Petropolis
The mountain city Pedro II built as a summer capital, where the imperial palace is toured in felt slippers.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Pedro II established Petropolis in the 1840s as a summer residence above the heat of Rio, settled it with German immigrants, and the court followed - which is why a small mountain city has an imperial palace, a neo-gothic cathedral holding the tombs of the last emperor and empress, and streets of nineteenth-century villas along canals. The Museu Imperial occupies the palace: visitors put on felt overslippers to cross the parquet, and the collection includes the imperial crown with its diamonds and pearls. The Casa de Santos Dumont, built by the aviation pioneer in 1918, is a deliberately odd house with a staircase whose steps take only the right foot. In 2022 a catastrophic landslide killed more than two hundred and thirty people in the city.
What you actually see
- The imperial palace - toured in felt overslippers, with the crown jewels.
- A neo-gothic cathedral - holding the tombs of Pedro II and Teresa Cristina.
- Santos Dumont's house - the 1918 house with its right-foot staircase.
- German-settled villas - nineteenth-century houses along the canals.
When to go
April to September. Two days.
Honest expectations
The Imperial Museum closes on Mondays and photography inside is restricted. The city is spread out and walking between sites takes time. The road from Rio jams badly on Sunday evenings. Heavy rain brings landslide risk on the serra.
Nearby
Teresopolis and Serra dos Orgaos are east; Rio is down the mountain.
What to pack for Petropolis
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.