Escadaria Selaron (Lapa Steps)

Be sure to set aside time in your schedule to visit this unique, grand-scale artwork in downtown. Named after the Chilean artist Jorge Selaron, who dedicated the last decades of his life to tirelessly working on this 'tribute to the Brazilian people', the Escadaria Selaron (often referred to as the 'Lapa Steps') is a long, steep stairwell linking the bohemian neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa, covered in brightly-hued and intricately-patterned tiles from across the world. These tiles are interspersed with distinctive artworks from Selaron himself - look out for the pregnant woman motif that appears in almost all his works - and was an ongoing, ever-evolving labour of love for the artist until he was killed at his home by the stairs, in early 2013. The stairwell makes a great photo opportunity, and has appeared in music videos from Snoop Dogg and Pharell, as well as the Black Eyed Peas.