At an elevation of 930 metres (3,050 ft) Curitiba has cooler climate than most of the rest of Brazil and provided us with a nice reprieve from the heat. We travelled to Curitiba to visit the nearby colonial city of Morretes, but a landslide covered the highway and we couldn’t go. This left us more time to explore Curitiba and its collection of old and new architecture.
Historical Centre
The city began in the 1700s as a mining town, and then became a hub for cattle and forestry industries. Today, Curitiba’s downtown has a mix of 18th and 19th century buildings intermingled with more modern construction. It has been deemed to be one of the safest cities in Brazil making it a nice city to walk between sites in the city’s downtown.
Black and white tiled walkways can be found throughout downtown and travel between some of the city’s many squares. Praça Tiradentes is the main square in the city and is home to Catedral Basílica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Luz. The busy streets and modern buildings that surround the square didn’t make it feel like we were in Curitiba’s Old Town yet. Only a few blocks away we found what we were looking for at Praça Generoso Marques. It is a lovely square with colourfully painted heritage buildings around its edges and the old city hall, called Paco da Liberdade, as the main feature.
Immigrants from Italy, Poland, Germany and Ukraine settled in Curitiba in the mid 1800s. Some of that influence can be seen in the names of streets and squares around downtown. A few blocks away from the cathedral we found Praça Garibaldi. The square and its main building were named after an Italian immigrant who helped to fight for Brazil’s independence.
Garibaldi square is home to a few other restored heritage buildings including the pretty, blue Igreja do Rosário. The original church was built by slaves in the 1700s but had to be rebuilt in the 1940s after the original one was found to be structurally unsafe. Our favourite detail on the church are the original blue azulejos tiles that decorate the entrance.
A little further away, the tiled walkway leads to Largo da Ordem. This older square has simple but colourful, single story buildings and the oldest church in Curitiba, Igreja da Ordem. In the pictures of these two churches are the Dr. Seuss-looking trees called Paraná Pines. We saw them all over the city as they are native to the state of Paraná and we also saw them in Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo.
Ópera De Arame (Wire Opera House)
In addition to a historic downtown, there are a few notable modern buildings in Curitiba, one of those is the theatre. We had visited the historical theatres in Manaus, Belém and São Paulo. The one in Curitiba is completely different from those grand buildings. Instead, it is a modern building whose name, Wire Opera House, gives you a hint about its design. Built in 1992, the 3-story metal, domed-shaped building is very open concept having very few true walls. Colourful fabric banners hang from wire pillars in the auditorium and flap in the wind. It’s an interesting, modern building, but we prefer the historical theatres.
The setting for the opera house is quite contradictory too. The metal beams of the building contrast to its natural setting beside a tall cliff with a waterfall flowing into a duck pond.
Jardim Botânico (Botanical Gardens)
On the other side of the city is a similar, modern building. From the entrance we looked upon rows of hedges that border a long, flower garden and directs your eyes to the wire and glass greenhouse in the middle of Jardim Botânico.
We had seen pictures of the wire greenhouse in promotional material for the city and expected it to be large. Instead, the greenhouse is quite small but showcases a few flowers, plants trees that are typical in the area.
It was free on the day we went (Wednesday) and we were glad we didn’t have to pay admission, because there’s not much to see.
We were in Curitiba during the FIFA World Cup. Brazilians are well known for being huge football (soccer) fans and they proved their love of the sport to us. One day during a Brazil match we walked up and down the streets in Curitiba trying to find a restaurant that was open for dinner, but they were all closed. Even all of the groceries and corner stores were closed. Through their windows we could see the staff huddled around small tvs, intensely watching the game. Even in Canada, a hockey loving country, businesses would never close during big games like the Stanley Cup playoffs or Olympic hockey finals. I guess we’re not as good fans as the Brazilians.
How to get to Curitiba
As the capital of the state of Paraná, Curitiba is relatively easy to access by plane, car or bus. It’s a 6 hour drive from São Paulo; 4 hours to Florianópolis and 8 hours to Iguaçu Falls.
Where to stay in Curitiba
The historic downtown is very safe and has many options for hotels and restaurants.
Coming Next – Visiting Breathtaking Iguaçu Falls
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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Monkey's Tale 
The Wire Greenhouse gives off Victorian vibes. It reminds me of pictures of the Crystal Palace. The lovely landscaping of the botanical gardens adds to the effect.
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I had to look up Crystal Palace and you’re right, it has a similar look. I hadn’t thought of the Victorian connection. Maggie
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Looks like a pretty nice city. Does it have a good selection of restaurants?
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There are quite a few restaurants in the downtown area and the food that we had was really good. 😊
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💚
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The city looks very attractive and the more I read your posts on South America the more I’m inspired to visit.
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We’ve been to quite a few countries in SA and we love them all!
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Such a beautiful place!
