Major Tourist Attractions In Sao Paulo

Museu de Arte

A large concrete building supported on delicate pillars in the Avenida Paulista houses an important collection of Western art. This museum features the work of the great European artists from the last 500 years, and hosts visiting exhibitions. It is open every day and entry is free on Thursdays. The complex includes a reasonably priced restaurant.

Mercado Municipal

This imposing neo-Gothic style hall, dating from 1933, is the venue for a huge market, which sells local fruit, vegetables, cheese and other produce. The hall is noted for its gigantic stained-glass windows that depict scenes from the coffee plantations and other agricultural pursuits. The building is north of Praca da Se.

Mercado Municipal
You can stock up on farm fresh food stuffs and learn about Brazil's history at the Mercado Municipal, an extraordinary market as renowned for its stained glass-encased dioramas depicting Brazilian plantation life as for its fruits, vegetables and cheeses.

Fundãçao Maria Luiza e Oscar Americano
"Lavish" best describes the delights at the modernist house Fundãçao Maria Luiza e Oscar Americano, where visitors can indulge in pricey High Tea, enjoy the extensive eighteenth-century decorative arts collection and attend Sunday concerts in the landscaped grounds.

Clube do Choro
On Saturday and Sunday nights, Paulistanos block off a street at the Jardim América and erect a stage for the Clube do Choro, an evening of live music, dancing, drinking and dining al fresco.

Memorial do Imigrante
Once a hostel for immigrants, the Memorial do Imigrante has been transformed into a museum that graphically tells the story of the struggles of new arrivals to Brazil.

Parque da Luz
Created in 1800, the Parque da Luz was São Paulo's first public garden. Recently renovated, it's now the centerpiece of the inner-city bairro of Luz.

Paranapiacaba
Take the suburban trail to Paranapiacaba, a late nineteenth-century railway centre once owned by the British that clings to the edge of the coastal escarpment on the outskirts of São Paulo. The largely unchanged village is typically shrouded by fog, with the ghosts of British workers and engineers encountered at every corner.

Ana
Beautiful and original fabrics and ceramics produced by the region's artists are on display at Ana (Arte Nativa Aplicada), located in one of the city's trendiest shopping districts.

Vila Madalena
More than most cities, it's difficult to keep up with changes in São Paulo's entertainment and nightlife scene. A good area to watch out for at the moment is Vila Madalena, known for its trendy, slightly "alternative" bars, clubs and restaurants.

Museu Lasar Segall
Emigrating from Latvia in the 1920s, Lasar Segall was hugely influenced by the vibrant colours and subject matter of his adopted homeland. Museu Lasar Segall displays some of his most important work.