Travel Tips

Built on the eve of World War I in 1914 by the German arms-maker Krupp, Copacabana Fort boasts walls of reinforced concrete 12m (39 ft.) thick. They protect a whacking great cannon (305mm) that could fire a deadly shell 23km (14 miles) out to sea. The army has done an excellent job presenting the interior as it was when it was a working bastion. One of the first things you see as you enter is the commander's quarters, preserved pretty much as it was in 1930 when it was used to lock up President Washington Luis after a bloody coup. Other rooms contain then-state-of-the-art instruments (lots of brass wheels and finely scaled calipers) for targeting and aiming the great guns. And down in the very bowels of the fort the cannon are still in place. Best of all, the bored soldiers guarding the place never leave the gate, so you're free to touch, fiddle, and play as much as you want. Twirl the knobs on the great cannon until its muzzle points towards your hotel, trundle a shell over from the magazine via the overhead conveyer belt, stuff it in, and let fly. (Actually the gun probably doesn't fire, but you can certainly have fun pretending).