Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor)

Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) is the Art Deco statue that crowns the 710-metre Corcovado peak inside Tijuca National Park, above the Cosme Velho neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Inaugurated in 1931 and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, the figure stands 30 metres tall on an 8-metre pedestal, with arms spanning 28 metres. It is clad in thousands of small soapstone tiles, and a small chapel sits inside the base. Visitors reach the summit in three main ways: the Trem do Corcovado cog railway from Cosme Velho station on Rua Cosme Velho, which climbs through Atlantic rainforest in about 20 minutes; official vans that depart from Largo do Machado, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca and stop at the Paineiras visitor centre; or a steep guided hike. From the platform at the statue's feet, the view sweeps across Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain, Botafogo, the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and the long arc of Copacabana and Ipanema. The best photo angle for the statue itself is from the lower terrace looking up, where lying flat on the ground lets the arms fill the frame. A complete visit, including transfers, queues and time at the top, usually takes three to four hours. Crowds peak between 10:00 and 15:00, at weekends and during school holidays, and the platform can become very tight. The first departures at 08:00 are generally the quietest. Cloud frequently wraps the summit, especially in the afternoon, so a clear morning forecast matters more than the date. Facilities include a cafe, souvenir stalls and escalators and panoramic lifts that link the upper parking area to the statue platform. Ticket prices are set by the operators and change with season and demand, so timed tickets are best bought in advance online rather than at the station.