Monuments to visit Porto Alegre

The most visited monument in the city and seat of government, the Piratini Palace on the beautiful Praça da Matriz was built in a French-inspired neoclassical style in the 1920s. It was Paul Landowski, the creator of the Corcovado in Rio, who designed the allegorical statues of Agriculture and Industry as well as those of the Primavera in the interior patio. Inside, the paintings of the painter Locatelli contain the history of the state. Of note are the grand French-style marble staircase and the grandiose Salon Negrinho do Pastoreio.

Porto Alegre's Mercado Publico, the city's oldest market, isn't just a market. This handsome 1869 building boasts a beautiful yellow façade and a metal roof inside, where you'll find over 110 stalls of all kinds. It's one of the city's must-visit meeting places. You can buy food, maté, cuia and bomba to prepare your chimarrão at home! For those into local folklore, it's possible to buy typical gaucho clothing.