The city of Salvador was founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers, it was the former capital of Brazil from 1549 to 1763, one of the most densely populated, picturesque and cheerful metropolises of the South American state.
Salvador is located in the northeast of the country, the capital of Bahia. The population is 2676,606 people (2010), ethnic composition: white, black, Pardu, Asian.
Salvador stands partly on a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and All Saints Bay. Nature of climate: equatorial, warm and humid throughout the year, average annual air temperature +27 C.
The main sectors of the Salvadoran economy: tourism, trade, engineering, oil refining, construction.
Salvador is divided into two halves: In the Upper City (Sidad Alta) people are engaged in business, it is the center of business, administrative and religious life, because there are numerous churches. The lower city (Sidade Baysha) is considered the center of trade.
From one part of the metropolis to another you can get if you use Lacerda steel lift, passenger elevator. Each of its four elevator cabins can carry 32 people in 30 seconds. The lift was opened in 1873 and is considered one of the city's attractions.
The beaches of Salvador stretch for 40 kilometers, the most popular are Itapoa, do Farol, Ribeira, Pituba, Flamengo. On the coast you can do all kinds of sports: beach volleyball, sailing, kiting, snorkeling.
The carnival in Salvador is considered the longest in the world (lasts 6 days) and numerous (it involves one and a half million people). The holiday begins on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday (the day of the beginning of Lent).
The main attractions of Salvador: the historical quarter of Pelaurinho (translated as "Poll of shame"), the former center of work. In this part of Salvador preserved buildings of the colonial era and later years, XVII-XIX centuries.
In the city you can visit Fort San Marcelo and the port of Barra, the churches of Rosario, Señor do Bonfin, Santa Casa de Misericordia, the Church of St. Francis. In Salvador, the Afro-Brazilian Museum, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Numismatics, the Museum of Abelardo Rodriguez, the gastronomic museum are open.
At the Mercado Modelo Market Square there is an opportunity to buy various handicrafts and folk art objects.
