Basalt stone as tourist attraction in thematic routes for the Grape and Wine Region

Abstract

The geologic history and the cultural development of the Northeast region of the Rio Grande do Sul permitted the most diverse forms for use of the natural resources: basalt stone. The study propose the inclusion of the basalt stone in the thematic routes in the Grape and Wine Region using as reference the inventory done in the cities of Caxias do Sul, Bento Gonçalves, Garibaldi and Nova Prata. The occurrences for use the basalt stone were identified and evaluated from the manifestation of the nature and its different forms of utilization in the mentioned cities. These occurrences were identified in five categories: buildings, pavements and fences, utensils and workmanship, art and natural resources, which can be considered tourist attractive. From this identification and determination of their tourist potentialities were selected several forms of use of the basalt stone to introduces as tourist attractive in thematic route for Grape and Wine Region.