General information:
Taquara is a small
town located in the margin of
Paranhana river,
Paranhana Valley, in the
state of
Rio Grande do Sul,
Brazil. It's named after a native
bamboo-like plant, and was founded in April 17th, 1886 by
Tristao Monteiro.
Geography and Weather:
The city is located in the northeast region of the state, far 72
kilometers from the capital,
Porto Alegre and 42
kilometers from the important touristic town of
Gramado. Other major nearby cities includes
Canoas,
Sao Leopoldo and
Novo Hamburgo.
City
altitude varies from 29
meters in the center to 600
meters in the hilly region. Average
temperature is 22
Celsius degrees, and climate is temperate, with the four seasons well-recognized.
Population is 51,000, where 37,000 people live in urban areas.
Economy:
To the present date, the town has 2,200 established
enterprises that constitutes its
commercial area, and 690
industries. Also, there are 4,400 miscelaneous
services establishments.
Education:
There are 48 city-run (elementary and high) schools, 16 state-run, and 6 private high school institutions. Also very important to the town is the only college, Faculdades de Taquara (
FACCAT).
Miscelaneous:
Every year the city hosts a traditional agricultural exposition,
EXPOCAMPO, featuring producers and farmers from nearby regions. In November, is held a german-inspired party called Novemberfest, where people from nearby villages and towns gather to drink beer and eat traditional foods, listening to German tradition songs.
Nice places to eat are the
Topo Gigio restaurant, located on the road to
Sao Francisco de Paula and
Pizzaria do Clube, in the center of town.
For fun, establishment such as
Alpha Bingo and
Twister bar are always crowded, along with several bars and clubs.