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Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte was founded in 1897 and
it was the first planned city of the country. It replaced Ouro Preto
as Minas Gerais’ capital. The central urban nucleus still
preserves the original trace of the streets. Its population, that
nowadays is more than 2 millions, enjoys one of the best life qualities
in the country. The climate is pleasant all the year.
 It’s
a modern metropolis, but it preserves the old mineiras traditions.
The buildings with recent construction and the dynamic economy based
on commerce and services are there with historical buildings and
the delicious regional cookery. It’s a city with a full agenda
of cultural events.
And it offers several options to a grooving life night. Belo Horizonte
is famous because of its bars.
Beagá, as it’s called, offers historical
and art museums and beautiful parks, as Municipal, a large green
space in the city center appropriate for hikes. Parque das Mangabeiras
(Mangabeira's Park), with more than 2 million m² in the urban
zone, offers routings with hikes through the forest. Another option
is riding on Serra do Curral (Curral's Mound) in one of the city
sides.
The beautiful and diversified mineiro craft can be purchased at
the store Mão de Minas, a craftsmen cooperative from all
over the state. Every Sunday morning, in the Afonso Pena avenue
that crosses the city center, there’s the Feira de Arte e
Artesanato (Craftwork and Art Street Market), with almost 3 thousand
tents.
From Belo Horizonte, the visits to historical
cities from Minas Gerais are easier, as there are two airports and
a well-structured road transport system. It has hotels with high
level of comfort and high quality restaurants with different specialties.
DON’T MISS OUT
Pampulha
Constructed in 1940, Conjunto da Pampulha (Pampulha's Suite) has
important architectural marks designed by Oscar Niemeyer, as the
simple São Francisco de Assis’ Church, whose waved
forms became a Belo Horizonte’s symbol. The painting author
of the tiles and Via Sacra (Way of the Cross) from the interior
is one of the most well known Brazilian painters: Cândido
Portinari. Burle Marx designed the gardens. Niemeyer also created
the Museu de Arte (Art Museum). Around the artificial lake, there
are Casa do Baile (Baile's House), the Zoo, the Mineirão
stadium and the Club Yacht.
Gastronomy
Although the city’s registered mark is the mineira food, the
Belo Horizonte cosmopolitan vocation keeps houses that offer elaborated
dishes from the global gastronomy. It’s not difficult finding
good restaurants specialized in French, Italian and international
cookery.
Mineira white rum
Motivated by the need of professionalization, the producers of the
traditional mineira white rum implemented the quality control in
their products. However, they kept what distinguishes the white
rum produced in Minas Gerais – the characteristics of the
craft product. In the central market Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte,
it’s possible to purchase the main brands that made national
drink famous, currently exported to several countries.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Modern hotels with high level of comfort and services, besides equipments
to meetings and conventions, are mainly in the city center and in
the nearby. There are restaurants all over the city, and the more
sophisticated are in Savassi and Lourdes regions. The city offers
a broad service system and a good communication and transport infrastructure.
HOW TO GET THERE
Belo Horizonte is 860 km far from Brasilia, 450 km far from Rio
de Janeiro and 590 km far from São Paulo. It has two airports
- Pampulha, in the urban area, and Confins – Tancredo Neves
International Airport, 40 km far from the city center, that receives
direct flights from the main Brazilian capitals and cities. The
road terminal operates with bus lines departing from all over the
country.
source:http://www.embratur.gov.br
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