The Palácio do Catete (1857), the former presidential palace, served as the home to 18 successive heads of state between 1897 and 1960. On the first floor there is a private chapel, a banquet hall (with its table laid), a concert hall with a superb i..

Arpoador is an area located between Ipanema and Copacabana. With its beautiful sunsets, it is indisputably the place to be in Rio when night falls. It is on this section of the beach that the sun's rays linger the longest before disappearing behind t..

The romantic Parque Lage was bought in 1809 by an English lord, who had it transformed into landscaped gardens, and it then passed into the hands of a wealthy ship owner. In order to please his beautiful wife, the opera singer Gabriella Besanzoni Lag..

Gávea is a district in the southern zone of Rio, where there is a thriving festive ambience. You will find plenty of bars and restaurants here, and the crowds often break out onto the streets. Be sure to visit the Museu Histórico da Cidade (in the Pa..

To get to Santa Teresa, take the Bonde (tram) from Centro. Up here you will find a district brimming with old-fashioned charm; many artists and writers have chosen to live among the abandoned old luxury residences. The district has retained a bohemia..

A journey on the Bonde (pronounced "bonji"), the tram that runs between Centro and Santa Teresa, is an unforgettable experience. The carriage has completely open sides, allowing you to better appreciate the landscape. Street children and Ca..

Ipanema and Leblon are two chic and fashionable districts located in the south of Rio next to the ocean. Ipanema's beach, which rivals Copacabana's, was at its most popular in the 1960s, when bossa nova arrived on the scene. It's a bustling place so ..

Crowned with an imposing limestone dome, this church has bronze doors that open into a splendid interior straddling Baroque and neo-Classicism. Built in 1775 by a naval captain who had survived a shipwreck, Igreja de N. S. da Candelária counts among ..

A key venue for Carioca culture, the CCBB is housed in the city's former financial headquarters. The building is an example of the architecture of banks the world over, with its marble hall and a rotunda with columns and a glass roof. A small museum ..

Established in 1990, the Casa França-Brasil is housed in the former customs house (1819). This very elegant building, designed by the architect Grandjean de Montigny, was commissioned by the King of Portugal, João VI, in order to bring a little refin..

The Praça Marechal Floriano, or Cinelândia, as the Cariocas are wont to call it in remembrance of the time when it was the site of several cinemas (only the Odeon survives), remains the heart of contemporary Rio as well as the site favoured for holdi..

The Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião stands at a height of 106m and has a 96m internal diameter. This enormous concrete cone built by architect Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca on a levelled-out morro (1964-1976) has had its fair share of contro..

Just next to the Museu Chácara do Céu is the Parque das Ruínas (they are joined by a path). Go to the top floor of the ruined villa to enjoy a magnificent view over Rio. Since the 1920s it has been the setting for numerous organised festivities, on t..

Love, religion, football and music: everything that has fed the imagination and passion of Brazilians has found expression in the popular arts. The Museu do Folclore Edson Carneiro brings together touching works that are often brightly coloured and o..

Oi Futuro, the very avant-garde cultural foundation set up by Telemar, Brazil's long-standing telephone company, opened its doors in 2005. It shows remarkable exhibitions of the work of both Brazilian and foreign artists. There is a wonderful little ..

On the outskirts of Rio's most fashionable spots (Ipanema, Leblon, Gávea, Jardim Botânico) lies the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a lagoon connected to the sea by a canal. On its banks are parks, sports grounds, ice- skating rinks, hiking trails and cycl..

The Moreira Salles Institute, a foundation established by the wealthy banker (his son Walter is none other than the director of The Motorcycle Diaries and Central do Brasil ), is housed in the former family home. Characterised by tricks of perspec..

Maracanã Stadium has mythical status. With its 130 000 seats (it used to have 200 000), it is the largest in the world, and its pitches have welcomed all the greats: Pelé, Ronaldo, Maradona... If you want to have a truly unique experience, go along t..

Housed in a fine colonial-style property, this museum (affiliated with the Chácara do Céu, in Santa Teresa) is devoted to Asian art and the decorative arts. It regularly puts on exhibitions by contemporary artists. Splendid examples of European earth..

When night falls, Lapa comes to life. If you are in Rio, go for a stroll along the famous Arcos da Lapa (a former aqueduct that was converted to accommodate the new tram system) where you can listen to music, dance, sing, have a drink and mix with th..