A university and historical city, declared World Cultural Heritage by Unesco. Surrounded by mountains, it keeps the young and cheerful vibe of the students who live in the several frat houses in old Vila Rica, as it was called before becoming Ouro Preto.
Mariana was the most important city in the Gold Cycle – founded in 1696, is full of slopes and houses from the Colonial Period. It is part of the sightseeing tour like Circuito do Ouro, Circuito da Estrada Real and Trilha dos Inconfidentes. You can see it all in half a day.