Baroque gold-rush town in the hills of Minas Gerais
Ouro Preto boomed during Brazil's 18th-century gold rush, and its wealth went into churches: São Francisco de Assis was designed and carved by Aleijadinho, the great sculptor of Brazilian baroque, and Nossa Senhora do Pilar is lined with gold. The streets are steep and cobbled, so wear good shoes. Old mines can be visited, and the cooking of Minas Gerais, with pão de queijo and feijão tropeiro, is famously hearty. Nearby Mariana and Congonhas, with Aleijadinho's prophets, make easy trips.