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 credit cooperative that the Sicredi system counts as the first 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's there

• Parque Aldeia do Imigrante - reconstructed settler houses, mill and school.
• Latin America's first credit cooperative, by Sicredi's account - 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.

Before you go

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

Key facts