Historic Minas Gerais

The gold towns

Colonial heritage at the heart of the region.

Ouro Preto

The former gold capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its churches, its mines and its steep streets. Mariana and Congonhas are close by.

Once known as Vila Rica, Ouro Preto was the capital of the region during the gold rush. Its churches are among the most beautiful in Brazil, such as São Francisco de Assis, decorated by Aleijadinho and the painter Mestre Ataíde, or Nossa Senhora do Pilar, with its gold-covered interior. You can also visit an old mine.

Ideal for: history, architecture
Access: about a 2-hour drive from Belo Horizonte

Mariana

The first town in Minas, twenty minutes from Ouro Preto, with its square of twin churches and the Passagem mine.

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Mariana was the first capital of Minas Gerais and the seat of the region’s first bishopric. On Praça Minas Gerais, the churches of São Francisco de Assis and Nossa Senhora do Carmo stand beside the old town hall and jail. The Sé cathedral houses an 18th-century German organ that is still played in concerts. Between Mariana and Ouro Preto, you can ride a mine cart down into the galleries of the Passagem mine.

Ideal for: history, day trip from Ouro Preto
Access: about a 20-minute drive from Ouro Preto

Congonhas

The Bom Jesus de Matosinhos sanctuary and Aleijadinho’s twelve prophets, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the sanctuary’s terrace, the twelve prophets carved by Aleijadinho in soapstone are one of the masterpieces of Brazilian baroque. Below, six chapels hold scenes of the Passion, with cedar figures carved by the artist and his workshop. The visit takes half a day and fits neatly on the road between Ouro Preto and Tiradentes.

Ideal for: baroque art, a stop between Ouro Preto and Tiradentes
Access: about a 1.5-hour drive from Ouro Preto or Belo Horizonte

Tiradentes

One of the best-preserved small colonial towns, at the foot of the Serra de São José, linked to São João del-Rei by a steam train.

Its cobbled lanes, its colonial houses and the Matriz de Santo Antônio church, with its gilded interior, are best explored on foot. Tiradentes is also one of the food capitals of Minas: cheeses, doce de leite and wood-fired cooking. The Maria Fumaça steam train connects it to São João del-Rei through the valley of the Rio das Mortes.

Ideal for: charm, food
Access: about a 3-hour drive from Belo Horizonte

São João del-Rei

Tiradentes’ larger neighbor, with its baroque churches, its stone bridges and the station of the Maria Fumaça steam train.

Livelier than Tiradentes, São João del-Rei has kept a historic center full of churches, such as São Francisco de Assis, whose design is attributed to Aleijadinho, and Nossa Senhora do Carmo. 18th-century stone bridges cross the stream that runs through the town, known as “the town where the bells talk” for the tradition of its bell ringers. At the station, a railway museum comes before the Maria Fumaça departs for Tiradentes.

Ideal for: heritage, steam train
Access: about a 20-minute drive from Tiradentes