FACTS
ABOUT PORTO ALEGRE: Porto Alegre
is the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, also
named as the”gaucho capital”. It has
a privileged location, a strategic point within
the trade block Mercosur. Porto Alegre is the geographical
center of the major routes of the Southern Cone
of South America and it is located at equivalent
distance both from Buenos Aires and Montevideo,
as well as from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The distance to Florianopolis is 470km, to Curitiba,
720km, and to Sao Paulo 1.125km. The city has today
about 1.361.000 inhabitants, which is the biggest
city in the south region of Brazil.
HOW
IS PORTO ALEGRE: The
city might not be any major attraction for leisure
tourism, but it is an important business center
and the gateway to the major tourist attractions
in the surrounding areas, like the wine district
and mountains of Serras Gauchas. Whoever strolls
along Porto Alegre’s streets is a positive
surprise with its perennial vegetation, hills, and
ponds. What is also dazzling is the preservation
condition of its historic buildings, which shelter
memories and culture. But what really charms visitors
is the surprisingly harmonious match of its welcoming
manner of an interior town with the fast hustle
and bustle of a large urban center, its architecture
as the icon of modernity, and the cultural heterogeneity.
The residents of Porto Alegre are always accompanied
by a great grilled beef meal at some “churrascaria”
(barbecue restaurant, or grill at home) and drink
a tasteful “chimarrão” (local
tea).
WHEN
TO GO / CLIMATE: The average annual
temperature in Porto Alegre is below 19.5° C,
with minimum ranges between 2° C and 15°
C in the coldest periods (June to August), and maximum
ranges between 21º C and 24º C during
summer months.
EVENTS
Bookfair
It gathers exhibition and book sales, an autograph
afternoon, lectures, literary parties, and even
plastic arts shows. It is held always on the second
fortnight of November, at Praça da Alfândega.
Farroupilha
Week
Musical and dancing shows from the Pampas region,
typical foods, and a traditionalist parade. This
event always takes place from September 13th to
20th.
Expointer
An 8-day cattle-raising and agribusiness fair. It
is always held between August and September, in
the municipality of Esteio, 24 km away from Porto
Alegre.
Latin
American Handicraft Fair
It gathers over 13 countries in exhibitions throughout
the year. Crafty pieces and antiques are exhibited
in shows on Saturdays, at 5ª Avenida Center
and, on Sundays, at “Brique da Redenção”
(Handicraft Fair).
ATTRACTIONS
Porto Alegre City Hall – “Paço
dos Açorianos” (The Palace of the Azoreans)
Ornamented in neoclassic style, its construction
was started in 1898. Across the City Hall is the
“Fonte Talavera de La Reina”, a gift
from that Spanish colony in 1935, during the celebration
of the centennial of the Farroupilha Revolution.
The sculptures embellishing the façade stand
for Economy, Education, and Politics. It became
a historic site in 1979. The city’s center
milestone is there. The city hall lies at Praça
Montevidéu, 10, Downtown.
Central
Public Market
It was inaugurated in 1869, but the second floor
was only completed in the year 1913. Between 1995
and 1996 it went through a large refurbishment,
which modified its internal structure and renovated
its external part. Its more than one hundred stores
host spices and typical products of the gaucho culture.
Restaurants, cafeterias, and ice cream shops supplement
the offer of goods and services. It became a historic
landmark in 1979. It lies at Glênio Peres
Square, Downtown – XV de Novembro Plaza.
Chalet
of the XV de Novembro Plaza
Located along the Glênio Peres Square, it
is one of the most traditional bar-draft beer-restaurants
in the city, where the last “lambe-lambe”
photographs of the region work. [“Lambe-lambes”
are photographers who develop pictures outdoor using
the oldest method known.] In the Bavarian style,
with art nouveau traits, the centenary Chalet was
built up on a demountable steel structure, keeping
its original chandeliers and tiles even nowadays.
