parade.