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Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge.

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Half a century later, the political capital of the South American giant nation continues to be a city of the future, a reference of modernity and avant-garde architecture. It was built on an aircraft-shape basis pointing to the southeast where both the Congress and Senate buildings are on the top as the nation’s institutional guides.

Urban developer Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer were the stars of this dream come true. Costa was in charge of the layouts, while Niemeyer created most of the buildings and necessary facilities to relocate the Brazilian capital in 1960 after 41 months of hard work. Huge 8-lane avenues intertwine between the majestic squares and the modern palaces, giving the cityscape a futurist and balanced touch that provides visitors with the surrounding natural spectacle and the enigmas of a cosmopolitan burg. The compound’s central part is made up of the so-called Palace of the Three Powers, featuring the Planalto Palace which is part of the city’s pilot plan and was one of the first futurist buildings ever constructed there. Next to it, the Congress and Justice Department headquarters stand tall. This space is associated to the cockpit of that imaginary airplane in which the fuselage is shown as a vast avenue all locals know as the Ministries Plaza One of the most striking architectural compounds created by Niemeyer is the Metropolitan Cathedral, a hyperboloid structure of 16 reinforced concrete columns, all of them identically assembled and in which the glass ceiling seems to show two moving hands opening up to the sky. Among Lakes, Bridges and Beaches Given its singularity and architectural beauty, UNESCO declared Brasilia World Cultural Heritage back in 1987. Among the first structures built in this new Brazilian capital, the Palace of Dawn, on the banks of the Paranoa River, is just another standout. For many, this place gives the impression of being a glass box that rests on the ground on thin outer pillars and covering some 7,000 square meters of total surface. Meanwhile, the Don Bosco Sanctuary –opened in 1963– recreate 16-meter-high arches that frame glass windows in different blue shades. The interiors showcase a 10-ton pink marble altarpiece which is the center stage of its many religious ceremonies. Those who like delving into history can walk to the JK Memorial Museum, the National Gem Museum or the Museum of the Indigenous Peoples. And if you want to traipse down the streets and corners of the Brazilian capital, then head for the park of the Sarah Kubitscheck City or the Brasilia National Park down a route that includes such must-sees as the Botanical Garden and the Zoo. The time of the year to visit Brasilia is between the months of April and June, when the sky boasts bluer and clearer skies. From August to September, visitors may get enchanted by the blossoming trees with its many purplish and yellowish shades because this is a city full of outdoor spaces and lovely gardens. Heritage of Beauty and Culture Brasilia is a city with superb seducing abilities. Good cases in point are the huge manmade lake of Paranoa with beaches like Prainha and Piscinão North Lake, and the bridge over the Juscelino Kubitschek as a distinctive feature. But far beyond the institutional functions the city was founded for, little by little Brasilia has become a travel destination as well. The natural charms of its surroundings and the allures of its unusual architecture within its all-Brazilian context are accompanied by an assortment of luxury hotels, like the Melia Brasilia and the Tryp Brasilia, among many others, not to mention the variety of affordable rates visitors may find there. There are boulevards and commercial areas with huge department stores. In the meantime, the cuisine offers a vast array of restaurants to choose from, including such emblematic bistros as The Brazilian on the south side of the city, or the Antigamente, the right place to taste the varied local gastronomy. There are also Japanese and international restaurants, while the nights are sprinkled with fiesta salsa, theaters and hotspots with tailor-made programming to entertain those who visit, work or live in the city.

Half a century later, the political capital of the South American giant nation continues to be a city of the future, a reference of modernity