Sights in Belo Horizonte
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Pampulha District
Fans of modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer won't want to miss his creations dotted around a huge artificial lake in the Pampulha district. Juscelino Kubitschek, mayor of Belo at the time, commissioned the recent architectural school graduate in the early 1940s. Niemeyer's Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is an architectural delight, with some beautiful Portinari paintings inside.
The Casa do Baile, a former dance hall that has had extensive renovations and now holds temporary art exhibits. Its on-site cafe is a lovely place to take a break.
The Museu de Arte de Belo Horizonte, with its cute garden designed by renowned landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is also worth …
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Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim
Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim, greater Belo’s new tourist attraction, is an impressive, sprawling complex of gardens dotted with 16 modern art galleries and numerous outdoor sculptures, 50km west of the city, near the town of Brumadinho. Much of the international artwork on display is monumental in size. 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.…
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Gruta Rei do Mato
Gruta Rei do Mato is the most interesting cave. Near Sete Lagoas, north of Belo, it has prehistoric paintings and petroglyphs. From Belo Horizonte, take any Sete Lagoas–bound bus running along Hwy BR-040 (R$15, 80 minutes, hourly from 7am to 11pm) and ask the driver to drop you at the cave entrance.
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Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto
The free Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto, southwest of Savassi, features a renovated colonial farmhouse, the solitary remnant of Curral del Rey, the rural village destroyed in the 1890s to make room for Belo. There are some fascinating historical photos and other bric-a-brac.
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Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó
Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó - forming the heart of Unesco's brand new Serra do Espinhaço Biosphere Reserve - is Belo Horizonte's backyard wilderness area. Its vast mountain and river landscapes lie just 100km from the city center, offering excellent hiking opportunities.
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Parque Municipal
One of Belo's most appealing spots is Parque Municipal, an enormous sea of tropical greenery with artificial lakes and winding pathways, just 10 minutes southeast of the bus station along Av Afonso Pena. It's especially fun on Sunday, when everyone's out strolling and socializing.
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Gruta da Lapinha
The highlight at Gruta da Lapinha is the Véu de Noiva, a crystal formation in the shape of a bride’s veil. At the time of research the cave was closed, with plans to reopen (possibly with modified hours and prices) in December 2010. Phone for the latest info.
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Museu de Artes e Ofícios
The new Museu de Artes e Ofícios, in Belo’s historic train station, houses a wide-ranging collection of objects used in the daily lives of Mineiros past and present. There are interpretive cards in English adjacent to each exhibit.
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Museu de Arte de Pampulha
The Museu de Arte de Pampulha, with its cute garden designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is worth a look. It was designed as a casino and shows the obvious modernist influence of Le Corbusier.
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Aquário do Rio São Francisco
The brand-new Aquário do Rio São Francisco in Pampulha is Brazil’s largest freshwater aquarium. Opened in March 2010, it showcases the endemic fishes of Brazil’s 2830km long São Francisco river.
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Casa Do Baile
The Casa do Baile, a former dance hall, now holds all types of temporary art exhibits. Its lovely on-site café is a great place to take a break.
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Museu Giramundo
The Museu Giramundo has a fanciful display of 400 marionettes, from performances by the internationally acclaimed, Belo-based Teatro Giramundo.
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Gruta de Maquiné
Gruta de Maquiné is the largest, most famous and crowded of the caves. Maquiné’s seven huge chambers are well lit for guided tours.
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Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
The Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is an architectural delight and the paintings by Portinari are beautiful.
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