With less than one month to go until the start of the Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro is preparing to receive hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists for the party of a lifetime.

Last Sunday (3 July), Rio2016.com took advantage of the characteristically beautiful weather (even though it’s winter here!) to talk to foreign visitors about their first impressions of the Olympic city. 

We spoke to tourists from Germany, Scotland, the USA and beyond who were visiting Praça Mauá in downtown Rio. This historic square in the renovated waterfront area has emerged as a new culture and leisure hotspot, attracting thousands of pleasure-seekers every day. 

Among the couples, families, sports enthusiasts, sun worshippers and music lovers, rio2016.com had a quick chat with a few friendly faces from far-away to find out what it is they love about Rio.

Praça Mauá has come to symbolise the transformation that the city has experienced thanks to the Olympic Games. The square is home to two must-see new museums: the award winning art museum of Rio and the spectacular Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), designed by Spanish 'starchitect' Santiago Calatrava. Live music, street performers, food trucks, an arts and crafts market, not to mention breathtaking views over the Guanabara Bay, all make for a great day or night out.

During the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the entire waterfront area will be transformed into a giant entertainment and amusement zone, with big screens for watching the events, musicians from Brazil and beyond, fireworks and light shows. There will even be a hot air balloon that will take passengers 150m (nearly 500ft) into the air for breathtaking views across what we think is the most beautiful city in the world.

How to plan a last-minute trip to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games