Historic Towns of South-Eastern Brazil

Paraty was an important port town during the height of the Brazilian gold rush and today is a beautifully preserved Portuguese colonial town. Its town centre is filled with colonial whitewashed buildings and pedestrianised cobbled streets, some of which are partly covered with seawater at high tide. There are four impressive colonial churches, the most imposing of which is the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios. As well as exploring the atmospheric town, its bay has islands with excellent beaches and inland the town is surrounded by mountainous national parks filled with trails and wildlife.

The town of Ouro Preto (Black Gold) played a leading role in Brazil's Golden Age and its gold rush in the 18th century. Attracted by local gold deposits, the town was founded by prospectors who were followed by artists who created outstanding buildings fusing European Baroque and Rococo with Brazilian influences. The town contains many works of art by the famous sculptor Aleijadinho including the Church of Sao Francisco de Assis in addition to imposing buildings such as the Parliament House and Palace of Governors. The irregular urban landscape following the contours of its hilly location as well as the cobbled streets and beautiful churches, bridges and fountains make Ouro Preto a beautiful historic town. You can visit the gold mine of Minas de Passagem and the Museum of Mineralogy to learn more about the importance of the region's mining history.

The colonial town of Diamantina is located in a mountainous landscape north of Rio and dates to the diamond prospectors of the 18th century. The Portuguese colonial architecture displays Baroque and local influences and the town is characterised by colourful 18th and 19th century semi-detached houses and picturesquely paved streets. Buildings of note in Diamantina include the Old Market Hall built in 1835, the Passadico - a footbridge covered in blue and white wood, and the Rua Direita sculptured fountain.

Goiás was a mining town in central Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries and is a testament to the colonisation of the interior of the country and the evolution in urban architecture of South American colonial settlements. The layout shows the town's organic development from a modest village to a subdistrict capital and has changed little since the 19th century.