Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 256

commode. The cathedral of São Pedro de
Alcântara (Tues-Sun 8am-6pm) blends
with the surrounding architecture, but is
much more recent than its neo-Gothic
style suggests - it was finished in 1939.
Inside lie the tombs of Dom Pedro
himself and several royal personages.
Perhaps the town's most recognizable
building is the Palácio de Cristal
(Tues-Sun 9am-6pm) on Rua Alfredo
Pachá, essentially a greenhouse erected for
the local horticultural society in 1879,
though competing for the honour is
the alpine chalet Casa Santos Dumont
(Tues-Sun 9.30am-5pm), which is well
worth visiting for the collection of the
personal oddments of the famous aviator.

Braganca Rua Raul de Leon 109. In the hotel of the same
name, this mid-priced Portuguese restaurant has various
lunch options for two people (from R$35). Daily.
Rink Marowil Praca da Liberdade 27. Cheap por kilo
lunch restaurant right on the square. The food is nothing to
write home about but you'll struggle to find better value
for money. At night functions as a bar with food à la carte.
Daily.

Minas Gerais
Explorers flocked to MINAS GERAIS
(literally “general mines”) following the
discovery of gold in 1693, and with
the unearthing of diamonds and other
gemstones the state has been exploited
for these abundant natural resources
ever since. For a hundred years the
region was by far the wealthiest in Brazil,
but as the gold reserves became exhausted
so Minas Gerais declined, and by
the mid-nineteenth century it was a
backwater. Coffee in part served to
stem the decline, and alongside extraction
of workaday minerals like iron-ore it
continues to sustain much of the region
today. Visitors flock here, too, enjoying
a series of startlingly beautiful towns left
behind by the boom.
Minas Gerais's CIDADES HISTÓRICAS
started life as mining camps, as rough
and basic as imagination can make
them. But the wealth of the
surrounding mountains transformed
them, and today they are considered to
be among the most beautiful cities in
the Americas, with cobbled streets and
alleyways, glorious churches encrusted
in gold - built in the over-the-top local
version of Baroque architecture Barroco
Mineiro - and beautifully preserved
colonial buildings. And all of this is set
in an area of rugged natural beauty,
with a few towns connected by historic
steam trains.
Ouro Preto and Diamantina are both
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are
the best places for budget travellers to
base themselves; Tiradentes is pricier
though barely less impressive, with
attractive and affordable São João del Rei
worth a brief visit nearby.

3

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Buses leave Rio for Petrópolis every 30min (sit on
the left side of the bus for best views), arriving at the
rodoviária on Rua Dr Porciúncula, from where it's a further
10km by local bus into town.
Tourist information Helpful branches are found around
town, at Praça da Liberdade and at the rodoviária (both
daily 9am-6pm; T 800 241 516).

ACCOMMODATION
There are a few reasonable options in town, though most
are very classy former colonial mansions.
Albergue Quitandinha Rua Uruguai 570 T 24 2247
9165, W alberguequitandinha.com.br. Ten rooms and
a dorm within woode n cabins, a bus r ide from the Centro
Historico . Dorms R$40 , doubles R$130
Comércio Rua Dr Porciúncula 55. One of the cheapest
options in town, though by no means a bargain. Rooms
without bathroom are cheapest. R$100
Pousada 14 Bis Rua Buenos Aires 192 T 24 2231 0946,
W www.pousada14bis.com.br. A themed pousada based
on the life of aviator Santos Dumont. Rooms ar e noth ing
flashy, but decorated in attractive colonial style. R$140

EATING
Restaurants are surprisingly lacklustre in Petrópolis, most
of the best being some distance from town.
Armazem Rua Visconde de Itaboraí 646. Welcoming bar-
restaurant with live music most nights and a varied menu
of meat and fish that will suit most tastes. Try camarão com
catupiry (R$24). Daily, lunch and dinner.
Arte Temporada Rua Ipiranga 716 T 24 2237 2133.
Based in the converted stable of a beautiful mansion.
Offerings include Brazilian local specialities, such as trout
and fine salads (from R$30). Wed-Sun lunchtime, Fri & Sat
also dinner.