We arrived in Brasilia after an overnight flight from Miami. Leaving winter in the States, the heat and bright sunshine helped our bodies and minds realize we were now in a very different part of the world. Here it was summer, in the capital of Brazil.
Most people have not heard of Brasilia, let alone know it is the capital of one of the world’s largest countries. Once I started learning about the city’s history, I was fascinated and knew I had to go. Brasilia is a planned city, the idea of the president Juscelino Kubitschekof. With the help of urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Neimeyer, they built his dream of a capital in the interior of Brazil. The city was built in roughly five years and became the capital in 1960.
Oscar Neimeyer is the most famous architect in Brazil, and he certainly left his mark on Brasilia. He designed many government buildings there in his recognizable modernist style. They’re easily spotted because many are bright white, starkly constrasting to the blue sky and to the rest of the city and its natural surroundings. His masterpiece is the Cathedral of Brasília, pictured below.
Our first few days consisted of catching up on sleep at our hotel (Comfort Suites Brasilia) which I highly recommend. They let us check in at around 10 am, which was a lifesaver after our long overnight flight. You can book it here: https://www.booking.com/hotel/br/comfort-suites-brasilia.pt-br.html?aid=898409&label=affnetawin-index_pub-1548930_site-_pname-Earth%20N%20Oven_plc-_ts-_clkid-6776_1710017982_4d0f62f4d1e771370570d2b0ae55e82e&sid=81afed87316da9d2b17226632155cd37&checkin=2024-03-12;checkout=2024-03-19;dest_id=267484;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;soh=1;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1710018015;srpvid=098793aeb675008c;type=total;ucfs=1&#no_availability_msg
We enjoyed trying out the local food and drink and seeing the sights, which were mostly the works of Oscar Neimeyer. Most of the attractions in Brasilia are free to enter, which was great for our budget. We were able to enter museums, the iconic buildings, and get a great view of the city from the TV tower all at no cost.
Brasilia was not the best city for walking, as it was designed for cars, but there is good public transportation (bus and metro) plus Ubers are very affordable and definitely the easiest option as foreigners. Despite reading how “not pedestrian-friendly” the city is, we still walked to a lot from where we were staying in the “north wing” without problems. Brasilia felt very safe, clean, and modern and had so much green space, it did not feel like a huge city at all.
Though some people have said the Brasilia lacks charm or doesn’t merit a visit, I disagree. I think that this city is an important part of modern Brazil that would be a shame for visitors to miss out on. Don’t skip over it if you have the time, especially if you’re interested in architecture, city planning, or just curious about how a barren piece of land in the tropical savanna became the urban utopia it is today.