Curitiba

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Old town hall in Curitiba, Brazil; Shutterstock ID 181891124; GL: 65050; netsuite: 65050; full: hub; name: lenczycki 181891124

© Det-anan/Shutterstock

Overview

Curitiba has long garnered praise for being one of the world’s best models of urban planning. This is mainly due to the bold initiatives of its three-term mayor, Jaime Lerner. His daring moves in the early 1970s transformed a six-block length of downtown into a pedestrian zone (done in secret under the cover of darkness), created five express-bus avenues with futuristic tubular boarding platforms, encouraged recycling and sustainable design long before it was fashionable, and planted trees and created parks on an enormous scale.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Oscar Niemeyer Museum in Curitiba, Parana State, Brazil. Cassiano Correia/Shutterstock

    Museu Oscar Niemeyer

    Curitiba

    Designed by and named for the architect responsible for much of Brasília, this striking museum features an iconic eye-shaped tower painted with whimsical…

  • Mandatory Credit: Photo by Thenews2/NurPhoto/Shutterstock (14294647m).The Catedral Basilica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais, also known as the Catedral Basilica de Curitiba, is a Brazilian Catholic temple situated in the capital of the Brazilian state of Parana. It serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Curitiba. Built in the neo-Gothic style, the cathedral was inaugurated on September 7, 1893, and was last restored in 2012. This photo is taken in Curitiba, Brazil, on January 10, 2024..Curitiba Basilica Cathedral, Brasil - 10 Jan 2024 14294647m CURITIBA, BASILICA, CATHEDRAL, BRASIL, 10, JAN, 2024, CATEDRAL, MENOR, DE, NOSSA, SENHORA, DA, LUZ, DOS, PINHAIS, ALSO, KNOWN, AS, IS, A, BRAZILIAN, CATHOLIC, TEMPLE, SITUATED, CAPITAL, STATE, PARANA, IT, SERVES, SEAT, ARCHDIOCESE, CURITIBA, BUILT, NEOGOTHIC, STYLE, WAS, INAUGURATED, SEPTEMBER, 7, 1893, LAST, RESTORED, 2012, THIS, PHOTO, TAKEN, BRAZIL, JANUARY, 2024, ARCHITECTURE, BASÍLICA, CHAIR, CHURCH, CULTURAL, SIGNIFICANCE, DIOCESE, EDSON, SOUZA, FAITH, GOTHIC, REVIVAL, HERITAGE, HISTORICAL, BUILDING, HUM, LANDMARK, NURPHOTO, PARANÁ, PRESERVATION, RELIGIOUS, SITE, SOUTH, AMERICA, THENEWS2, TOURISM, WORSHIP, NEWS, 134048969

    Catedral Basílica de Curitiba

    Curitiba

    Inaugurated in 1893 and completely restored in 2012, Curitiba's neo-Gothic main cathedral – inspired by Barcelona's metropolitan cathedral – isn't one of…

  • Curitiba - PR, Brazil - December 15, 2018: Building of UFPR - Federal University of Paraná. Historic Building, the first brazilian university., License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-01-30T21:54:41.000Z, User: Ppeterson948, Editorial: true, purchase_order: 56530 - Guidebooks, job: Global Publishing WIP, client: Global Publishing WIP, other: Pia Peterson Haggarty

    MusA-UFPR

    Curitiba

    Inside the neoclassical headquarters of the Federal University of Paraná, the university's museum features rotating exhibitions along with a small and…

  • Curitiba, Parana,Brazil - September 26, 2020 - Belvedere Palace, an art nouveau building in the center of Curitiba, listed as a historical heritage site; Shutterstock ID 1864735786; purchase_order:56530 - Guidebooks; job:Global Publishing WIP; client:Global Publishing WIP; other:Pia Peterson Haggarty 1864735786

    Palácio Belvedere

    Curitiba

    Built in 1923, this modest art nouveau construction was originally designed to be a city lookout. It was left to die and gutted by fie in 2017, but the…

  • Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil - September 26, 2020 - Neighborhood known as Largo da Ordem, Complex with the oldest buildings in the city of Curitiba; Shutterstock ID 1864709392; purchase_order:56530 - Guidebooks; job:Global Publishing WIP ; client:Global Publishing WIP ; other:Pia Peterson Haggarty 1864709392

    Largo da Ordem

    Curitiba

    Curitiba's colonial heart. Here, the pedestrian-only cobblestone streets are lined with beautifully restored buildings, many of which now house trendy art…

  • Paço da Liberdade, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. July, 22 2022. View of the facade of the Sesc Paço da Liberdade headquarters building in the center of curitiba. ; Shutterstock ID 2207293349; purchase_order:56530 - Guidebooks; job:Global Publishing WIP; client:Global Publishing WIP; other:Pia Peterson Haggarty 2207293349

    Paço da Liberdade

    Curitiba

    Curitiba's historic Old City Hall was inaugurated in 1926 and designed by then-mayor Cândido Ferreira de Abreu, who was responsible for many of the city's…

  • The Jardim Botânico, Green Gardens, of Curitiba. Shutterstock

    Jardim Botânico

    Curitiba

    In the far south of the city, the Jardim Botânico is a vast, flower-filled expanse, studded with sculpture and crisscrossed by walking paths. The…

  • Curitiba - PR, Brazil - December 15, 2018: Cultural center of Curitiba. Centro Cultural Teatro Guaíra. Theater of downtown, in front of Santos Andrade square.; Shutterstock ID 1277063743; purchase_order:56530 - Guidebooks; job:Global Publishing WIP; client:Global Publishing WIP; other:Pia Peterson Haggarty 1277063743

    Teatro Guaíra

    Curitiba

    This premier state-run theater in Curitiba is home to the Paraná Symphony Orchestra (Orquestra Sinfônica do Paraná), and also hosts other dance and…

View more attractions

Articles

Latest stories from Curitiba

Curitiba - PR, Brazil - December 16, 2018: People at the Sundays Fair, Largo da Ordem fair at the historic downtown of Curitiba. Tourist destination of the city. 1284223948 brazil, brazilian, crafts, curitiba, destination, downtown, editorial, fair, feirinha, historic, landmark, large, order, parana, paraná, people, place, pr, shops, sunday, tourism, travel, wide, editorial use only, feira do largo da ordem, largo da ordem, Adult, Backpack, City, Cityscape, Dog, Glasses, Handbag, Hat, Male, Man, People, Person, Shoe, Shorts, Traffic Light, Urban, Wristwatch Curitiba - PR, Brazil - December 16, 2018: People at the Sundays Fair, Largo da Ordem fair at the historic downtown of Curitiba. Tourist destination of the city., License Type: media_digital, Download Time: 2024-07-23T21:02:34.000Z, User: bhealy950, Editorial: true, purchase_order: 65050, job: Lonely Planet Online Editorial, client: First-time guide to Curitiba, other: Brian Healy

Day Trip

A first-time guide to Curitiba, Brazil

Jul 30, 2024 • 7 min read

Read more articles

Build a memorable collection

Get to the heart of Curitiba with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Curitiba