AROUND TOWN - Top 10 Rio de Janeiro - page 57

collection of Portuguese literary
works outside Portugal.
d Map W3 • Rua Luís de Camões 30 •
[phone] • Open 9am-6pm Mon-
Fri • www.realgabinete.com.br

A Day in the
Historic Center
Morning
Begin with a visit to a
temporary exhibition in the
Paço Imperial (see p22) or
the fine churches that
cluster around nearby
Praça XV (see p22) . There
is often some interesting
bric-a-brac in the little
market on the square and
the shop inside the Paço
Imperial is great for brows-
ing. Walk north across the
square under the Arcos de
Teles archway and along
the charming Travessa do
Comércio (see p23) . Visit
Nossa Senhora da Lapa
on the corner and turn left
onto Rua Ouvidor toward
Avenida Rio Branco. The
streets off Ouvidor throng
with activity and give a
real feel of Rio's working
life. Next, take a left
onto Rua Gonçalves Dias
and have lunch at the
Confeitaria Colombo
at number 32.
Afternoon
The magnificent Real
Gabinete Português de
Leitura is close by. To
reach it, walk back up Rua
Gonçalves Dias and turn
left onto Rua Ouvidor - it
is just after the São
Francisco de Paula church
on the right. Then head
south along Rua Ramalho
Ortigão to the Largo da
Carioca and the Baroque
Igreja Santo Antônio ,
which is on a hill. You will
see the cone of Catedral
Metropolitana de São
Sebastião from here. The
Teatro Municipal (see
p63) is east along Avenida
República do Chile. From
here it is a stroll across
Avenida Rio Branco to the
Museu Nacional de Belas
Artes (see pp16-17) or the
Amarelinho boteco (see
p62) for a chopp beer.

( Confeitaria Colombo This excellent bakery-tea

house is few blocks from the
Real Gabinete. The lower gallery
features towering mirrors, while
the upper gallery is brightened
by a delightful Art Nouveau
skylight. The feijoada (see p110)
colonial lunch on Saturdays is
often accompanied by live music.
There is another branch of
Confeitaria Columbo at Forte de
Copacabana (see p24) . d Map W2
• Rua Gonçalves Dias 32 • [phone]
• Open 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-5pm
Sat • www.confeitariacolombo.com.br

Lavish interior of the Confeitaria Colombo

) Nossa Senhora da Lapa The modest exterior of this

little church tucked away near
Praça XV belies its stunning
Baroque interior. The dome,
which is illuminated by a series
of round windows and an oval
skylight, is particularly lovely. The
church is a haven of peace in the
bustle of central Rio. d Map X2
• Rua do Ouvidor 35 • [phone]
• Open 8am-2pm Mon-Fri

61

Share your travel recommendations on traveldk.com