Petrópolis

Petrópolis is a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos, in the valley of the Quitandinha and Piabanha rivers, Petrópolis is a popular summer holiday spot. Besides the climate and surroundings, the main attraction is the former Summer Palace of the Brazilian Emperors, which is now a museum, specializing in Imperial history and memorabilia.

Understand
In the 1830s, the area of modern-day Petrópolis was little more than farmland. When Emperor Dom Pedro I went through there on his way to Minas Gerais, he was struck by the scenery and decided to buy some land. Dom Pedro I returned to Portugal soon after and the land was passed to his son, Dom Pedro II, who built a summer retreat. Soon a palace was built along with mansions and a cathedral, giving its nickname, "The Imperial City".

Petrópolis is home to the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), a research unit of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Brazilian Federal Government.

Get in
The only way into Petrópolis is by road.

By bus
The most intercity bus connections are from Rio. The, which is officially called the Terminal Rodoviaria Governador Leonel Brizola is located on R. Gald no Pimentel off Rod. Washington Luiz Henrique Perdigão (Br 040), Km 82.9, in the suburb of Bingen, on the western outskirts of Petrópolis about 10 km from the Centro Histórico. It is often referred to as the Rodoviária de Petrópolis or Rodoviária do Bingen. As well as ATMs it has several gift shops, a newsstand and a food court equipped with snack bars, coffee shops and a restaurant. From the bus station take the local bus number 100 or 010 into the city centre. Ask to be dropped off at Praca Libertade. Expect to pay R$30-35 for a taxi to or from the Centro Histórico.

Buses run from the major cities in the area such as Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte as well as places further afield such as São Paulo and Brasília. Try and get a seat on the left hand side of the bus for the best views when coming to Petrópolis.



Get around
All the main tourist sights are close to the center and are easily accessible on foot. There is numerous bus services in and around town but the number 100 or 010 are the ones most useful to visitors which run from the center to the Leonel Brizola bus station in Bingen. To get a local bus connection, use the Moovit app. You need to choose the metropolitan area "Rio e Região". The fare is around R$4 (March 2021) and can be paid in the bus.

For taxis use Uber.



See




Buy
Like most towns and cities in Brazil, anything that you could want to buy would most likely in the main street Rua do Imperador. However, if its clothes you're after you can't go wrong with Rua Teresa. This street has more clothes stores than you need as well as a few good places to eat. Here are some good choices.



Eat
Check opening times carefully, though, as a number of restaurants are closed Monday through Wednesday or Monday through Thursday.

Budget
All these are in the city center:



Drink
Drinking is pretty thin in Petrópolis but there are a few good chopperias on Rua do Imperador. Petropolis' most famous native beer is the Bohemia (1853), which became nationwide popular after 1960, when its brewery was acquired by Antarctica (now AmBev).

Go next
All of these towns have hostels and private rooms:

on the south-east coast of Rio State:

 * Saquarema – 150 km. A predominantly tourist city with beautiful beaches. It is also known as "The national surfing capital". The town is located in an area called the lakes region. Further attractions are waterfalls, cascades, mountains and an archaeological site.
 * Búizios – 200 km. It's a small peninsula with several nice beaches and an abundance of night clubs. The town has the lowest rainfall in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It's nickname is "Saint -Brazilian Tropez".
 * Cabo Frio – 200 km. A popular tourist destination. It's famous for its beautiful beaches with fine white sand and crystal clear waters.
 * Arraial do Cabo – 200 km. It's a small town near Búzios. Its beaches have the most beautiful turquoise waters of Rio de Janeiro state. Beaches like Forno and Prainhas do Atalaia are surrounded by virgin lush green coastal vegetation and have clear blue waters similar to the Caribbean ones

in the north:

 * Juiz de Fora – 120 km. The presence of immigrants – especially from Portugal, Italy, Germany, Syria and Lebanon and more recently China – throughout its history has given the city a cosmopolitan spirit and diverse cuisine. It's a gay-friendly city. It's nickname is "Manchester Mineira".
 * São João del Rei – 270 km. It is the largest of the colonial mining towns in Minas Gerais. There is a steam locomotive to the nearby town of Tiradentes.
 * Belo Horizonte – 380 km

in the south:

 * Niterói – 80 km. It has a wonderful unique view of Rio and an intriguing contemporary art museum, which looks like an UFO (designed by famous architect Oscar Niemeyer). Also, it has one of the state's most beautiful beaches, Itacoatiara, which can be reached by the bus numbered 38. Niterói lies just opposite of Rio on the other side of the bay.
 * Rio de Janeiro