Diamantina

Diamonds were found here in the 1720s and the crown took direct control of the district, which is why the town is both wealthy in its building and unusually regulated in its history - an administrative enclave with its own rules, governed from the Casa da Intendencia. It sits at thirteen hundred metres in the Espinhaco, and the colonial centre is steep, tight and largely intact. The Passadico da Gloria, a covered wooden walkway painted blue, crosses the street between two buildings and is the town's emblem. Diamantina keeps a live serenade tradition - musicians play in the streets at night, particularly at weekends - and it was the birthplace of Juscelino Kubitschek, whose modest family house is a museum. The Estrada Real passes through.

What you actually see

• The blue Passadico da Gloria - a covered walkway crossing the street.
• A crown-run diamond district - the administrative enclave and its buildings.
• Night serenades - musicians playing in the streets, still a living practice.
• Kubitschek's house - the modest home of the president who built Brasilia.

When to go

April to September. Two days, staying a weekend night for the serenades.

Honest expectations

The streets are steep and cobbled and the walking is demanding. It is a long drive from Belo Horizonte on a road that climbs steadily. Nights at altitude are cold. Museums close on Mondays and church hours are short.

Nearby

Serro is south; the Biribiri state park is just outside the town.