Lourdes sits between the centro and Savassi, and is one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in the city — a grid of leafy streets lined with mid-rise residential buildings, embassies, consulates, fashion boutiques, and the city's better restaurants. The Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes gives the neighbourhood its name and is one of the city's most striking churches.
For visitors, Lourdes mostly matters as a comfortable place to stay or eat. Several of Belo Horizonte's most reliable upscale restaurants and many of its best brunch spots are here, and the walking distance to both the centre and Savassi is short.