The Palácio Quitandinha began construction in 1941 and was completed in 1944 by entrepreneur Joaquim Rolla to be one of the largest hotel-casinos in South America. The palace has 440 apartments, 13 halls up to 10 metres high and a dome of the Mauá Hall measuring 30 metres high and 50 metres in diameter. In addition to the enormous construction, the Quitandinha Palace has a large lake in front of its facade shaped like the map of Brazil. When building the lake, much of the sand was brought from Copacabana beach. During its period of operation, the hotel received many illustrious people such as: Henry Fonda, Carmem Miranda, Walt Disney, as well as politicians such as Getúlio Vargas and Evita Perón. After the ban on casinos in Brazil, in 1946, the palace ended its activities as a casino and remained operating solely as a hotel. From 1960 onwards, it began to have difficulty maintaining itself solely as a hotel and in 1962 it completely closed its activities.

The Imperial Museum, in Petrópolis, was the refuge of the imperial family in the summer. Walking through the palace halls is like moving into a history book. Everything seems intact, as if Dom Pedro II and his family still frequented the place. Walking through the halls of the Imperial Museum's palace is like travelling inside a history book. One of the thrones used by Dom Pedro II is in the State Room, the feeling is that the emperor can enter there at any time. It gathers relics such as furniture, jewellery and documents from the Second Reign (1840/1889). In the attached hall, there are carriages and the locomotive that made the route Rio de Janeiro-Juiz de Fora by the Estrada de Ferro Mauá. The garden values construction even more. In the jewellery room. It is impossible not to be impressed with the sceptre made for the consecration of D. Pedro I, with the crown of diamonds and pearls of D. Pedro II or with the gold and ruby feather used by Princess Izabel to sign the abolition of slavery.

The pointed side towers and ogival windows of the Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara are typical of French and German Gothic. Inside, beautiful stained glass windows depict images of saints, Christ and the Holy Family. Via Crucis, of patinated plaster, is French, as is the image of São Pedro de Alcântara, carved in Carrara marble. But the main attraction of the sanctuary is the Imperial Mausoleum: on the tombstones of Dom Pedro II, Dona Teresa Cristina, Conde d’Eu and Princesa Isabel, life-size sculptures represent them. Notice that, due to an optical illusion, the emperor's chest seems to move, as if he is still breathing.

It was opened in 1884 to house exhibitions of flowers, birds and agricultural products. Its precast structure, in cast iron, was commissioned from a foundry in France by Count D`Eu, being assembled in Petrópolis by engineer Eduardo Bonjean. Today it hosts cultural events and exhibitions. Its most beautiful party was held on Easter Sunday, 1888, in which Princess Isabel, along with her children, delivered letters of freedom to slaves, most of whom compensated their masters with a remarkable campaign developed in the city. Listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute, it is part of the architectural and landscape complex of the former Praça da Confluência.

It was the summer residence of Alberto Santos Dumont, Father of Aviation, being known as “A Encantada”. The museum has a collection of objects, books, letters and furniture, as well as the shower and the entrance staircase, with steps in the shape of a racket, which can only be accessed starting on the right foot. At the 14 bis Cultural Centre, attached to the Casa, you can watch a short film about Santos Dumont. The space has accessibility and tactile models for visitors with special needs. Alberto Santos Dumont was a great Brazilian inventor, born at Fazenda Cabangú, Palmira, current Santos Dumont, in Minas Gerais, on July 20, 1873, and died in Guarujá, São Paulo, on July 23, 1932, after seeing São Paulo being bombed by aeroplanes in the 1932 revolution. Built on the old Encanto hill in 1918. It was on April 18 that the land was purchased. It was designed and planned by Alberto Santos Dumont with the help of engineer Eduardo Pederneiras to serve as a summer residence; and due to its location it was affectionately nicknamed “The Enchanted”. Encantada reveals much of Santos Dumont's personality. A large room served as both a library and an office; on the lower floor, his workshop and laboratory, on the top, bathroom and bedroom. On the terrace, embedded in the tinplate roof, the observatory where he spent hours admiring the stars. The building is a French alpine chalet. A curiosity of the house is that it had no kitchen and all meals came from the Palace Hotel, current building of the Catholic University of Petrópolis, next to the Flower Clock. The staircase cut out in the shape of a racket draws the visitor's attention, which forces anyone who wishes to climb it, to always start with the right foot. It was there that he wrote his second book, the autobiographical "What I saw. What we will see."

Pause to have lunch and enjoy a free buffet.