Distrito Federal
Brazil's Federal District and capital, Brasília: a UNESCO-listed modernist city, major air hub and natural base for MICE, architecture and institutional programs.
The state
The Distrito Federal is Brazil's federal district, a compact territory on the Central Plateau created to host the national capital. Brasília, built from scratch in the late 1950s and inaugurated in 1960, was planned by Lúcio Costa with public buildings by Oscar Niemeyer, and its Pilot Plan is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a landmark of 20th-century modernist urbanism. Around it lies cerrado savanna, protected in Brasília National Park, and the artificial Paranoá Lake, which shapes the city's leisure life. Its population, drawn from every region of Brazil along with a large diplomatic community, gives the capital a distinctly national character.
For agencies, the Federal District is a natural base for MICE, institutional and study programs, and for architecture-focused FIT and group tours. Brasília's airport is one of Brazil's busiest hubs, which makes the capital an easy add-on to itineraries elsewhere in the country and a practical springboard to the Chapada dos Veadeiros in neighbouring Goiás. Distances within the city are designed for cars, so private transport is the norm, and the dry season brings very low humidity that groups should be prepared for.
The dry season from May to September brings clear skies and cooler nights but relative humidity that can fall below 30%; the rainy season runs from October to April, with November the wettest month.
Destinations 2
Destinations in this state covered by YourBrasil ground services.
Brasília
As Brazil's federal capital and seat of government, Brasília is the country's premier hub for government-relations, diplomatic, and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) travel.…
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Cerrado Waterfalls around Brasília
Beyond the modernist Plano Piloto, the Federal District keeps a surprising amount of Cerrado, the savanna biome of central Brazil, on a plateau between…
Explore →Timeline
- 1823
José Bonifácio proposes moving the capital to the interior of Brazil during the first Constituent Assembly.
- 1891
The first republican Constitution reserves an area on the Central Plateau for the future federal capital.
- 1892-1894
The Cruls Commission explores the plateau and defines the Cruls Quadrilateral.
- 1956
President Juscelino Kubitschek launches construction and creates NOVACAP to build the new capital.
- 1960
Brasília is inaugurated on 21 April, succeeding Rio de Janeiro as the capital.
- 1961
Brasília National Park is created to protect the capital's cerrado and water sources.
- 1987
UNESCO inscribes Brasília on the World Heritage List.
- 1988-1990
The new Constitution grants the Federal District political autonomy, and its first directly elected governor takes office after the 1990 election.
Landmarks
Brasília Pilot Plan UNESCO
Lúcio Costa's modernist master plan, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
Praça dos Três Poderes
The square where the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Federal Court face each other at the end of the Monumental Axis.
Cathedral of Brasília
Niemeyer's hyperboloid concrete cathedral with 16 curved columns, completed in 1970.
Palácio da Alvorada
The official presidential residence on the shore of Paranoá Lake, designed by Niemeyer.
JK Bridge
A bridge crossing Paranoá Lake with three steel arches.
Dom Bosco Sanctuary
A church dedicated to the Italian saint whose prophetic dream is linked to the founding of Brasília.
Brasília National Park
About 424 km² of cerrado created in 1961, known locally as Água Mineral for its spring-fed pools.
Paranoá Lake
The capital's artificial lake, used for sailing, windsurfing and lakeside dining.
Festivals and events
Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro
A national film festival held since 1965; edition dates vary, so check the calendar each year.
Festas juninas
June festivals celebrating the Catholic saints with food, music and quadrilha dancing across the Federal District.
Anniversary of Brasília
The capital marks its founding every 21 April with civic and cultural events.
