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 a look. It was designed as a casino and shows the obvious influence of modernist Le Corbusier.