Sabara

The grandeur of Sabará's baroque churches, their interiors rich with gold-leaf paneling, makes clear how enormously wealthy Minas Gerais was during the gold-rush days. This former colonial town, now a sprawling Belo Horizonte suburb of 140,000 people, makes for a fun half-day trip. Sabará's historic sites are scattered about, but signs at Praça Santa Rita point to all the major ones. As in most colonial towns, the churches are closed on Monday.