Petropolis
The mountain city Pedro II built as a summer capital, where the imperial palace is toured in felt slippers.
Updated 19 October 2026
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.
History
The area was home to the Coroado people until gold in Minas Gerais brought a new road through it, opened between 1722 and 1725 by Bernardo Soares de Proença, and in 1822 Emperor Pedro I, staying at a priest's farm on the way, liked the climate so much that in 1830 he bought the neighbouring Córrego Seco farm for a summer palace he never saw finished. On 16 March 1843 Pedro II decreed a settlement of German immigrants, planned by Major Julius Friedrich Koeler, and a summer palace, begun in May 1845 and ready in 1847; the court summered here from then on, the town became a city on 29 September 1857, and in 1877 Brazil's first telephone line linked the palace to the emperor's farm (Wikipedia, Petrópolis).
What's there
- 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.
Good to know
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.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q189043, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Petropolis
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- Modest clothing - Shoulders and knees covered - the single most common requirement. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A scarf or shawl - To cover the head or shoulders on entry; women especially at mosques. Find on Amazon
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