An urban gaúcho would say that this city is all that. In the countryside, everyone unanimously agrees that the city is “a special gem”. In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, everyone dreams about visiting or revisiting the capital city. Porto Alegre is urban, rural, calm, lively, simple, sophisticated, and even more beautiful. This 1,3 million-strong city has everything that is expected of a large centre. But there is more. There is the essence of the history of its people, who are proud of their past and traditions. In order to give you a glimpse of the gaúcho soul that rests in the heart of this city, we invite you to walk around Porto Alegre. In the end, you will start to understand why the locals refer to their capital as the most beautiful place in the world.

The city was not the first to be founded in the state but it is one of the oldest. It was once called Porto dos Casais due to the Azorians that arrived at the banks of the River Guaíba, which is not actually a river but a lake. Sightseeing boats go up and down the “river” for observation of nature and, of course, contemplation of the famous sunset. The spectacle is one of the most beautiful facets of Porto Alegre.

The old buildings in the city center reflect periods that range from early  colonial times to the post-war period. The walls of the Public Market, for example, tell stories about men from the end of the 19th Century when the g fcity started to expand and become the financial heart of the state. Inside the market, you can still try the fruit salad with buttermilk available at Stall 40, of which recipe was created 81 years ago by a Portuguese grocer.

Porto Alegre is specialized in museums that cater for all tastes. At the Rio Grande do Sul Art Museum (Margs), the works of art merge with the beauty of the historical building that houses them. The old Majestic Hotel hosts exhibitions, films and, especially, a large part of the life of poet Mario Quintana. He lived at the hotel, which is now a cultural center named after him, until his death. On the banks of the Guaíba, a former thermoelectric plant now hosts concerts, plays and exhibitions. 

For those looking for knowledge, there are the Science and Technology Museum, the Rio Grade do Sul Memorial and the Museum of Work. Don’t miss a performance at the 100-year old São Pedro Theatre and gaze at the stained glass windows and ceiling of the Metropolitan Cathedral. The newly-opened Iberê Camargo museum was designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza and honored with the Gold Lion at the 8th Venice Architecture Biennial. On its white walls, there are prints, drawings and paintings that reveal the sensibility of this universal artist. Then how about taking a stroll around the second hand bookstores in the Riachuelo and the General Câmara streets?

Porto Alegre has the second highest human development index out of all Brazilian capitals. Even within the g fcity, there are spaces reminiscent of the most bucolic farms. The city’s tourism office created a one-day tour known as Rural Paths, with visits to distilleries, vineyards, craft workshops, flower nurseries, organic farms and local restaurants. In the Belém Novo and Lami neighborhoods, inns offer horseback tours and environmental hikes around the woods that surround the unpolluted Guaíba.  

Most streets in the Northern Side and downtown are real corridors covered by the treetops. There are ipê trees, rosewoods and China trees, from where island-canaries and song-thrushes sing. They have been there for 40, 50, 100 years. Some of these corridors, together with the old buildings, are now part of the city’s historic heritage. The zoning plan of neighborhoods like Moinhos de Vento and Bom Fim decrees the permanent maintenance of trees and facades.
When the sun is shining, the weekend is the perfect time to try an unforgettable program. If you are not a local, buy all the accessories needed for the chimarrão (mate tea). Get  a blanket, fill a bag with sandwiches and go to one of the parks.

The most famous of all parks is the Farroupilha, kindly known among the locals as Redenção. This gigantic green area has a  square, restaurants, cafes and a flea g fmarket that attracts thousands of visitors every weekend. Artisans and artists meet to show what they know and sell what they make. There are also people sitting on the grass, talking and watching the hours slowly go by.
“Calling upon my imperial clemency with regard to those of my subjects that have been supporting in the Province of São Pedro do Rio Grande do Sul a criminal act against the State Political Constitution and decrees by my Imperial Crown, it is not compatible with the feelings in my heart to deny the paternal protection to shelter  my subjects that express their regret: I shall grant them full amnesty.”

In this passage written by Dom Pedro II, the Poncho Verde Treaty was executed in 1845. The treaty ended the longest and bloodiest armed struggle in Imperial Brazil, when Rio Grande do Sul declared its independence from the Crown and remained a republic for 10 years. The emperor’s words of forgiveness were a source of pain and humiliation for those who believed that it was possible to live in a country that was not exploited by the monarchy. 

Now, amid a cosmopolitan city, the gaúchos find in the past an echo to secure their identity. Every September, the Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho Park becomes a huge camp, where traditionalists from all over the state gather to honor traditions. During almost 30 days, there are churrascos (when the meat is seasoned with rock salt and cooked on the campfire) and plenty of talk over chimarrão. Everything leads to the most important holiday of the year: September, 20th, Gaúchos’ Day. On this day, almost 200 years ago, General  Antônio de Sousa Neto raised his sword and proclaimed the Rio-Grandense Republic. There are celebratory parades around the streets of Porto Alegre and floats with pretty girls, gaúchos displaying their skills with horses and nativist songs that exalt a memory that is more alive than ever. 

Our journey has now reached its end. A typical Porto Alegre native would say that this experience was won (the inseparable derful has been abolished to convey the information faster). Those in the countryside would say that they were “happier than a kid in a toy store”. In order to end this article, we will resort to two famous Rio Grande musicians. During a bout of homesickness, brothers Kleiton and Kledir said that a trip to Porto Alegre was all that it was needed to restore the spirits. So, go away sorrow. I am going to Porto Alegre....tchau!