How well do you know Rio de Janeiro? Maybe its somewhere you have only dreamt of visiting, maybe you have already been. But, either way, do you really know what’s behind the image of this cosmopolitan destination?
We invited multi-talented Marco Bransford to tell us about his home city. Marco is founder of MBransford, a VIP private concierge service in Rio. Overs the years Marco has established a unique network both in Rio and abroad. Supported by this network and intense “city scanning”, he is always able to provide exciting and up-to-date programs with the very best Rio has to offer. He speaks English, French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish.
Hi Marc, it mustn’t always be easy to work as a guide in The Wonderful City…?
Rio is a challenge for any tour guide. To match the expectations built up around The Wonderful City is not an easy task.
What do you think attracts most tourists to Rio?
Needless to say it’s nature, but Rio is much more than a beautiful city. During the last 400 years, Rio has played a special role in Brazil’s history (click here for history guide). It was capital of the Portuguese Empire during the Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, capital of the Brazilian Empire (we had two emperors, Peter I and Peter II) and capital of the Republic until 1960 when Brasilia was inaugurated. During these years as Brazil’s political and cultural center, it contributed to building a vigorous metropolis that still dictates a lot of what is in and out in Brazilian culture. Birth to Brazilian architectural styles, colonial to modern and contemporary, Rio is an exciting melting pot for those eager to discover its hidden secrets.