Ouro Preto

From Montevideo by plane to Belo Horizonte and bus to Ouro Preto. Gold was found there in the late 15. century, until 1823 called Vila Rica de Albuquerque and from 1720 till 1897 the capital of Minas Gerais. There are a lot of Baroque churches, the oldest theatre of America and allmost nothing was built after Brasil was independent.
The closest Airport is in Belo Horizonte about 140 kilometer, take a bus from the airport to the Rodovaria de Belo Horizonte (bus terminal), get the ticket Just outside of the entrance. Pássaro Verde has frequent buses from Belo Horizonte to Ouro Preto.
There are als a few direct buses from Ouro Preto to Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.


The Museu da Inconfidência at the main place, Placa de Tiradentes, showing religiose objects and the live of the miners and the upper class it Ouro Preto in the 17. and 18. century.


The Igreja (church) de São Francisco de Assis is a excellent ecxample of the Barroco Mineiro built by Aleijadinho.


The Igreja (church) de Nossa Senhora do Carmo is another example of Barroco Mineiro.

Also the Basílica (church) Nossa Senhora do Pilar.

Unfortunately the Paróquia e Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Conceição was closed.

The Municipal Theater - Opera House, the oldest theatre in Amerika ist still having performances.

Had a daytrip to Mariana an other mining town, going there by bus and returning by train.

The Trem da Vale has 1, sometimes 2 trains per day from Ouro Preto to Mariana. More expensive then the bus but much nicer landskape. The steam engine was not running.