Belém



Pará’s capital is at the edge of Guajará bay, formed by a suite of islands and the flow of several rivers. Its river port is the most utilized in the northern region of Brazil. Belém was founded in 1616, in the edge of Pará river, with the construction of Forte do Presépio (Presépio Fort), currently Forte Castelo (Castelo Fort). In a strategical place, where Portuguese explorers could control the navigation around the region and prevent attacks from foreign invader. The first nucleus also was a point of departure to the exploitation of Amazon river region.




The city is a synthesis of the paraenses culture and history. Its historical center has historical buildings from XVII to XIX centuries, like Teatro da Paz (Paz Theater), the newly restored Casa das 11 Janelas (11 Janelas House), the Forte do Castelo and the suite of big houses and churches from Cidade Velha (Old City). The Mercado Ver-o-Peso (Ver-o-Peso Market) is an immense street market with countless tents around old constructions, where you can purchase the most typical goods from Amazon river region. The Museu Emílio Goeldi (Emílio Goeldi Museum), well-known research center, shows the fauna and flora from Amazon river region.

Goeldi Museum

Emílio Goeldi founded the first institution in the region which deals with collecting historical data (nature and man) from the room of Amazonia 1866. The museum and the research facilities which are world-famous is run by the CNPq (Federal authority) today. A zoological park also is part of the museum.

Teatro da Paz, auf der Praça da República

Builds in the time of the india rubber boom, from which many of the historical buildings of the town are. The theatre was renovated in 2001 and is working again now.

Ver-o-Peso-Markt


Fish and vegetable market. A visit is primarily worthwhile early in the morning if the boats will unload. It is fish market to admire the variety amazonischer species of fish, herb stands are in another place with innumerable natural medicines to which partly magical qualities are ascribed on this.

Celebrations

of the Círio Nossa Senhora is most greatly happy the town and Nazaré is regarded as the greatest religious celebration of Brazil (organized every year at the second October weekend since 1790): a 400 Meter long strong rope comes into the town and carries a Mariastatue in a sedan-chair through the streets, up to two million people is fastened to it. Who can grip the regularly heavily disputed rope ("pegar a corda") does the faith good after the sins allocated for this; this custom already led to serious accidents. The Mariastatue ships the procession and she accompanies in adorned boats over the been bay. Gets to children on this day small painted boats and animal figures of the light wood of the leafstalks of the Buriti palm given, why to the Círio crowds of dealers from the surrounding countryside with alone built also spat