Brasilia Travel Guide
Designed to be Brazil's capital and promote colonization of the country's inland, Brasilia's construction started in 1956 and was officially inaugurated just 4 years later in 1960. The city was planned and developed by Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect.
The Brazilian capital, Brasilia is the only city in the world built in the 20th century to be awarded the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Viewed from above, the main portion of the city resembles an airplane or a butterfly.
The most important landmark in Brasilia is Cathedral of Brasília, an expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. This concrete-framed hyperboloid structure seems with its glass roof reaching up, open, to the heavens, like a pair of hands praying. Other iconic buildings in Brasilia are: the Palacio da Alvorada, the official residence for the president of Brazil, the National Congress and the Complexo Cultural da Republica.
This young city, with its stunning and modernist architecture and public art, is a must-see for every tourist in Brazil.