Art and Architecture
Although nature usually steals all the tourist's attention in Brazil, Brazilian cities, old and new, have a lot to offer to urban dwellers. From colonial time jewels to the only modern city in the UNESCO world-heritage list, passing through world class museums and São Paulo's never ending urban jungle, there is something for every taste.
Minas Gerais
Some of the largest gold mines ever explored in the world were find in the state of Minas Gerais. All the gold is now gone (most of it shipped out of Brazil) but some of it can still be seen in lavish baroque churches scattered around the capital of the state; Belo Horizonte ("BH as the locals nicknamed it"). BH is 2,5h hours away from Maceio and is the gateway for a tour around the colonial cities of Ouro Preto and Tiradentes and also of Inhotim, the largest open-air museum of contemporary art in the world. You will need to rent a car for this trip as the connections between the cities in the tour are not very good. |
Belo Horizonte
I'm afraid there isn't that much to be seen in BH itself, but if you want to spend time in the city, try the museums around Praça da Liberdade, the central market (local speciality is "Figado com Jilo") and Oscar Niemeyer's complex in Pampulha Lake. The best thing about BH is actually its nightlife. The bars around Savassi are among the best in the country.
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Ouro Preto
95km from BH, Ouro Preto is probably the best preserved colonial city in BrazilI. It was the first brazilian town to be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold) was originally called Vila Rica, or "rich village", the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule.
The city centre contains well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban development.18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and the sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a prime tourist destination.
Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold) was originally called Vila Rica, or "rich village", the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule.
The city centre contains well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban development.18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and the sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a prime tourist destination.
The tremendous wealth from gold mining in the 18th century created a city which attracted the intelligentsia of Europe. Philosophy and art flourished, and evidence of a baroque revival called the "Barroco Mineiro" is illustrated in architecture as well as by sculptors such as Aleijadinho, painters such as Mestre Athayde, composers such as Lobo de Mesquita, and poets such as Tomás António Gonzaga. At that time, Vila Rica was the largest city in Brazil, with 100,000 inhabitants.
In 1789, Ouro Preto became the birthplace of the Inconfidência Mineira, a failed attempt to gain independence from Portugal. The leading figure, Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries.
In 1789, Ouro Preto became the birthplace of the Inconfidência Mineira, a failed attempt to gain independence from Portugal. The leading figure, Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries.
MarianaGraced with fine colonial architecture and two of Minas’ prettiest squares, lovely Mariana, founded in 1696, was one of the state's earliest settlements and its first capital. Only 14km from Ouro Preto, Mariana makes an easy day trip or can even be used as a base to explore both cities. Its compact historical center is easier to navigate than Ouro Preto’s, not only because of its smaller size, but also because the hills are less steep. The ground floors of many historic mansions have been transformed into stores, boutiques and artists' workshops where you’re invited to wander at will.
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TiradentesPerhaps nowhere else in Minas do the colonial charm and picturesque natural setting blend so harmoniously as in Tiradentes. Quaint historic houses, fringed by exuberant wildflowers, stand out against a backdrop of pretty blue mountains threaded with hiking trails. If you can, visit midweek, when the town’s abundant attractions are most easily appreciated. On weekends, the swarms of visitors who come to gawk at Tiradentes’s antique stores and boutiques can make the place feel a bit like a theme park, and the sudden increase in horse-drawn carriages creates some strong aromas!
Tiradentes’ center is a compact and photogenic cluster of cobbled streets. The town’s colonial buildings run up a hillside from the main square, Largo das Forras, culminating in the beautiful Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio. |
Inhotim
Inhotim is an impressive giant open-air art gallery set amid 500,000 acres of botanical gardens 50km west of BH, near the town of Brumadinho. Its grounds are dotted with sculptures, art pavilions and over 4,000 plant species. Much of the international artwork on display is monumental in size. On arrival, you are given a map that shows the attractions, spread far and wide, and then you pick your route. You can either get around on foot or in a chauffered golf cart. Either way, you'll never see it all; some art enthusiasts buy multi-day passes.
Inhotim was founded by mining magnate Bernardo Paz and designed by the late landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx, Paz′s friend. It opened to the public in 2006. The collection is a mix of works from Brazilian and international artists, including Olafur Eliasson, Doug Aitken, Vik Muniz, Anish Kapoor and Adriana Varejão. Many of the pavilions are works of art in themselves – one resembles an igloo, another a floating block of concrete. And the exhibits range from the mesmerising (a labyrinth of mirrors camouflaged into the forest so well that saucer-sized butterflies keep bashing into the glass) to the absurd (a row of garden hoes).
Inhotim was founded by mining magnate Bernardo Paz and designed by the late landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx, Paz′s friend. It opened to the public in 2006. The collection is a mix of works from Brazilian and international artists, including Olafur Eliasson, Doug Aitken, Vik Muniz, Anish Kapoor and Adriana Varejão. Many of the pavilions are works of art in themselves – one resembles an igloo, another a floating block of concrete. And the exhibits range from the mesmerising (a labyrinth of mirrors camouflaged into the forest so well that saucer-sized butterflies keep bashing into the glass) to the absurd (a row of garden hoes).
The gardens, which were opened to the public in October 2006 and are expanding constantly, boast 1600 different species of plants (including 200 types of palm alone), peacocks and lakes with swans. You can wander at will, or attend daily scheduled programs led by guides trained in visual arts and natural science. The on-site restaurant and café are both excellent.
Brasilia
Well into middle age, Brazil’s once futuristic capital remains an impressive monument to national initiative. Brasília replaced Rio de Janeiro as Brazil’s center of government in 1960 under the visionary leadership of President Juscelino Kubitschek, architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx.
From the air, Brasília’s millennial design evokes the image of an airplane (or a hummingbird, if you prefer), with each of its architectural marvels strategically laid out along the Eixo Monumental (which forms the fuselage), and its residential and commercial blocks along its outspread wings (asas).
With long distances and harrowing six-lane highways connected by spaghetti junctions to negotiate, Brasília is not really a city for walkers. Though renting a car is trial by fire, the big picture becomes all the more clear from behind a steering wheel. To get the full effect of the layout, however, you should take a tour of the city by air.
From the air, Brasília’s millennial design evokes the image of an airplane (or a hummingbird, if you prefer), with each of its architectural marvels strategically laid out along the Eixo Monumental (which forms the fuselage), and its residential and commercial blocks along its outspread wings (asas).
With long distances and harrowing six-lane highways connected by spaghetti junctions to negotiate, Brasília is not really a city for walkers. Though renting a car is trial by fire, the big picture becomes all the more clear from behind a steering wheel. To get the full effect of the layout, however, you should take a tour of the city by air.
SalvadorSalvador da Bahia has an energy and unadorned beauty that few cities can match. Once the magnificent capital of Portugal’s great New World colony, Salvador is the country’s Afro-Brazilian jewel. Its brilliantly hued center is a living museum of 17th- and 18th-century architecture and gold-laden churches. More importantly, Salvador is the nexus of an incredible arts movement. Wild festivals happen frequently, with drum corps pounding out powerful rhythms against the backdrop of colonial buildings almost daily. At night, capoeira circles form on plazas and open spaces, while the scent of acarajé (bean and shrimp fritters) and other African delights fills the evening air. Elsewhere in town, a different spirit flows through the crowd as religious followers celebrate and reconnect with African gods at mystical Candomblé ceremonies. In fact, there’s no other place in the world where descendants of African slaves have preserved their heritage as well as in Salvador – from music and religion to food, dance and martial-arts traditions.
Aside from the many attractions within Salvador, gorgeous coastline lies right outside the city – a suitable introduction to the tropical splendor of Bahia. |
OlindaPicturesque Olinda, set around a tree-covered hill 6km north of Recife, is the artsy, colonial counterpart to the big city's hubbub. It’s an artist colony full of creative types and brimming with galleries, artisans’ workshops, museums, lovely colonial churches and music in the streets. With twisting streets of colorful old houses and gorgeous vistas over trees, church towers and red-tile roofs, this is one of the best-preserved and prettiest colonial towns in Brazil. The historic center has some lovely pousadas and good restaurants and bars, and makes a much more tranquil base than the bigger neighbor that stands towering in the distance.
Olinda was the original capital of Pernambuco, founded in 1535. Sacked and burnt with all its Catholic churches by the Calvinist Dutch in 1631, it was rebuilt but finally lost its ascendancy when Recife’s merchants eclipsed Olinda’s sugar barons in a bloody 18th-century feud called the Guerra dos Mascates. Although many Olinda buildings were originally constructed in the 16th century, most of what you see today dates from the 18th century and after. The whole picturesque historic center was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1982. |
São Paulo
São Paulo is a monster. Enormous, intimidating and, at first glance at least, no great beauty. It's a difficult city for the traveler to master and one that may not seem worth the sweat. Even the most partisan paulistano – resident of São Paulo city – will rail about the smog, the traffic, the crumbling sidewalks and the gaping divide between poor and rich.
But in the same breath they’ll tell you they’d never live anywhere else. Let them guide you to their favorite haunts and the reason for this will begin to unfold. Maybe they will introduce you to the city’s innumerable art-house cinemas and experimental theaters. If they’re gourmands, you’ll focus on the smart bistros and gourmet restaurants that make the city a world-renowned foodie haven. If they’re scenesters, double up on espresso before embarking on a tour of raucous underground bars and the 24/7 clubbing scene. Whatever pleasures you might covet, Sampa – as the city is known – probably has them in spades.
This fertile cultural life is supported by Brazil’s biggest and best-educated middle class and further enriched by literally hundreds of distinct ethnic groups – including the largest community of people of Japanese descent outside Japan, the largest population of Italian descendants outside Italy and a significant Arab community fueled mostly by Lebanese and Syrian immigration. There are one million people of German stock and, as well, sizable Chinese, Armenian, Lithuanian, Greek, Syrian, Korean, Polish and Hungarian communities. Sao Paulo also has the largest openly gay community in Latin America. Brazil's melting pot is quite hot indeed.
An estimated 20 million people live in greater São Paulo, making it the third-largest metropolis on earth. The numbers are dizzying: first-rate museums and cultural centers (150), world-class restaurants (12,500, covering 52 types of cuisine), experimental theaters and cinemas (420). Sampa’s nightclubs and bars are among the best on the continent (15,000 bars make for one hell of a pub crawl) and its restaurants are among the best in the world. Its relentless, round-the-clock pulse – a close cousin of London’s or New York’s – can prove taxing even for the fiercest hipster. Then again, it may just deliver the charge you need to discover one of the world’s great cities.
But in the same breath they’ll tell you they’d never live anywhere else. Let them guide you to their favorite haunts and the reason for this will begin to unfold. Maybe they will introduce you to the city’s innumerable art-house cinemas and experimental theaters. If they’re gourmands, you’ll focus on the smart bistros and gourmet restaurants that make the city a world-renowned foodie haven. If they’re scenesters, double up on espresso before embarking on a tour of raucous underground bars and the 24/7 clubbing scene. Whatever pleasures you might covet, Sampa – as the city is known – probably has them in spades.
This fertile cultural life is supported by Brazil’s biggest and best-educated middle class and further enriched by literally hundreds of distinct ethnic groups – including the largest community of people of Japanese descent outside Japan, the largest population of Italian descendants outside Italy and a significant Arab community fueled mostly by Lebanese and Syrian immigration. There are one million people of German stock and, as well, sizable Chinese, Armenian, Lithuanian, Greek, Syrian, Korean, Polish and Hungarian communities. Sao Paulo also has the largest openly gay community in Latin America. Brazil's melting pot is quite hot indeed.
An estimated 20 million people live in greater São Paulo, making it the third-largest metropolis on earth. The numbers are dizzying: first-rate museums and cultural centers (150), world-class restaurants (12,500, covering 52 types of cuisine), experimental theaters and cinemas (420). Sampa’s nightclubs and bars are among the best on the continent (15,000 bars make for one hell of a pub crawl) and its restaurants are among the best in the world. Its relentless, round-the-clock pulse – a close cousin of London’s or New York’s – can prove taxing even for the fiercest hipster. Then again, it may just deliver the charge you need to discover one of the world’s great cities.