for a relaxing change of ambience, just 13 kilometers across the bay from rio de janeiro city center, the neighboring city of niterói offers visitors a more tranquil pace.
much smaller in size, niterói is home to just under 500,000 inhabitants, yet it is a cultural hotspot in the state of rio de janeiro, with 11 galleries, 25 libraries, ballets, musical shows, and public archives, as well as the customary ecological attractions, which are renowned in the region.
in addition to the wealth of cultural delights, the city has a sterling reputation for its development and public services, boasting the highest level of education in the country, as well as the third highest human development index according to the undp. this, along with its location and cultural attractiveness, has made it a hub for business, being named in the top 100 brazilian cities for business.
the city was founded as a village in 1573, originally named săo lourenço dos indios. staying this way for almost 250 years, the municipal was renamed vila real da praia grande, in 1819, and then eventually nictheroy, in 1834, when it officially recognized as a city and became the capital of the province.
following this, niterói's political and commercial importance grew substantially, as did the city itself, with many public and residential buildings constructed to integrate the changes. however, once the states of guanabara and rio de janeiro merged, niterói lost the status as the capital, which was awarded to rio de janeiro city, in 1975.
today, the city has many sites of cultural importance, as well as numerous natural wonders for visitors to savor. one of the most famous attractions of the city is the rio-niterói bridge, which connects niterói to the beating heart of rio de janeiro. stretching over 13 kilometers across the guanabara bay, the bridge is the longest in the southern hemisphere, with the largest span continuous straight beam in the world.
the bridge was inaugurated in 1974, and is considered the most important prestressed structure in the americas, consisting of more than 2,150 kilometers of cable. not only is the bridge of significant structural importance, it has also made travel between the two cities much easier.
the most popular attraction in the city, and the most important museum, is the museu de arte contemporânea (mac). designed by rio's own, oscar niemeyer, and completed in 1996, the museum's exterior has all the boldness of the pieces of art that are housed inside. built with four cylindrical stories on the top of the boa viagem lookout, visitors can enjoy incredible panoramic views of rio's natural surroundings.
the mac is primarily intended for contemporary artworks, entirely dated to the twentieth century. now considered one of the finest collections of contemporary art in south america, it has the second largest collection of contemporary art in brazil.
in addition to the manmade attractions of the city, niterói is also home to an important remnant of the atlantic forest: the parque estadual da serra da tiririca. spanning an impressive 3,568 hectares, the park was established in 1901, and declared as an ecological reserve, in 1992. the park has some of the finest vegetation in the state, and also has some great hiking trails, which many visitors undertake during trips to the city.
as well as the forest, niterói has a lush atlantic coastline, with 11 kilometers of beach. the beaches are usually much calmer than the tourist magnets of rio de janeiro city, often attracting younger beach goers, who want to practice water sports. two of the most popular beaches in the city are prainha de piratininga and praia de itacoatiara, both offering idyllic, yet unique experiences.
