Guide: all countries » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Architectural landmarks

Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Rio de Janeiro - ideas on city exploration routes


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What are the most important landmarks to see first and foremost in Rio de Janeiro? Without a doubt, the original architecture of the city deserves the highest attention. Maracana Stadium, Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, National Library, National Historical Museum and many others – are the architectural landmarks that attract millions of tourists every year. Let’s visit Rio de Janeiro right now by making a virtual tour using our fantastic 3D flight simulator! Just start the video on this page and make a flight over the main sites of Rio de Janeiro, which are presented in a three-dimensional format. Besides that, our review includes interesting facts and colorful photos of every monument.

Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Maracana Stadium is the largest football stadium in Brazil.
» The stadium was built for the World Cup in 1950 and has long been the most spacious football stadium in the world.
» The maximum capacity of the stadium is still unknown. According to various sources, it's from 180,000 to 200,000 places.
» The official name of the venue is Mario Filho. This name was in honor of the sports journalist who wrote a book about football; he was the founder of the famous sports magazine, talked with many players and has been closely involved in the construction of the stadium.
» Flamengo and Fluminense, as well as Brazil's national team of all ages hold games at the stadium.

Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro

Location on the map:   Facts:
» Quinta da Boa Vista is the palace and the park complex that embraces Sao Cristovao Palace, the park and the zoo of Rio de Janeiro.
» The Palace houses the National Museum of Brazil.
»  The museum's collection is very diverse (from insects to Aboriginal utensils).
» The zoo is the most memorable part of the complex.
» The zoo was built in 1945, so that's the oldest zoo in Brazil. About 2,000 different animals live there.

Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, Rio de Janeiro

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Rio de Janeiro Cathedral was built in 1976 in honor of the patron saint of the city, San Sebastian.
» The construction is very atypical for temples. It's built in form of a truncated cone with a diameter of 106 meters and a height of 96 meters.
» Architect Edgar de Oliveira designing the cathedral was inspired by Mayan pyramids in Mexico; however, the temple was designed in modern style.
» The interior of the cathedral is striking with its beauty and monumentality.
» In addition to the cathedral, you can visit the Sacred Art Museum situated in the basement. It represents a collection of different objects and works of art.

National Library, Rio de Janeiro

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The National Library of Brazil founded in 1810 is the largest library all around Latin America and the seventh largest in the world.
» The library was originally a branch of the National Library of Portugal and only people who have received special permission from the king had access to its books.
» Later library doors were opened to all visitors.
» Now the library has more than 9 million books, icons, periodicals, maps and manuscripts.
» The National Library of Brazil is an architectural monument.

National Historical Museum, Rio de Janeiro

Location on the map:
Facts: » The National History Museum was opened in 1922. It retains and displays a rich and varied historical and cultural heritage of the country.
» Iit's hard to explore all the exhibits in one day, because the area of the museum complex is more than 20,000m2.
» The museum has a collection of books, furnishings, paintings, sculptures, weapons, jewelry and much more.
» The National Museum is constantly being improved, restored; its exhibits, antique galleries and fountains are restored too.
» Today, the museum is an important cultural center and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of Brazil. Every day it's visited by hundreds of tourists from all over the world.
CONTINUE - PART II »»
Rio de Janeiro - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Build your walking routes in Rio de Janeiro on the landmark map

More to see in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is home to numerous historical monuments. The city features some really unique natural attractions and widest choice of museums and galleries. An excursion to the rock called "Sugar head” (Pan de Asugar) is very popular among travellers. The height of the rock is 395 feet, and there are many interesting legends connected with its unusual name. Don’t forget to visit Largo do Boticário square as many beautiful architectural monuments are located near it. All houses, which you will see in this part of the city, were built in the 18th century. A beautiful fountain is the main decoration of the square. The fountain is also the place where gather street performers and musicians. During the daytime tourists come to the square to watch their performances, and at night the fountain is a popular place among romantic couples. The local Town Hall is a simply perfect monument of colonial times. Here all visitors can walk through the inner premises of the building and appreciate its elegant design. Palacio Tiradentes is a truly unusual place of interest. For a long time the palace was used as a prison, then the building was empty, and nowadays it is home to Legislative Assembly. There are also some priceless religious monuments in the city. Rio de Janeiro Cathedral is considered the main shrine of the city. The construction of the church was completed in 1808. Intricate stained glass windows, beautiful gleaming dome, exquisite decoration of the hall – there are no … Read further

Architectural landmarks in the regions around Rio de Janeiro

Sao Paulo
The Sao Paulo Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of Sao Paulo, one of the largest neo-Gothic churches in the world. The history of the cathedral dates back to 1589, when it was decided to build the main church of the colony in the small village of Sao Paulo. Construction of the present cathedral began in 1913 and lasted for almost half a century; the cathedral was consecrated in 1954. Towers were finished only in 1967. That’s the largest ... Open »
Buenos Aires
Argentine National Congress is the building, where meetings of the National Congress of Argentina are held. National Congress Palace was built in the neoclassical style. An interesting feature of the building is a dome that is 80 meters high and weighs 30,000 tons. The dome of the National Congress is adorned with the crown with chimeras. The edges of the gable of the palace are decorated with sculptures of winged lions, and the emblem of ... Open »
Santiago
La Moneda Palace is the official residence of the President of Chile. La Moneda is literally translated as “coin” from Spain. The name is associated with the initial function of the building. There had been a mint before. The construction started to serve as a presidential residence only in 1846. The palace opened its doors to tourists in 2003. Today, you can admire the luxury interior of the palace and incredibly beautiful courtyards. ... Open »
Lima
The Cathedral of Lima is a very picturesque building decorated with statues and stone elements. The cathedral looks very spectacular at night when it is illuminated from all angles. Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador and founder of the city, started the construction of the first Catholic church in 1535. Over the centuries, it had been destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt many times. That is why the exterior of the church combines different ... Open »
Cape Town
Cape Town Hall - a large majestic building of European architecture. It was built by European architects Henry Austin Reed and Frederick George Green. Their project won at the specially organized contest. The building material (a honey-colored stone), from which the town hall is built, was brought directly from England. They finished the construction of the building in 1905. The organ, installed in the Town Hall, is considered as the pearl of ... Open »
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