Brasília, inaugurated as Brazil’s capital in 1960, is a planned city distinguished by its white, modern architecture, chiefly designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Laid out in the shape of an airplane, its “fuselage” is the Monumental Axis, 2 wide avenues flanking a massive park. In the “cockpit” is Praça dos Três Poderes, named for the 3 branches of government surrounding it.
Here are the Top 10 Places to Visit in Brasilia, which are worth visiting on a Brasilia trip:
1. Praça dos Tràs Poderes
Brasilia's governmental center combines some of its most striking landmark buildings and monuments into a stunning showcase of modern architecture. As the name of the Praça dos Tràs Poderes (Square of the Three Powers) suggests, it is surrounded by buildings housing the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
2. Palácio dos Arcos
The Palácio dos Arcos, also known as the Palácio Itamaraty, houses the Foreign Ministry and is one of Oscar Niemeyer's greatest achievements. A long line of symmetrical arches stands above a reflecting pool, the whole ensemble set in beautiful gardens designed by the noted Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. The lavishly decorated interior surrounds a semi-roofed courtyard with a garden. The building is open to the public, and a highlight of the interior is the spiraling freestanding staircase, which seems to be suspended in the air.
3. Monumento JK: President Kubitschek Memorial
The dramatic monument on Praça do Cruzeiro is the memorial to President Juscelino Kubitschek, the larger-than-life president of Brazil who is considered the founder of Brasilia. The monument was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and many consider it among his finest works.
4. Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida
The city's most famous landmark is the unique circular cathedral, designed by Niemeyer and completed in 1970. Its 16 curved concrete columns soar upward to create a crown that surrounds a glass roof. The natural lighting effect inside is spectacular.
5. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
The Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil is a network of cultural centers, which are located in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília. The building of the cultural center in Brasília was designed, like the National Congress, by Oscar Niemeyer. The CCBB offers rooms for film showings, theater performances, concerts, and exhibitions.
6. Parque Municipal do Itiquira
The main attraction of this park is the Itiquira waterfall, standing at 168 meters making it the highest waterfall in the whole of Brazil. By comparison, the highest waterfalls in the Iguaçu Falls are only about 82 meters high. The park of Itiquira is a real natural oasis and the perfect destination for day trips from the capital city. Visitors will find a nature trail, possibilities for swimming in the water of the waterfalls, or just relaxing in nature.
7. Sanctuary of Dom Bosco
The church of São João Bosco is dedicated to the 19th-century Italian priest canonized in 1934, whose vision of the foundation of a Utopian capital city in the New World near the 15th parallel is considered the inspiration for Brasilia. The windows make up most of the walls, and an enormous chandelier is made of more than 7,000 pieces of Murano glass. The large cedar Crucifix over the altar was carved by Gotfredo Tralli from a single tree.
8. National Congress
Yet another landmark of modern architecture is the pair of buildings housing the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil (the lower house) and the Senate, along with their offices. For this, Oscar Niemeyer chose two sharply contrasting designs. For the two houses, he created dish shapes that have been referred to as flying saucers, separating them by a pair of sharply linear rectangular towers. Around these photogenic buildings is a broad lawn with a reflecting pool, and inside are exhibits that include a Tunnel of Time.
9. Brasília National Park
Brasília National Park covers 28,000 hectares in the northwest part of the city, protecting a number of different environments, including the low and crooked trees of the cerrado, the bush steppe of the Brazilian interior, expanses of scrub and grassland, swampy palm-scattered plains, and the imposing trees of the gallery forests found on riverbanks and lakeshores.
10. Paranoá Lake
Paranoá Lake is an artificial lake that was planned at the end of the 19th century but only put into practice in the 1950s under president Juscelino Kubitschek. It has a maximum depth of 30 meters and has three little islands, which were created while the lake was flooded. It is perfect for swimming, relaxing, water sports, and enjoying beautiful sunsets in the evenings.
Besides this, there is much more to explore in Brasilia!!!
