Rua do Amendoim (Peanut Street) – Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Atlas Obscura

Rua do Amendoim (Peanut Street)

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Cars mysteriously roll uphill on this street. 

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The pretty residential street of Rua Professor Otávio Coelho de Magalhães, or “Rua do Amendoim” (Peanut Street) as it is known to locals, will always have ample parking. This is because as soon as a car is stopped without the emergency brake it will slowly begin to roll uphill, gaining speed as it goes.

There are lots of folk explanations, including that the hill is haunted or that a massive deposit of iron ore lies beneath the street, drawing vehicles up to its magnetic pull. 

In reality, the phenomenon is apparently an optical illusion. Though the street appears to be on a steep incline, there is actually a slight dip in the road. Though cars appear to be rolling uphill they’re actually rolling down. That doesn’t stop people from recording hundreds of videos capturing the strange sight of cars making their own way uphill though.

Know Before You Go

Accessible from Praça do Papa at the junction with Rua Junventino Dias. A sign that reads "Rua do Amendoim - Curiosity" can be seen at the junction.

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