---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Curitiba, Brazil | Wimup"
description: "Curitiba in one page: the Jardim Botânico greenhouse, the Oscar Niemeyer museum, the wire opera house and the Serra Verde Express down to Morretes."
url: https://wimup.com/city/curitiba
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-30
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Curitiba

Curitiba, Brazil · South America · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read

Curitiba sits about 930 metres up on the Paraná plateau, cooler and greener than any other big Brazilian city. It earned its name for planning: the first bus rapid transit, a pedestrian main street in 1972, and parks built over old quarries.

## Quick answer

Give the first day to the centre: Rua XV de Novembro on foot, the Largo da Ordem (on a Sunday for the craft fair) and lunch at the Mercado Municipal. Give the second to the parks and the architecture, by the Linha Turismo bus: the Jardim Botânico, the Ópera de Arame, Parque Tanguá at sunset and the Oscar Niemeyer museum. Keep the third for the Serra Verde Express down to Morretes and a plate of barreado.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Apr · May · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 3 days
- **Budget per day:** R$250–600
- **Language:** Portuguese
- **Getting around:** The Linha Turismo loop for the parks, express buses through the tube stations, ride apps for the rest
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.viajeparana.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Curitiba

### 1. Jardim Botânico de Curitiba

Park · Rua Engenheiro Ostoja Roguski, Jardim Botânico

The city's postcard: an iron-and-glass greenhouse at the end of French-style parterres, opened in 1991. Climb the greenhouse steps for the view back over the gardens, then walk the Atlantic Forest trail behind it.

- **Time:** 1–2 hours
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early morning
- **Tip:** The greenhouse closes now and then for glass cleaning, but the gardens stay open

### 2. Museu Oscar Niemeyer

Museum · Rua Marechal Hermes 999, Centro Cívico

Niemeyer's raised Eye over a reflecting pool is the building people come for, and the galleries beneath hold the strongest art programme in southern Brazil. Walk the ramp up into the Eye before the main halls.

- **Time:** 2–3 hours
- **Cost:** R$36, half price R$18
- **Best at:** Weekday morning
- **Tip:** Wednesdays are free, so they are also the busiest day

Links: [Website](https://www.museuoscarniemeyer.org.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Serra Verde Express to Morretes

Day trip · Estação Rodoferroviária, Curitiba

The train drops from the plateau to the coastal plain through the Serra do Mar, over viaducts cut into the Atlantic Forest, in about four hours. It is the best view in Paraná from a seat.

- **Time:** Full day
- **Cost:** Varies by class
- **Best at:** A clear morning
- **Tip:** Departures are daily in holiday months and fewer otherwise, so book ahead and take the bus back

Links: [Website](https://www.serraverdeexpress.com.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Ópera de Arame

Landmark · Rua João Gava 920, Abranches

A tubular steel theatre built in 75 days and opened in 1992 over a flooded quarry lake. Cross the walkway in and look up, then walk next door to the Pedreira Paulo Leminski, the city's open-air concert ground.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Free outside events
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Hours shift around shows, so check before crossing town

### 5. Largo da Ordem

Historic centre · Largo da Ordem, São Francisco

The colonial core: cobbled squares, the Igreja da Ordem from 1737 and the Memorial de Curitiba. On Sundays the craft fair runs from about 9am to 2pm through the surrounding streets.

- **Time:** 2–3 hours
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Sunday morning
- **Tip:** Arrive before the noon crowd, then stop at Bar do Alemão for carne de onça

### 6. Parque Tanguá

Park · Rua Oswaldo Maciel, Taboão

Two old quarries joined by a tunnel, with a waterfall beside the belvedere at the top. It is the city's sunset spot, and the walkway along the cliff edge gives the view.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Sunset
- **Tip:** Pair it with Parque Tingui and the Ukrainian memorial just south

### 7. Rua XV de Novembro

Street · Rua XV de Novembro, Centro

Closed to cars in 1972 and among the first pedestrian streets in Brazil, the Rua das Flores runs from Praça Osório to Praça Santos Andrade past Art Nouveau facades. In December the Palácio Avenida choir sings from its windows.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Weekday late morning
- **Tip:** Walk it end to end and finish at the university building on Praça Santos Andrade

### 8. Mercado Municipal

Food · Avenida Sete de Setembro 1865, Centro

Opened in 1958, it became the first market in Brazil with a section for organic produce in 2009. Graze on pastéis, Paraná cheeses and pinhão in season, then take coffee upstairs.

