Rafabram Profile
I'm a brazilian architect, my interest in UNESCO WHS started when I studied abroad in Guimarães, Portugal, a city that has its historic centre inscribed on the list. It was in 2012 and since then I use the UNESCO list as a help guide for my trips. As an architect, it also helps me to better understand the conservation of the cultural heritage in the world: I love reading ICOMOS evaluations!
Recent Reviews Rafabram
Pampulha
Rafabram Brazil - 22-Jan-20
The brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, where this WHS is located, is a new city: it was founded in 1897. In its older area the eclectic and neoclassical buildings are mixed with the modern ones, some of them works of the architect Oscar Niemeyer, like the residential tower that has his name in Liberdade Square. This area (districts of Savassi, Lourdes, Boa Viagem) is where most of the hotels are concetrated, and I agree it's the best area for a tourist to stay. The Pampulha district is located a bit further, it was added to the city in the 1940's, and despite having the most famous tourist attraction of the city, that is the lake and its Niemeyer buildings, it's mostly a residential zone
Read OnOuro Preto
Rafabram Brazil - 30-Dec-19
I think Ouro Preto might be sort of an unknown destination for foreign travellers, but among brazilians it's a popular city. It's the model of a historic town in Brazil, declared very early as a national monument, in the 1930's, even before the creation of IPHAN, the institute responsible for the preservation of brazilian cultural heritage. It was one of the first preserved heritages in the country, so Ouro Preto has a long background of actions of preservation and restoration, and it isn't a surprise that it was the first WHS of Brazil
Read OnSalvador de Bahia
Rafabram Brazil - 26-Oct-19
I visited this site in July 2018.
The historic centre of Salvador has a very peculiar topography. The city is full of ups and downs, and there's a cliff separating the old area in the upper city and the lower city. Probably the most famous building of Salvador is the one that connects these two parts, the Lacerda elevator. The current building is in art déco style, built in 1930. Use it costs only a few cents, but expect a queue. It isn't a great touristic experience, it's just an elevator, but it's very practical to explore the area.
Read OnBrazilian Fortresses Ensemble (T)
Rafabram Brazil - 02-Sep-18
I visited Salvador in July 2018, probably the best place to check this tentative site as 5 of the nominated forts are in that city: Santo Antônio da Barra Fort, Santa Maria Fort, São Diogo Fort, São Marcelo Fort and Nossa Senhora de Monte Serrat Fort. All forts are managed by the army, but is possible to visit all of them easily, except for the São Marcelo Fort, currently closed after a restoration (as far as I know, they still don't have a decision about the new use of the building). None of the forts belong to the WHS Historic centre of Salvador. I did the best I could to take a look at the 5 forts, and here's my impressions about them:
Read OnParque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses – Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (T)
Rafabram Brazil - 10-Jul-18
I visited this National Park in July 2017. Lençóis means sheets, a reference to the wavy lanscape of the park, a system of little lagoons among sand dunes. I don't know if a landscape like that can be found elsewhere, but for me it seems very unique. It's important to say that many of the lagoons can dry in the second semester, and I can't imagine the beauty of the park without them. To reach Lençóis Maranhenses first you need to go to Barreirinhas, a small city with hotels and the general support. Most of travellers arrive there from São Luís, the closest city with an international airport, and also with a historic centre listed as heritage site
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Rafabram
- Country
- Brazil
- Most Impressive
- Historic Centre of Prague
- Proposal
- Terreiro Casa Branca - Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô Oká, Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, Catimbau National Park
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 27.07.21
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Visited WHS
Rating StatsReviewed WHS
Visited TWHS
- Amazonia Theaters (T)
- Baroque Temples of Collao (T)
- Brazilian Fortresses Ensemble (T)
- Bulwarked Frontier Fortifications (T)
- Eglise et Monastère de Sao Bento, Rio de Janeiro (T)
- Ensemble of Alvaro Siza's Architecture Works in Portugal (T)
- Head Office and Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (T)
- Les passages de Bruxelles / Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (T)
- Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses – Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (T)
- Pombaline Lisbon (T)
- Rural Temples of Cusco (T)
- Ver-o-Peso (T)