Colonial houses
Steep streets.
Serro is a colonial town in the heart of the Serra do Espinhaço in Minas Gerais, about 325 kilometres from Belo Horizonte, on the «Diamond Road» of the Estrada Real, the royal road left behind by the mines that drew explorers in the eighteenth century. The settlement began in 1701 with the discovery of gold, became a town named «Vila do Príncipe» in 1714 and the seat of the Serro do Frio district in 1720, and was made a city in 1838. Its old name comes from a Tupi word meaning «hill of the cold wind». Isolation helped preserve its heritage: its architectural ensemble was listed as national heritage in 1938, and its steep streets still keep colonial houses and old squares. Serro is also famous for its cheese, «queijo do Serro», one of the best-known cheeses of Minas Gerais, whose making became intangible cultural heritage of the state in 2002. Mountains, rivers and waterfalls surround the town, combining historic and nature tourism.
Steep streets.
State heritage.
The Estrada Real.
Central Serro, Serra do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais
About an hour and a half by car.