- **Time:** 1–2 hours
- **Cost:** Free entry
- **Best at:** Saturday morning
- **Tip:** Sunday hours are short and Monday is quiet, so come Tuesday to Saturday

Links: [Website](https://www.mercadomunicipaldecuritiba.com.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Santa Felicidade

Food · Avenida Manoel Ribas, Santa Felicidade

The Italian quarter, settled in 1878, lines Avenida Manoel Ribas with family restaurants serving fried chicken, polenta and colony wine. Madalosso, listed by Guinness for 4,645 seats, is the extreme of the genre.

- **Time:** Half a day
- **Cost:** Set menus by the head
- **Best at:** Sunday lunch
- **Tip:** Families queue on Sundays, so arrive before 1pm

### 10. Bosque Alemão

Park · Rua Nicolo Paganini, Jardim Schaffer

A forest park honouring German immigrants, with a Hansel and Gretel trail, a reading cottage and a lookout tower. It is the quietest of the big parks and the best one for children.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** The Linha Turismo stops here, so ride on to Parque Tanguá afterwards

## Best parks and gardens in Curitiba

Curitiba built its parks over quarries and floodplains. These are the seven worth crossing town for.

1. **Parque Barigui** (Lake · Capybaras · Bigorrilho): The city's living room: a lake, running paths and capybaras grazing on the lawns.
2. **Passeio Público** (Historic · Central · Centro): The oldest park in the city, opened in 1886, with islands and bridges a short walk from Rua XV.
3. **Parque Tingui** (Heritage · River · São João): A riverside park with the Memorial Ucraniano, a wooden church built in the Ukrainian style.
4. **Bosque do Papa** (Heritage · Polish · Centro Cívico): Log houses moved from Polish settlers' farms, in a wood named for John Paul II's 1980 visit.
5. **Parque São Lourenço** (Lake · Arts · São Lourenço): An old dam lake and a former glue factory turned into an arts centre.
6. **Universidade Livre do Meio Ambiente** (Architecture · Trail · Pilarzinho): A spiral tower of eucalyptus logs above a quarry lake, with a forest trail around it.
7. **Zoológico de Curitiba** (Zoo · Family · Alto Boqueirão): The city zoo, inside Parque Regional do Iguaçu on the southeast edge.

## Best museums in Curitiba

Four collections beyond the Niemeyer, from Paraná's oldest museum to a painter's house.

1. **Museu Paranaense** (History · Palace · São Francisco): Founded in 1876 and now in the Palácio São Francisco, it tells the state's story from the first peoples on.
2. **Museu Egípcio e Rosacruz** (Egypt · Oddity · Bacacheri): An Egyptian collection, mummy included, run by the Rosicrucian order beside its temple.
3. **Museu do Expedicionário** (War · History · Alto da Glória): Brazil's part in the Second World War in Italy, with the aircraft and tank outside.
4. **Museu Alfredo Andersen** (Painting · House · Centro): The home and studio of the Norwegian-born painter who trained Paraná's first generation of artists.

## Best landmarks in Curitiba

The buildings that frame the old centre, all within a 20-minute walk of each other.

1. **Paço da Liberdade** (Art Nouveau · 1916 · Centro): The Art Nouveau former city hall from 1916, now a cultural centre with a café.
2. **Universidade Federal do Paraná** (Neoclassical · Square · Centro): The columned university building facing Praça Santos Andrade, founded in 1912.
3. **Teatro Guaíra** (Theatre · Concerts · Centro): The state's main theatre and the home stage of the Oficina de Música in January.
4. **Catedral Basílica de Curitiba** (Church · Square · Centro): The neo-Gothic cathedral on Praça Tiradentes, where the city was founded.

## Best restaurants in Curitiba

From a Latin American top-50 tasting menu to Italian set lunches and Ukrainian dumplings.

