Advancement of real estate speculation scares visitors - This time I had the chance to get to know Gramado better. The place is charming. But I was deeply concerned about the expansion of construction (mainly hotels) and the resulting real estate speculation. What I saw leads me to believe that the beautiful Gramado, in the not too distant future, tends to become any other city, with the only difference being the limitation of the height of the buildings. Will the city be prepared? What about sanitation infrastructure, garbage collection, electricity and other services? A feather.

Gramado: a hidden jewel in the south of Brazil - A nice quaint little town in the south of Brazil. Architectural look of Bavarian chalets, rock built church, & many shops & restaurants. Many Brazilians travel all the way from the north of the country to spend a cozy time there. Being there in the September / October time is still pretty cold, as they are heading towards Fall/Winter and being on a higher elevation, it's pretty cold. I visited glass blowing factory and a precious stone store (amethyst/ citrine/aquamarine are natural resources (therefore great prices). Leather is also abundant (rugs/jackets, etc). Restaurants were plenty and varied cuisines: Brazilian, Italian, etc. We stayed in the Wyndham Spa/Resort hotel and breakfast was an additional charge, but worth it, as the buffet had many local fruits and plenty of choices (one local item was the coarse tapioca flour 'tortilla' made w/ some oil spray/butter and cheese added on top and then folded). We didn't ride the Tram for a scenic tour as it was raining that day. Worth for a day or 2-day trip.