Travel Guide Belo Horizonte

Béaga (BH), as it is affectionately known by its inhabitants, is Brazil's third-largest city, with a population of 2.5 million. Alongside Sao Paulo and Rio, the capital of Minas is one of the country's major production hubs. Its name (literally "Bel Horizon") is inspired by the exceptional beauty of the site, 850 meters above sea level, in which the city was built to supplant the former capital Vila Rica de Ouro Preto, too enclosed in the mountains on the old gold route(caminho de ouro). Designed by Brazilian urban planners Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho in 1897, it's a great place to live. Its wide, straight-lined avenues are bordered by numerous parks. People are friendly and relaxed. If a few tourists get lost here, on their way to Ouro Preto, they generally abandon this stopover. More modern and less steeped in history than the baroque cities of Minas, it is nonetheless very interesting. A metropolis with the charms of a provincial town, BH has been on a cultural and artistic upswing for the past decade. The latest rock bands (Jota Quest) and musical trends are born here. Belo Horizonte boasts a number of Michelin-starred establishments in the Lourdes and Savassi districts, showcasing the city's rich regional and international gastronomy. Belo Horizonte has become one of the hubs of nightlife in a country with an unrivalled festive reputation. To soak up the soul of BH, you need to stay in the heart of the night, in the city center, near the Place da Liberdade, or in the Savassi district, the liveliest in town.