Rio is the cultural capital of Brazil. Over its nearly 500 years of history, it has been the spring board for all the country’s principal cultural exports, and the port of entry for major international art exhibitions or musical events bringing top names from the classical to the contemporary. Rio’s architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world renowned designs of the 20th. Rio was home to the Portuguese Imperial family and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by Portuguese, English and French architecture. Today, these wonderful old buildings contrast with the high rise ultra-modern intelligent structures, in a city that knows how to progress while at the same time preserving its past.

In the field of music, Rio is the birthplace of the samba, which has its greatest celebration in February, during Carnival. The parade of the principal Samba Schools is a unique and unforgettable spectacle.

In the South Zone, along the sea front, the city preserves the memory of names such as Tom Jobim and João Gilberto, who wrote the first chords of the Bossa Nova. The greatest names in Brazilian popular music have always gravitated to Rio from all over the country, for various reasons such as the number of clubs offering live music, the fact that the international recording companies set up their head offices here, or because Rio is the home of the greatest TV network in the country.

Nature also has its cultural influence. One has just to visit the Botanical Gardens, with one of the most important collections of plants in the world - or the Tijuca Forest, the green heart of this marvelous city.