The UN cultural body, UNESCO, highlighted the "extraordinary fusion" of man-made and natural beauty in certifying Rio on the world heritage list during a ceremony held at the Christ the Redeemer statue. That blend has "created an urban landscape perceived to be of great beauty by many writers and travelers and one that has shaped the culture of the city," the UN said.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
One City with two legendary beaches: the Copacabana and Ipanema Beach, immortalized in song "The Girl from Ipanema" in 1962. The worldwide hit track still captures the mood of Brazil’s second biggest city (6.32 million inhabitants). Rio’s beaches are a magnet for people from all over the city, where sun worshippers congregate to see and be seen.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Sunset over Guanabara Bay
Watching the sun set over the rocky outcrops and islands off the coast of Rio de Janeiro is a spectular sight. The rocky edges of Ponta do Arpoador provide a great place to soak up this spectacle. You can see one of Rio’s famous landmarks, Sugar Loaf Mountain, at the centre of this picture.
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Tourist destination Brazil
A cable car trip to Sugar Loaf Mountain
Rio is full of breathtaking views. The vista from Sugar Loaf Mountain is among those that are not to be missed. Visitors have been taking cable cars to the top of the 395-meter high granite peak since 1913. You are guaranteed a fantastic view along the way – the gondolas going up the mountain also have panorama windows. But ascending on foot, however, is better left to extreme sports Lovers only.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Rio's most famous landmark - Christ the Redeemer
The colossal statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) overlooks Sugarloaf Mountain. The sculpture stands thirty meters high, has an arm span of 28 meters and weighs about 1,145 tonnes. The ascent of the 710-meter high Mount Corcovado is impressive in its own right. From the statue’s pedestal, the view over the bay is simply fantastic. Up to 4,000 visitors flock to this sight daily.
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Tourist destination Brazil
The other face of Rio - Favelas
More than six million people live in Rio and about one in five live in the so-called favelas. Hundreds of these shanty towns sprawl across Rio’s hilly slopes. Few tourists ever dare to venture there on their own. However, you can take guided tours conducted by locals.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Carnival - party time in Brazil
Carnival is the most important event of the social calendar. With street parades just about everywhere locals and tourists alike end up partying until they drop. Unique to Rio, there's a competition between the city’s famous samba schools. Thousands of dancers battle it out in the Sambadrome for two nights in a row. They parade along a 1.7 km course to rapturous responses from the audience.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Natural wonder - Iguazú Falls
If you decide to take a trip to Rio, you shouldn’t miss the chance of exploring other parts of Brazil. The Iguazú Falls along the country's border with Argentinia are one of the world’s biggest waterfalls - and a stunning natural spectacle with 275 individual falls along a 2.7-km long divide. The best view of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is from the Brazilian side.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Lenções Maranhenses National Park
Thousands of sand dunes separated by glistening sweet water lagoons are actually a rather unusual sight amid the tropical temperatures of Brazil. This unique landscape stretches across 1,550 square kilometers in northern Brazil. Located in a coastal region of the state of Maranhão, it was made into a national park in 1981.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Adventures in the rain forest: the Amazon River
The Amazon River carries more water than any other river in the world and flows through the world’s biggest tropical rainforest. If you want to explore this natural habitat, you will need plenty of time. Tour operators can organize almost anything from a botanical expedition to a piranha fishing trip. You can also spend the night in jungle lodges or camps.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Manaus: Belle Epoque and jungle book
There is plenty of culture in the heartland of the Amazonas state: Opera fans from around the world flock to Manaus for a three-week Festival each year. The event dates back to only 1997, but the opera house itself, the Teatro Amazonas, was built in 1896 with profits from the local rubber industry. The building is a fascinating relic from a time when Manaus was known as the "Paris of the Tropics".
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Tourist destination Brazil
Colonial architecture in Olinda
Few foreign tourists ever venture into northeastern Brazil. The city of Olinda is a jewel that is still largely considered to be off the beaten track. This charming town attracted many artists in the 17th century and still remains an artist colony today. With 33 churches and chapels, it is one of Brazil‘s best preserved colonial cities. Olinda was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
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Tourist destination Brazil
African legacy in Salvador de Bahia
Salvador de Bahia was the original capital of the former Portuguese colony as well as the center of Brazil’s slave trade for centuries. Today, it is the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture - and its heartbeat is the sound of the drum. The city is not just renowned for its rhythm, but also for its relaxed and inviting atmosphere. It‘s also the spiritual home of the dance-cum-martial art capoeira.
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Tourist destination Brazil
Brasilia: a truly postmodern city
Brazil has had three capitals thoughout ist history: Salvador de Bahia at first, then Rio de Janeiro and since 1960 Brasilia - the world's biggest city created from scratch. Designed by urban planner Lúcio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer, Brasilia has now been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Author: Anne Termèche (jg)
Rio got a big tourism boost during the 2014 football World Cup and this August's Olympic Games. However, persistent high crime, last year's Zika epidemic, and political instability have hurt the city's image.
The UNESCO status was announced in 2012, but only became official after the Brazilian authorities were given four years to report on their plans for protecting the likes of Flamengo Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Corcovado, Copacabana beach, the Botanical Garden and Tijuca forest.
is/cho (afp)
