""The Smiling City"" a Porto Alegre Travel Page by Julie_B

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the southern-most state of Brasil. The city has a population of approximately 1.500.000 inhabitants. Its strategic geographical location places Porto Alegre at the business center of the MERCOSUL – Southern Common Market – which is formed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Porto Alegre is renowned as a city with the biggest european influence in the country. Truly the city is a real “ethnic mosaic” with representatives of the German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, African, Jewish and Oriental cultures among others. In such a “melting pot” of different cultures, everibody lives in perfect harmony, celebrating their differences and enriching the local culture. Blessed by nature, Porto Alegre is a meeting point of different landscapes at the margins of Guaiba River and Lagoa dos Patos - the biggest lake (of non salty water) in the world. The city is remembered by its cultural events, by very well preserved historical buildings (as the "Dores" church), and by is varied gastronomy.
Porto Alegre sunset is famous, being described as one of the nicest in the world.