among the many destinations around rio de janeiro capital, nova friburgo is one of the most popular with cariocas - peaceful, clean, surrounded by green valleys, with fresh air and cool climate in the summer, this town feels a world away from the heat and chaotic energy of rio de janeiro in the summer.

the city of nova friburgo or, new fribourg in english, is in the região serrana, about 150 kilometers from the capital - the região (region) serrana (mountainous) is one of several regions within the state of rio de janeiro, each offering a diverse option for local tourism. 

while friburgo may sound slightly german, it is in fact, as referred by its inhabitants, of swiss origin - the history of the town started in 1818, when dom joão vi authorized the settlement of the region by 100 swiss families, from a swiss canton named friburgo.