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Take a trip back to Brazilian history and its imperial days. Up the hills surrounding Rio you find a testimony of acient days.
This part of the State includes cities located amid the mountains of Serra dos Orgaos, Petroplis, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo being their finest examples. Petropolis and Nova Friburgo were colonised by Swiss and German immigrants, and display, therefore, physical and cultural traits of those European regions. Petropolis originated and developed as the imperial city, since it was the favourite of monarch Pedro II, who spent the summers there, in order to avoid the heat of Rio de Janeiro. The German immigrants initially settled in the town in order to serve the imperial family, and they left strong influences in the habits, in the local food and in the architecture.
Petropolis has several attractions, such as the Imperial Museum, former summerplace of the royal family, containing a great collection of objects formerly belonging to royalty, even Pedro II's imperial crown fashioned with 5 lb. of gold and encrusted with hundreds of pearls, diamonds and emeralds.
Other important attractions of that mountain resort are the well known Quitandinha Hotel, a former casino built in the 1940's; the Crystal Palace; Sao Pedro de Alcantara Cathedral and parks and gardens.
Duration: approximately 8h00
Departures: Tuesdays through Sundays at 10h00
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