Campinas, the city in Brazil that is worth visiting
Felipe will show us around his hometown of Campinas, Brazil.
Felipe, thanks so much.
Thanks for finding the time
to share your impressions of Campinas with us.
It’s your hometown in Brazil, right?
Yes, it’s my hometown.
Will be really glad to tell you more about my city.
Yes, you mentioned that Campinas could surprise people
who have never visited it before.
I wonder why is it?
Please tell us.
Yes, it’s a good question.
Look… when you think about Brazil…
which cities do you know in Brazil?
Sao Paulo, right? Rio de Janeiro… Salvador…
True? Am I right?
Well… yeah… I think that even Salvador…
not everyone will be able to find it on the map.
That’s right. So, these cities…
they are, basically, very well-known.
I would say they have become symbols of the country’s identity.
Yes… I agree with you.
So, if you look at other cities here in Brazil
Cities that are not so well-known.
Among these cities… Campinas… this place…
is really worth visiting.
Wow, this is really interesting.
I think that even those people who are interested in Brazil…
even they don’t know much about Campinas.
That’s right.
Unfortunately, foreigners don’t know much about our city.
Great. Campinas is in Sao Paulo state, isn’t it?
It’s one of the largest cities in the state, right?
Yes, that’s right.
Campinas is the third largest city in Sao Paulo state.
After Sao Paulo itself, and Guarulhos.
Got it. And how many people live in Campinas?
The population… the city itself… has slightly more than a million people.
And with suburbs… an agglomeration… called Greater Campinas…
it’s about two and a half million.
Actually, we have 19 cities here… all of them form Greater Campinas.
Yes, and another interesting thing is…
this is one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil.
I see. So, what are the best places to visit in Campinas?
What can we see there?
We’ve got a lot of interesting things here.
Don’t know where to start.
For instance, our university… called UNICAMP.
It is considered to be one of the best in the country…
and even in all Latin America.
UNICAMP… what does it mean?
Well, it is an acronym.
In English it’s “State University of Campinas”.
Yes, our university has a very good reputation.
It is one of the most famous cultural and intellectual centers in our country.
I see. Next, you mentioned there was MIS.
What is it? Tell us more.
MIS… it is a museum.
It is in the heart of Campinas.
The name… MIS… in English it’s “Museum of Art and Sound”.
The museum’s mission is to preserve the city’s audiovisual memory.
To preserve the city’s identity, I would say.
By the way, the museum is located in the beautiful building
called “Palácio dos Azulejos”.
It is one of the cultural hotspots in the city.
Since we are talking about the city’s cultural heritage…
The Cathedral… it should be one of the most famous buildings
in the city, right?
Yes, it’s true.
The Cathedral is the symbol of the city.
It’s impossible not to notice it.
When you are walking around the city center,
you could see it from everywhere.
But right now it is closed
Some renovation work is going on.
Yes, and this is not the only example of
historical architecture in the city.
Yes, we have a lot of beautiful buildings here.
For instance… an old train station…
or the Jockey Club Building…
and others… there are many of those in the city center.
Great. What about the city parks?
Yes, of course.
Parque Taquaral is the most famous one.
There is a large lake in the park.
There is also a docked caravel there.
This park is a good place to go jogging, or take a walk.
Or just simply drink some coconut water.
Sounds great.
After all, the city is quite big and noisy.
And if you are in a park… it is always quiet and nice over there.
Of course. I think it is one of the best known places in Campinas.
I see. What about sports?
Which sport is popular in Campinas?
Football, probably?
Yes, sure, it’s not even a question.
Can you imagine Brazil without football?
We have two teams — Ponte Preta and Guarani.
They are the most famous.
Not only in Campinas, but all over the country.
Actually, now they don’t show a very good performance.
These teams used to play better in the past, I think.
But even now… people still have a lot of interest in football.
OK, going back to the Taquaral park.
You said that there is also a famous open-air music stage there, right?
Yes, that’s right, there is an open-air stage called Concha Acústica.
It is actually inside the park.
Concha Acústica or Auditório Beethoven…
these are popular music stages in our city.
It’s for musicians of all genres, from rock to classics.
They perform there every once in a while.
OK, Felipe, thanks so much.
We really learned a lot from you about Campinas.
Yes, it is a wonderful city.
Please come to visit us when you are in Brazil.
Head image: Elson Junior at Flickr, CC-BY.
