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Brasilia, Brazil
Brasilia is one of the great experiments in urban planning, a purpose-built capital city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its modernist architecture and urban design. The city is laid out in the shape of an airplane, with the government buildings along the Monumental Axis forming the fuselage. Walking this axis takes you past Oscar Niemeyer's greatest works — the twin towers of Congress, the dome of the Senate, the bowl of the Chamber of Deputies, the Cathedral of Brasilia with its crown of thorns, and the Palace of the Dawn (Palacio da Alvorada). The Esplanada dos Ministerios lines up identical ministry buildings in perfect symmetry. The Memorial JK honors President Juscelino Kubitschek who commissioned the city, and the National Museum provides a curved counterpoint to the geometric government buildings. While Brasilia was designed for cars, the Monumental Axis is walkable and provides an unmatched experience of mid-century modernist vision at urban scale.
explore by interest
Brasilia was designed for cars, not pedestrians — distances between buildings on the Monumental Axis are much greater than they appear. Use ride-shares between major attractions and walk within each complex.
May through September is the dry season with clear blue skies that make the white modernist buildings stand out dramatically against the landscape.