Most visitors to Rio are blissfully unaware that a whole other city lies across the other side of the bay of Guanabara. Most Cariocas (Rio natives) will tell you that the best thing about this city, Niterói, is the view of Rio. But that view is quite something.
Let local experts Dehouche organise your luxury holiday or Honeymoon to Brazil and ask for a personalised city tour. Your local guide will whisk you around the sights of Rio with plenty of time left to discover what lies ‘on the other side of the bay’. To reach Niterói, you can either take a boat from Rio’s business district (as many commuters do) or drive over the 12km bridge that spans the neck of the bay. During rush hour traffic on the bridge can grind to a standstill, but Dehouche’s insider knowledge means you won’t find yourself stuck in one of Rio’s famous jams.
Aside from the view of Rio (which is undeniably spectacular) perhaps the other most striking thing about Niteroi is the imprint the acclaimed Brazilian architect Niemeyer has left on the city. Born and raised in Rio, Niemeyer rose to international fame in the late 1940s and became involved in many international projects, including the design of the UN headquarters in New York. Exiled during the military dictatorship that began in 1964, Niemeyer spent twenty outside his native Brazil, only to return in 1985. It was then eleven years later in 1996, at the age of 89, that he created what many consider his greatest work.
Poised on an outcrop of rock, the spaceship like MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art) enjoys an unrivalled panoramic view of the marvellous city and the bay of Guanabara. Admiring this unique creation from below, the wind whipping the water from the pool beneath across the forecourt, the onlooker is instilled with a sense of other worldliness and is captivated, awestruck by the scenery beyond.
Niemeyer’s claims that his love of curves, so evident in his work, takes its inspiration from those found in nature, from the mountains of his native city to the famed Brazilian female form found on its beaches. With his very muse as his backdrop, he seems to have created a masterpiece.
For some, entering the museum is not necessary, as enough pleasure can be taken from simply standing outside. Nevertheless, the museum does have a viewing gallery, offering several new perspectives on which to ponder the landscape. The museum pieces themselves however, are too often overlooked, upstaged by the museum building itself and its spectacular setting.
At the end of a visit to Niteroi one should really head back to Rio on a speedboat bound for the small neighbourhood of Urca below the famous Sugar Loaf mountain. It’s like a little fishing village and locals sit along the harbour wall and are served some of Rios freshest seafood snack and glasses of delicious draught beer – the perfect end to a great day of your Honeymoon.
Let Dehouche organise your holiday to Brazil and make sure you don’t miss a day trip to Niteroi!
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