Sightseeing in Sao Paulo - what to see. Complete travel guide

Sao Paulo is the undercover capital of Brazil and its economic center. Originally the city was considered the territory and the home of the Indians, but after the depletion of land resources in Rio de Janeiro the population of this place began to grow. In the end of XVIII century the refugees from Italy and Japan started moving to Sao Paulo, creating plantations of coffee and cotton in the city’s suburbs.

Modern Sao Paulo is the industrial metropolis of skyscrapers that reminds of the old Chicago. However, despite numerous grey buildings you can always find seclusion in Sao Paulo if you visit the magnificent Ibirapuera Park or enjoy planted green areas Alameda Santos and Morumbi. You will feel the true spirit of history if you visit the City Museum of Art, which presents the history of art in its chronological order, including a Roman marble statue created in the II century BC. Here you will also find a collection of paintings by Modigliani, Bosch, Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vlaminck, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Leger and other famous artists. Tourists may also enjoy visiting Ipiranga Imperial Museum, Museum of Art and the Butanta Institute – the museum of reptiles.

Nightlife lovers will find in Sao Paulo numerous night music halls, discotheques, many theaters and cabarets.

One of the most visited cultural institutions of the city is Paulista Museum. It occupies a spectacular building in neoclassical style. The museum exposition includes over a hundred thousand exhibits, among which are beautiful paintings, sculptures, and collections of photographs. After visiting the museum, you should take a stroll around the picturesque park surrounding it. You'll see a lot of luxurious fountains, sculptures and landscaping. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The beautiful Cathedral of Sao Paulo remains an irreplaceable symbol of the city. It is one of the five largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. The very first church in its place was built more than 500 years ago. The cathedral itself was literally erected on its ruins. It has an incredible scale. The length of the building is 111 meters. Its hall can accommodate up to 8000 people at a time. Recently, a major reconstruction of the cathedral was completed, during which many original elements of decoration were restored.

In the city is a colorful Japanese quarter of Liberdadi. A stroll around which can turn into an exciting excursion. Now, this area is inhabited by about 500 000 immigrants from Japan. At every step, nice stores with goods from a far country, as well as restaurants of Japanese cuisine are found. Interesting art galleries and the Museum of Japanese Immigration are operating in this area.

All football fans should visit the São Paulo Football Museum. Its opening was held recently, in 2008. It occupies a huge locker room and is located under the main football stadium in the city. The museum covers an area of about 6900 sq. m. Its huge collection is divided into several thematic zones. In one of them, you can see fan attributes of different periods, in the other, are old photos depicting the legendary teams and players. The museum has a lot of interactive screens. It is visited by many tourists with children.

The Planetarium occupies an unusual building, resembling a flying saucer. It became the first planetarium built in the Southern Hemisphere. Now, they hold interesting thematic events and lectures there almost every day. The main feature of the planetarium is its dome, whose diameter is 20 meters.