The city’s name is tied to its past, when it served as a stopping point for drovers (tropeiros in Portuguese) driving cattle through the mountainous fields in the late nineteenth century. On reaching the top of the Serra (mountains), both drovers and immigrants found a small field of soft green grass where they could rest and recover their strength. Some say that it was this grass that the city was named for (gramado means lawn or grass in Portuguese). Others believe that the city was named for the route from the Vale dos Sinos to the Serra (mountains) through the Serra Grande. The crossing required great care and was known as Gramado.

The area was colonized by Europeans, beginning with Portuguese immigrants in 1875, who followed five years later by Germans and then Italian settlers from Caxias do Sul, which borders on Gramado. At the same time as it followed the cultural traditions of its European descendants, the city also has strong ties with native inhabitants of Rio Grande do Sul state (known as gauchos). This diversity makes the city all the more captivating and the result of this combination can still be seen today in its varied cuisine and architecture. 

The natural beauty of the mountainous landscape with its pine forests, birds and other wild animals and characteristic mist, give the region a special feel all of its own. Its fresh air, pleasant summer temperatures and winter snowfall have seen Gramado’s status as a tourist destination flourish. At this time of year, frost creates unforgettable landscapes in the city’s tourist attractions. 

The municipality of Gramado was created by Law 2.522 on December 15, 1954, after breaking away from the city of Taquara. Over the years the city has developed an extensive, top quality tourist infrastructure, which has made it Rio Grande do Sul’s top tourist destination and among the three most sought-after in Brazil.