Santa Teresa Tram, Historic tram system in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Santa Teresa Tram is a system of yellow electric streetcars that travel along narrow tracks through the steep streets of the hillside neighborhood. The tram connects downtown Rio de Janeiro with the district that rises above the city, making stops along its route to Dois Irmãos station.
The tram system began service in 1875, originally designed to transport water through the aqueduct system before being repurposed for passengers. This transformation from water transport to public transport reshaped how people moved through the hillside community.
The tram has become woven into local identity, with residents and artists depending on it as a social and creative hub within the neighborhood. Its presence shapes how people experience the hillside community and gather in its studios and gathering spaces.
You can board at several stations, including Largo do Curvelo and Lelio Gama Street, to explore different parts of the neighborhood. Wear comfortable shoes since reaching the stations involves walking through steep streets and uneven terrain.
The tracks rest directly on the foundations of the historic Carioca Aqueduct that once supplied water to Rio de Janeiro. Few visitors realize that beneath each tram journey lies this earlier engineering achievement supporting the neighborhood above.
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