Nova Petropolis

German settlers arrived in these hills from 1858 and Nova Petropolis kept the language, the choral societies and the Lutheran and Catholic parish structures. Its distinctive claim is institutional: the first credit cooperative in Latin America was founded in the district of Linha Imperial in 1902 by the priest Theodor Amstad, and the cooperative movement that grew from it became a major force in Brazilian rural finance. The Parque Aldeia do Imigrante is the main site, a set of relocated and reconstructed immigrant buildings - houses, a mill, a school, a church - with a museum. The town also has a large labyrinth of hedges, a park of ornamental gardens, and choral and dance groups that perform at festivals through the year.

What you actually see

• Parque Aldeia do Imigrante - reconstructed settler houses, mill and school.
• The first credit cooperative in Latin America - founded here in 1902.
• German choral and dance groups - still performing at town festivals.
• Hedge labyrinth and gardens - the ornamental parks in the centre.

When to go

All year; April to September for cool clear weather. A day.

Honest expectations

The town is quieter and plainer than Gramado up the road, which is the main reason to prefer it or to skip it. The immigrant park is modest. Weekends bring heavy traffic on the Serra Gaucha route. A car is needed.

Nearby

Gramado and Canela are north; Caxias do Sul and the wine valleys are north-east.