Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
BOM FIM'S SUNDAY MARKET
If you're in Porto Alegre on a Sunday, don't despair - while almost everything is closed,
locals flock to the Bom Fim neighbourhood for the
Brique da Redenção
(9am-5pm;
W
briquedaredencao.com.br), held on tree-lined Av José Bonifácio on the south side of
Redenção Park. The three hundred or so stalls here are part farmers' market, part souvenir
and flea market, with plenty of antiques, arts, crafts and jewellery of varying quality on sale.
Most stalls take cash and credit cards. The scene is well worth checking out, with lots of
cafés nearby and great people-watching as Porto Alegre comes out to play; you'll see
plenty of folks sipping
chimarrão
as they wander around.
name), and his room on the second floor (no. 217,
Quarto do Poeta
) is assiduously
maintained, shrine-like behind glass, as if the great man has just walked out (readings of
his poems play on a loop in Portuguese only). You could spend a couple of hours
exploring the numerous art galleries in the building (mostly temporary exhibits), but
highlights include the room dedicated to tragic pop singer
Elis Regina
(2/F), born in the
city in 1945, the
Museu de Arte Contemporânea
(6/F), the old photos of the hotel on
the second floor (
Memorial do Hotel)
, and the café on the top (7th) floor (see p.614).
Centro Cultural Usina do Gasômetro
Av Presidente João Goulart 551 • Tues-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 10am-9pm • Free •
T
51 3289 8100
At the western tip of the city, the
Centro Cultural Usina do Gasômetro
is a striking
post-industrial landmark, an old coal-fired power station in use from 1928 to 1974, with
its 117m chimney still looming over the bay. The centre hosts changing contemporary art
exhibits and shows, and the giant warehouse-like space itself is worth a quick visit, looking
like a mini Tate Modern. The shabby riverside promenade nearby (
Passeio de Barco
) is
lined with cheap souvenir and food stalls, but safe enough for a stroll during the day.
Fundação Iberê Camargo
Av Padre Cacique 2000 • Tues, Wed & Fri-Sun noon-7pm, Thurs noon-9pm • Free •
T
51 3247 8000,
W
iberecamargo.org.br • Take any
bus towards the Zona Sul (from Av Senador Salgado Filho to Juca Batista, Serraria, Padre Réus or Camaquã); to return you'll have to walk
back along the highway to the bus stop, and then take any bus headed to town; a taxi from the bus station should be R$22, from the
airport R$40; see also Linha Turismo (see p.612)
Porto Alegre's undervisited crown jewel, the
Fundação Iberê Camargo
lies 5km south
of the
centro histórico
along the bay. The fascinating Modernist building, designed by
Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza and opened in 2008, is itself part of the attraction,
vaguely reminiscent of the Guggenheim in New York, with a gleaming all-white interior
and a spiral layout. The contemporary art exhibits here are usually impressive; displays
revolve, but there's always work from Rio Grande do Sul artist
Iberê Camargo
(1914-94),
whose unsettling, Expressionist images have become some of Brazil's most revered art.
The café here is the best place to
watch the sunset
over the Guaíba (see p.614).
Moinhos de Vento
To glimpse the new, upwardly mobile Brazil, spend an afternoon in the fashionable
Moinhos de Vento
district, 4km east of the old centre. Though the cornerstone of the
area remains leafy Moinhos de Vento Park (aka
parcão
) and its replica Azorean
windmill, it's now studded with hip bars, street cafés and restaurants (see p.615),
as well as the deluxe
Moinhos Shopping
mall. The main strip is
Rua Padre Chagas
.
Hidráulica Moinhos de Vento and around
Rua 24 de Outubro 200 • Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pm • Free
The only sight as such in Moinhos de Ventos is the
Hidráulica Moinhos de Vento
, the
old city waterworks and gardens, built in 1928 and modelled on Versailles no less, with
a small
gallery
showing temporary local exhibits underneath the elegant
water tower
.
