Discover Mendes: Railway Heritage, Culture and Nature

Mendes is one of the 14 municipalities on the Vale do Café tourist route. The town offers various starting points for planning a trip: historic railway sites and architecture, cultural events, and trails and destinations in nature. You can decide whether your stay should focus more on local history, music or outdoor activities. If you are travelling with children, you can tailor your daily plans to their interests—for example, by visiting a historic site, attending an event or going for a walk.

Traces of the town’s and railway’s history

Historic sites include Ladeira João Vieira. Built in the 19th century, this street is paved with irregular stones and connects the town centre with the local cemetery. Mendes’s 19th-century architecture is also among the town’s historic features. The old Matriz church is cited as an example of this architecture and as a testament to the town’s history. The Antiga Igreja Matriz de Santa Cruz was built in 1857. Another 19th-century industrial landmark is the Prédio Histórico da Cervejaria Teutônia.

The town’s railway history is reflected in several structures and stations. Tunnel 12 Bis was built in 1815 in the Humberto Antunes neighbourhood; tunnels 12 and 12 Bis are considered historic landmarks of Brazilian railway engineering. Estação de Humberto Antunes originally opened in 1894. Estação Ferroviária Neri Ferreira, also a historic landmark in Mendes, originally opened in 1911. If you are interested in the history of technology and transport, you can include these names and structures as topics to explore in the town.

Culture and events

Mendes’s cultural centres offer exhibitions, workshops, musical performances, theatre and events that celebrate the municipality’s traditions. The cultural programme therefore encompasses different forms of activity: you can explore exhibitions and workshops or focus on music and theatre.

The weekly event “Samba e Choro na Praça” takes place at Praça Dr. João Neri. The programme includes free live performances, local food and handicrafts. The choro group “Passagem de Nível” is also associated with Praça Dr. João Neri, performing on Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm. If you would like to include music and local culture in your trip, these details offer practical guidance on different types of performances.

Hiking destinations and nature

A hiking trail leads to Mirante do Cruzeiro, which offers panoramic views of hills and valleys. The viewpoint combines a walking trail with a clear destination: a view across the landscape. You can therefore consider it as a hiking option in its own right when planning an outing, without combining it with the historic sites into a fixed route.

Horto Municipal is located at the end of Morro do Socorro. It is considered to be the site of the largest planting of Atlantic Forest seedlings in Brazil. A waterfall near Hotel Cascatinha Morsing is also one of the destinations for outings in Mendes. If you would like to include nature destinations in your stay, you can choose between a municipal garden, a waterfall and a viewpoint, each offering a different experience.

Visiting Jequitibá Milenar requires a 40-minute walk through Martins Costa. You also need permission from Sr. Tavinho, the owner of the land. Keep this requirement in mind when planning your visit.

Getting to Mendes and finding your way around

The drive from Rio de Janeiro to Mendes takes about two hours and follows the BR-116 (Presidente Dutra) and RJ-145. The neighbourhoods named in connection with public transport for getting around Mendes are Humberto Antunes, Jabuticabeira, Martins Costa, Morsing, Oscar Rudger, Santa Rosa, and Ventania/Santa Rita/Independência. These neighbourhoods offer useful points of reference when comparing location details for your trip and choosing where to stay in Mendes.

If you would like to explore other destination pages: Cordeiro, Silva Jardim, Carmo, Mesquita, Valença, Macuco, Resende and Queimados.

For the broader travel overview: Rio De Janeiro.