It is located at XV de Novembro Plaza, Downtown.
Glênio
Peres Square
Inaugurated in 1922, it hosts artistic-cultural
and political manifestations. The paving recovers
the drawing existing in front of the City Hall building
in the 30’s, similar to a Persian carpet comprised
by gray basalt flagstones and Portuguese black,
white, and pink stones. The J.G. Brill model Streetcar,
used in that very decade, is there.
Post
and Telegraph Offices
Built in the beginning of the century, the building
is featured by the influence of Germanic baroque
architecture. Bronze-domed asymmetric towers recall
the helmets worn by the Prussian army. At the center
of the building is Atlas, a Greek mythology character
who was convicted to bear the world upon his shoulders.
A female figure representing the old continent and
the figure of an adolescent boy, simulating the
new continent, comprise the ensemble. It became
a historic landmark by the National Historic Site
Office in 1981 and it is at Alfândega Plaza,
Downtown.
Museum
of Art of Rio Grande do Sul – MARGS
With a predominantly neoclassic style, the building
was designed by German architect Theo Wiederspahn.
Originally it was the headquarters of the Fiscal
Surveillance Agency of the Federal Revenue Office.
Nowadays, it hosts the largest collection of works
in Rio Grande do Sul, many of which were created
by renowned local, national, and foreign artists.
The internal spaces are illuminated through “vitreauxes”
(artistic window glasses) embellishing the major
hall ceiling. The building became a historic landmark
by the National Historic Site Office in 1983 and
it is at Alfândega Plaza, Downtown. You may
visit it from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m.
Arquipélago
(Archipelago)
Guaíba Lake receives water from Jacuí,
Caí, Sinos, and Gravataí Rivers. On
the islands, which are the result of this water
confluence, the "Delta do Jacuí"
(Jacuí Delta) State Park was created in 1976.
The archipelago is comprised by 28 islands, most
of which are not inhabited. There, 329 vegetal specimens,
108 kinds of birds and over 20 species of fish thrive,
in addition to hundreds of other animals. Some islands
are connected to the continent by the Regis Bittencourt
Crossing – the well-known "Ponte do Guaíba”
(Guaíba Bridge). Grande dos Marinheiros,
Pavão, Flores, and Pintada islands shelter
a 15-thousand people population. The islanders live
on waste recycling and fishing, and also produce
handicraft.
Ilha
da Pintada (Pintada Island)
Ilha da Pintada is part of the group of islands
comprising the Delta do Jacuí State Park.
Currently, crafty fishing is the most representative
economic activity in the place. Its population descends
from Azorean immigrants.
Guaíba
The sunset, as seen from the Guaíba Lake,
blankets the city with golden lights. Every day
the most diverse viewers wait for the twilight show
along its 72 km shore.
Morros
(Hills)
A ring of granitic hills aged 730 million years
enframes Porto Alegre, occupying 65% of the city
area. The hills are part of the Southern Rio Grande
Shield - a triangular platform 48 thousand sq. km
long, originated from rocks which melted under intense
pressure and heat inside the Earth, and then emerged,
rising as high as the mountains. Nowadays, spalled
and cracked by the erosion of million of years,
small round-topped hills are formed and are predominant
in the gaucho capital landscape.
Morro
Santana (Santana Hill)
It is the city’s highest peak. Over half of
its extension – about one thousand hectares
– is owned by the Federal University of Rio
Grande do Sul. At its 311 meters high are native
forests and fields, waterfalls, swamps, marshes,
lakes, brooks, and cascades. A unique landscape.
Morro
do Osso (Osso Hill)
It is located between Tristeza, Camaquá,
and Ipanema districts. From the top of its 143 meters,
with an over 200-degree panoramic view, one can
see the Guaíba Lake, Ipanema Beach, Downtown
Porto Alegre, and a few hills. A share of this Hill
lines off the Osso Hill Natural Park, which must
soon be expanded. The park has a head office with
an auditorium for educational activities, forester
service, and an environmental educational program.
