Events in Rio de Janeiro – November

20 novembre 2010 admin Nessun commento

Here you have a list of the major events in Rio de Janeiro in November 2010.

Culture and Science Day: in honour of Brazilian statesman Rui Barbosa and with the aim of promoting local culture, a number of events take place, including exhibits, open days at museums and presentations.

Proclamation of Brazilian Republic:  military and civil ceremonies celebrate the Declaration of Brazilian Republic. The Republic Museum organizes guided tours that follow the chronological history of the Republic.

Flag Day: On November the 19th civic and military ceremonies take place at Copacabana Fort, Monument to the Dead of World War II and in squares and schools. The hymn to glorify the Brazilian flag is played.

Travel Tour in Rio de Janeiro

17 novembre 2010 admin 4 commenti

Plan your travel tour in Rio de Janeiro before you leave, it will be easier to get around the city once you are there.
We propose you a travel tour in Rio de Janeiro through the main places of interest and benchmarks in the city, you can follow it or simply get some tips to your choice.

There are three airports in Rio: the Santos Dumont Airport is just a few blocks from the heart of downtown Rio, historic and financial centre of the city. Here you can visit the Candelària Church, and the modern-style Rio Cathedral or spend some time in the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Historical Museum.

Continue your travel tour in Rio de Janeiro in the south zone of the city: here there are the two worldwide famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, where a blaze of fun and colors is waiting for you. Finally, in the North zone you can visit the Maracana stadium, it has a capacity of 95000 fans and will host the final match of 2014 FIFA World Cup. In this zone there is also the International Airport of Rio de Janeiro and the State University.

Holiday in Rio de Janeiro

8 novembre 2010 admin 1 commento

Do you know Rio de Janeiro is the most visited city in the southern hemisphere? It’s no accident that this city has won the hearts of million of people from all over the world: Rio de Janeiro has a natural charm that never ceases to capture visitors.

The locals always gives a warm welcome to tourists who go and spend their holiday in Rio de Janeiro, explore its districts and populate the renowned beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema.

The city gets especially crowded during the Carnival and New Year celebrations, two eccentric parties that last several days and enliven the streets to the rhythm of samba.

A holiday in Rio de Janeiro is something unique in its essence, a singular and irreplicable experience that you will never forget.

Christ the Redemeer in Rio de Janeiro

29 ottobre 2010 admin 5 commenti

Christ the Redemeer is a major landmark in Rio de Janeiro, symbol of Christianity and icon of the city and the whole nation.

Designed by local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by French sculptor Paul Landowski, the statue is 39 metres high and weighs 635 tonnes. It is made of concrete and soapstone and was erected in 1931 atop Corcovado mountain, with Christ the Redemeer represented with open arms and having the shape of the Christian cross.

In 2006 a chapel was consecrated under the statue, where Catholics can now hold baptisms and weddings. In 2007 it was listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World by the New Open World Corporation.

Finally, in 2010 the Christ the Redemeer statue has underwent restoration works: the internal structure was renovated and small cracks in the head and arms were repaired.

Music in Rio de Janeiro

6 ottobre 2010 admin 2 commenti

Fancy Brazilian music? Love listening to Samba link, Bossa Nova, Axé, Carioca?
You are not the only one. Thousands of people who have visited Brazil then fall in love with its music, and can’t do without anymore.

Brazilian music is everywhere, at the corners of the streets and inside the clubs, full of joy, sentiment and passion.
It is difficult to resist to its catchy sound! If you want to buy some records of Brazil traditional music, visit this website, an online mega music store, where you will find any artist or music genre you look for, from the oldest one to the most recent.

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

16 settembre 2010 admin 1 commento

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a great, worldwide famous festivity, as well as the highest cultural expression of Brazil.
Celebrations officially begin 40 days before Easter and last four days, but as a matter of fact street parties start several days before, filling the air with fun. Music and dances are the main aspects of the event, with the Samba played at every corner of the streets.

The most crowded venue is the Sambodromo, where a long parade takes place each night bringing together millions of people from all over the world.
In fact, the Carnival in Rio has acquired huge proportions and the number of tourists visiting the city in this period has gradually increased over the past years.

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a most exciting experience that everyone should try at leat once in lifetime!
It is not just entertainment, it is the expression of an open-minded and tolerant society, in which people from all social classes, gay communities and drag queens gather to enjoy this euphoric event.

