Sights in The Central West
-
A
Memorial JK
The tomb of JK (President Juscelino Kubitschek) lies underneath eerily beautiful stained glass by French artist Marianne Peretti inside the Memorial JK. The museum houses JK’s 3000-book-strong personal library as well as a pictorial history of Brasília. Don’t miss his 1973 Ford Galaxie just outside the back door.
reviewed
-
B
Santuário Dom Bosco
Santuário Dom Bosco is made of 80 concrete columns that support 7500 pieces of illuminated Murano glass symbolizing a starry sky, and which cast a blue submarine glow over the pews. The central chandelier weighs 2.5 tonnes and adds an amazing 435 light bulbs’ worth of energy to the monthly electricity bill.
reviewed
-
Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães
The 33,000-ha (81,545-acre) Parque Nacional Chapada dos Guimarães is located in the tablelands that mark the western edge of the Brazilian central plateau. It has several excellent walks to waterfalls and caves, or you can hire guides to lead you on overnight excursions. The two exceptional sights inside the park are the 60m (196ft) Véu de Noiva (Bridal Veil) falls and the Cidade de Pedra (Stone City).
The lookout perched above the impressive, free-falling Véu de Noiva is Chapada's most dazzling place, while the Cidade de Pedra has wonderful vistas and rock formations reminiscent of stone temples. If you don't have a car, your best bet is to take an excursion with Eco T…
reviewed
-
C
Praça dos Trés Poderes
Down in the cockpit, you'll find the most interesting buildings surrounding the Praça dos Trés Poderes. It's a synthesis of the ideas of architects Niemeyer and Costa, combining various monuments, museums and federal buildings. The space includes striking sculptures including Bruno Giorgi's Os Candangos, Alfredo Ceschiatti's A Justiça and Niemeyer's O Pombal.
If you're lucky enough to visit on the first Sunday of the month, the military pulls out all stops for the ceremonial changing of Brasília's tallest and largest flag, a 286-sq-m banner on a flagpole conceived by Sergio Bernardes, the only edifice in the square not designed by Niemeyer.
reviewed
-
D
Templo da Boa Vontade
The Templo da Boa Vontade was created by the Legion of Goodwill in 1989 as a symbol of universal solidarity. It incorporates seven pyramids, joined to form a cone that is topped with the biggest raw crystal you will ever see (it weighs in at 21kg). To view it, you must take off your shoes and walk along the spiraling inner circle via the black path. You must return on the white path (do not screw this up). It’s all a bit dizzying. There is also an interesting Egyptian room for meditation (R$2) that will make you feel like King Tut (of course, they take all of this very seriously, so let’s keep these jokes between us). Get there on bus 105 or 107 from the city bus station.…
reviewed
-
Museu Histórico de Mato Grosso
Inside a restored colonial building on Praça da República, the Museu Histórico de Mato Grosso is an interesting stroll through the state’s history. Each room represents a different period and houses extensive collections of silver, military paraphernalia, and other historical odds and ends. Much of the history is illustrated in vibrant paintings by local artist Moacyr Freitas, though some artistic license is involved, for example in the Destrução do Quilombo do Piolho, where a North American bald eagle soars over the weary yet bemused slaves.
reviewed
-
E
Congresso Nacional
Featuring the photogenic ‘dishes’ and twin towers, the congress building, Congresso Nacional, is one of the more interesting buildings on the inside as well. In addition to the color-coded chambers of the Senate (blue) and House of Representatives (green) – so ’60s gauche – there is an architecturally interesting ‘Tunnel of Time’ and an exhibit of antique Senate benches and microphones from 1867. The convex dome on the roof of the House of Representatives is supposed to signify that membership is open to all ideologies.
reviewed
-
Museu Rondon
The small Museu Rondon has exhibits on the Xavante, Bororo and Karajá tribes and is well worth a visit to check out the ornate indigenous headdresses and some vicious weaponry. It is on the grounds of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). To get there, catch a 103 Jd Universitário bus (R$1.85) on Av Tenente Coronel Duarte. Once you hit campus, the museum is behind the Aquatic Park. If you are there as the sun sets, hang around to watch the arrival of the flocks of herons and egrets that roost nearby.
reviewed
-
F
Palácio do Planalto
The president's office, the Palácio do Planalto, is another Niemeyer design that's worth seeing, both inside and out. From the curved lines of the exterior to the lustrous columns and sweeping curved ramp inside, it's one of the best examples of architectural Modernism in the world. On the tour, which is only available on Sundays, you can even peek into the President's office.
