Ouro Preto

Where should I stay?

Where should I eat?

• Bené da Flauta · Centro · Mineira: Long-running restaurant in a colonial house beside Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, serving refined Minas Gerais dishes with views over the old town.
• Casa do Ouvidor · Centro · Mineira: Classic upstairs dining room on Rua Direita, a good place to try tutu à mineira, feijão tropeiro and frango com quiabo.
• Restaurante Chafariz · Centro · Mineira buffet: Traditional buffet of Minas home cooking served from wood-fired stoves, with a fixed price and plenty to sample.
• Forno de Barro · Antônio Dias · Mineira buffet: Simple, affordable spot for a wood-stove buffet of everyday Minas food near the Matriz de Antônio Dias.
• O Passo Pizza Jazz · Centro · Pizza and Italian: Wood-oven pizzas and pasta in an old house on Rua São José, with a terrace and jazz in the background.

What should I do?

• Igreja de São Francisco de Assis · Centro: Baroque church with façade and carvings by Aleijadinho and a painted ceiling by Mestre Ataíde, the town's finest artwork.
• Museu da Inconfidência · Praça Tiradentes: Museum in the former town hall and jail covering the 1789 independence plot, colonial life and works by Aleijadinho.
• Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar · Pilar: One of Brazil's most gold-laden baroque interiors, with a sacred art museum in the basement.
• Praça Tiradentes · Centro: The main square between the old governor's palace and the Inconfidência museum, the natural starting point for exploring the hilly streets.
• Mina da Passagem · Passagem de Mariana: Old gold mine between Ouro Preto and Mariana where a small cable car takes you down to tunnels and an underground lake.
• Parque Estadual do Itacolomi · Serra do Itacolomi: State park just outside town with hiking trails, waterfalls and the Itacolomi peak overlooking the region.