The countryside below is particularly beautiful in spring, with blossom, or in autumn, as the leaves turn brown and gold. For the statistically minded, Cristo Redentor stands 40 metres high and weighs 1200 tonnes and was completed in 1931. Its lighting was designed by Marconi, of wireless fame. Mass is held on Sundays in the small chapel in the pedestal. Those in the know sit on the right-hand side going up for a better view.
Trains leave about every half hour.
Alternatively, you can walk, risking being mugged on the way, or take a taxi or car. Whether by road or rail, you will be dropped at the back of the statue and face a climb of 220 steps to the top. Mists sometimes obscure the views. For the 15 million migrants who were processed at nearby Ellis Island on arrival between 1892 and 1954, it was their first view of their new land. Standing 46.5 metres on an island in New York Harbor, the statue was opened in 1886 and has been restored several times.