Blumenau

Founded on 2 September 1850 by German chemist Hermann Blumenau, this Santa Catarina city in the Itajaí Valley is home to the second-largest Oktoberfest in the Americas — a 17-day beer festival held each October. The city's German colonial heritage is visible in its half-timbered architecture, and its cultural calendar also includes the Italian-rooted Festitália. Set along the Itajaí-Açu River in mountain terrain, Blumenau has a dense café and restaurant scene and sits within the Serra do Itajaí National Park.

• Population361,855
• Nearest water from center0.1 km
• Nearest mountain from center1.9 km