Location: Ouro Preto
Top Things to do in Ouro Preto
- 1. Centro Historico de Ouro Preto
- 2. Basilica of Nossa Senhora do Pilar
- 3. Church of Sao Francisco de Assis
- 4. Itacolomi state park
- 5. Casa dos Contos
- 6. Museu de Ciencia e Tecnica da Escola de Minas/UFOP
- 7. Museum of Betrayal
- 8. Santa Efigenia dos Pretos church
- 9. Casa dos Inconfidentes Museum
- 10. Oratory Museum (Museu Do Oratorio)
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10 Things to Do in Ouro Preto That You Shouldn't Miss
Ouro Preto is a former colonial mining town with beautifully preserved Baroque architecture and quaint cobblestone streets. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It earned recognition during Brazil's Golden Age as a center for gold mining and prosperity in the 18th century. Today it is a popular tourist destination.
Restaurants in Ouro Preto
1. Centro Historico de Ouro Preto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By WC-Travelers-75 - West Chester, PA
Great walking experience despite the steep hills. The preserved buildings and church contribute to the historic atmosphere. Commercialization takes away the atmosphere on the Praca Tiradentes; away from that area is is very good.
Tiradentes and Paraty have an older more authentic feel for me than Ouro Preto.
However, this is still a national monument and World Heritage Site not to missed on your tour.
2. Basilica of Nossa Senhora do Pilar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
This baroque style church is very lavish inside, reflecting a period in which religious orders competed with each other to build the richest church.
Reviewed By ed-TO - Toronto, Canada
We found a very capable English speaking guide outside the church and this really heightened our experience. He pointed out the incredible variety of architectural and artistic variety within the Basilica, talking about the origins of the images and the artisans who made them. The small museum downstairs also had some interesting and unexpected things like vestments with 8kg of gold woven into the threads, a carving with distinctive local features by Aleijandrinho, and some unusual symbolism borrowed both from Candomble and less surprisingly from Judaism. This was really a fascinating visit!
3. Church of Sao Francisco de Assis
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By ed-TO - Toronto, Canada
This was the first church we visited and it gave us a great introduction to the fine work of Aleijandrinho and Mataide. The quality of their craftsmanship is stunning and we found that we just wanted to appreciate how well everything fit together to give this church such an harmonious feel. The location is also easy to reach and a good start for anyone visiting OP.
4. Itacolomi state park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 222 reviews
Tue-Sun 8am-5pm
Reviewed By tiogegeca - Ouro Preto, MG
But it's a terrible way to get there. Hard to find the beggining of the road that gets you there but in the middle you'll wish you hadn't found. Once you get to the top, you'll forget all the problems. Better to go whenever there's a championship of paragliders (it seems there's one every week).
5. Casa dos Contos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Mon 2pm-6pm, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Reviewed By ArturBSB - Brasília, Brazil
I've been to this museum specifically to know its underground quarters, where the slaves used to rest. The feeling of the conditions in which they lived is depressing, but it's an important testimonial about the slavery tragedy to our contemporary society (like Auschwitz Camp or the East Berlim basements).
6. Museu de Ciencia e Tecnica da Escola de Minas/UFOP
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 327 reviews
Reviewed By ajaceman - Vancouver
This museum is really worthwhile for rock hounds and budding geologists. There is a very impressive collection of minerals, many of which are locally mined and turned into the "pedras lepidadas" sold in every shop and peddled by eager garimpeiros on every street corner on Praça Tiradentes. It is truly a phenomenal collection with a dizzying variety of every imaginable kind of silicate known to man. There are other displays as well as some models of mining techniques. The museum curators should solicit the help of a young knowledgeable palaeontologist to correct some fossil names, but most people would hardly notice these minor errors in nomenclature. Go rock!
7. Museum of Betrayal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
This museum of Brazilian history at Praca Tiradentes was at one time a prison.
Reviewed By Jarko2015 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is definitely somewhere worth visiting, especially the upstairs galleries which house some truly beautiful carvings and statues. However, it's BR10 to enter, which although not a huge amount of money, it's only after you've paid that they tell you they don't have the audio tour available after all. Since hardly anything in the museum is labelled in anything but Portuguese, this is a problem. Not sure I'd have paid the cash had I known. Plus the ticket seller isn't exactly very nice and didn't give me my change, something I was helped with by one of the guards who witnessed me being short changed and stepped in when the seller refused. And there's no photography allowed. All in all, not a great experience.
8. Santa Efigenia dos Pretos church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 294 reviews
Tue-Sun 8.30am-4.30pm
Reviewed By vikskio - Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium
funny enough it's the "black men's" church, but as it is on top of the hill, it is very much appreciated and not to be missed from the centre of Ouro Preto...just look up,and there it is! prime location!
9. Casa dos Inconfidentes Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 231 reviews
Reviewed By Xinguelingue
It is a steep climb but once you get there you are welcomed by the kind staff, quiet atmosphere, and superb views of the whole town. The displays are nothing special since almost nothing originate from the house. I give 5 stars due to the...MoreThank you! You are most welcome in our Museum. Im sorry for anything i miss in my explanations, but im very glad that you could understand some of it :) We hope you enjoyed our city! Att. Staff Museu Casa dos Inconfidentes
10. Oratory Museum (Museu Do Oratorio)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 612 reviews
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