In addition to being considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the city of Rio de Janeiro now boasts the unprecedented title of Urban Cultural Landscape, declared a World Heritage Site. The recognition was made by UNESCO.
The choice of title for the state capital is based on how city and nature are closely related in Rio.
Some of the city’s elements that contributed to the awarding of the recognition by UNESCO include the Sugar Loaf, the Corcovado, the Tijuca Forest, the Flamengo Park, the Botanical Garden, Copacabana beach, the Guanabara Bay, the Copacabana Fort, the Morro do Leme and Arpoador hills, the Botafogo shore and other areas.
The UNESCO representative in Brazil, Lucien Muñoz, pointed out that the title given Rio de Janeiro, just like the one awarded to national capital Brasilia thirty years ago, is quite innovative. For Munõz, the wonderful city’s coexistence with its rich natural landscape entails continuing challenges in ensuring the survival of its unique attributes.
In 2012, the city was the first urban area in the world to have the universal value of its landscape recognized. Before that, the listed heritage sites were related to rural areas, traditional agricultural systems, historical gardens and other symbolic nature sites.