The old pavilions
Railway architecture.
Santa Maria's old railway station, known locally as the «Gare», recalls the era when the city was the great rail hub of central Rio Grande do Sul. The railway reached the city in 1885 on the Porto Alegre – Uruguaiana line, and the present pavilions were built between 1899 and 1900 to hold offices, ticket windows, warehouses and restaurants. From the 1920s to the 1950s the station was the largest railway complex in the centre of the state. Passenger services ended in 1996, and the building was listed by both the city and the state in 2000. In 2026 the city announced a tender to hand the building to an operator who would turn it into a space for tourism, culture and food while keeping its history, so conditions vary over time. The old pavilions can be admired from outside, and the walk continues easily into the neighbouring Vila Belga quarter.
Railway architecture.
Largest in the centre.
A few steps away.
Next to Vila Belga, central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul
Vila Belga (Belgian Village), Santa MariaVila Belga, the «Belgian Village», is a historic housing quarter in central Sant1 minute walk4.4
Theatro Treze de Maio, Santa MariaThe Theatro Treze de Maio is a historic theatre facing Praça Saldanha Marinho in11 minutes walk4.7
Gama d'Eça Educational Museum, Santa MariaThe Gama d'Eça and Victor Bersani Educational Museum belongs to the Federal Univ13 minutes walk4.8No, passenger services ended in 1996.