Pampulha is the large northern district built around the artificial lake of the same name. It is the architectural showcase of Belo Horizonte: Niemeyer's four buildings around the lake, the Mineirão and Mineirinho stadiums, the federal university (UFMG), and the city's regional airport.
It is not really a walkable neighbourhood — distances between the major sights are spread out enough that you need a bike, a car, or the ring of city buses. But for anyone interested in twentieth-century Brazilian architecture or in football, it is the most important part of the city. Most visitors come out here for a half-day around the lake and then head back into the centre.