1. **Manu** (Tasting menu · Book ahead · Batel): Manu Buffara's tasting menu built on Paraná produce, No. 35 on Latin America's 50 Best in 2023.
2. **Madalosso** (Italian · Set menu · Santa Felicidade): The giant of Santa Felicidade, with a set Italian menu brought to the table without end.
3. **Famiglia Fadanelli** (Italian · Family · Santa Felicidade): A Santa Felicidade family house for the same feast at a smaller scale.
4. **Ukra Bar** (Ukrainian · Club · Água Verde): Ukrainian cooking inside the Poltava cultural club: pierogi, borscht and holubtsi.

## Best bars and coffee in Curitiba

Two historic bars, a brewery and the best coffee in the country, by one ranking.

1. **Bar do Alemão** (Chope · Carne de onça · São Francisco): Open since 1979 on the Largo da Ordem, and the inventor of the submarino in 1982.
2. **Bar Stuart** (Historic · Since 1904 · Centro): The oldest bar in Paraná, founded in 1904, reopened on Praça Osório in June 2026.
3. **Bodebrown** (Craft beer · Brewery · Hauer): The craft brewery that put Curitiba on Brazil's beer map, with its taps at the factory.
4. **Lucca Cafés Especiais** (Specialty coffee · Batel): Fourth on the 2026 list of South America's 100 best coffee shops, and the top Brazilian entry.

## Best neighborhoods in Curitiba

Five districts, from the colonial centre to the Italian quarter.

1. **São Francisco** (Historic · Nightlife · Centro Histórico): The historic centre around the Largo da Ordem, with the liveliest bars after dark.
2. **Batel** (Upmarket · Dining · Batel): The smart end of town: hotels, the best restaurants and leafy streets.
3. **Centro Cívico** (Museums · Government · Centro Cívico): The state government district, the Niemeyer museum and the Bosque do Papa.
4. **Água Verde** (Residential · Japanese square · Água Verde): A residential district around the Praça do Japão and its tea house.
5. **Santa Felicidade** (Italian · Food · Santa Felicidade): The Italian quarter, for long lunches and wineries on the city's edge.

## Best day trips from Curitiba

The coast is an hour down the mountains, and the plateau has its own sights.

1. **Morretes** (70 km · Train or road · Morretes): The colonial river town at the end of the train line, and the home of barreado.
2. **Antonina** (80 km · Road · Antonina): A faded colonial port on the bay, a short drive on from Morretes.
3. **Estrada da Graciosa** (30 km to the top · Road · Quatro Barras): A cobbled 19th-century road down the Serra do Mar, with rest stops in the forest.
4. **Parque Estadual de Vila Velha** (About 90 km · Tickets online · Ponta Grossa): Sandstone pillars carved by wind and rain on the plateau near Ponta Grossa.
5. **Lapa** (About 70 km · Road · Lapa): A preserved colonial town, scene of the 1894 siege during the Federalist Revolution.
6. **Ilha do Mel** (About 110 km · Overnight · Paranaguá): A car-free island of beaches and a colonial fort, by ferry from Pontal do Sul.

## Festivals & annual events in Curitiba (2026)

- **Oficina de Música** (January): Twelve days of classes and concerts across the city, most of them free, centred on the Teatro Guaíra.
- **Festa da Uva** (Early February): Santa Felicidade's grape harvest festival, with fried chicken, polenta and colony wine.
- **Psycho Carnival** (Carnival week): Curitiba's answer to samba: an international psychobilly festival in the city's rock bars.
- **Zombie Walk** (Carnival Sunday): Thousands in fake blood shuffle from Boca Maldita to Praça Santos Andrade. Free.
- **City anniversary** (29 March): The city marks its founding in 1693 with free concerts and events downtown.
- **Festival de Curitiba** (Late March to April): Brazil's largest theatre festival, with more than 400 shows in two weeks and a fringe.
- **Maratona de Curitiba** (Mid November): About 16,000 runners on 5 km to marathon courses, with the expo at the Niemeyer museum.
- **Natal de Curitiba** (December): Lights across the parks and the children's choir singing from the Palácio Avenida windows.

