![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/catedral-metropolitana-kathedrale-brasilia-13-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/catedral-metropolitana-kathedrale-brasilia-5-1600x2400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\nSpeaking of white<\/strong>: everything seems even whiter in Brasilia than anywhere else – the sun shines brighter, it always seems that way to me. The city is situated at an altitude of 1200m on a plateau and with so many sunny days, dark sunglasses are a good constant companion. Otherwise you almost become a little snow-blind. Only without snow, at an average temperature of 28 degrees.<\/p>\n\n The entrance to the cathedral is hidden, with an underground staircase leading inside. And then, through the colorful glass mosaic windows, which seemed so inconspicuous from the outside, the full splendor of the cathedral unfolds. The acoustics in the church are also special: if you stand very close to the round wall as a couple, you can even hear quiet whispers, even if the other person is standing on the other side!<\/p>\n\n You can find out more about my second home Brazil in my Brazil blog!<\/a><\/p>\n\n The Esplanada dos Minist\u00e9rios<\/strong> is home to all the country’s ministries and ends with the Praca dos Tres Poderes, where the most important government buildings are located. All the politics of the huge country of Brazil in one place – and nothing else. No stores, no restaurants, no caf\u00e9s. This is the Bras\u00edlia concept<\/strong>: everything is neatly arranged according to purpose, with the most important buildings of a capital city right in the middle.<\/p>\n\n It’s worth taking a look at the map of Bras\u00edlia: The Plano Piloto<\/strong>, the center of Bras\u00edlia, looks like an airplane. The wings contain residential areas, while the fuselage houses government buildings and economic sectors such as hotels and banks. Arranged in order of importance: At the front of the cockpit, the Congresso Nacional<\/strong> (Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives), the Pal\u00e1cio da Alvorada<\/strong> (seat of the President) and the Supremo Tribunal Federal<\/strong> (Supreme Court) meet at the Praca dos Tres Poderes (Square of the Three Powers). All three powers gathered in one place. Very well thought out!<\/p>\n\n The Pal\u00e1cio da Alvorada, the seat of the Brazilian president, is not open to the public. What is interesting, however, is the built-in platform that protrudes from the palace and is specially designed for speeches to the people. The palace is guarded by the Drag\u00f5es da Independ\u00eancia, a special unit of the Brazilian military, and with a bit of luck you can still observe a changing of the guard.<\/p>\n\n Directly opposite the Pal\u00e1cio da Alvorada is the Supremo Tribunal Federal, the supreme court. The Praca dos Tr\u00eas Poderes is also a good example of the architectural concept: lots of space, straight lines and plenty of light. From the Bras\u00edlia TV tower<\/strong> you have the best view over the Esplanada and the entire Plano Piloto – and the best thing is: the view is free. Around the TV tower is the Feira da Torre<\/strong>, a permanent market with arts and crafts and street food. Since Bras\u00edlia’s history has always made it a melting pot of all regions of Brazil, you can traditionally find the most exotic specialties from all over the country here, from tacac\u00e1 from Par\u00e1 to empadas from Goi\u00e1s. The Feira da Torre is open every day, but on Sundays there are more stalls in addition to the regular ones and then it’s a funfair atmosphere!<\/p>\n\n JK (pronounced dschotta-kaa) is something you come across again and again in Bras\u00edlia: it is the initials of the Brazilian president who got the long-dreamed-of Bras\u00edlia project rolling in the first place. Unusually for a politician in Brazil, he is still revered like no other, especially in Bras\u00edlia. Originally a doctor, Juscelino Kubitschek<\/strong> was known for being very close to the people and for his integrity – my aunt still talks with glazed eyes full of admiration about the day when she was allowed to meet JK for a brief moment as a young girl. JK brought about an economic boom not only in Bras\u00edlia, but throughout the country, and lost all his political rights during the subsequent military dictatorship (1964-1984) because he was critical of the military. He died in 1976 in a traffic accident under circumstances that remain unexplained to this day.<\/p>\n\n After long negotiations and political pressure, the military finally gave in and granted the construction of the Memorial JK as a mausoleum and museum about JK’s life in 1981. The exhibition, which also contains a lot about the fascinating history of Brazil’s origins, is also recommended for non-Brazilians.<\/p>\n\n The Museo Nacional Honestino Guimar\u00e3es and the Biblioteca Nacional de Bras\u00edlia together form the Complexo Cultural da Rep\u00fablica Jo\u00e3o Herculino<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n Both buildings were only constructed in 2006 and yet fit seamlessly into the unusual 1960s architecture of Bras\u00edlia. The Museu Nacional occasionally hosts exhibitions by contemporary artists and admission is free.<\/p>\n\n Those who have had enough of architecture can relax next door in the Parque da Cidade<\/strong>. Basically, it is no longer a park, but a huge leisure area that can only be crossed by car. Like everything in Bras\u00edlia, the Parque da Cidade is very extensive, a bit like in the USA: you can’t do anything without a car. Even at weekends it never gets crowded here, although half of Bras\u00edlia flocks here.<\/p>\n\n If you are making a detour to Bras\u00edlia as part of a longer trip to Brazil, traveling by plane<\/strong> is a good option. All major Brazilian airlines such as Latam, GOL, Avianca and Azul fly to Bras\u00edlia. There are remarkably few international flights for a capital city; there are a few direct flights to the USA and neighboring countries such as Paraguay and Chile. As far as safety standards are concerned, I have never had any concerns with any of the airlines mentioned – certainly some things work differently than with European airlines, but I wouldn’t advise against any of them. The in-flight service and seat pitch have been reduced in recent years, but many Europeans are still surprised by the in-flight services offered by airlines that are considered low-cost carriers in Brazil, such as GOL. Tickets can also be purchased at short notice at reasonable prices – provided it is not the peak travel season (Christmas to Carnival or Easter week).