The New York Times included Brasilia as one of the 52 inspiring places to visit in 2024

"Brasilia, Brazil's capital since 1960, is often overshadowed by glitzier destinations like Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. But Brasilia, a planned city famous for its white, futuristic, modernist buildings rising from the Brazilian highlands, is opening up. to new forms. The Palácio da Alvorada, the presidential residence, which had been closed to visitors for a decade, will reopen its doors at the beginning of this year," highlighted the morning newspaper in its section “52 Places to Go in 2024” (52 Places to Visit in 2024), in which it offers a ranking of the most interesting destinations in the world for the year that has just begun.  

According to the NYT, "another symbolic change in Brazil's capital is the recent removal of the barriers that, since 2013, surrounded the Palácio do Planalto, the presidential office, thus offering greater access to its reflecting pools and arches. "The Planalto was one of the government buildings raided by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro last year. Its greater accessibility marks a return to the original vision of Brasilia architects Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio Costa, of an open and integrated city," highlights the note.

It is true that Brasilia is different from other cities: it is the only modern capital to which UNESCO has awarded the title of World Heritage Site, and despite being so young, it has excellent restaurants, cultural diversity, unparalleled architecture, forest reserves with beautiful waterfalls and, of course, the political history of the country within the reach of any of its visitors.

The capital, with its simple lines and monuments, is a contrast of concrete and nature. Two cross-shaped lines were the initial outline of the Pilot Plan, the central region of the city where the three powers of the State are concentrated. Designed by Lúcio Costa and designed by Oscar Niemeyer, Brasilia was born in 1960 by the then president Juscelino Kubitschek. Built in just 1,000 days to become the new capital (replacing Rio de Janeiro), it surprised by the modernism of its layout and buildings.

Knowing that the capital follows a numerical and geographical logic is the starting point to understand it. The next step is to learn that everything there revolves around the two main axes (like an airplane), which form the body of the Pilot Plane. The bus station (Rodoviária), in the Monumental Axis, is the center of the plan and, from there, the addresses are numbered, both from north to south and from east to west.  

In Brasilia, the buildings have no bars and there are no residential streets, only blocks. SQN, SBS, CLS and W3 are very common addresses for its inhabitants, but they are missed by those who visit the capital for the first time. To begin to decipher it, in just one hour any tourist can tour the entire Monumental Axis, which includes the buildings of the National Congress, the Itamaraty Palace, the Cathedral, the Planalto Palace, the Plaza de los Tres Poderes, the Museum of Republic, the TV Tower and the JK Memorial.

The charm of the city, however, is complemented by the interior of its residential blocks, its large green areas, its multiple cultural and sports spaces, cozy bars and restaurants, all guarded by its water sentinel, Lake Paranoá.