is the most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere,

and one of the biggest on the planet.

This once modest missionary outpost

has grown out to become the country’s economical

and cultural powerhouse.

Welcome to the fascinating city of São Paulo.

This is the city…

fondly known as Sampa

These are the locals ….

who call themselves Paulistanos.

And this is what brings out their passion:

strong coffee…

named cafezinho,

soccer…

which they call futebol

and of course:

… carnival.

São Paulo may not have Rio’s famous beaches,

but it makes up for it in culture.

In this energetic and creative city,

you can enjoy the cool escape of nearly a hundred museums

and taste flavors from all over the world

in some twenty-thousand cafés and restaurants.

Because São Paulo is so incomprehensibly big,

it helps to start at the very beginning of its history.

The botanical gardens in Parque do Estado near the airport,

preserves some of the Atlantic Rainforest

that covered much of the Brazilian coast.

The landscape was transformed when the Portuguese arrived,

on a mission to convert the native Amerindians to the catholic faith.

Stand on the very spot where the city was founded

by Portuguese Jesuits in 1554

at the Pátio do Colégio in the old city center.

The location of their main church,

the Praça da Sé,

now houses the neo-gothic Metropolitan Cathedral with its Renaissance dome,

which was modeled on that of the Cathedral of Florence in Italy.

In the 17th-century,

São Paulo grew exponentially

when a gold rush attracted miners to the region.

Next came African slaves,

who were imported to work in the sugar cane and coffee plantations.

The 19th century brought more Europeans

and the Japanese followed in the 20th century.

The resulting melting pot of cultures

is the pulsing engine that now drives Brazil’s economy.

The city’s oldest district,

Centro, has been home to Latin America’s largest Stock Exchange since 1890.

While just across the street

is the richly decorated lobby of the former state bank’s headquarters,

the Altino Arantes Building.

Three miles to the south,

Avenida Paulista was built on the wealth of the first coffee barons.

As the country’s financial artery and one of the city’s main thoroughfares,

the boulevard pulses with the energy of about one and a half million pedestrians per day.

Apart from investing in its financial economy,

São Paulo also has a policy of boosting its creative economy,

making the city one of Brazil’s most exciting cultural hubs.

The Avenida Paulista is home to the gravity-defying São Paulo Museum of Art.

Inside, view paintings by acclaimed European masters,

such as Van Gogh,

Raphael and Picasso,

as well as Brazil’s own leading artists.

This remarkable museum belongs to the people

and it was the wish of the architect

that her modernist design would

“return the same amount of public space that it borrowed”,

leaving the square underneath open for public enjoyment.

Finance and creativity go hand in hand at the Banco do Brazil,

a historic financial institution

that hosts one of the city’s most prominent Cultural Centers.

In a city that sees more than a million cars

crisscrossing hundreds of miles of interconnected highways each and every day,

the pedestrianized Viaduto Santa Ifigenia

is a breath of fresh air.

This art nouveau viaduct links the Old Center to the New Center.

Tour the nearby century-old Municipal Theatre,

a Beaux Arts building dedicated to ballet,

opera and other stage shows.

The ornate theatre was inspired by the famous opera house

Palais Garnier in Paris.

Find more cultural attractions to the north,

in the Jardim da Luz district.

The historic Júlio Prestes Train Station

has been transformed into an esteemed and elegant Cultural Center.

While touring the grand halls of this monumental building,

don’t miss the Sala São Paulo,

a massive wood-panelled concert hall with an adjustable ceiling.

The resulting acoustics are said to

rival those of the famous concert halls of Vienna and Berlin.

Nearby is the oldest art museum in São Paulo,

the Pinacoteca do Estado.

Take your time here,

because in this beautifully renovated school of arts and crafts

you can admire nearly 9,000 pieces,

including many priceless Brazilian collections.

There is no better place to experience Brazil’s culinary culture

than the nearby Mercado Municipal

with its delicious displays of home-grown fruits,

cheeses, meats and other local specialties.

Find a table on the mezzanine level,

to look down on the hustle and bustle

and admire the richly decorated windows of this impressive market hall.

An eye-catching building of a completely different kind is the Ibirapuera Auditorium,

designed by Brazil’s prolific architect,

Oscar Niemeyer.

It’s part of Ibirapuera Park in the south of the city.

While in the park,

visit the Museum of Modern Art

and the Afro Brazil Museum

or simply join the locals in the city’s favorite playground.

São Paulo wouldn’t be a Brazilian city

if it didn’t have an arena devoted to the nation’s biggest sports heroes.

In the Pacaembu Stadium,

soccer legends such as Pelé, Ronaldo,

Romario and Ronaldinho are on show in the highly interactive exhibits

of its Football Museum.

A short drive to the west of the stadium is Vila Madalena.

Shop for unique souvenirs in one of the colorful stores,

or have lunch with the locals.

The neighborhood is as famous for its little shops and art galleries

as for its marvellous street art.

Some of these artists have since made a name for themselves on a world stage.

Having risen above its humble beginnings

as a missionary outpost in an uncharted land,

Sampa is not only Brazil’s economic powerhouse,

but also the guardian of its priceless, intangible assets.

It's a city of culture, creativity, hospitality and art.

São Paulo today rides a wave of positive energy

into the future and is truly a destination

that is much greater than the sum of its parts.