Belo Horizonte - Culture

Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais and has approximately 2.1 million inhabitants. It was chosen as the city with the best quality of life in Latin America by the Population Crisis Committee, an organ of the UN and was also ranked 45^th among the top 100 of the world. It was recently awarded the certificate of "Model City on Environment Field".

The city is strategically located in the southeast region and has a privileged position in relation to the country and the Americas. The slopes of Serra do Curral, a mountain range, naturally surround it and are considered a geographical and historical landmark. It's acknowledged for its mild and pleasant weather all year round, which includes a dry winter and a rainy summer, with an average annual temperature of 21^o C.

The city offers easy access via highways and airports, and stands out for its architecture, strong vocation for trade and service rendering as well as intense cultural artistic production. Being 101 years old, Belo Horizonte is a combination of tradition and modernity.

A good network of hotels, one international and one domestic airport capable of handling aircraft of all sizes, railroad connections with the rest of Brazil and a strategic geographical location, right in the center of the triangle formed by Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, ensure that Belo Horizonte can offer unforgettable pleasure for the tourist and be an excellent investment.

Chosen to be the new capital of the state in substitution to Ouro Preto, it was the first planned city of Brazil. It's a dynamic capital and has attracted a growing number of investments. Well-known as medical excellence, biological and computer technology center, many important national and international events are held in the city. The visitors to the city must see the Pampulha and the Liberdade architectural and landscaping complexes, the Mangabeiras Park, the museums and churches, cafes, bars and restaurants that make the city's nightlife the most unique experience. Departing from Belo Horizonte you can also tour through the wealth and opulence of Minas Gerais State.

Apart from the intense night-life (the city is considered to have the highest proportion of bars "per capita" in Brazil), one eats very well in Belo Horizonte. Restaurants here serve the best typical international cuisine which disputes the visitor's preference for the traditional food from Minas, which is more savory if prepared on a wood stove - a specialty offered by many restaurants in the Capital.

Modern shopping centres, cinemas, numerous theatres, cultural venues and art galleries are the main options for leisure and culture.

Along an extensive stretch of the Avenida Afonso Pena, the city's main avenue, the Feira de Artesanato (a handicraft fair) is a big attraction each Sunday morning, with at least 50 thousand visitors. Tourists and buyers come from all over Brazil, especially from Esp’rito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, converge to avail of the good trade by the purchase and resale of the products on offer by over 3 thousand crafts people.

There are also other fairs that attract visitors: the typical food fair and the antiques fair, on Saturday afternoons under the trees along the Avenida Bernardo Monteiro; there's also the flower fair, that also adds more beauty to the same avenue, every Friday evening.

Another option open to the tourist: setting out from Belo Horizonte, one can travel the circuit of the water spas, where the main ones are Araxá, going Westwards, and São Loureço, Lambari, Caxambu, Cambuquira, Caldas e Poços de Caldas, going Southwards.

Another of Belo Horizonte's characteristics is that of being a starting point for ecological tourism: the mountains that surround the city have surprising landscapes, with innumerable waterfalls, beautiful caverns, parks, forestry preservation areas and camping grounds, all within reach of Belo Horizonte by modern roads or over idyllic tracks that are in keeping with Nature without offending her.