RouteBelém

Belém's Belle Époque: Teatro da Paz & Rubber Boom Architecture

Belém's historic centre preserves an extraordinary legacy of the rubber boom era (1850-1920) — the Teatro da Paz, the Mercado de Ferro, and the azulejo-covered mansions of the Cidade Velha testify to the city's extraordinary rubber wealth

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1
Teatro da Paz
Teatro da Paz – Belém's neoclassical opera house, inaugurated in 1878 – was built with rubber money to bring European culture to the Amazon; the interior with marble floors, the painted roof and the performance program make it one of Brazil's finest theaters
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Cidade Velha Historic District
Cidade Velha - Belém's oldest district, dating back to its Portuguese foundation in 1616 - has azulejo-covered mansions, colonial churches and the Ver-o-Peso market; the district is a UNESCO candidate for its extraordinary colonial streetscape
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Forte do Castelo (Fort)
Forte do Castelo – built by the Portuguese in 1616 on the cliff above the bay – is Belém's founding monument; the fort, now a museum and restaurant, overlooks Ver-o-Peso and Guajará Bay at sunset
4
Estação das Docas
The former riverside docks – three warehouses built in 1909 for rubber exports – were transformed into an entertainment complex; Estação das Docas combines excellent restaurants, a microbrewery and a spectacular location on Guajará Bay
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Mangal das Garças
The ecological park by the bay near the historic center - with its lighthouse, butterfly house and mangrove paths - is Belém's nicest waterfront park; the pink flamingos, the orchid greenhouse and the sunset view are remarkable
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Basílica de Nazaré
Basílica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré — Belém's neo-Byzantine cathedral, built with rubber money in 1909 — is the destination of the Cirio de Nazaré procession; the detailed mosaics of the interior and the scale of the building are impressive