Photo: Pampulha Church. Credit: Embratur.
Brazil’s first planned city (long before Brasilia), Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais, stands out for its quality of life, many parks and intense cultural life.
It was elected as one of the cities with the best quality of life in Latin America and one of the 100 best cities in the world to live in by the United Nations Population Crisis Committee. It is the eighth capital in Brazil in terms of Human Development Index.
It blends tradition and modernity, is a benchmark in business tourism, and features great works of architecture of excellence, apart from a rich and busy cultural life. At a short driving distance from BH, there are several Historic cities, including a few World Heritage Sites, such as Ouro Preto and Diamantina.
The regional cuisine of Minas Gerais (cozinha mineira) is well known and much appreciated all over Brazil. A recent article by the New York Times appointed Belo Horizonte as a town where all the World is a bar.
The Mineirao Stadium will be renovated for the World Cup 2014; it will be one of the biggest in Brazil, and is a candidate to host the opening match of the event. Read more about the World Cup in Belo Horizonte.
World Cup Cities 2014 