There is a ceremonial changing of the guards outside the gates every hour on weekends and every two hours during the week.
reviewed
-
Cidade Ecléctica
About 63km west of Brasília, near the town of Santo Antônio do Descoberto (Goiás), is the Cidade Ecléctica. Founded in 1956 by Yokanam, who was once an airline pilot, the group’s aim is to unify all religions on the planet through fraternity and equality. You’re welcome to attend its ceremonies, but there are strict dress regulations. Women cannot wear long pants (skirts only) and men cannot wear shorts. If you’re not dressed suitably, you’ll be given a special tunic to wear.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
G
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Brasília’s most important contemporary museum, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil is in a giant building in the South Sports Club Sector. It houses fascinating exhibitions in two galleries, an indie cinema, a café and a bookstore. The monthly cultural program is posted online at twitter.com/CCBB_DF (in Portuguese). There is a free bus every 90 minutes (from 11am to 11pm) that runs along the Eixo Monumental (look for the painted bus that says CCBB).
reviewed
-
Museu das Culturas Dom Bosco
The Museu das Culturas Dom Bosco has undergone a R$2 million relocation to a new building designed by Italian architect Massimo Chiappetta a few kilometers from its old city-center location. The new space, a 3400-sq-meter expansion houses an excellent collection of over 10,000 insects. There is a beautiful new exhibit of indigenous Bororo headdresses and other artifacts from the indigenous Moro, Karajá and Xavante groups.
reviewed
-
H
Parque Nacional de Brasília
In the northern reaches of the city limits, the 30-sq-km Parque Nacional de Brasília is a good place to relax. It has natural swimming pools and is home to a number of threatened animals, including deer, anteaters, giant armadillos and maned wolves. The park is very popular on weekends and there’s a visitors’ center where you can get information. Bus 128.1 from the city bus station goes past the front gate.
reviewed
-
I
Catedral Metropolitana
With its 16 curved columns and its wavy stained-glass interior, the Catedral Metropolitana is heavenly viewing. At the entrance are the haunting Four Disciples statues carved by Ceschiatti, who also made the aluminum angels hanging inside. Visitors who bemoaned the number of broken stained-glass panels will be glad to hear that they were undergoing a thorough repair at the time of research.
reviewed
-
Museu Dom Bosco
Campo Grande is a popular gateway to the Pantanal, and although there's not much to see in the city itself, this museum is worth a look. It has an excellent collection of over 10,000 insects, including 7000 butterflies. There are lots of stuffed animals and interesting exhibits about the Bororo, Moro, Karajá and Xavante Indians. Reasonably priced handicrafts are also available.
reviewed
-
J
Palácio do Itamaraty
Palácio do Itamaraty is home to the Foreign Ministry and one of the most impressive buildings – a series of arches towering over a reflecting pool and floating gardens landscaped by Burle Marx. Outside, the Bruno Giorgi sculpture Meteor consists of five marble blocks, each representing a continent. Call in advance to schedule your tour of the interior.
reviewed
-
Museu Morro da Caixa D´Agua Velha
Probably the city’s oddest museum is the Museu Morro da Caixa D´Agua Velha, which brings together a variety of frankly weird water-themed trinkets, from old tubes to shower heads. Far more interesting than the display is the construction itself, the city’s former water tank dating from 1882 and built in the style of a Roman aqueduct.
reviewed
-
Centro Geodésico da America do Sul
An obelisk marks the Centro Geodésico da America do Sul, one of the exact centers of the continent according to the locals. There is of course only one real exact centre of South America, but inhabitants of Chapada dos Guimarães claim that it actually resides there. If you care enough to find out who is right, check Google Earth!
reviewed
-
Gruta do Lago Azul
A bargain attraction is the Gruta do Lago Azul, a large cave with a luminous underground lake and stalactite formations 20km west of Bonito. It’s often the postcard view of Bonito, and is worth seeing, but it’s only truly miraculous in late December and early January, when the sun shines in at just the right angle.
reviewed
-
K
Money Museum
Numismatists will also be interested in a visit to the money museum in the Banco Central do Brasil opposite Caixa Federal. Cash from around the world is on show, as well as a complete set of Brazilian currency, including a 1,000,000 Cruzeiro note. You’ll need to show your passport to get in – they take no chances.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Museu dos Povos Indígenas
In a Niemeyer building inspired by the circular form of the indigenous Yanomani hut, is the Museu dos Povos Indígenas, a small but colorful display of indigenous artifacts put together by anthropologists Darcy and Berta Ribeiro and Eduardo Galvão. A sandy central courtyard is still used for tribal rituals.
reviewed
-
L
Caixa Federal
In the lobby of the Caixa Federal is a small museum of financial bits and pieces, ranging from old lottery tickets through to wooden safes. The exhibits themselves are of only passing interest, but the gorgeous stained-glass murals, each one representing a Brazilian state, make it worth the visit.
reviewed
-
M
TV Tower
The 75m-high observation deck of the TV Tower is the second-best place to get a bird's-eye view of the city (after a helicopter ride), but it's still not tall enough to really get a sense of the city's airplane design. That's not a favela at its base; a handicrafts fair runs on weekends and holidays.
reviewed
-
N
Espaço Cultural Lucio Costa
Down a concealed flight of steps on the praça itself is the Espaço Cultural Lucio Costa. Inside you will find a 170-sq-meter scale map of the Plano Piloto plus images of the city during its construction and early occupation. There is even a map of the city in braille.
reviewed
-
Mercado do Porto
Close to the municipal aquarium, the Mercado do Porto houses the fish market, with a variety of species, as well as a vegetable and spice market. It’s a good place to check out what the region’s fish look like before they arrive at your table.
reviewed
