Stand at the corner of Sete de Setembro Avenue and Rep. Argentina Avenue in Água Verde and you will find thirty cherry trees sent from Japan, a Japanese Portal, a Culture House and a Tea House arranged around artificial lakes. That mix of the formal and the everyday is a fair introduction to Curitiba, a city on a plateau in southern Brazil where the street plan itself was designed to be lived in.
Curitiba suits travellers who like cities that are easy to move around, who are interested in architecture and food rather than monuments, and who do not mind cooler, changeable weather. Because it sits at altitude in a temperate zone, days can start cold and warm up, and the seasons shift noticeably. Many attractions close on Mondays, and the tourist bus does not run that day either, so plan around that.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, drawn from what is known about the city, followed by a one-day route and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Curitiba
1. Historic Area, Largo da Ordem
The Historic Area around Largo da Ordem, Praça Coronel Enéas and Praça Garibaldi in São Francisco holds the oldest buildings in the city. Among them are the Romário Martins House from the 18th century and the Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis from 1737, alongside architectural examples inspired by the Germans from the second half of the 19th century.
Come on a Sunday morning, when the old stones of Largo da Ordem and the pavement leading to Garibaldi Square become the setting for the Crafts Fair, with live music. The same square holds the Rosário Church, the Flowers Clock, the Memory Fountain and the Società Giuseppe Garibaldi, so you can see several of them in one walk.
2. Tiradentes Square
Tiradentes Square is the main square in Curitiba and the city's birthplace. At its north end stands the Basilica Cathedral Minor of Our Lady of Light. Once known as Largo da Matriz, it was the city's initial landmark, and it is an important public transport terminal and a permanent meeting point.
Because it is a transport hub, it works well as the start or end of a walking day in the centre. Pair it with the Historic Area, which is close by.
3. Ópera de Arame and Pedreiras Park
The Ópera de Arame is one of the emblematic symbols of Curitiba, with a tubular structure and transparent ceiling, inaugurated in 1992. It hosts all types of shows between lakes, typical vegetation and cascades. The Opera is part of Pedreiras Park, together with the Paulo Leminski Cultural Space, which has hosted large events since 1989 and can receive audiences in the open air.
It is in Abranches, on João Gava Street, and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 08:00 to 22:00. There is an admission charge, so check the current price before you go. The Farol das Cidades is also on João Gava Street in Abranches, so you can combine the two.
4. Santa Felicidade
Santa Felicidade, along Manoel Ribas Avenue, is where some of the first Italian immigrants in Paraná settled and turned to growing herbs, making wine and cheese, and working with willow. The greatest attraction here is that it is the culinary district of Curitiba, with a large number of restaurants serving local food and wine from the colony, plus wineries and wine bars, craft stores and willow furniture.
Almost in front of the church is the cemetery, with a pantheon made of 18 chapels in neo-classic style. Look out for the architecture of the Geraniums House, the Panels House, the Arcades House and the Culpi House. Come hungry and leave time to walk between the restaurants and shops.
5. Japan Square
Japan Square, on Sete de Setembro Avenue at its junction with Rep. Argentina Avenue in Água Verde, honours the Japanese settlers who dedicated themselves to agriculture there. Scattered around the square are 30 cherry trees sent from Japan by the Nipponese empire, along with Japanese-style artificial lakes. In 1993 the Japanese Portal, the Culture House and the Tea House were built.
The Culture House is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00, and the Tea Ceremony takes place on Thursdays from 09:00 to 16:00. If you want the ceremony, plan your visit around a Thursday.
6. 24 Horas Street
24 Horas Street, between Visconde de Nácar and Visconde do Rio Branco Streets in the centre, is 120 metres long and 12 metres wide, made up of 32 arches in metallic tubular structure, a trademark of modern curitibana architecture. Its 34 shops stay open around the clock, from a daybreak sandwich to a bank withdrawal, a pharmacy, a florist, books or milk for the children.
It is a meeting point for tourists and curitibanos looking for leisure, night life and good eating options, and you can get free internet access day or night by scheduling a time. It is a sensible stop late in the evening when other places have closed.
7. Guaíra Theater
The Guaíra Theater on XV de Novembro Street at Santos Andrade Square in the Centro is one of the biggest theatres in Latin America. It was inaugurated in 1884 as the Theatro São Theodoro on Dr. Muricy Street and renamed the Guaíra Theater in 1900.
It is a live memory of the culture of the curitibanos, so it is worth checking what is on during your stay rather than simply passing the building. It sits in the centre, so it fits naturally into a day built around Tiradentes Square and the Historic Area.
8. Capão da Imbuia Wood
Capão da Imbuia Wood on Prof. Nivaldo Braga Street in Capão da Imbuia has an internal exhibition of dioramas, stuffed animals and dehydrated vegetables. Outside is the Araucarias Path, a wood remnant of the Araucaria Forest, where an elevated pathway runs for 400 metres with 12 windows and panels showing the inter-relations of the natural elements of the forest and the products obtained from it.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30. The elevated path is the reason to come, so allow time to read the panels rather than hurrying through.
