mapboyPHL

Heading to Brasilia for two days as part of a larger trip. We are staying at Oscar Niemeyer's Brasilia Palace Hotel (which I know is far from the monumental esplanada). If we take taxi/ uber to the city center, is the sector between Planetario/ TV Tower and Supremo Tribunal Federal fairly walkable or is it better to get a tour? I am interested in all the modernist architecture and the capital seems to have quite a bit. Are there sidewalks along that part of the city, etc.? We will be there Sat afternoon/ Sun AM. will buildings be open? Just curious, thanks!

RafKa

Yes, the area is very walkable with sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, etc. In fact, the main drag (Eixo Monumental, or Eixăo, as it is commonly known) is closed to traffic on Sundays between 7am-7pm and people ride their bikes/walk on the main road.

I would just advise some caution in the area around the bus station (i.e. do not walk down the main road there as it is a bit grotty), but you can stick to the elevated areas. Just follow the crowds, I guess.

Another area of interest on the weekends is the market just under the TV tower, with lots of typical products from the Northeast.

The Govt buildings won't be open to the public on weekends, but neither are they during the week, I think. Plenty of things to see from the outside though, and you can still go inside the Cathedral, the National Museum, and the Pantheon (as well as your hotel itself, which is a treat for fans of modernist architecture). You may want to ask your Uber driver to swing by the Palacio da Alvorada (Presidential residence, currently unoccupied) as it is "near" your hotel, but it will be a 30 mins roundtrip walk along a not so walkable road.

mapboyPHL

Wow, this is exactly what I hoped to hear. ^^ Thank you very much for the info

VidaNaPraia

I remember the distances as being long and the sun being very hot.
Take a taxi around and ask the driver to wait while you take photos.
My friends lived within sight of the ministry buildings on the north and still chose to drive me around.

allset2travel

RafKa did a good job in describing everything.

I found Brasilia walkable. Depends on the weather, if it is too hot and humid, a taxi or uber is your friend. You could also find buses.

Here is a link to some of the sights:

https://stefanofoto.smugmug.com/Amer...rzil/Brasilia/

VidaNaPraia

The only interior that was memorable was the cathedral.
Hours are:
Daily, from 8 am to 5 pm. Mass schedule: Tuesday through Friday at 12:15 am; Saturday at 5 pm.; Sunday at 8:30 am, 10:30 am and 6 pm. Mass in english on Sundays, at 12 aM

And don't miss driving over the JK Bridge, the best piece of architecture in the city.

Also, the art museum occasionally has a show worth seeing.

To get an idea of local life, walk around one of the shopping streets of one of the superquadros.

mapboyPHL

Thanks for the tips everyone! I am hoping (perhaps naively?) that winter (July) will be cool enough to walk around. If not, we will make it work. I will definitely check out the JK bridge, shopping street, and market under the TV tower.