Morro
São Pedro (São Pedro Hill)
It lies between Restinga and Lami districts. From
its 289 meters high, it is possible to see part
of the city’s Southern Zone, Lami Beach, and
Itapuã Lighthouse. With over one thousand
hectares, it has several clean and preserved stream
fountains. There you can find four basic vegetal
formations: clean field, with tripping vegetation;
dirty field, with clumps of shrub and semi-shrubby
vegetation; the gallery forest, which flows across
the brooks; and pluvial subtropical wood or forest.
In addition to campo flickers, partridges, “sabiás”,
southern house wrens, and sparrow hawks, other animals
in danger of extinction, as auburn monkeys, live
in this hill.
Morro
Santa Teresa (Santa Teresa Hill)
Located at Santa Teresa District, this hill is 148
m above sea level, providing a panoramic view of
the shores of Guaíba Lake along the “Marinha
do Brasil” and Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho
(Harmonia) parks. >From Ruy Ramos belvedere,
at the hilltop, it is also possible to see some
of the archipelago islands, the “Usina do
Gasômetro” (Gasholder Plant), and Downtown
Porto Alegre. Santa Teresa is known for sheltering
several TV and radio stations, being this the reason
why the population nicknamed it as "TV Hill".
Botanical
Garden
With an area of approximately 43 hectares, the Botanical
Garden is in the district named for it, between
Cristiano Fischer Avenue and Salvador França
Avenue. It has scientific collections with over
two thousand issues, 725 vegetal species, spread
along the different open areas in the park. It also
has a Germplasm Bank, a Seed Bank and a Sapling
Terrarium, in addition to developing environmental
educational activities. The Natural Sciences Museum
is headquartered at the Garden and preserves flora
and fauna species from the State Natural Patrimony.
Farroupilha
Park (Redenção)
It is located at Farroupilha District. Its 370 thousand
sq. meters of extension hosts 45 copper and marble
monuments, a luminous fountain and the “O
Expedicionário" (The Expeditionary One)
monument, representing a double Triumph Arch with
relief sculptures which are a homage to Brazilian
soldiers who fought in Italy during the World War
II. It also hosts a mini-zoo, an amusement park
for children, a solar retreat, a market, soccer
and bowl fields, cycleways, athletic sports track,
gymnastics equipment, and an auditorium for 4,500
people. On Sundays, the Brique da Redenção
Fair takes place.
Maurício
Sirotsky Sobrinho Park (Harmonia Park)
Located at Cidade Baixa District, it has 300 thousand
sq. meters, hosting in its area a replica of a traditional
gaucho farm - the Harmonia Ranch -, designed to
maintain and practice the regionalist culture. It
also has an aeromodelling track, a nautimodelling
tank, children’s sites, soccer and bowl fields,
volleyball courts, and over 100 barbecue grills
available in different areas of the park.
Saint
Hilaire Park
Located on RS-040 highway, at about km 02, this
park is 17 km away from Downtown Porto Alegre. It
has 11.8 sq. km, 240 hectares of which are designed
to leisure and 940 hectares reserved to permanent
preservation. Its name is a homage to scientist
Augustin François César Prouvençal
de Saint-Hilaire, an internationally renowned French
traveler and naturalist who lived in Brazil for
many years. The park infrastructure has soccer fields,
bowl fields, volleyball courts and indoor soccer
fields, aeromodelling and skating tracks, a playground
and approximately 100 barbecue grills.
Mascarenhas
de Moraes Park
Officially created in 1984, the park has a total
area of 182,383 sq. meters. In addition, it has
an ecologic reserve of approximately 6 hectares,
inhabited by many flora and fauna species. The Southern
Wing of the park has a playground and three volleyball
courts; in the central part are the park administration
office, soccer and bowl fields, volleyball courts,
soccer seven fields and multipurpose courts and
fields. Mascarenhas de Moraes Park is at Humaitá
District.
