Editor's picks
A local's shortlist — the places worth your time first, each with a tip.
Mercado Central
Food · Centro, inside the Contorno
A covered market of four hundred stalls selling cheese, cachaça, herbs, live birds and the city's most beloved bar snacks.
Local tip: Go on a Saturday morning, buy queijo canastra from a cheese stall, then drink a cold beer standing at the Bar da Lora or one of the counters inside. The fígado com jiló is the local order and it is better than it sounds.
Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha
Culture · Pampulha, northern BH
Niemeyer's first major commission — a curving church, a casino turned art museum and a dance hall around an artificial lake, made UNESCO World Heritage in 2016.
Local tip: The church of São Francisco de Assis was refused consecration for fourteen years because the clergy found it too modern. Walk the lake circuit in the late afternoon and finish at the Casa do Baile — the whole ensemble is 1943 and still looks like the future.
Santa Tereza
Nightlife · East of the centre, across the railway
The bohemian hill district — low houses, the Bar do Museu, and a music scene that produced the Clube da Esquina generation.
Local tip: The Praça Duque de Caxias on a warm evening is the real thing: several bars, no reservations, and people spilling into the square. It is where BH's claim to be the boteco capital is most obviously true.
Praça da Liberdade & Circuito Cultural
Landmark · Funcionários, inside the Contorno
The old seat of state government, its palaces converted into a dense row of free museums around formal gardens.
Local tip: Nearly every building on the square is now a museum and nearly all are free. The Memorial Minas Gerais Vale is the best of them and takes an afternoon. Go on a Sunday when the square is closed to cars and the whole neighbourhood is out.
Inhotim
Nature · Brumadinho, 60 km south-west
A botanical garden of a hundred hectares with contemporary art pavilions scattered through it — the largest open-air art museum in the world.
Local tip: Treat it as a full day with proper shoes, not a morning trip. The palm collection alone is internationally significant and the pavilions are built around single works. Go midweek; weekend crowds change the experience entirely.
Feira Hippie, Avenida Afonso Pena
Hidden gemCulture · Centro, Sunday mornings only
Roughly three thousand stalls filling a kilometre of the city's main avenue every Sunday since 1969 — crafts, clothes, food and the whole city walking through it.
Local tip: One of the largest open-air fairs in Latin America and almost no foreign resident goes, because nobody tells them. Arrive before ten, eat at the food section at the northern end, and understand that the point is the crowd rather than the merchandise.
Explore 108 places across Belo Horizonte
Museums, landmarks, monuments, heritage sites and parks — mapped, with photos. The most notable spots first.
Museums & galleries
(24)
MuseumPampulha art museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumMuseu Casa Kubitschek
Historic house museum that served as residence for Juscelino Kubitschek
MuseumFormer Gold Assaying Office and Royal Foundry (Gold Museum)
Museum in Brazil
MuseumHouse of the Count of Santa Marinha
House and museum in Brazil
MuseumAbílio Barreto History Museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumMineiro Museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumMM Gerdau - Mines and Metal Museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumMuseu de Artes e Ofícios
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumBrazilian Expeditionary Force Museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumBelo Horizonte Fashion Museum
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumMemorial Minas Gerais Vale
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
MuseumMuseu de Ciências Naturais da PUC Minas
Museum in Brazil
MuseumNatural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumUFMG Morphological Sciences Museum
Museum in Brazil
MuseumProfessor Djalma Guimarães Museum of Mineralogy
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumEspaço do Conhecimento UFMG
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
MuseumMuseu dos Militares Mineiros
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
MuseumCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Museum in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumSecretaria da Viação, Praça da Liberdade
Government buildings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MuseumPalacete Vivacqua
Building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Estação Bernardo Monteiro
Museum.
Museu Brasileiro do Futebol
Pampulha
Museum in Pampulha.
Museu de História Natural da UFMG
Santa Inês
Museum in Santa Inês.
Museu da Imagem e do Som
Lourdes
Museum in Lourdes.
Landmarks & architecture
(27)
LandmarkPraça da Liberdade
Urban square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPraça Diogo de Vasconcelos
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPraça Sete de Setembro
Public square in Belo Horizonte
LandmarkPraça Rui Barbosa
Public square in Belo Horizonte
LandmarkPraça Raul Soares
Square in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
LandmarkPalácio das Mangabeiras (corrigir foto)
Residence for the governor of Minas Gerais state, Brazil
LandmarkTiradentes Square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkInconfidência Palace
Headquarters of the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, Brazil
LandmarkCarlos Chagas Square
Square in Brazil
LandmarkDuque de Caxias Square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPedro de Melo Square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPalácio dos Despachos (Minas Gerais)
Government building in Brazil
LandmarkIsrael Pinheiro Square
Square in Brazil
LandmarkPraça Benjamin Guimarães
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPraça Rio Branco
Landmark in Belo Horizonte.