The photos are gorgeous: thanks a lot for sharing them❤️
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Thank you so much Luisa!! Maggie
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Beautiful city. I enjoyed the tour!
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Thank you Rebecca!!
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Fabulous photos! The weather looks like it was on the cooler side..as much as the tropics can be cool that is. Love love.. the doors, especially the church door with the blue tiled picture above the wooden doors in the arch frame at Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos. I always enjoy that you share what it is like to walk around in the city. Sounds like a regular North American city for some reason in downtown Curitiba.
I love the tropical flowers and palms.
Yes, in Canada, stores would be open for the hockey games and playoffs to be sure eh!
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It was much cooler so a good break from the heat. It did feel more familiar than other Brazilian cities. They have a lot of Eurpoean immigrants so maybe that’s the difference in the buildings and look. It really felt like a nice city to live in. The tiles on the blue Rosário church made it one of my favourites. The tiles are fom the original building so are around 300 years old. I think the Rosário churches were my favourites in almost every city we saw them.😊 Maggie
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Wonderful added information, I like that tiles had been so well-preserved. I thought they were new/modern. Thank you for your sharings. I enjoy them!
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That is one gorgeous place in all respects, the tiled streets, the beautiful buildings and the history. The opera house is a stroke of genius in design and siting. Thanks for taking us there Maggie. Allan
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Thanks Allan, it’s not on the tourist radar at all but we really liked Curitiba and it’s different architecture. Maggie
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I love the idea of everything shutting down to watch their favourite team. Such a relaxed attitude.
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Well, the fans weren’t relaxed!! But the streets were deserted so it was great for us to go for a walk. 😊
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You’re so right! Those trees look straight out of a Seuss book! I quite like the wire opera house. I agree that when viewed alongside the natural environment it’s jarring, but the interior has so much natural light and it just screams “great acoustics.”
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Those trees were everywhere too! Ya, I’m not sure an opera would sound all that great in the opera house. 😊
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Safety and Brazil rarely go together, but it is true that I also found that in small towns the feeling of safety is much greater. Curitiba is not a small town though, so the situation is all the more noteworthy.
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Hi sorry I missed this message. Curitiba felt like a small town both in safety and general relaxed atmosphere, but was a big city.
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Curitiba appears to be so pristine, and whoever does the landscaping is meticulous. It’s a beautiful city. Thanks for sharing your images.
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It is a very pretty city. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Maggie
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While the old town area of Curitiba certainly looks pretty, the fact that it’s the safest city in Brazil is a big plus. Nothing beats walking around in a foreign place feeling safe. Even on a cloudy day Curitiba looks very interesting! I’m also intrigued by the Ópera de Arame for its unusual architectural style and the material from which it was built, also for its location. I’m sold!
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It’s one of the safest which for a big city, that’s very comforting. I think I liked the historic opera houses so much thatbInwas a little underwhelmed by this one. But it is an interesting building. You can stop here on your trip between Florianópolis and Iguaçu!! Maggie
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Fantastic photos, Maggie 🙂 Curitiba looks like an authentic, organized and charming city to explore. I love its Botanical Gardens with its colourful flower carpets – it would be an amazing place to just wander around and release pressure from the bustling activities of downtown. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thanks Aiva, Curitiba is a lovely city, maybe not the highest tourist draw, but would be a great city to live. Maggie
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I am enjoying following you through Brazil, a country we have yet to visit. This looks like a lovely town. (Suzanne)
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Thanks Suzanne, Curitiba doesn’t have many tourists, but it is a really lovely city. Maggie
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This is such an amazing site we visited in Brazil . These tiled streets and these historic buildings are so amazing. These amazing flowers are inside this wired Greenhouse So interesting . Thanks Anita
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Those building look so majestic and historic, so un-spoilt over the years.
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Yes that’s true,any of the buildings were in really good condition. An easier climate, but also they’re taken care of. 😊
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Such wonderful buildings and colours. Thanks for sharing your day with us 🙂
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Thank you so much! It is a very nice Brazilian city. Maggie
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This looks like a lovely city, amd quite relaxing to explore without having to worry so much about safety. I have to say I’m rather drawn to the Ópera de Arame – I like the contrast between its almost industrial style and the natural surroundings.
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I guess because we liked the heritage theatres so much that this one didn’t impress us as much. We did sit in the restaurant along the duck pond and beside the waterfall which was a very lovely lunch spot. 😊
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How beautiful! The city looks like a movie set or like it could be one of the parks at Disney. Thanks for sharing!
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It’s not a very touristy city which is maybe also why we liked it so much. We thought it would be a great city to live in because it’s clean, safe and so pretty. Thanks for your comments Lyssy! Maggie
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Beautiful city! I enjoyed your photos.
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Thank you!!
