Another week, another UNESCO heritage site

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From Belo Horizonte I went to spend a few days in the former portuguese colonial town of Ouro Preto. Yes - another UNESCO world heritage site - Brazil is not all about Rio and carnival. During the gold boom in the 18th century Ouro Preto (portuguese for black gold) was one of the most populous towns in Brazil (100, 000 people compared to 20,000 in Rio). The rich source of gold in the town meant that many baroque artists were attracted to the town. The result is the fabulous architecture present in the town today.

The picturesque twon is nestled among the green hills of Minas Gerais. I spent a few days wandering up and down the VERY STEEP cobblestone streets, admiring the buildings and soaking up the atmosphere of this very tranquil town. I did my usual trick of wandering around with no map, so have no idea of the names of any of the many chruches I saw.

But wandering around I had the feeling of familiarity. I felt like I had been in this place before. The cobbled streets, the steep inclines, the churches, the red rooves on the buildings, the students in the bars, it all felt vaguely familiar....and then I arrived at....Largo de Coimbra! The portuguese influence is still very apparent in Ouro Preto today....

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Photos

Praca de Tiradentes
coimbra reminder 1

Student republica
Coimbra reminder 2

Azulejos
Coimbra reminder 3

Steep cobblestone street
Coimbra reminder 4

Largo de Coimbra
Ahhhh so thats where it is!