1

It is the most modern city in Brazil but it lacks the typical brazilian atmosphere. For me it was really boring compared to any other brazilian city in the north

2

Museu do Expedicionário. Best thing Curitiba has to offer IMO. Quaint opening hours but fascinating exhibits, well if you are into military history that is.

http://www.curitiba-parana.net/expedicionario.htm (navigate through that link and it will give you the notable points for tourists)

Niemeyer Museum. Well worth a visit.

http://www.pr.gov.br/mon/

Various parks, Curitiba is known for its greenspace. Try the botanical gardens.

The Largo da Ordem, what, in Curitiba, passes for the historic section, can be seen, pretty much exhaustively, in about 15 minutes.

Guidebooks and the local tourist market seem to focus on Rua das Flores for some bizarre reason. It's a pedestrian mall. Probably vaguely interesting in 1973 or if you live in a part of the world so remote you have never seen one. Beyond that it's the usual selection of chains like Marisa, C&A etc etc.

Praça General Osório has a market that features local handicrafts. Lots of German, Polish and Ukrainian brica-a-brac. If you go there in June there will be stalls selling quentão, a sort of Brazilian version of mulled wine/ hot punch. The local version is actually quite good, dare I say it, the best I have had in Brazil.

The Passeio Público will give you an opportunity to see the world's oldest living prostitutes plying their trade to a clientele of similar vintage. There is an Arabic cultural centre across from there, that is quite interesting. Makes for an interesting photo at the very least.

Most people only visit as a transit point either on their way to/from Iguaçu or to take the Serra Verde train.

http://www.serraverdeexpress.com.br/

Curitiba is interesting largely in the sense that it's a real contrast to much of the rest of the country. Of course if you have a particular fetish for urban planning and public transport, then you will be delighted by the place. Of course if you don't know Brazil well the former will probably be lost on you and the latter is something of a niche market.

Enjoy.

3

Only spent a day there, but was very impressed. It is a modern incredibly- organized and clean city that would put most of northern european cities to shame. They have a great kew-garden like botanical park on the side of town. The downtown has lots of historical buildings with pedestrian streets. The transportation system had my mouth agap at times.

It also appeared to be very well-policed, but I was not there long enough to realy tell.

I agree that it boring in the sense it is so modern and well-run, but that may be a short breath of fresh air for some longterm backpackers who need a short break from feeling harassed, dusty and overwhelmed by the overlyexotic (which most of us want from latin-maerica anyway, right?). Most people say it is not the "Brazil" they are looking for (usually they are looking for something from Rio on north), but I was quite impressed with the place. I would not want to be there for more than a few days though, unless I was there specifically for serious medical assistance.

4

Quite true #3. It's the place most Paulistas and many other Brazilians aspire to live one day. It's clean, secure but relatively dull. Actually it's cleaner than many places I can think of in Oz, Europe the US or UK, let alone South America.

5

The previous posters have the place pegged accurately. I spent 4 days there dealing with motorcycle repairs, and even though I had a local connection it wasn't really that much fun. Maybe if you have a real fetish for urban planning....but even so. One night at the most, and don't feel badly if you just blast right through.

Of course, all that was before I had heard about the world's oldest prostitutes. Maybe next trip.....

Mark

6

Thanks guys, heaps of useful info in there :)