New Year’s at Copacabana Beach

9 settembre 2010 admin 1 commento

Every year about 3 millions people from all over the world toast the New Year in Rio de Janeiro, and Copacabana beach link is the celebration venue par excellence.

Entrance is free and celebrations are carried out in absolute peace, that is source of pride for the Brazilian people.
People are usually dressed in white, they gather at Copacabana beach to dine out or simply have a drink in one of the many famous clubs on the shore, like Zero Zero, Baronetti, Catwalk and many others.

It is easy to make friends during the New Year’s celebration: Brazilians people are friendly and it is not uncommon to share chilled Champagne with total strangers.
The fireworks display is maybe the greatest attraction of the celebration at Copacabana beach. It starts at midnight and keep going on for more than 20 minutes, illuminating the enchanting sky of Copacabana in different forms and colours.

Where to eat in Rio de Janeiro – Brazilian Cuisine

2 settembre 2010 admin 1 commento

As any other big city, Rio de Janeiro has many excellent places where to eat, offering both international cuisine and local dishes.

If you are willing to try new flavours then you must have a Feijoada, one the Brazilian cuisine landmarks, consisting in beans and pork served with rice, kale and manioc. Churrasco is another famous dish, in which beef and pork come with manioc and onions.
Along the coast of Rio de Janeiro there many beachfront restaurants: in Ipanema try Porcao, the most popular among tourists and locals alike. Prices are not very low, but quality is excellent!

If you are in Copacabana, you may go to Don Camillo. Situated in Avenida Atlantica, it serves many meat and fish specialities.
Finally, the Monchique Churrascaria propose a very common solution in Rio de Janeiro: eating “al kilo”. Guests choose what they want to eat from a rich and varied buffet, then weigh their dish and pay according to the weight.

Samba: the origins

31 agosto 2010 admin 7 commenti

The Samba developed as a modern music genre and Brazilian dance at the beginning of XX century in Rio de Janeiro, though has its origins in African roots.

In fact, former slaves who migrated from Africa to Latin America from the XVI century, practiced a particular kind of dance that first came into contact with other local genres like polka, maxixe and lundu and then created the Samba.
The origins of the word Samba are uncertain: one version holds that it comes from the Arabic “zamba” and dates back to the Moor invasion to Iberian Peninsula in VIII century, another maintains that it is the combining of two African words: “sam” meaning “give” and “ba” meaning “receive”, while Brazilian folklorists says that samba is a corrupted form of the Kikongo word “semba” that indicates a blow struck with the belly button.

Whatever the roots are, the fact is that over the years the Samba has become not only the most famous Brazilian music genre, but also a notable cultural expression and maybe the first icon of national identity.
Often associated with football and Carnival abroad, the Samba is popular all over the world, and an increasing number people nowadays take lesson to learn to dance to the rhythm of Samba.

Rio de Janeiro Tourist Attractions

8 luglio 2010 admin 1 commento

With no doubt, the top tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro are two world famous beaches: Copacabana and Ipanema, which every year get crowded with people from the four corners of the world.

In Copacabana beach every year millions of people gather to celebrate the New Year, a major event in Rio de Janeiro, only second to the Carnival. Entrance in free and security in guaranteed. People comes dressed in white and toast the arrival of the new year together with friends and total strangers.

The Carnival is maybe the most famous tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro, as well as the most traditional event in Brazil. Parades along every streets of the city enliven Rio de Janeiro for four days, to the rhythm of samba. Art, music and entertainment blend together in this enchanting event as anywhere else.

As for buildings in Rio de Janeiro, a most significant one is the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), set up in 1810 by the King of Portugal. The library includes over 9 millions books and it is rated as the seventh largest library in the world.

Another important building and must see tourist attraction is the Theatro do Rio, founded in 1909 by the architect Francisco Pereira Passos, who got inspiration from the Paris Opera of Garnier. The building looks majestic and the interior are sumptuous. On the top there are a couple of statues of women representing Poetry and Music. In the theatre you may enjoy many well-known opera and ballet performances and listen to classical music.

The Botanical Garden, the Brazilian Academy of Letters, the National History Museum and the National Museum of Fine Arts are among the many other tourist attractions really worth to be visited when in Rio de Janeiro.

Finally, Rio de Janeiro is going to be the host city of two major events in the next years: the 2014 Fifa World Cup, with the final likely to be held at Maracaña Stadium, and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, for which Rio de Janeiro would become the first South American city to host the games.