Sixty-six kilometres directly to the north of Rio de Janeiro, high in the mountains, stands the imperial city of PETRÓPOLIS . The route there is a busy one, with Fácil and Única company buses leaving Rio every fifteen minutes, but even so you may have to wait a day or two for a bus with available seats. It's worth the hassle, for the journey there is glorious. On the way up, sit on the left-hand side of the bus and don't be too concerned with the driver's obsession with overtaking heavy goods vehicles on blind corners, bordered by naked rock on one side and a sheer drop on the other - it's a one-way road, and the return to Rio is made by a different route which also snakes its way through terrifying mountain passes. The scenery is dramatic, climbing among forested slopes which give way suddenly to ravines and gullies, while clouds shroud the surrounding mountains.

In 1720, Bernardo Soares de Proença opened a trade route between Rio and Minas Gerais, and in return was conceded the area around the present site of Petrópolis as a royal land grant. Surrounded by stunning scenery, and with a gentle, alpine summer climate, it had by the nineteenth century become a favourite retreat of Rio's elite. The arrival of German immigrants contributed to the development of Petrópolis as a town, and has much to do with the curious European Gothic feel to the place. Dom Pedro II took a fancy to Petrópolis and in 1843 designated it the summer seat of his government. He also established an agricultural colony, which failed because of the unsuitability of the soil, and then in 1849 - with an epidemic of yellow fever in Rio - the emperor and his court took refuge in the town, thus assuring Petrópolis' prosperity. Hotels in Petropolis

The town
You can easily do a tour of Petrópolis in a day, returning to Rio in the evening (or continuing inland). If you can ignore the traffic fumes, simply strolling around is as good a way to pass the time as any, with plenty of elegant mansions, particularly along Avenida Koeller , which has a tree-lined canal running up its centre, or on Avenida Ipiranga , where you'll also find the German Lutheran church.

Google maps

The Palácio Imperial on Avenida VII de Setembro (Tues-Sun & holidays 11am-5pm; $2) is a fine structure, set in beautifully maintained gardens. Once a royal residence, it now houses a fascinating collection of the royal family's bits and pieces. On entry, you're given felt overshoes with which to slide around the polished floors, and inside there's everything from Dom Pedro II's crown (639 diamonds, 77 pearls, all set in finely wrought gold) to the regal commode.

The cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara (Tues-Sat 9am-noon and 2-6pm, Sun 8am-1pm and 2.30-6pm) blends with the rest of the architecture around, but is much more recent than its rather overbearing neo-Gothic style suggests - it was only finished in 1939. Inside, on the walls, are ten relief sculptures depicting scenes from the Crucifixion; in the mausoleum lie the tombs of Dom Pedro himself, Princess Regent Dona Isabel and several other royal personages. If you need more direction to your strolling, then other grand buildings to track down are the Palácio de Cristal , Rua Alfredo Pacha (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm); Casa Santos Dumont on Rua do Encanto (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm), an alpine chalet built in 1918 and the home of the Brazilian aviator of that name; and Quitandinha on the Estrada de Quitandinha, just outside of town. Once the Quitandinha Casino, this last building stopped receiving the rich and famous when the Brazilian government prohibited gambling in 1946. Nearby, at Rua Cristóvão Colombo 1034, is the Casa do Colono Alémão (Tues-Sun 9.30am-1.30pm), which has a small collection relating to the German immigrants who settled in and around Petrópolis in the early nineteenth century. German-speaking visitors may also be interested in visiting the tomb of the Austrian-born writer Stefan Zweig who committed suicide with his wife in Petrópolis. You can take a look at the outside of his house at Rua Gonçalves Dias 34 in the suburb of Valparaiso, near the municipal cemetery.

Practicalities

There's a tourist office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-6.30pm, Sat 8.30am-1.30pm; at the Palácio da Cultura near the intersection of Rua da Imperatriz and Avenida Tiradentes. Petrópolis has easy access to some lovely climbing country, and if you're going to do any hiking contact the Centro Alpinista, Rua Irmãos d'Angelo 28 - it's an amateur association, so go after 8pm.

There are some reasonable hotels in town, such as the Hotel York at Rua do Imperador 78, which is very convenient for the Rodoviária, but otherwise lacks atmosphere. A number of former mansions have been converted into hotels: the Bragança, behind the cathedral at Rua Raul de Leon 109 (tel 024/242-0434; $35-50), is very pleasant, as is the Casablanca, next to the Palácio Imperial at Rua da Imperatriz 286 (tel 024/242-6662; $50-70). Restaurants are surprisingly poor in Petrópolis, most of the best being some distance from town. However, there's a good and moderately priced Portuguese restaurant in the Hotel Bragança, and an excellent por quilo choice, Ki-Mania, at Rua do Imperador 898. If you have a car, Chico Verissimo at Rua Agostino Goulão 632 (closed Mon) serves very good but pricey French food, with a wonderful view from the terrace.

If you're heading on to Teresópolis make sure you travel during the day, so as not to miss the scenery. If you're going to São Paulo or Belo Horizonte, there's no need to return to Rio as there are direct bus services from Petrópolis

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Rio pictures 1
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and see also

Pictures of Rio by
Thereza Eugenia

Pictures of Brazil by
Cecilia dos Guimaraes
Bastos