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Apologies for the slow response Maggie – our wifi was so weak in the last place that I couldn’t open your photos and I really didn’t want to comment till I’d seen them. Those newer structures really haven’t hit the mark, have they. One of my huge ambitions is to get to football matches in Brazil (preferably the Maracana) and in Buenos Aires….so I loved reading that the nation shuts down when it really matters. I absolutely LOVE that thought…!
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No worries, I know what it’s like to keep up to date when you’re traveling. We thought it would be fun to watch a Canada game at a pub when we were there, but they don’t watch the other countries, just Brazil. By the way, it’s not this one, it’s the next post you’ll want to see.😊
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Ooooh bring it on….
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I love the black and white tiles on the streets! You can see the influence of so many styles and time periods around the city, but it all seems to fit so seamlessly well with each other. 🙂 What a great way to start the day following along with you on this tour.
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That’s so true, some cities the mix of building ages doesn’t seem to fit, but somehow in Curitiba it works.
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Very nice, The Paco da Liberdade is beautiful. Did you go inside? The Jardin Botanico is amazing. Curitiba looks fantastic. Perhaps we will add it if we do a third trip to Brazil.
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Ha, yes your 3rd trip. We thought it would be a great Brazilian city to live in.
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This is my favorite city so far. Thanks for sharing. Mel
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Ya it felt more like a livable city tan dome of the other larger ones. Thanks Mel! Maggie
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and now it sounds like you have come home with an accent! Don’t you just love autocorrect?? 🙂
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😊😊😊 Sorry! Bad thumbs or autocorrect, not sure
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I love it, especially all the Christmas trees everywhere. The botanical gardens with the old style streetlamps are also beautiful.
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There are so many nice features in this city. We went by accident but are glad we saw it. 😊
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I have watched vlogs by a YouTuber based in Curitiba so I’m aware of this city but your blog has shown a different side. The historic buildings look different, unlike other cities. Is it true or I’m inaccurate in reading this?
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I think the buildings have a little influence from the German, Italian and Polish immigrants rather than just Portugal like the rest of Brazil.
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That’s too bad about the landslide, but as you said, at least you were able to spend more time exploring Curitiba. I can only imagine how chaotic things must have been during the football match with all the fans!
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I think it was chaotic inside the bars, but it was only staff. The streets were eerily quiet. We wanted to go tonanpuv during a game but Brazil’s matches were always at bad times for us and no one watched any other countries play. So it left us to explore Curitiba which turned out quite well!
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You have to admit that colonial architecture is more interesting than the modern stuff, especially when it’s well maintained with nice color choices. It seems like a lot of places have trouble with the maintenance part – looks like Curitiba is on top of it.
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So true, I much prefer older, well done and maintained architecture to newer designs. Curitiba did a great job of taking care of them. Maggie
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Great architecture, stunning botanic gardens ! Thank you, Maggie !
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Thanks Diana, Curitiba is a nice city that’s off the tourist radar. Glad you liked it 😊 Maggie
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What a tidy town – such beautiful architecture and landscape! Love the simple Christmas tree in front of the white church.
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Curitiba is very cute especially for a large city. We didn’t plan on visiting but are really glad we did! Maggie
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I remember after moving to Canada, I wondered if businesses would close for a major hockey match. You’re right that Canadians aren’t as committed fans as Brazilians, but I think sometimes that’s a good thing considering how toxic football fandom is in England
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We didn’t see any fights at least but they are huge soccer fans! Maggie
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Wonderful photos Maggie! I’m not sure where you get the time to pump out all these great posts, I’m struggling. 😉
Curitiba sounds amazing and interesting that it’s the safest city in Brazil. It’s sad how a country/city/town gets a bad rap then the reputation stays forever, regardless of what the destination is really like. But then again, you can’t go in blind.
I found this while living in Calabria (Italy), not even the Italians like to go to this southern region as it has a bad reputation although I found it a wonderful place with warm hospitable locals – loved it.
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Parts of Brazil do deserve its reputation but we found many more places that were completely safe and very liveable. Curitiba was kne of those. Maggie
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Oh wow, there are some really beautiful buildings in Curitiba. And I loved your walk through the Botanic Gardens – I usually prefer wild flowers, but every now and then it’s nice to see how much effort people put into planting flowers.
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Wild is always nicer but when a city makes an effort to plant flowers it always feels nicer. 😊
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Curitiba is an interesting mix of old and new. Loved your description of the Dr. Seuss-looking trees! It would be wonderful to see a performance in that opera house.
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Curitba has a really nice mix, it felt like a city we could live it. The trees were so awkward looking that I lived them 😊
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Thanks for the memories I lived there !!! wonderful city very modern and nice folks still in touch. Had a car and travel all over Morretes oh yes and a great Barreado !! My experiences in my blog. Cheers
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We weren’t able to get to Morretes, so I’ll have to see what I missed in your posts! Thanks for sharing your experience. Maggie
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You are welcome yes indeed worth it. Cheers
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another incredible Brazillian city, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you!!
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