Brasilia (Portuguese: Brasília), the capital of Brazil and the seat of government of the Distrito Federal, is a planned city in the Central Highlands of Brazil. Inaugurated in 1960, it is a masterpiece of modernist architecture listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and attracts architecture enthusiasts worldwide. Brasilia is also an important transportation hub for travel within Brazil.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The basic structure of Brasilia was completed in just four years, from 1956 to 1960, under the leadership of President Juscelino Kubitschek, with the slogan "fifty years of progress in five", and the city is in a sense a memorial to him. The cathedral has six columns representing two hands reaching up to almighty heaven. The city is designed in the shape of a giant bird or airplane, with various separated zones assigned for specific functions such as housing, commerce, hospitals and banking. Running down the center of the "airplane's" fuselage is the thoroughfare called the Eixo Monumental ("Monumental Axis") and at one end lay the government buildings.
Rent a car, ride the buses, take a cab, hitchhike, but whatever you do, don't plan on getting around Brasilia on foot. The city was designed under the assumption that every resident would own an automobile. Obviously things didn't turn out that way, and the city's public transport is a solution to an almost deliberately designed problem. Fortunately it works fairly well.
1 Three Powers Square (Praça dos Três Poderes) (at the eastern end of the Monumental Axis). Includes the seats of the country's 3 highest authorities: the Congress, the Presidential Palace (called Palácio do Planalto) and the Supreme Court. The axis itself is aligned such that on April 21 (Tiradentes Day, marking the death of the Brazilian independence martyr), the sun rises precisely between the two towers of Congress. The bronze statue of two abstract figures is named Os Candangos and represents the pioneering spirit of the workers who built the city.
Cinema Festival - Brasilia hosts one of the most important festivals of Brazilian cinema. The Festival de Cinema Brasileiro takes place late October/early November and screens independent and mainstream movies that will hit the theaters the following year. Both short and feature films are presented, but the movies have no subtitles. Japanese Festival, Honpa Hongwanji Temple, EQS 315/316. Weekends of August - Sa Su from 6PM. The Japanese community of Brasilia celebrates the Obon Festival, with bon odori dances and stalls selling typical food and other Japanese items. Free. Porão do Rock. Usually happening in July, August or September, it's one of the biggest music festivals in Brasilia.
Brasilia does not have a typical, regional cuisine. Nevertheless, restaurants serve food from many Brazilian states, as well as international fare. Self-service (por quilo) restaurants are very common and usually cheaper than their à la carte counterparts. Most of Brasilia's "real" (table service) restaurants are in the residential wings, usually a bus or taxi ride away from most tourist attractions. One of the most popular streets is the CLS 405 (from rodoviaria, take bus 114), with choices ranging from sushi to Brazilian, Mexican and French food. Regarding tips, visitors are expected to pay at least 10% of the bill.
Despite not being particularly famous for its nightlife, Brasilia has some hangouts that save visitors from night-time boredom. Please observe that smoking on the dance floor is not allowed - all clubs have a smoking area, so people can smoke (or just get some fresh air) without leaving the club. Outro Calaf, SBS Quadra 02 Edifício Empire Center - Asa Sul, ☏ +55 61 3325-7408. Famous for its Spanish cuisine and for its parties. On Monday night, it has one of the best parties in Brasília, the black music oriented Criolina. On the other days of the week, you can enjoy samba music. Beirute - CLS 109 Bloco A (near 108 Sul metro station), +55 61 3244-1717. Opens daily, until 2AM.
Brasilia is a safe city, but usual measures should be taken. At night, the area near the central bus station is not considered to be safe (prostitution and drugs). Avoid walking alone at night throughout the city. There are an increasing number of cases of "flash kidnap". This consists of attacking people near or inside their own car, robbing and getting away with the car, and sometimes driving with the owner to make them withdraw money from automatic cash machines or even committing other kinds of violence. The local police give some advice on how to avoid these crimes: Try to walk with company, avoiding deserted places or those with bad illumination.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Brasilia typically sees ~26°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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