15 Best Sights in Curitiba, The South

Although not as old and renowned as its counterpart in Rio, the Botanical Garden has become a Curitiba showplace. Its most outstanding feature is the tropical flora in the two-story steel-and-glass greenhouse that was inspired by London's Crystal Palace. The Municipal Botanical Museum, with its library and remarkable collection of rare Brazilian plants, is also worth visiting. There are several paths for jogging or just wandering.

The 8-acre German Woods, a park honoring German immigration, is on a hill in the Jardim Schaffer neighborhood. On its upper side is the Bach Oratorium, a small concert hall that looks like a chapel. The park also has a viewing point overlooking downtown, a library with children's books, and a path through the woods called the Trilha de João e Maria ("Hansel and Gretel Trail"), which depicts the Grimm Brothers' tale in 12 paintings along the way. The trail ends at the Mural de Fausto, where there's a stage for music shows.

Also called Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais, this cathedral is on the site where the city was founded in 1693. Finished in 1893, the present neo-Gothic structure was built according to the plan of a cathedral in Barcelona, Spain.

Curitiba's oldest church, St. Francis was built in 1737 and fully restored in 1981. Check out its gold-plated altar before ducking into the attached Museu de Arte Sacra (Sacred Art Museum), with its baroque religious sculptures made of wood and terra-cotta.

Pictures of Oscar Niemeyer's projects throughout the world are on display at this museum designed by the late architect himself. Museu Oscar Niemeyer also incorporates a collection of the works of Paraná's artists from the former Museu de Arte do Paraná. The main building, a suspended eye-shape structure overlooking the adjacent John Paul II Wood, hosts temporary modern art exhibitions.

Founded in 1876, the State Museum of Paraná moved several times before installing its collections in this imposing art nouveau building, which served as city hall from 1916 to 1969. The permanent displays contain official documents, ethnographic materials of the native Guaraní and Kaigang peoples, coins and photographs, and archaeological pieces related to the state's history.

This cultural complex was built in the abandoned João Gava quarry and adjacent wooded lot. The quarry itself was converted into an amphitheater that can accommodate 60,000 people. The 2,400-seat Ópera de Arame (Wire Opera House), also on the grounds here, was constructed from tubular steel and wire mesh above a water–field quarry pit. National and international musical events have given this facility world renown.

The 22 towering rock formations of the 7,670-acre Vila Velha State Park, 97 km (60 miles) northwest of Curitiba, stand in sharp contrast to the green rolling hills of the Campos Gerais, Paraná's high plains. Three hundred million years of rain and wind have carved these sandstone formations, whose names—the Lion, the Cup, the Mushroom, the Sphinx—reflect their shapes. After watching a 10-minute video about the geology and environment of the area at the visitor center, you're led to the attractions on guided minibus tours.

The most-visited park in the city, Tangüá shows creative landscaping in an abandoned quarry with its pond, tunnel (dug 160 feet into the rock wall), artificial waterfall, and walkway over the water, all surrounded by woods, with many imposing Brazilian pines.

Designed to protect the upper basin of the Rio Barigüí from urban encroachment, this pleasant park has trails through the woods and barbecue areas. It's best known as the site of the Ukranian Memorial, which includes a reproduction of a wooden church with onion domes built by Ukrainian Catholic immigrants in 1900 in the town of Prudentópolis, 250 km (155 miles) away. There is also a shop with traditional Ukrainian handicrafts.

Opened in 1886, the Public Thoroughfare was designed as a botanical and zoological garden and soon became a favorite place for the affluent to spend their weekend afternoons. The main gate is a replica of that at the Cimetière des Chiens in Paris. Although it's no longer the official city zoo, you can observe several Brazilian primates and birds still kept in the park, as well as majestic sycamores, oaks, and the ipê amarelo, a striking Brazilian tree with vibrant yellow flowers.

To satisfy your hunger, head for Rua 24 Horas. In this downtown alley sheltered by a glass roof, you'll find souvenir shops and newsstands as well as coffeehouses and bars whose tables spill out onto the walkway. Most are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What was once an Italian settlement, dating from 1878, is now one of the city's most popular neighborhoods, drawing hungry crowds especially on Sunday. It has been officially designated as Curitiba's "gastronomic district," and, indeed, you'll find some fantastic restaurants—as well as wine, antiques, and handicrafts shops—along Via Veneto and Avenida Manuel Elias. The area also has some colonial buildings, such as the Igreja Matriz de São José (St. Joseph's Church).

The main objective of the Free University of the Environment, in the Bosque Zaninelli (Zaninelli Woods), is to promote environmental awareness. It opened in 1992 during the UN Conference on the Environment and Development being held in Rio. The impressive main structure is built of eucalyptus wood and has a scenic overlook on its top level. Several paths through the woods make the Bosque Zaninelli a popular place to wander.