Mariana

The oldest settlement in Minas Gerais and the first place in the state to receive official city status, Mariana is a colonial-architecture town in southeastern Brazil where gold was first spotted by Portuguese explorers in the late 17th century. It sits in a river valley ringed by rocky escarpments, close to mountains and near Ouro Preto, and forms part of the Estrada Real, Brazil's largest tourist route. The 2015 Samarco levee disaster, which originated here, is also part of the town's recent history.

• Population61,387
• Nearest water from center0.1 km
• Nearest mountain from center3.7 km
• UNESCO within 50 km2