Petropolis
Petropolis is known as the 'Imperial City' of Brazil is the only Imperial city of the Americas and is located just 30 miles away nestled into the hills of the Serra dos Orgãos forest. The stately homes, monuments and improvements that the city received are a legacy from a past that has been respected and conserved.
In the city you can visit the former Palace of the Emperor, Dom Pedro II, which is today an Imperial Museum. There is a plethora of antique beauty surrounding the guests of this former palace, including antique furniture, jewelry and tapestries from another world of splendor and luxury. Among the exhibits are Dom Pedro II's crown and scepter, the crown jewels, works of art and various objects which belonged to the imperial family.
The famous Gothic Cathedral, São Pedro de Alcantara, is also worth of a visit if you are in Petropolis. It was built between 1834 and 1925, in honor of the Emperor of Brazil, and there visitors are able to find the tombs of the Imperial Family.
The Quitandinha Palace Hotel - Norman-style - was opened in 1944 . Unfortunately the glitz and glamor was short-lived for this hotel and casino which was forced to give up its dreams in 1946 when gambling was prohibited in Brazil. Now, they have turned the Quitandinha Palace into a Convention and Tourist Center. It still has the same old fashioned architecture and is filled with ballrooms, galleries, a theater, a convention center, and balconies.
Palácio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), a structure imported from France and erected here by the Conde d'Eu for a flower show (1879-84). It is now used for exhibitions, concerts. The “Enchanted House” , house of the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont (1873-1932), with an observatory and observation terrace.
Rio Negro and Princesa Isabel Palaces are examples of a European architecture that, together with the constructions from the German colonists, eliminate any reference to a tropical civilization.
6 hours tour -
1-4 People in a car- USD 250
5-8 People in a van - USD 380
9-14 People in a van - USD 480
Private Tour Guide in Rio