Praça Mauá

This waterfront square marks the heart of Rio's revitalised port district, transformed for the 2016 Olympics from a decayed cargo area into a cultural promenade. It is flanked by the art museum and the futuristic science museum, with a broad open plaza linking them to the bay. Historic warehouses nearby now host bars, murals and a giant graffiti panel by a celebrated Brazilian street artist. The pedestrian boulevard along the old quays draws crowds at weekends and connects to archaeological remains of the colonial slave-trade wharf.