The most obvious walking tour to mention is
one through the old downtown area, Centro. Here you can
see the well-kept gardens of Vale de Anhangabau and Praca
Ramos in front of the ostentatious Municipal Theater.
The famous bridges Viaduto de Cha and Viaduto Santa
Efigenia cross the urban valley. You can visit the
beautiful Martinelli building, the city's first skyscraper
with the museum of the city on top of it. Visitors may go
to the top of the Banespa Building for a spectacular
panoramic view of the city.
The cathedral Se, the Italia Building with a panoramic
penthouse restaurant, and the Copan Building are just a
few sites to see. Listen to Gregorian chants at the
Benedictine monastery of Sao Bento. An important thing to
keep in mind is to dress simply because you don't want to
draw unnecessary attention to yourself with expensive
jewelry, watches or designer clothes making yourself an
easy target for crime, and dress comfortably because
you'll be walking and it gets pretty hot in the
afternoons.
There are countless street venders in the downtown area
making it a good place to get some cool, cheap souvenirs
for your friends back home. A stroll through Higienopolis,
an old traditional neighborhood near but west of downtown,
makes for a pleasant walk. Check out the area between
Mackenzie University all the way to Villaboim Square.
You'll find the Shopping Patio Higienopolis on Avenida
Higienopolis in the middle of this area offering fine
boutiques and modern movie theaters. A walk through the
neighborhoods of Jardim America and Jardim Europa, tree
lined residencial neighborhoods on the southside of the
city, down the hill from Paulista Avenue, is a treat as
well.
Take streets Venezuela, Polonia, Austria, and Irlanda.
You'll end up at Morungaba Square, near Iguatemi Shopping
Mall on Faria Lima Avenue. |
