Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 260

America, with three thousand stalls. More
modern artwork can be viewed nearby at
the galleries of the Palácio das Artes ,
housed in a fine modern building at
Avenida Afonso Pena 1537. Further
south you'll reach the Praça da Liberdade
with its famous Niemeyer building ,
designed by renowned Brazilian modern
architect Oscar Niemeyer, before reaching
the Neoclassical Palácio da Liberdade .
Finish your day around Praça Savassi ,
where you can sip a caipirinha in one of
many trendy bars in the area.

to the mountainous edge of the city, where
the vast Parque das Mangabeiras (Tues-
Sun 8am-6pm), a pleasant spot for a
relaxing walk, supports capuchin monkeys
and other wildlife in the trees overhead.

Pampulha
Set around an artificial lake, the smart,
modernist neighbourhood of Pampulha,
north of the city centre (an hour's journey
on bus #2215A, B or C from Av Paraná
between Rua Tamoios and Rua Carijós),
contains some architectural gems, the
work of great modern Brazilian designers
Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle
Marx. he Museu de Arte de Pampulha
(MAP; Tues-Sun 9am-6pm; R$6), on a
peninsula in the lake, is one of the finest;
a work of art in itself (though also
housing a small collection inside),
originally designed to be a casino before
becoming a museum in 1957. Also in
Pampulha is the compelling Igreja de São
Francisco de Assis (Tues-Sat 9am-5pm,
Sun 9am-1pm; R$3), among the finest
works of Niemeyer, Burle Marx and
Candido Portinari, who created the
beautiful azulejo tile facade. Nearby is
Belo Horizonte's largest stadium, the
Mineirão . With a capacity of 90,000,
it's the home ground of football team
Atlético Mineiro and will serve as a
World Cup venue in 2014. At other
times a Sunday home derby here against
Cruzeiro is unmissable.

Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto
Just to the south of the centre at Avenida
Prudente de Morais 202 in Cidade
Jardim, the Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto
(Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; free) is set within
a beautiful colonial mansion, the sole
remnant of the small village of Curral del
Rey. It is home to some interesting
photographs, furniture, sculptures and
documents of the time.

3

Mangabeiras
In the Mangabeiras neighbourhood,
southeast of the centre, the Praça do Papa
has commanding views of the entire city.
The monument in the square pays homage
to Pope John Paul II, who held a Mass here
in 1980. Bus #4103 (or #2001-C) from
Avenida Afonso Pena (between Av
Amazonas and Rua Tamóios) will get you
up here. Stay on the same bus to continue

INHOTIM
It comes as a bit of a shock to find the world's largest open-air art museum an hour's bus
journey from Belo Horizonte. But that's exactly what's on offer at Inhotim Instituto Cultural
(Tues-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Sat & Sun until 5.30pm; Wed-Thurs R$20; Fri-Sun and holidays R$28;
free Tues T 31 3571 9700, W inhotim.org.br/index.php), an exhibition of 400 pieces of
contemporary art across ten galleries and set amid an incredible 106 acres of botanical reserve.
Opened o cially in 2006, the collection includes paintings, sculpture, photos, videos and
installations by both Brazilians and international artists - among them outstanding works by
Hélio Oiticia and Amilcar de Castro - dating from the 1960s to the present. Inhotim's appeal
goes beyond art, however, with gardens of orchids, palms and rare tropical species landscaped
by Burle Marx. The huge surrounding estate also boasts one of the best-preserved sections of
Atlantic forest in Brazil.
You'll need a full day (or more) at Inhotim. Buses leave from the rodoviária in Belo Horizonte
at 9am on Saturday and Sunday (R$16) and return at 4pm. Tuesday to Friday there are hourly
buses to Brumadinho (R$12), a small town close to the park from where there's a regular bus
service or taxis available. A free bus service exists within the site to outlying artworks and forest
trails. Cafés and restaurants on-site.