The lakes
Small boats.
Sturm — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sturm — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cmasi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sturm — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sturm — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sturm — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Américo Renné Giannetti Municipal Park is Belo Horizonte's oldest park and the largest public green space in its centre, on Avenida Afonso Pena, covering about 193,000 square metres. It was planned along with the city itself, the new capital built to replace Ouro Preto, laid out by the French landscape designer Paul Villon and opened on 26 September 1897, a few weeks before the capital's own inauguration. The park was once much larger and lost part of its area as the city grew and streets and public buildings went up around it and inside its old bounds. Its landscape design has been listed as state heritage since 1975. Today it has tree-shaded avenues, lakes with small boats, gardens and playgrounds, an orchid house and the Francisco Nunes Theatre, and the Palácio das Artes complex connects to it by the Niemeyer walkway. Entry is free; it usually opens in the daytime from Tuesday to Sunday, hosting open-air concerts, environmental activities and guided walks. It is a green break from downtown's bustle, a few steps from Praça Sete.
Small boats.
Inside the park.
In the open air.
Avenida Afonso Pena, central Belo Horizonte
Praça Sete de SetembroPraça Sete de Setembro, «7 September Square», popularly «Praça Sete», is the hea9 minutes walk4.1
Museu de Artes e OfíciosThe Museum of Arts and Crafts opened on 14 December 2005 as the first Brazilian 10 minutes walk4.9
Praça da EstaçãoPraça Rui Barbosa, known to everyone as «Station Square», was Belo Horizonte's f10 minutes walk4.4
Mercado Central, Belo HorizonteThe Mercado Central is Belo Horizonte's best-known market, filling a whole block11 minutes walk4.6
Praça da LiberdadePraça da Liberdade is Belo Horizonte's civic heart, laid out between 1895 and 1812 minutes walk4.9On 26 September 1897, weeks before the new capital's inauguration, designed by the Frenchman Paul Villon.