Brasília

UNESCO World Heritage Site and masterpiece of modernist urban planning

Brasília is Brazil's planned capital, carved out of the highland plateau on April 21, 1960. Designed by urban planner Lúcio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer, it is widely considered a masterpiece of 20th-century modernist planning: the Congress, Presidential Palace and Cathedral follow a strict axial layout of air, light and concrete. The Pilot Plan – the historic urban core – was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987, making it the only planned city of the 20th century to receive that honor. Today Brasília is Brazil's political heart, offering visitors a vivid blend of iconic architecture and contemporary city life.