Established at the beginning of the eighteenth century, with its steep paved streets, its olden dwellings, its baroque art, typically Brazilian, the city of Ouro Preto offers the greatest collection of Brazilian colonial art. Its churches, bridges and palaces constitute a living document of the wealth of that time, and show the synthesis of the use of gold with the baroque and the religious colonial fervor.
Its monuments, the works, the richness of details make it a cultural visit par excellence, with its tragic history and its splendor still in evidence. Amongst this, you can admire the works of real artists of that time, like the painter Manoel da Costa Athaíde and the sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, called the Aleijadinho, the “Crippled”, mutilated and deformed by leprosy.
An ancient administrative centre of the region, Ouro Preto is considered the “Birthplace of Brazilian Independence” because it saw the first demonstration of national liberation the “Inconfidencia Mineira”.
Most restaurants serve traditional dishes based on red beans dressed with pork meat, "Feijão Tropeiro" and "Tutu à Mineira" and chicken with typical local dressings: "Frango ao Molho Pardo", and "Frango com Quiabo".
The mountainous surroundings of Ouro Preto are quite charming, for those who are fond of riding on horseback, hikers or for those who simply like the peace of waterfalls and forest (towards Lavras Novas or the National Park of Mariana).
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi: masterpiece of the greatest architect and sculptor of this period, Antônio Francisco de Lisboa (Master Aleijadinho), where you find sculptures carved in wood and soapstone.

Church of Our Lady of Pilar: this church marks the apex of the architecture of the golden century, with its works in carved wood coated with fine gold.

Museum of the Mining School: this museum gives you a complete idea of the mineral wealth of Brazil, and also exhibits samples from other parts of the world.

Oratory Museum: this museum designed by the president of the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, Mrs. Ângela GUTIERREZ, contains a magnificent collection of about 160 oratories (small chapels) from several cities of Minas Gerais and from other regions of Brazil.

Passagem’s gold mine and imperial topaz mine
Along the mountainous road that links Mariana with Ouro Preto, it is possible to visit an ancient gigantic gold mine, preserved today as evidence of the gold fever. We descend via a small cart guided by a rail to more than 100 meters depth, into large caves excavated by slaves many centuries ago. “Un-avoidable” for those who would like to envision Minas Gerais during colonial times. Nearby, is the open-pit mine of imperial topaz, where dozens of Brazilians still try their luck.

The surroundings of Ouro Preto: Lavras Novas

The small town of Mariana, located only 8 miles from its rival Ouro Preto and built in a mountainous environment, surprises us by its character. The visitor is immediately exposed to the strength of the cultural expression and the artistic greatness of Minas Gerais. Sites and monuments are juxtaposed within a colonial atmosphere.
Mariana, the first capital of Minas Gerais, was established in 1711 as a homage to the princess of Austria, Maria Ana, when she married the future King Dom José I.
Main visits:
The Archdiocesan Museum, the churches Do Carmo and São Francisco and the Cathedral da Sé, where those who are music fans must not miss the organ concert (Arp Schnitger - Hamburg - Germany - 1701). These concerts take place every Friday at 11:00 and on Sundays at 12:15.

A magnificent isolated National Park. For centuries, this site was a place for Franciscans to retire, a superb monastery hidden in the mountains of the Serra de Caraca. Today, the monastery serves as an ideal starting point for walks in the surroundings especially towards Bocaina, the Inficionado Peak (el. 2080 m.a.s.l.) or to the Cascatinha waterfalls. This mountainous region is one of the most beautiful of Minas Gerais: wild vegetation, Mata Atlantica, peaks reaching over 2000 meters in height as well as superb waterfalls