All of the Serra Gaścha has a distinctly Germanic flavor, in terms of building styles, architecture and people. Gramado, particularly, looks like a Bavarian village. The main attraction, aside from beautiful scenery and well-tended national parks, is that it snows in the winter - quite an unusual experience for most residents of this tropical country.

The region reflects a mix of German and gaścho (the traditional cowboy, an Indian and Spanish mix, in the pampas, the grassy cattle country in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil).