Cities in Minas Gerais
- Belo Horizonte - the state's capital, a cultural and economic metropolis
- Diamantina - famous for its diamonds, its music and 18th century architecture
- Governador Valadares - a modern city known as the "little America" of Brazil (Because 50% of GV population have already been in US)
- Juiz de Fora - an industrial and university center located between Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, hosts an important festival of Baroque music
- Montes Claros - cultural hub of the North. This is where I live. I’ll write a special post about it later.
- Ouro Preto - the most important Brazilian ensemble of Baroque architecture, a World Heritage Site
- Sete Lagoas - a city built amongst seven lakes.
- Uberaba - arguably the cattle ranching capital of Brazil
- Uberlândia - a very modern cosmopolitan city, the second largest city in the state. I was born there =D
But let’s talk about tourism…
Probably, the best touristic cities to visit in Minas Gerais belong to the “King’s Road”, or “Estrada Real”, in Portuguese:
ESTRADA REAL
Estrada Real used to be a path used by the colonizers during the Gold age in Minas Gerais in order to arrive in Rio de Janeiro. In 2001 some people have created this project called Estrada Real and it has became one of the most interesting tourist attractions in brazil. There are 1.512 km of routes that pass through 177 villages, 162 in Minas Gerais, eight in Rio de Janeiro and seven in São Paulo. There are three ways to go: Caminho Velho, Caminho Novo and Rota dos Diamantes. You can find Full Routes and an interactive map of all the Road here: http://www.er.org.br/ and http://www.estradareal.tur.br/ . Official Site: http://www.estradareal.org.br/ . Unfortunatelly, it’s all in Portuguese…
Colonial buildings, churches, museums, ecological reservations, ecoturism, radical sports… You can find it all in Estrada Real..
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| For a bigger map, click here |
Let me tell you about the highlights of the Road:
Diamantina
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| Cristais Waterfal, Diamantina, MG |
299 km from Belo Horizonte
A truly singular place. Diamantina's evenings are punctuated by the sounds of serenades, classical and baroque music. Diamantina is located in the north of Minas Gerais. It is a truly enchanting place, very much distinct from the other historic towns - perhaps owing to its diamond- studded past.
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| Passadiço, Diamantina, MG |
There is an air of geniality whether it be in the colorful and delicately worked trimmings of the homes, public buildings and churches, in the hints of an influence of Arab luxury in ornamental details or in the very existence of the town which seems to challenge it's arid and forbiddingly beautiful surroundings.
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| Carnival in Diamantina, MG |
Carnival in Diamantina: The largest carnival in Minas Gerais happens in Diamantina. The party mixes the religious and the profane, and fills the city with tourists from all over the world. Diamantina is one of best and the one of the most popular carnivals of Brazil, having a “street carnival” style. The city's traditional bands play throughout the day making people dance in the streets all day and night! The city is crowded during the carnival.
Trekking: Walk until Pico do Itambé. Really nice:
RECEPTIVO QUINTAL RADICAL
Ecoturism & Adventure
Tel: (38) 9909-0472 – Talk to Marconi
More information about Diamantina :
http://wikitravel.org/en/Diamantina (English)
Ouro Preto
104km from Belo Horizonte
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| Ouro Preto, MG |
395km from Rio de Janeiro
Founded in the early eighteenth century, Ouro Preto is a masterpiece of colonial Brazilian architecture and art. Indeed, UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site.
Here the intricate details of the buildings and art works clearly reflect the originality and autonomy of the craftsmen and artists who created this monument of Brazilian baroque style.
A visit to Ouro Preto is a step back into history and past human accomplishments. The town has thirteen large churches and numerous public monuments and buildings. The most spectacular of the churches are Saint Francis, Our Lady of Carmo, Our Lady of the Rosary, Pilar and Antônio Dias.
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| Tiradentes Square, Ouro Preto, MG |
Other important sites include the Casa dos Contos (the former minting house), the Inconfidência Museum (which documents Brazil's earliest independence movement), the Mineralogical Museum and the world class Museu do Oratório (with its magnificent collection of sacred art, especially oratories). A grand synthesis of history and art.
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| Mariana, MG |
Cultural, popular and religious events are yet another reason for visiting Ouro Preto. The crafts fair in the Saint Francis Church square, the Winter Festival, the Easter Pageant and the Festival of Our Lady of the Rosary are among these special attractions.
Last, but certainly not least, most local restaurants serve excellent meals based on regional culinary traditions which reflect their Brazilian, European and African origins.
You can go to other nice city called Mariana, using a Train on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: from Ouro Preto - 10h AM. check it out: http://www.tremdavale.org/pt/trem-turistico/ (portuguese)
More info about Ouro Preto:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Ouro_Preto#b
http://www.ouro-preto.info/index.html (English)
Tiradentes and São João Del ReyOne of the most lovely towns in Minas, Tiradentes has lovely inns, highly-rated restaurants, tempting shops and a generally up-scale ambience. A place not to be missed.
The realistic reproduction of popular figures so common in Brazilian art was the result of contributions coming from all the races composing the colonial society. And that is what distinguished Brazilian baroque from the European model.
One of Aleijadinho's last projects, the Saint Anthony Church at Tiradentes housed a sophisticated eighteenth-century organ, still used in the celebration of masses. Framed by the splendid São José mountain range, this town conducts an annual film festival(Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes – it happens in the end of January ) and a world-class gastronomic festival (in August http://www.culturaegastronomia.com.br/ )
A visit to São João del Rei is a must. Here the religious traditions of colonial times live on in the churches, processions and habits of the faithful. The very air of its winding streets is thick with religious fervor as the church bells toll out their sundry announcements. Also to be admired are the decorative objects made in pewter - a recently revived local tradition.Actually I would suggest you visit São João Del Rey by taking a ride on the narrow-gauge train with its steam engine locomotive running between Tiradentes and São João del Rei. The trip lasts thirty minutes and runs on Fridays, Satur-days and Sundays. Departures from Tiradentes are at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm, from São João del Rei at 10:00 am and 2:30 pm.
More info about Tiradentes:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Tiradentes (English)
YOU MIGH T BE WONDERING… But what about Belo Horizonte, Minas’ Capital?
Let me explain…
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte, meaning beautiful horizon, is a hustling, bustling metropolitan city with over 2.4 million citizens. The main city can best be thought of as a tropical version of New York City boasting a copious amount of nightlife, day attractions and hidden restaurant and entertainment gems all waiting for your discovery! One of the nicest things about traveling to Belo Horizonte is that, unlike the majority of popular Brazilian cities, its economy is not based primarily on tourism. The city does enough commerce and manufacturing to sustain itself as a stable, independent metropolis.
What started as a small town founded for it’s rich soil and beautiful climate has steadily grown into a prime city complete with massive skyscrapers, artistic culture and a rural, mountainous outlying territory. The city is home to amazing music and dance performances of all genres that take place almost every night at local bars, clubs and theaters. Any fan of the arts will never run out of shows to see in Belo Horizonte.
Click here to check out the best bars in BH.In conclusion, there is much to see and do in this one of a kind Brazil city. It may not be the most common vacation destination in Brazil, but if you’re the kind of person who loves the city and enjoys constant entertainment and an endless supply of new things to see, Belo Horizonte is the place for you.
Other interesting sites: http://www.tourguidebrazil.com/ and http://www.brasil.gov.br/sobre/tourism
I hope you guys enjoy it!
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