Brasilia is the capital city of Brazil as well as the capital of the Federal District. The city is nestled in the Brazilian Highlands and started serving as the capital of Brazil in 1960. It is the fourth largest city in Brazil with a population of over 2.7 million people.

In order to move the capital of Brazil from Rio de Janeiro, the government enlisted the help of master urban planner Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. They divided the city into the banking district, hotel district, embassies among others. For this modernist architecture and planning, the city of Brasilia was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The idea of building an interior capital city was first proposed in the 17th century and when Juscelino Kubitschek was elected as the President in 1955, he embarked on actualizing this dream. In the year 1956, he established a commission to determine the best place to put up the capital under Oscar Niemeyer. It was under this commission that Lucio Costa won the bid to design the city.

The city was designed under three pillars namely; separation of functions, incorporation of vast nature parks, and a street plan with wide lanes. A pilot plan drawn up by Costa included the residential zones, separated into quadrants and connected to major transportation arteries. Each of the quadrants was self-reliant in commercial activities, schools, leisure centers, hospitals, churches etc. This ensured that people within each quadrant found no use to travel outside it in search for services, hence limiting traffic congestion.

If you are ever in Brasilia, make sure you get a chance to explore the city. It is best seen on foot. Among the most beautiful buildings include the Plaza of Three Powers, The Hall of Government, The Congress, The Planalto Palace, The Supreme Court and many more.

If you are more into the artistic beauty of the city, you are well advised to find it in such architectural marvels as the Esplanade of the Ministers, The National Theater, The Cathedral, The Pantheon of Juscelino Kubitschek and many more

A visit to Brasilia might be a little bit pricier that other Brazilian destinations, but the money spent here is more than worth it. You will be treated like royalty and you will be using some of the best designed facilities in the world.