Belo Horizonte
Surrounded by Serra do Curral, the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, is placed in the southeast region of the country. With 2,502,557 inhabitants in an area of approximately 330 km², the city is a place of national influence when it comes to politics and intellectual production. Important aspects of the city are its geography, full of hills and lowlands, and the weather, with dry winters and hot and humid summers.
An important aspect of Belo Horizonte’s influence is seen in its architecture. The city is one of the cradles of modern Brazilian architecture, which emerged in the 1940s, with the architectural ensemble of Pampulha, designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The city also houses sets of buildings in neoclassical, neoromantic and neogothic styles.
Belo Horizonte offers opportunities for culture and leisure in several spaces, such as parks, museums and bars.
You can find more information at: http://portalbelohorizonte.com.br/en
Accommodation
Foreign students at UFMG may live, among other options, with a family, in a hotel or apartment.
The most common form of housing is the traditional “republica”, which is a house or an apartment rented by one student who then sublets rooms to other students, so that people share the living expenses. You can find republica adds online (on Facebook groups, for example) or on the notice murals spread across the UFMG campus.
Public transportation
Move around the city with the help of the official bhtmobile app.
For further information on the public transportation system and which bus routes can take you to UFMG just access the official website of BHTrans, the transport and transit company of Belo Horizonte.
Airports
Belo Horizonte houses Carlos Drummond de Andrade – Pampulha Airport and Confins International Airport:
Confins International Airport
Address: Rodovia MG 10, Km39 – Confins – MG – Zip-code: 33.500-900
Distance from downtown Belo Horizonte: 38 km
Information: https://www.aeroportoconfins.net/en/
Pampulha Airport
Serves business and regional aircraft in the state of Minas Gerais
Address: Bagatelle square, 204 – São Luís – BH
Distance from downtown Belo Horizonte: 8 km
Information: http://www4.infraero.gov.br/aeroportos/aeroporto-de-belo-horizonte-pampulha-carlos-drummond-de-andrade
Health insurance
Foreign students must have full international health insurance covering the whole period of the course.
More information: see the Office of International Affairs of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (DRI)’s exchange student guide.