Tiradentes

Probably the best historic city to visit after Ouro Preto and Diamantina, Tiradentes was the birthplace of a martyr who gave the city its name (it was formerly called São José del Rei) and retains much of its 18th-century charm. Life in this small town—nine streets with eight churches set against the backdrop of the Serra de São José—moves slowly. It attracts wealthy residents of Belo Horizonte, Rio, and São Paulo, who have sparked a local real-estate boom by buying up 18th-century properties for weekend getaways or to transform them into pousadas or restaurants.