Brasilia: The Sci-Fi City of the Future
by Linda Hourston
Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil from 1763 to 1960 but today, the recently established and centrally located Brasilia is the nation's capital. Spanning 5,802 square kilometers and with a population of over 2,383,784 (a 2006 census estimate), this spectacular city is listed with UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and sets extremely progressive and exciting urban planning and architectural precedents.
Brazil's 24th president, Juscelino Kubitschek, ordered the construction of the city in 1956 and with the help of Lucio Costa (the main urban planner), Oscar Niemeyer (the chief architect) and Roberto Burle Marx (the landscape designer), the city took just over 41 months to establish and was officially inaugurated on the 21st of April 1960. Its contemporary town planning and ultra-modern architecture is truly revolutionary and makes Brasilia one of the most unique and original cities in the world.
From the air, this remarkable city's shape resembles that of a giant bird with outstretched wings and is divided into various distinct sectors. The city's infrastructure is advanced and sophisticated, its landmarks and attractions are world-class and its surrounding areas, which encompass vast wooded areas (cerrado), waterfalls, lakes, hidden grottos, natural swimming pools, caverns and fabulous nature trails are popular with those looking for action, adventure and extreme leisure.
So, if you're looking for a holiday destination that's fresh, modern and unique, Brasilia is for you and the following six attractions are among the city's most famous and popular:
- The Brasilia Cathedral is like no other cathedral on this entire planet. You may expect (and rightly so) a cathedral to be hundreds of years old and of Medieval, Victorian or Gothic design, but this cathedral blows any such expectations right out of the water. Sixteen curved 90-ton concrete pillars (which resemble elephant tusks) reach for the sky and are joined by stunning stained-glass panels. Four bronze sculptures of Evangelists stand at the cathedral's entrance and inside you'll find colorful tiled panels, three huge suspended sculptures of angels and a magnificent bell tower housing four bells which were a gift from Spain. Pope Paul VI donated the cathedral's altar and the various replicas of images, passages and statues such as Our Lady of Aparecida, the Way of the Cross and the Shroud of Turin are indeed impressive. You're welcome to tour this cathedral and attend services - if you only visit one cathedral or church while in Brasilia, this should be the one.
- The Cultural Complex of the Republic houses the National Library and the National Museum. The library spans 14,000 square meters and encompasses over 300,000 relative items, various study and reading rooms and an auditorium. The museum spans 14,500 square meters and regularly presents exciting multi-media presentations, permanent and temporary exhibits and fabulous art displays from national and international artists. The complex also houses two 780-seat auditoriums and an educational laboratory. This building is an attraction in itself as its dome-like features and minimalist décor imparts a true space-age atmosphere – you may well feel you're an extra in a sci-fi movie.
- City Park is Brasilia's answer to New York's Central Park and is an absolute delight. Jogging, cycling, skating and even kart racing are popular activities here and for those of us who are not so active, the park's barbecue, picnic and nature (and people) watching opportunities are just fantastic.
- What can I say about the Brasilia National Park except that it's truly exceptional and very impressive. Spanning nearly 30,000 hectares, its leisure areas (which include many mineral water pools, which are great natural swimming areas) are just amazing and the park's features include fabulous hydrographic basins such as the Amazon, Plata and Sao Francisco. The delightful flora and fauna of its typical Savanna inland areas and watercourses encompass caesalpinia, pau-terra, caryocar, custard-apple, palms and tree lilies and there's nature-watching opportunities abound. There's prolific animal populations including anteaters, giant armadillos, deer and lobo-guaras as well as dozens of species of birds such as rheas, crested seriemas and toco toucans.
- It's hard to miss the city's amazing TV Tower. At 224-meters, it's the 4th tallest tower in the world and an absolute architectural marvel. Obviously the views from the observation decks are spectacular (and especially so at night), but the tower also houses the National Museum of Gemstones and on weekends and public holidays, the tower hosts colorful arts and crafts markets. The tower is open to tour every day until 9pm and since admission is free, is well worth the time.
- Paranoa Lake is a huge (really huge) artificial lake that encompasses the second largest marina in Brazil and features the most amazing sporting (such as sailing, wakeboarding and windsurfing), shopping and leisure opportunities imaginable. A day spent here represents a fabulous romantic get-a-way or an exciting family outing that's sure to impress.
As possibly the youngest global city, Brasilia certainly represents progressive style and architecture. It would certainly be a mistake to align it with other, more culturally distinct and colorful Brazilian regions and cities such as Rio de Janeiro, but for those looking for something new and way out of the ordinary, Brasilia has certainly got you well covered.
Further information about Brasilia can be found at:
www.v-brazil.com/tourism/brasilia/brasilia.html
www.igougo.com/attractions-I2585-c65-Brasilia_Tourist_Attractions.html