## Must-try dishes in Curitiba, Brazil

- **Carne de onça**: Raw seasoned beef on rye with onion and chives, the city's bar snack.
- **Barreado**: Beef slow-cooked for hours in a sealed clay pot, the dish of Morretes.
- **Pierogi**: Polish and Ukrainian dumplings, filled with potato, cheese or meat.
- **Frango com polenta**: Fried chicken and fried polenta, the Santa Felicidade set lunch.
- **Pinhão**: Araucaria pine seeds, boiled or roasted, sold everywhere in winter.
- **Café colonial**: A spread of breads, cakes and cold cuts from the immigrant farms.
- **Bala de banana**: Banana sweets from the coastal valleys around Morretes and Antonina.
- **Quentão**: Hot cachaça with ginger and spices, poured at the June festivals.

## Curitiba transport & airports

- **Afonso Pena International Airport** (CWB): In São José dos Pinhais, about 18 km from the centre. The E32 Ligeirinho bus links it to the city network, and ride apps take about 30 minutes.
- **Rodoferroviária** (Coaches): The combined coach and rail station on the east side of the centre, with intercity buses and the Serra Verde Express to Morretes.
- **Express buses and tube stations** (BRT): The bus rapid transit network the world copied: dedicated lanes and glass tube stations where you pay before boarding and step in level with the floor.
- **Linha Turismo** (Tour bus): A hop-on, hop-off loop of about 26 stops past the parks and sights, starting from the centre. One ticket covers several boardings.

## Curitiba at a glance

- **Country:** Brazil
- **Region:** Paraná, capital of the state, southern Brazil
- **Population:** 1,773,718 in the municipality (IBGE 2022 census)
- **Founded:** 29 March 1693, when the town council was created
- **Nickname:** Capital Ecológica, the ecological capital. Residents are curitibanos.
- **Language:** Portuguese
- **Currency:** Brazilian real (BRL)
- **Time zone:** BRT (UTC-3). Brazil dropped its summer clock in 2019.
- **Calling code:** +55, area code 41
- **Airports:** Afonso Pena International (CWB), in São José dos Pinhais
- **Power:** 127V in Curitiba, type N sockets
- **Emergency:** 190 police, 192 ambulance, 193 fire

## Interesting facts

- Curitiba sits about 930 metres above sea level, high enough for frost on winter mornings.
- The city's tube stations, introduced in 1991, let riders pay before the bus arrives and board level.
- Rua XV de Novembro was closed to cars in 1972, among the first pedestrian streets in Brazil.
- The Ópera de Arame was built in 75 days and opened in 1992 on the site of a disused quarry.
- Bar Stuart, founded in 1904, is the oldest bar in Paraná and has stood on Praça Osório since 1954.

## Curitiba travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Curitiba?

Three. One for the centre on foot (Rua XV, the Largo da Ordem and the Mercado Municipal), one for the parks and the Niemeyer museum by the Linha Turismo, and one for the train down to Morretes.

### Is the Serra Verde Express worth it?

Yes, on a clear day. The line drops from the plateau through the Serra do Mar forest in about four hours. Most people ride down in the morning and return by bus from Morretes to save the afternoon.

### When is the best time to visit Curitiba?

April, May and September bring mild days and less rain. Winter, June to August, is cold by Brazilian standards, with frost possible. Late March and April add the Festival de Curitiba.

### How do you get around Curitiba?

The Linha Turismo loop covers the parks that are far apart. Express buses through the tube stations handle longer trips, and ride apps are cheap. The centre itself is walkable.

### What should you eat in Curitiba?

Carne de onça in a downtown bar, a Santa Felicidade lunch of fried chicken and polenta, pierogi from the Polish and Ukrainian kitchens, and barreado in Morretes.

## Nearby guides

- [Florianópolis](https://wimup.com/city/florianopolis.md): Brazil · 10 picks
- [São Paulo](https://wimup.com/city/sao-paulo.md): Brazil · 10 picks
- [Porto Alegre](https://wimup.com/city/porto-alegre.md): Brazil · 10 picks
- [All of South America →](https://wimup.com/south-america): 38 cities

Part of the [Brazil guide](https://wimup.com/country/brazil.md) · [South America](https://wimup.com/south-america.md)

## Sources

- [Curitiba tourism board](https://www.viajeparana.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museu Oscar Niemeyer (official site)](https://www.museuoscarniemeyer.org.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Serra Verde Express to Morretes (official site)](https://www.serraverdeexpress.com.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Mercado Municipal (official site)](https://www.mercadomunicipaldecuritiba.com.br/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.