Praça da Liberdade is the formal civic square of Belo Horizonte and the most photogenic place in the city. A long rectangle of imperial palms, fountains, and gravel paths is bounded on three sides by the grand neoclassical and Art Nouveau buildings that the original 1890s planners put up to house the state government, the secretariats, and the official residences of Minas Gerais.
Most of the surrounding buildings have since been turned into museums under the banner of the Circuito Cultural Praça da Liberdade — Bank of Brazil's cultural centre, the Museum of Mines and Metal, the Memorial of Minas Gerais, and others. It is easy to spend a full day on the square if you let yourself; even without going inside any of the buildings, an hour of walking is one of the most pleasant things you can do in Belo Horizonte.