A travel report by Thomas Haensgen. Images exclusively by mauritius images.

You land at RIOgaleão airport, get off the plane. The air in Rio de Janeiro is warm. Warmer than in Germany. And fresher. It comes from the sea, which is everywhere here. Very pleasant. You pick your suitcases from the treadmill, leave the vestibule and go outside, grab a taxi and off you go. What you notice is that the light is somehow different. A touch more yellow, perhaps. An extra touch of green. The blue of the sky is also much richer. Brazilian music is playing on the radio while the painted landscape passes you by.

Do you know when you arrive somewhere but are far from actually having arrived? When you can't get into the new environment? I had that every time in Hong Kong. In New York, too. Everything seems familiar somehow, but in a strange way. Until one day, much later, it clicks and you realise: hey, I'm in a foreign country.

Here it is different. From the first moment, you have the feeling of being far away. Everything seems more colourful, more alive, fresher. You feel you have arrived far away.

The route from the airport to the hotel takes you past favelas, through run-down neighbourhoods and on past grandiose buildings. You see the Sugarloaf Mountain, the Christ the Redeemer statue, the sea and the mountains. You feel the heat, you are amazed at the rough traffic. But inside you are beaming.

Your driver stops in front of your hotel. You check in, enter your room and decide not to bother with stowing your luggage, but just to freshen up, put on something airy and go out the door. Into the adventure. But wait: you're not making it quite that easy for yourself. You've already read a lot about this mega-city - and its unbelievable crime rate. The reports on the internet make you feel a bit queasy, because according to them you can be sure of being mugged and robbed at least once. In fact, you would have to hire a bodyguard just to go out on the street.

So you put all your valuables - your mobile phone, your watch, your camera - in the safe, take the simple plastic camera and venture out the door. Let me say it right away: the fear is unfounded. Yes, there is a high crime rate and robberies are commonplace. But unless you're wearing thick gold chains and ten Rolexes or otherwise have a rich appearance, the chances of getting mugged are pretty slim. Which is what you feel when you're outside the door and you see policemen every few metres. And yet: if the going gets tough and you do get mugged, just stick to the golden rule: don't argue, don't go on the attack - but stay calm, hand over your second wallet with a few notes and trust that the criminal will quickly disappear with it. But as I said: where there are a lot of people, the chances of this happening are rather low.

Probably the most famous beach in all of Brazil, if not the world. The Copacabana promenade stretches 4 km from Forte Duque de Caxias in the north (an 18th-century fort with spectacular views) to Pedra do Arpoador (Arpoador Rock) in the south and is paved with the iconic black-and-white wave design by Brazilian artist Roberto Burle Marx. As you walk along the crescent-shaped beach, marvel at the many sand artworks and take a seat at one of the many beach bars for your first Caipirinha and relax as you watch the spectacle of toned bodies and very skimpy swimwear around you. The beach is divided into six postos - the lifeguard stations. Each section offers beachgoers different leisure activities and attractions - from volleyball courts to surfboard rental.

It's only a few minutes' walk from Copacabana to the nearest beach - Ipanema. But as dusk begins to fall, you decide to postpone your walk along the Ipanema promenade and enjoy the sunset at Rio de Janeiro's top sunset spot, Arpoador Rock, overlooking the entire beach of Ipanema.

And it will knock your socks off! You're not the only one at this spot, hundreds of people gather with you to witness this spectacle as well. Everyone is in a good mood, it's a completely relaxed atmosphere, flying vendors sell soft drinks and cocktails. The rock is still warm from the day. You watch the sun slowly sink into the sea, just to the left of the Morro Dois Irmãos, the "Two Brothers Hill". As soon as it has completely disappeared, there is applause and standing ovations from the enthusiastic audience. Unusual for Europeans, here commonplace (in the truest sense of the word).

Enough programme for the first day. But wait, stop! Before you head back to your hotel, grab a taxi and head to Lapa for a bite to eat. Lapa is Rio's trendiest neighbourhood - with lots of bars, restaurants and a younger, more stylish crowd.

More than 50 music bars and pubs, often in restored post-colonial buildings, exude a real old-town flair and make the older bohemian district Rio de Janeiro's nightlife district. Traditional Samba music blares from every corner, but find a restaurant where it's not quite so loud to enjoy a portion of Rio de Janeiro's signature bean dish, Feijoada. We also recommend the typical Churrascarias. These are served directly from the spit at the table for a fixed price and you can also help yourself to the rich buffet. Even if it seems tempting to jump right into the nightlife, the fatigue of the long flight plus the first exploration tour slowly sets in and you decide to go back to the hotel to throw yourself into bed.

Next day: Thanks to jet lag, you wake up before sunrise. Since the hotel breakfast is not yet open, you order an Uber (or the cheaper option: 99) and are taken to the heart of Rio: the Santa Teresa district. Here you'll find a mountain of things worth seeing in close proximity to each other. Mountain is meant literally, by the way, because unlike most other neighbourhoods, Santa Teresa is located on a hill and is known for its winding and winding streets with lots of colonial-style buildings. But you don't have eyes for that at the moment, because first you have to find the best spot for the sunrise. And it's a good one (again): from Santa Teresa you have a wonderful view over the entire Guanabara Bay. You can see the Botafogo district and Sugarloaf Mountain from above. And because it is still early in the morning, everything is shrouded in thick clouds of fog, through which the sun leisurely pushes its way upwards. Impressive. And fantastically beautiful.

