Ouro Preto

A stunning UNESCO World Heritage town built on a mountain with baroque architecture, gold-mining history, and 13 colonial churches with gold-lined interiors. It's essential for experiencing Brazil's colonial past and artistic heritage with cobblestone streets and art museums.

Things to do

• Igreja de São Francisco de Assis — Marvel at one of Brazil's finest baroque churches with ornate gold-leaf carvings and paintings by Aleijadinho, the disabled master sculptor who shaped the town's artistic identity.
• Museu da Inconfidência — Explore artifacts and documents from the 1789 Inconfidência Mineira independence movement, housed in the former Palace of the Governors overlooking the main square.
• Praça Tiradentes — Stroll through the heart of Ouro Preto's historic center, surrounded by colonial mansions, baroque churches, and street vendors selling local crafts and food.
• Mina da Passagem — Descend into one of the world's oldest iron mines, now a museum where you can pan for gold and learn about the extraction methods that built the town's fortune.
• Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo — Admire the intricate carved facade and gilded interior of this 18th-century church, a masterpiece of baroque architecture with works attributed to Aleijadinho.
• Casa dos Contos — Tour this former gold tax collection house turned museum that displays colonial furniture, documents, and explains the economic history of the gold cycle.

Food to try

• Broa de Milho — A dense, slightly sweet cornbread that is a traditional comfort food from Minas Gerais, often served warm with butter and local cheese.
• Tutu à Mineira — A creamy puree of black beans and cassava flour mixed with crispy bacon and sausage, typically paired with rice and fried banana.
• Queijo Meia Cura — A semi-aged cow's milk cheese from the Ouro Preto region with a smooth texture and mild flavor, best sampled at local markets or with coffee at traditional cafés.
• Caldo de Cana — Fresh sugarcane juice pressed daily from local cane, a refreshing drink served cold and commonly found at street stalls throughout the historic center.
• Bolo de Milho com Goiabada — A cornmeal cake paired with guava paste, representing the sweet tooth of mineiro cuisine and available at local bakeries and markets.

Local customs & good to know

• Steep cobblestone streets require sturdy shoes — The entire town is built on a mountainside with uneven, polished stone streets that are slippery when wet, so comfortable walking shoes are essential.
• Morning visits to churches are more respectful — Most baroque churches are active places of worship, so visiting early in the morning before tourist crowds and outside of Mass times shows respect to local devotion.
• Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation differs from European — Locals speak with the distinctive mineiro accent and vocabulary, so learning a few local phrases like 'Cê tá bem?' instead of 'Você está bem?' earns appreciation.
• Gold mining scars the landscape — The surrounding hillsides bear visible marks of centuries of mining operations, and respectful visitors appreciate the environmental cost of the town's colonial wealth when exploring beyond the center.