9. Arab Memorial
The Arab Memorial on Gibran Khalil Gibran Square in the centre pays homage to Middle-Eastern culture and works as a specialised library. The building recalls Moorish architecture, with a vault, columns, arches and stained glass windows, and its cube shape sits over a water mirror. Inside, on a marble base, is a sculpture representing the writer Gibran Kalil Gibran.
It is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00, so it is a good weekday stop in the centre rather than a Sunday one.
10. São Cristóvão/Italian Wood
São Cristóvão, also known as Italian Wood, on Margarida Ângela Zardo Miranda Street, is a place for the typical parties of the Italian community in the district, such as the Grape Party, the Wine Party and the 4 Giorni in Italy. It has structure for food and drink stalls, space for shows and folkloric presentations, and a polenta pot.
It opens Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00. It is worth visiting if your trip coincides with one of the community festivals, when the food stalls and performances are active.
11. Farol das Cidades
The Farol das Cidades on João Gava Street in Abranches is a municipal library with a modular metallic structure, a spiral staircase and a tower topped by a lair covered with a metallic vault, with a rooster above. Its collection is made of videos and CD-ROMs, and it is equipped with computers connected to the internet and to the City Hall geoprocessing, with free access for the population.
It is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 21:00 and Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00. Since it shares João Gava Street with the Ópera de Arame, the two make an easy pairing in Abranches.
12. Curitiba Memorial
The Curitiba Memorial is a space for art and folklore, information and memory. Built on irregular land, its architectural project creates functional and creative installations, and its dome, resembling a painting, makes evident the work's role of cultural origin.
Treat it as a quiet stop rather than a headline sight, and check locally that it is open before making a special trip, since many attractions in the city close on Mondays.
13. The fountains
Several small fountains around the centre are worth noticing as you walk. The Jerusalem Fountain on Sete de Setembro Avenue at the corner with Arthur Bernardes Avenue in Seminário is a concrete and masonry construction 14.5 metres high, designed by the architect Fernando Canalli, with three bronze angels at the top sculpted by Lys Áurea Buzzi, representing Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
The Memory Fountain at Garibaldi Square in São Francisco, authored by Ricardo Tod, features a bronze horse head honouring the old immigrant colonists who came from small farms on the city's outskirts to sell produce in the centre. The Maria Lata D'Água Fountain at Generoso Marques Square in the centre, near the Paranaense Museum, was inaugurated on 15 May 1996 and highlights a reproduction of the sculpture "Água pro Morro" by Erbo Stenzel. The Mocinhas da Cidade Fountain at the crossing of Cruz Machado and Alameda Cabral honours the country music duo Nhô Belarmino e Nhá Gabriela, with tiled pictures showing the verses of the song "Mocinhas da Cidade".
These are best seen on foot while moving between the Historic Area and Tiradentes Square, rather than as separate destinations.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Tiradentes Square, the city's birthplace, and see the Basilica Cathedral Minor of Our Lady of Light at its north end. Walk into the Historic Area around Largo da Ordem and Praça Garibaldi, taking in the Romário Martins House, the Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis and the German-inspired buildings. If it is a Sunday, time your visit for the morning Crafts Fair, with live music on the old stones. On the way, look for the Memory Fountain at Garibaldi Square and the Maria Lata D'Água Fountain near the Paranaense Museum.
Afternoon: Head to Abranches on João Gava Street. See the Ópera de Arame and Pedreiras Park, with its lakes, vegetation and cascades, and stop at the Farol das Cidades nearby. Both are open in the afternoon, though the Farol das Cidades closes at 13:00 on Saturdays and the Ópera de Arame is closed on Mondays.
Evening: Go to Santa Felicidade along Manoel Ribas Avenue, the culinary district of Curitiba, for dinner with local food and wine from the colony, and a look at the wineries, craft stores and willow furniture. If you would rather stay central, 24 Horas Street keeps its shops and eating options open through the night, with free internet access if you schedule a time.
Frequently asked questions
When is the worst day to plan sightseeing in Curitiba?
Monday. Many tourist attractions are closed on that day, and the tourist bus is not running either. Several places listed here, including the Ópera de Arame and Capão da Imbuia Wood, open Tuesday to Sunday.
What should I pack for the weather?
Curitiba has a temperate oceanic climate on a plateau, with mild and damp winters and an average minimum of 9 °C in July. Nighttime temperatures can drop below 0 °C on the coldest days, while winter daytime temperatures are usually around 19 °C. Temperature can vary significantly over a single day, especially in autumn and winter, so layers are useful.
Where can I eat in the evening?
Santa Felicidade, along Manoel Ribas Avenue, is the culinary district, with a large number of restaurants offering local food and wine from the colony. In the centre, 24 Horas Street has 34 shops open around the clock, from a daybreak sandwich to a pharmacy, and is a meeting point for night life and eating options.
Is there anything worth doing on a Sunday?
Yes. The Crafts Fair takes over Largo da Ordem and the pavement leading to Garibaldi Square on Sunday mornings, with live music. Japan Square is also open on Sundays, with the Culture House open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00.
Decide which of these fits your days, check the opening times that matter to you, and start building your route through Curitiba.