at the summit of Urca mountain. On this plateau lies an amphitheatre,restaurants, and shops. The second leg completes the journey to the 396-metre(1,299 ft) high Sugar Loaf over a distance of 750m (2460ft). Similarfacilities exist at the final stop, which offers one of the most magnificentpanoramic views of the ocean, beaches and mountains of the cities of Rio deJaneiro and Niteroi. The original cable car line was built in 1912 and rebuiltaround 1972/1973 and in 2008.Christ RedeemerOne of Rios icons, the impressive 40-meter-tall open-armedsaviour sits atop his not-so-lonely Corcovado Mountain, where he enjoysunrivalled views (which surely explains the contented expression on his face).The best way up is by cog train as it makes the short steep ascent throughwell-preserved rain forest. Go early to beat the crowds. The Christ Redeemer statue [Cristo Redentor], amonument of Jesus Christ, is a symbol of Christianity that became one of themost internationally recognized icons of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. It is thesecond biggest statue of Christ in the world with 38 meters high, and 710meters of the Corcovado Hill, and 30 meters (98 ft) wide. It weighs635 tonnes, and is located 709 meters above the sea level at the peak of the Corcovadomountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It wasinaugurated in 1931, after nearly five years of work, and since 2003 it countson three glass-sided panoramic elevators, each able to carry 13 people, andfour escalators. Thus, there is no longer the need to climb 220 steps of stairsthat lead to the statues feet. Elected one of the new Seven Wonders of theWorld in 2007, the Christ Redeemer has a privileged panoramic view of Rio deJaneiro offered from its belvedere. The summit is reached by an electrifiedtrain that leaves every 30 minutes from the station on Cosme Velho Street. The20-minute train ride provides a nice ride through the tropical forest, theworlds largest urban forest, along a steep and winding set of tracks.Copacabana BeachThe Copacabana Beach,considered one of the most famous beaches in the world, is a mix of tradition,glamour and glory. Bounded by the Atlantic Avenue, it is home to large eventssuch as world championships of beach soccer and volleyball, the stage ofconcerts that bring together millions of people and the planets biggest NewYears Eve celebrations, with more than 3 million viewers in loco. The Copacabana promenade, a pavement landscape 4-kilometerlong, is a famous place to walk in Rio de Janeiro, where you can see sandsculptures, the Copacabana Beach and statues that portray some renowned brazilian artists. One of them is the statue of Carlos Drummond de Andrade, afamous poet that is admiring Copacabana from a seat in the promenade. Thegeometric wave design of its black and white sidewalk is world famous and wasinspired by the sidewalk from Lisbon. Hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs andresidential buildings dot the promenade. For seaside strolls, its hard to beatCopacabana, with its comely crescent-shaped beach that stretches for 4 kmagainst a backdrop of dramatic forest-covered peaks. Eating and drinking kiosksdot the shore with kitchens cleverly hidden below ground and make fineplaces to rehydrate while admiring the view.Ipanema and