LandmarkCia. de Dança Palácio das Artes
Landmark in Belo Horizonte.
LandmarkCívica Square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkMarcelo Goes Menicucci square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkSão Francisco de Assis Square
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPraça Milton Campos
Square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkJosé Mendes Júnior Square
Urban square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPalácio Arquiepiscopal Cristo-Rei
Palace in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkJoão Pessoa square (Belo Horizonte)
Urban square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPalácio da Justiça Rodrigues Campos
Courthouse in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
LandmarkPraça da Boa Viagem
Listed square in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
LandmarkPraça Professor Alberto Deodato
Square in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
LandmarkLargo do Rosário
Cultural space in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Monuments & memorials
(14)
MonumentCasa do Baile
Monument in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MonumentMemorial Monument of the National Independence Centennial
Obelisk in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MonumentMonumento à Terra Mineira
Monument in Belo Horizonte.
Monument20 years of Diretas Já
Monument in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MonumentMarco Zero da Pampulha
Milestone in Brazil
MonumentMemorial dos Direitos Humanos
Monument in Belo Horizonte.
MonumentVitória Alada de Samotrácia (Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti)
Monument in Belo Horizonte.
MonumentMãe Mineira
Monument in Belo Horizonte.
MonumentMonument to Aleijadinho
Monument in Belo Horizonte.
Túnel desativado
Historic monument.
Multimarkenting - Gráfica rápida
Public artwork.
Viaduto Santa Tereza
Historic monument.
Esfera Armilar
Memorial.
Comemoração do Cinquentenário do Mercado Central
Memorial.
Places of worship
(19)
ReligiousCatedral de Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (Belo Horizonte)
Church in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousBasilica of Our Lady of Lourdes, Belo Horizonte
Church building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousChrist the King Cathedral, Belo Horizonte
Church in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousLagoinha Church
Church in Minas Gerais, Brazil
ReligiousChurch of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black Men (Sabará)
Unfinished catholic church building in Sabará, Brazil
ReligiousSaint Joseph Church (Belo Horizonte)
Catholic church in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousChurch of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sabará, Minas Gerais, Brasil
ReligiousParish Church of Our Lady of the Conception
Sabará, Minas Gerais, Brasil
ReligiousIgreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar
Church in Nova Lima, Brazil
ReligiousOur Lady of Sorrows church (Belo Horizonte)
Roman Catholic temple in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Church building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousChurch of Our Lady of Ó
Sabará, Minas Gerais, Brasil
ReligiousIgreja de Santa Efigênia dos Militares
Church building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousChurch of the Archbrotherhood of Saint Francis of Assisi
Sabará, Minas Gerais, Brasil
ReligiousParish Church of Our Lady of the Conception
Raposos, Minas Gerais, Brasil
ReligiousCatedral da Fé (Belo Horizonte)
Church building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja Metodista Central
Methodist church in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ReligiousIgreja de Nossa Senhora das Mercês (Sabará)
Church in Sabará, Brazil
ReligiousCapela do Colégio Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Belo Horizonte)
Church in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
Heritage & archaeology
(5)Base da Torre do Teleférico Itaú
Historic ruins.
Torre do Teleférico das Caçambas de Cimentos Itaú
Historic ruins.
Torre do Teleférico das Caçambas de Calcário Itaú
Historic ruins.
Torre do Teleférico das Caçambas da Cimentos Portland Itaú
Historic ruins.
Torre do Teleférico das Caçambas Itaú
Historic ruins.
Parks & nature
(15)
ParkMangabeiras Park
Urban park in Brazil
ParkAmérico Renné Giannetti Municipal Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkBelo Horizonte Botanical Garden
Botanical garden in Brazil
ParkMuseu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Archive in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
ParkProfessor Marcos Mazzoni Ecological Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkJulien Rien Park
Urban park in Brazil
ParkFazenda Lagoa do Nado Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkParque Municipal Ursulina de Andrade Mello
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkJuscelino Kubitschek park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkNossa Senhora da Piedade Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkParque da Matinha
Green area in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkFirst of May Echologic Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkCássia Eller Park
Urban park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
ParkGarden of Pampulha Art Museum
Garden in Brazil designed by Roberto Burle Marx
ParkSerra do Curral park
Park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
More to explore
(4)Mirante do Mangabeiras
Viewpoint.
Mirante da Mata
Viewpoint.
Mirante 3
Viewpoint.
Clube da Esquina
Visitor attraction.
Data from Wikidata (CC0) & OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Images via Wikimedia Commons — see each credit. Listings are community-maintained and may be incomplete or out of date — verify hours and access before visiting.
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