Chico
Mendes Park
It pays a homage to preservationist Francisco Alves
Mendes Filho, commonly known as Chico Mendes, the
union leader of rubber tappers and a great defender
of the Amazon forest, murdered in 1988, in Acre
State. The park occupies 247 thousand sq. meters
and it is located still at an urban consolidation
stage area. It has a forest of eucalyptuses and
a small ecologic reserve comprised basically of
native trees which ensure the survival of several
species of the avifauna. It also has a volleyball
court, a basketball court, two soccer fields, three
bowl fields, table games, gymnastics equipment,
cooper lanes, rest rooms, a playground, and an area
with barbecue grills. The Chico Mendes Memorial
and the outdoor amphitheater are designed to ceremonies
and cultural agendas.
Parque
Marinha do Brasil (The Brazilian Navy’s Park)
It occupies an area of 715 thousand sq. meters at
Praia de Belas District. From there one can admire
the waters of Guaíba Lake. Sportspeople enjoy
the park very much due to its infrastructure characteristics
– it has four tennis courts, five multipurpose
courts, a soccer field, six indoor soccer fields,
an athletic sports track, a skating track, a skateboard
track, nine sand soccer fields, a mourning hall
and gymnastics equipment. Bicycle and quadricycle
rental is also available. It also has a playground
and a small amusement park. Out of its total area,
11 hectares represent forests and grass-covered
spaces where there are many native trees and exotic
species.
Parque
Moinhos de Vento (Moinhos de Vento [Windmills] Park)
It has 115 thousand sq. meters and offers sports
infrastructure with a soccer field, tennis court,
bowl field, gymnastics equipment, skating track,
multipurpose courts, and athletic sports tracks.
The Park administrative head offices were built
in the shape of an artificial windmill debouching
as a small cascade. Turtles, geese, drakes, and
fish live at the site. The avifauna becomes more
abundant in the fruiting period of trees and shrubs
of the park. There is also a library for children,
containing one thousand books, especially devoted
to ecologic literature. The Park lies at Moinhos
de Vento District.
Lami
Biological Reserve
The city has a Biological Reserve 170 hectares long
within its territorial limits. Lami Biological Reserve
shelters a meteorological station and a terrarium
of native saplings. The diverse atmospheres enable
growing over 300 vegetal species and a higher number
of animal species; the swamps and reeds are home
to many aquatic organisms.
Historic
Buildings
Porto Alegre is a huge outdoor architectonic museum.
The different styles are concentrated especially
downtown, recording on the buildings the influences
which marked the capital city’s golden time.
Therefore, walking across the narrow streets of
the historical center, one may see buildings with
baroque characteristics – as the “Casa
da Junta” – sharing the space with the
modern architecture of Farroupilha Palace –
a place that today hosts the State Legislative Assembly.
Monuments
The monuments of the gaucho capital city may be
seen in several points throughout the city. They
are exhibited in public spaces, as the Júlio
de Castilhos Monument, at Praça da Matriz
(Main Church Square), embellishing the façade
of public buildings, as the collection of statues
adorning the Old City Hall, at Praça Montevidéu.
Porto Alegre also has a series of modern works,
such as the Monument to the Azoreans, located across
the “Ponte de Pedra" (Stone Bridge).
Cultural
Centers
Porto Alegre offers large spaces for shows, as the
"Anfiteatro Pôr-do-Sol” (Sunset
Amphitheater) on the shores of Guaíba Lake,
or areas for qualified exhibitions, as the rooms
of Mário Quintana House of Culture and the
Gasholder Plant.
Shopping
Brique
da Redenção (Handicraft Fair)
It sells from old objects to regional handicraft
and plastic arts. Furthermore, it has become a meeting
point for Porto Alegre’s youth. It is at José
Bonifácio Avenue, inside the Farroupilha
Park. It is open every Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
