It was great! There you can find the best of the luxurious Brazilian flora, a nice cafe where you can try the local and traditional ‘pão de queijo’ with a nice cup of Brazilian coffee and visit a small but interesting shop where you can find lots of great books and gifts with botanical references. A little of history: The Botanical Garden was commissioned by Dom João VI, the Regent Prince of Portugal when the Royal Court moved from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro when running away from the Napoleon War. It was part of a set of ‘civilising’ actions which followed the transference of the Portuguese Court to Brazil (1808-1821) such as the founding of the first Brazilian bank, the first Medical University and the Royal Military Academy, as well as the installation of the Real Gunpowder Factory in Rio de Janeiro (which ruins are inside the Botanical Garden). Also it was promoted the coming of the French Artistic Mission in 1816 whose purposes included the founding of the Academy of Fine Arts, the creation of the Royal Library, the Royal Museum and later the National Museum.