That should be enough for now. Enough sunrise. Time for breakfast. And that brings us to the other advantages of Santa Teresa: here you can feel the soul of Rio, what Rio stands for in its entirety - the bohemian atmosphere of days long gone, the history, the culture and nature, and now a delicious breakfast in one of the countless cafés. You hop on the yellow Tram Bonde - one of the oldest trams in the world and another landmark of the city - for a few stops and pass a lot of great street paintings while looking for the perfect café. Which, by the way, is perfectly legal here. The artists' quarter looks like a giant canvas. The Christ the Redeemer statue is also in Santa Teresa - but after breakfast you'll want to head downstairs - where you'll come across the world-famous Escadaria Selarón (the Selarón Staircase). Until his death in 2013, the Chilean artist Jorge Selarón covered the 220 steps and the adjacent walls with ceramic tiles and fragments of mirrors and painted the tiles colourfully.

On to Flamengo and Botafogo

From the steps, it is a stone's throw to the Aqueduto da Carioca, the Carioca Aqueduct, in the centre of Rio. It was built in the 18th century to supply the metropolis with drinking water from the Carioca River. Today, the popular monument from colonial times is a bridge for the Tram Bonde. The 42 snow-white lapa arches catch your eye from a distance. The bridge is 270 metres long and around 17 metres high in places.

As the air in the city centre gets warmer and warmer, you are drawn to the sea, more precisely: to the Praia do Flamengo, the Flamengo beach. The Flamengo district connects the city centre with the Botafogo district and invites you to take a wonderful walk. Partly through the 1.2 km² Parque do Flamengo, the Flamengo Park, where over 3,000 tree species have been planted. Whether from the park or from the beach - you have a magnificent view of Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue from almost every spot. Flamengo Beach, unlike Copacabana and Ipanema, is not particularly overpopulated. This is perhaps also due to the water quality, which gets significantly worse with every metre you get closer to Botafogo.

The walk along the bay to the Botafogo district takes a while - luckily there are plenty of street vendors to supply you with drinks. The district itself is located between the hills Mundo Novo, Santa Marta (which separates the district from Laranjeiras) and Morro de São João (which separates it from Copacabana). The "barrio" was named after João Pereira de Sousa Botafogo, who owned a piece of land during the colonial period. Botafogo has a high concentration of cafés, cinemas, innovative bistros and shopping centres, as well as a trendy district with cool bars and alternative nightclubs. What's interesting for you, however, is the proximity to Sugarloaf Mountain...

Literally translated, Sugarloaf would actually be called "sugar bread" (Pão de Açúcar). You can get up there quite easily by cable car - but it's much more fun to climb the 396-metre-high rock yourself. At least the way to the middle station. A beautiful shady path leads you through the forest, giving you a view of the beaches and the azure sea. The strange vegetation and the many animals (mainly macaques) also make the way up an interesting excursion.

The view from the middle station on Morro da Urca is already fantastic, but it gets even better. The cable car takes you all the way to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. There is a pleasant breeze here, which makes the view even more enjoyable. And it's really something. Once at the top, you can move freely on the viewing platform and see the city from all sides. Truly magical. Especially when you're on top of Sugarloaf Mountain at sunset.

What else is there to see?

Quite a bit! For example, the view from the Morro dois Irmãos. This hill is located at the southern end of Leblon/Ipanema. You start at Praca do Vidigal, from where you can take a motor taxi through the pacified Favela Vidigal to the starting point of the hiking trail. From there it takes about half an hour along a rainforest trail with many animals and plants until you reach the top of the 533-metre-high rock. But it's worth the effort: the 360-degree view of southern Rio from up there is simply spectacular.

It doesn't get any greener than this

Also great: the lake Lago Rodrigo de Freitas. This is not only centrally located, but also one of the prettiest places in Rio de Janeiro. The approximately 7 km long circular path offers a view of the surrounding mountains and the city skyline. Right next door is the Botanical Garden (Jardim Botanico) founded by King John VI in 1808 - a 140-hectare oasis of peace in the middle of the city. Here you will find 128 royal palms (Roystonea regia), some of which date back to the time of the garden's creation, thousands of plant species, including the famous Amazon giant water lilies, an arboretum, a research facility and a lake. In addition to numerous greenhouses, orchidaria and rose gardens, a lake with giant water plants, such as the Amazon giant water lily (Victoria amazonica), the largest water lily in the Amazon, is impressive here. Nearby is the elegant Parque Lage with direct access to the summit of Mount Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue. The path is fun, but quite demanding. In any case, you won't meet many people here.

The park is beautiful and, in addition to English gardens and small lakes, houses a mansion with a unique courtyard, which today houses a school of fine arts and a café.

Christo Redentor

Those who have made it up the footpath to the Christ the Redeemer statue or have been taken to the top by bus are once again treated to an imposing sight. 28 metres high and protecting the city, this gift from the French is an absolute must-see when visiting Rio de Janeiro.

To cut a long story short: Rio de Janeiro is an absolute dream city. Besides the classic sights, there are countless others - for example the Niterói Museu de Arte Contemporânea, the Maracanã Stadium, the Tijuca National Park (Parque Nacional da Tijuca) or the Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã). If you really have "had enough" of Rio de Janeiro, simply follow the coast north - for example to dreamy Boccio, the St. Tropez of Brazil - or south to Telegrafo or further to the dream island of Ilha Grande, which is just over 140 km from Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro is more than just a city - it is quite rightly called Cidade Maravilhosa - the wonderful city - and that is what you will always remember after a trip there.

Photos and text by Thomas Haensgen. The images can be licensed exclusively with mauritius images.

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