Historic Minas Gerais
Gold towns, baroque churches and mountains: the historic heart of colonial Brazil, a few hours from Rio.
Destinations
Ouro Preto, Tiradentes
Recommended stay
3 to 4 nights
Best time to go
April to October
Airports
Belo Horizonte
On the gold trail
In the 18th century, the discovery of gold made Minas Gerais the richest region in Brazil. Its towns have preserved an exceptional baroque heritage, including the works of the sculptor Aleijadinho.
Ouro Preto and Tiradentes are the two ideal bases for exploring the region: from there, Mariana, Congonhas and São João del-Rei are easy day trips.
Plan on at least four nights for Ouro Preto and Tiradentes, combined with Rio de Janeiro. With an English-speaking guide, you discover the story of the gold, of the enslaved people and of the artists who shaped the region.
Where and when to go
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When to go
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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 and Mariana, the first town in Minas. In Congonhas, the twelve prophets carved by Aleijadinho in soapstone are a World Heritage Site.
Ideal for: history, architecture
Access: about a 2-hour drive from 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
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