Pampulha Lake & Modern Ensemble
Lagoa da Pampulha / Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha
Oscar Niemeyer's early masterpieces arranged around an artificial lake. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2016, the 18 km lakeside loop links a church, a former casino, and a dance hall.
The Pampulha complex is a lakeside district commissioned in the 1940s by then-mayor Juscelino Kubitschek and designed by a young Oscar Niemeyer. It includes the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the former casino (now an art museum), a dance hall, and a yacht club. The gardens were designed by Burle Marx. Niemeyer's free-flowing concrete forms pioneered the Brazilian style of modernist architecture. An 18 km loop around the lake has walking and cycling paths. It is best to take a taxi or ride a bike to visit each site. The lake water is not suitable for swimming, and the scenery is most beautiful in the evening.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Pampulha Art Museum
- Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Pampulha)
- Casa do Baile
- Mineirão Stadium
- Belo Horizonte Zoo-Botanical Park
- Mercado Novo
- Praça da Estação & Museum of Arts and Crafts
- Mercado Central