<\/p>\n\n Although there is a well-developed bus network within Brazil with buses<\/strong> in every conceivable configuration (there are even pure sleeper buses with real beds), the journey can drag on like chewing gum. The roads are not always good and the distances are long. From Sao Paulo alone, it takes a good 20 hours to get to Bras\u00edlia, and sometimes a day and a half to get up to the northeast. The security aspect should not be ignored: buses are occasionally robbed en route.<\/p>\n\n Train travel<\/strong> is not an alternative: the rail network in Brazil is virtually non-existent, and there are only a few freight train connections.<\/p>\n\n As everything in Bras\u00edlia is neatly divided into different uses, most of the large hotels are located in the so-called Setor Hoteleiro<\/strong> (hotel sector) near the Esplanada. The majority are bed castles of larger chains without any real atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n So here are 3 tips for somewhat more unusual accommodation that matches the flair of Brasilia:<\/p>\n\n Brasilia Palace Hotel<\/a>* Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of Brasilia. You will also find the typical tile patterns of Athos Bulcao here – typical Bras\u00edlia! Located directly on the lake near the Palacio da Alvorada.<\/p>\n\n Hotel Nacional<\/a>* Bras\u00edlia’s first major hotel, opened in 1961, and once hosted all high-ranking state guests. Those days are long gone, but you can still get a feel for the flair of Bras\u00edlia in those days.<\/p>\n\n Hotel Diplomat<\/a>* Also one of the oldest hotels in Bras\u00edlia, almost a relic. Simple, but very central.<\/p>\n\n You can find a range of rooms in private accommodation on Airbnb, so look for accommodation in the Asa Norte<\/strong> or Asa Sul<\/strong> districts in typical older residential buildings in Bras\u00edlia. You can also experience real Bras\u00edlia flair there.<\/p>\n\n Bras\u00edlia is a city planned<\/strong> on the drawing board. Through and through. Not much has changed to this day. Over the years, new so-called satellite cities have sprung up around Bras\u00edlia proper, the Plano Piloto – but they all follow their own specific urban planning scheme. In 1960<\/strong>, Bras\u00edlia was inaugurated as the capital after only five years of construction – quite a feat when you consider what had previously stood on this vast land: nothing. Nothing but Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah.<\/p>\n\n Life was concentrated in cities like Rio and Sao Paulo, with nothing at all happening in the center of Brazil. That should change with Bras\u00edlia. The architects Lucio Costa<\/strong> and Oscar Niemeyer<\/strong> planned a visionary place right in the geographical center of the country. And to this day, I don’t know of any city that even remotely resembles Bras\u00edlia. The architecture is unique and the reason why Bras\u00edlia will always have a special place among all Brazilian cities and probably also among all retort cities in the world. Bras\u00edlia has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong> since 1987.<\/p>\n\n * * *<\/p>\n\n Are you interested in Brazil even more?<\/strong> You can find more articles about my second home here:<\/p>\n![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/catedral-metropolitana-kathedrale-brasilia-10-1600x1067.jpg\")
#2 Esplanada dos Ministerios & Praca dos Tres Poderes<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/congresso-nacional-brasilia-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
![\"Plan](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/plano-piloto-karte-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/palacio-alvorada-brasilia-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
#3 Torre de TV \/ TV tower<\/h2>\n\n
#4 Memorial JK<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/memorial-jk-brasilia-3-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/memorial-jk-brasilia-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/memorial-jk-brasilia-2-1600x1067.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n#5 Museo Nacional & Biblioteca Nacional<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/museu-nacional-brasilia-2-1600x1067.jpg\")
![\"Museu](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/museu-nacional-brasilia-1-1600x2400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"Museu](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/museu-nacional-brasilia-3-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"Museu](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/museu-nacional-brasilia-4-1600x2400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/biblioteca-nacional-brasilia-2-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/biblioteca-nacional-brasilia-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n#6 Parque da Cidade<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/parque-da-cidade-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
Helpful information for your stay: tips for your trip to Bras\u00edlia<\/h2>\n\n
Arrival\/departure from\/to Bras\u00edlia<\/h3>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rodoviaria-brasilia-1-2-1600x1067.jpg\")
Getting around Bras\u00edlia – public transport or car?<\/h3>\n\n
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![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/plano-piloto-straße-1-1600x1067.jpg\")
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Staying overnight in Brasilia<\/h3>\n\n
The retort city Brasilia: history and construction of the Brazilian capital<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/brasilien-fahne-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Brasilia](\"https:\/\/thehappyjetlagger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/brasilien-fahne-2.jpg\")
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