My trip to Petrópolis

Petrópolis, also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km (or 45 min) from the city of Rio de Janeiro. This is a GREAT city for who likes cold weather and music & gastronomy Festivals. Its worth a weekend visit if you are in Rio de Janeiro.

It gets really cold on July. I went on May and it was already 12 Celsius. Prepare for the cold weather, hot blood Brazilians!

Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos, in the valley of the Quitandinha and Piabanha rivers, Petrópolis is a popular summer holiday spot. Besides the climate and surroundings, the main attraction is the former Summer Palace of the second Brazilian Emperor, which is now the Imperial Museum, specializing in Imperial history and memorabilia.

The town's name ("city of Peter") honors Emperor Pedro II, the nation's second monarch and son of Pedro I. The city was the summer residence of the Brazilian Emperors and aristocrats in the 19th century, and was the official capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro between 1894 and 1903.

The town's origins can be traced to Bernardo Soares de Proença, who in 1720 opened an alternative route between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, across theSerra da Estrela. While traveling to Minas Gerais along this route, Emperor Pedro I found the region's climate pleasant. Thus, in 1830 he bought a farm, and had his Summer Palace built there, but he never saw it finished, because he stepped down from the throne. Other Brazilian aristocrats eventually followed suit. Pedro's Palace is nowadays the Imperial Museum, one of the main attractions of the 'alpine city' of Petrópolis, together with the Cathedral of Saint Peter of Alcântara, the Crystal Palace and the House of Santos-Dumont. The 'Imperial City' became in due time home for artists, intellectuals and celebrities, and by the twentieth century, one of the main tourist attractions in the country.

Santos-Dumont house

Alberto Santos-Dumont (July 20, 1873 – July 23, 1932) was a Brazilian early pioneer of aviation. Heir of a prosperous coffee producer family, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life.

Santos-Dumont designed, built and flew the one of the first practical dirigibles. In doing so he demonstrated that routine, controlled flight was possible. Though occasionally credited with being the first to do so, in actuality Solomon Andrews had demonstrated controlled flight some years earlier. This "conquest of the air", in particular winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on October 19, 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower,^[1] made him one of the most famous people in the world during the early 20th century.

Palácio de Cristal (Crystal Palace)

Wedding Ceremony