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The drive to OURO PRETO , 100km southeast of Belo Horizonte, begins unpromisingly with endless industrial complexes and favelas spread over the hills, but in its later stretches becomes spectacular, winding around hill country 1000m above sea level and passing several valleys where patches of forest survive: imagine the entire landscape covered with it and you have an idea of what greeted the gold-seekers in the 1690s. On arrival, the first thing that strikes you is how small the town is, considering that until 1897 it was the capital of Minas - its population is still only around 65,000. That said, you can see at a glance why the capital had to be shifted to Belo Horizonte: the steep hills the town is built around, straddling a network of creeks, severely limit space for expansion. Today, the hills and vertiginous streets (some so steep they have steps rather than pavements) are vital ingredients in what is one of the loveliest towns in Brazil, an almost unspoilt eighteenth-century jewel. Avoid coming on Monday if you want to see the sights, as all the churches and most of the museums close for the day. Also, buy your onward ticket as soon as you arrive as buses fill up quickly. Some people complain about Ouro Preto being touristy - and it is more commercialized than any other cidade historica - but they miss the point: it's precisely because there really is something to savour here that the visitors come. If you have the time, aim to spend at least a night or two in Ouro Preto so that you can enjoy the city after all the day-trippers have departed. Ouro Preto has an extremely popular street Carnaval that attracts visitors from far afield: be sure to reserve accommodation long in advance. Likewise, at Easter time, the town becomes the focus of a spectacular series of plays and processions lasting for about a month before Easter Sunday, during which the last days of the life of Christ are played out in open-air theatres throughout the town. The tourist office can supply programmes and dates or you can get information from TURMINAS and BELOTUR in Belo Horizonte.
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