Stand at the curve of the Paraíba do Sul river that gave Volta Redonda its name — Portuguese for "round turn" — and you get the city's origin story in a single glance. The river bends around the ground the city was built on, and the steelworks that later defined it rose nearby.
Volta Redonda is a working industrial city in Rio de Janeiro state, known across Brazil as the Cidade do Aço, or City of Steel. It suits travellers passing through the Paraíba Valley who want to understand how Brazilian industry took shape, and football fans who follow the state's smaller clubs.
This guide covers the city's core sights and experiences, and closes with a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Volta Redonda
1. Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN)
The steel mill is the reason modern Volta Redonda exists. Chosen as its site in 1941, during World War II, it opened in 1946 as the first steel mill in South America and formed the base of Brazilian industrialisation. Workers came from across the country to staff it.
Since its 1993 privatisation the mill has been known as the Presidente Vargas Steelworks. Treat it as the anchor of any visit to the city: understanding this plant explains the city's nickname, Cidade do Aço, and much of its layout.
2. The round turn of the Paraíba do Sul river
The city takes its name from the round shape of a curve in the Paraíba do Sul river, around which it was built. It was explorers in 1744 who named this curious curve "Volta Redonda".
Seeing the bend itself is a way to connect the name on the map to the landscape. Combine it with time in the city centre, which sits on the ground the curve encloses.
3. Estádio Raulino de Oliveira
Home ground of Volta Redonda Futebol Clube, the city's most important football club. The stadium is located in the city downtown, which makes it easy to fold into a walk through the centre.
Check the fixture list before you travel if a match is the point of your visit, and pair the ground with the downtown streets around it.
4. Downtown Volta Redonda
The city centre is where the stadium sits and where the urban life of the Cidade do Aço is concentrated. It is the practical base for a short visit, with the river curve and the industrial identity of the city both within reach.
Use the centre as your starting point in the morning, then branch out from there.
5. The industrial heritage of the Vale do Paraíba
Before steel, this stretch of the Paraíba do Sul was farm country. Large farms were installed in the region from the 18th century, and some of their names survive as the names of districts today.
Navigation on the river had its golden period between 1860 and 1870, between Resende and Barra do Piraí, while the D. Pedro II railroad was built through Barra do Piraí and Barra Mansa. The village of Santo Antonio de Volta Redonda grew quickly from 1875.
6. The story of the mill town
The cycle of industrialisation that began in 1941 reversed the region's earlier decline, which had set in after the freedom of slaves in 1888 destroyed Vale do Paraíba agriculture. Labourers arrived from diverse regions of the country to work in the mill.
Following this story through the city gives context to what you see around you, and it pairs naturally with a look at the CSN site.
7. Higher education and technical institutions
In the second half of the 20th century the city gained technological and higher educational development. The Industrial Engineering and Metallurgical school of the Fluminense Federal University was created in 1961, later bringing more courses through the Institute of Exact Sciences and the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Other institutions followed, including the University Center Geraldo Di Biase (UGB), the University Centre of Barra Mansa (UBM) and the University Center of Volta Redonda (UniFOA), and in the 2000s the Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro was launched with a technological and industrial emphasis. These campuses are part of the city's present character.
8. The neighbouring municipalities
Volta Redonda borders Barra Mansa to the north, northwest, west and southwest, Barra do Piraí to the northeast, Pinheiral and Piraí to the south and east, and Rio Claro to the south. Together with Barra Mansa and Pinheiral it forms a conurbation.
If you have more than a day, these neighbours extend the trip naturally, and the city is also a base for the wider South Fluminense region.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in downtown Volta Redonda, then walk to the curve of the Paraíba do Sul river that gives the city its name. Take in the round turn of the river and the ground the city was built on.
Afternoon: Turn to the city's industrial identity. See the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), the mill chosen for this site in 1941 and opened in 1946, and now known as the Presidente Vargas Steelworks. If Volta Redonda Futebol Clube are playing at home, head to Estádio Raulino de Oliveira in the downtown for the match.
Evening: Return to the centre. Use the evening to fill in the history you have walked past during the day, from the farms whose names survive as districts to the river navigation and railroad years of the 1860s and 1870s.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Volta Redonda called the City of Steel?
Because of the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), Brazil's second largest steel producer, which is situated in the city. The nickname Cidade do Aço is Portuguese for City of Steel.
Where does the name Volta Redonda come from?
From the round shape of a curve in the Paraíba do Sul river around which the city was built. Explorers named the curious curve "Volta Redonda" in 1744.
Where does Volta Redonda Futebol Clube play?
The club plays its home matches at Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, which is located in the city downtown.
How do you get your bearings in the city?
Volta Redonda borders Barra Mansa, Barra do Piraí, Pinheiral, Piraí and Rio Claro, and with Barra Mansa and Pinheiral forms a conurbation. It is also the economic centre of the South Fluminense region, which makes it a practical base for exploring the surrounding municipalities.
Decide whether your trip is about the steelworks, the river bend or a match at Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, and start planning around that.