The crowning landmark of the neighborhood, Estação da Luz is a very grand, rosy red-brick train station that looks deliciously out of place plunked down in the middle of São Paulo [1]’s urban sprawl. It was designed by British architect Charles Henry Driver, and the materials used for its construction were shipped directly from England.
Renovated in 2004, a portion houses the Museu da Língua Portuguesa, while the rest continues to function as a busy station linking the capital to towns in the surrounding region.
Even if you don’t read or speak Portuguese, you’ll likely enjoy the Museu da Língua Portuguesa (Praça da Luz, tel. 11/3326-0775, www.museudalinguaportuguesa.org.br [2], 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Sun., R$4, free Sat.). Fittingly located in the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world, this original and imaginative museum relies on engaging interactive games and innovative multimedia to trace the fascinating history of the Portuguese language in Brazil [3].
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/sao-paulo/sao-paulo-city
[2] http://www.museudalinguaportuguesa.org.br
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/discover-brazil