Things to do in Curitiba

Where locals actually go — culture, neighbourhoods, nature and a few hidden gems.

Editor's picks

A local's shortlist — the places worth your time first, each with a tip.

Jardim Botânico

Landmark · Jardim Botânico district, east of the centre

The art nouveau glasshouse and formal French gardens that became the city's postcard, built on a reclaimed rubbish tip in 1991.

Local tip: Everyone photographs the greenhouse and turns round. The trail into the native forest behind it, and the boardwalk over the wetland, are where the park actually is — and both are empty on a weekday morning.

Largo da Ordem

Nightlife · Historic centre

Cobbled streets around the eighteenth-century church, with the city's oldest bars and a large Sunday antiques and crafts fair.

Local tip: The Sunday feira is the famous part but the Wednesday and Thursday nights are the local one — the bars on Rua São Francisco are where Curitiba actually drinks. The area is quiet on Monday and Tuesday to the point of being closed.

Mercado Municipal

Food · Next to the bus station, central

A 1958 covered market with an entire organic hall, a serious cheese and charcuterie section, and the city's best casual lunch counters.

Local tip: Go before eleven on a Saturday. The upstairs restaurants do a proper Paraná barreado and the deli aisles carry Polish, Ukrainian, Italian and German products that reflect who actually settled this city.

Santa Felicidade

Neighborhood · North-west of the centre

The Italian colony founded by Veneto immigrants in the 1870s, now a boulevard of enormous family restaurants and wine cellars.

Local tip: The set menus are galeto, polenta and pasta served until you surrender, and they are a Sunday institution rather than a tourist trap. Go with more people than you think you need and skip breakfast.

Ópera de Arame & Parque Tanguá

Culture · Northern quarries

A tubular steel opera house standing in a flooded granite quarry, and a second quarry turned into a park with a waterfall and a tunnel walk.

Local tip: The two are minutes apart and best done together in the late afternoon. Tanguá's viewpoint at sunset over the quarry lake is the single best free view in Curitiba and almost no visitor knows to go.

Trem da Serra do Mar to Morretes

Hidden gem

Nature · Departs Curitiba central station

An 1880s mountain railway dropping 900 metres through Atlantic rainforest to the coastal plain, across viaducts cut into the escarpment.

Local tip: One of the great train journeys anywhere and Curitibanos treat it as an ordinary day out. Take the train down, eat barreado in Morretes, and come back by road — the return leg by rail is the same view in worse light. Sit on the left going down.

Explore 61 places across Curitiba

Museums, landmarks, monuments, heritage sites and parks — mapped, with photos. The most notable spots first.

Loading street map…

Museum · 19Landmark · 18Monument · 8Religious · 7Park · 6Attraction · 3Open in OpenStreetMap

Museums & galleries

(19)
Photograph unavailableOscar Niemeyer MuseumMuseum

Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Art museum in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Photograph unavailableBosque AlemãoMuseum

Bosque Alemão

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableMuseu ParanaenseMuseum

Museu Paranaense

Arts and history museum in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailableMuseu Egípcio e RosacruzMuseum

Museu Egípcio e Rosacruz

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Photograph unavailableMuseu do ExpedicionárioMuseum

Museu do Expedicionário

Museum in Brazil

Photograph unavailableMuseu Botânico MunicipalMuseum

Museu Botânico Municipal

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableMuseu Municipal de ArteMuseum

Museu Municipal de Arte

Brazilian museum

Photograph unavailableMuseu da VidaMuseum

Museu da Vida

Museum in Brazil

Photograph unavailableMemorial de CuritibaMuseum

Memorial de Curitiba

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableCuritiba StationMuseum

Curitiba Station

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableCasa Barão do Serro AzulMuseum

Casa Barão do Serro Azul

Historical good listed by the Coordination of Cultural Heritage of the State of Paraná in the city of Curitiba

Photograph unavailableHistorical and Geographic Institute of ParanáMuseum

Historical and Geographic Institute of Paraná

Cultural, archival and scientific institute located in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableMuseu Alfredo AndersenMuseum

Museu Alfredo Andersen

Museum in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailableMuseu Coronel David CarneiroMuseum

Museu Coronel David Carneiro

Museum in Brazil

Photograph unavailableMuseu de Arte da UFPRMuseum

Museu de Arte da UFPR

Museum in Curitiba, Paraná

Photograph unavailableMuseum

Casa Andrade Muricy

Museum.

Photograph unavailableMuseum

Casa de Antônio Escorsin

Museum.

Photograph unavailableMuseum

Museu da Polícia Rodoviária Federal

Museum.

Photograph unavailableMuseum

MAI - Museu de Arte Indígena

Água Verde

Museum in Água Verde.

Landmarks & architecture

(18)
Photograph unavailablePraça do JapãoLandmark

Praça do Japão

Public square in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailablePalácio AvenidaLandmark

Palácio Avenida

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailableIguaçu palaceLandmark

Iguaçu palace

Headquarter building of the government of the state of Paraná, located in the Civic Center, Curitiba

Photograph unavailableCastelo do BatelLandmark

Castelo do Batel

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailablePalácio das AraucáriasLandmark

Palácio das Araucárias

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailablePaço da LiberdadeLandmark

Paço da Liberdade

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailablePraça 19 de DezembroLandmark

Praça 19 de Dezembro

Square in Curitiba with centennial monument

Photograph unavailablePalácio GaribaldiLandmark

Palácio Garibaldi

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailable29 de Março palaceLandmark

29 de Março palace

Headquarters building of the municipal government of Curitiba

Photograph unavailablePalácio da LiberdadeLandmark

Palácio da Liberdade

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailablePraça Rui BarbosaLandmark

Praça Rui Barbosa

Landmark in Curitiba.

Photograph unavailablePraça TiradentesLandmark

Praça Tiradentes

Square in Curitiba

Photograph unavailableAntigo Palácio WolffLandmark

Antigo Palácio Wolff

Historical good listed by the Coordination of Cultural Heritage of the State of Paraná in the city of Curitiba

Photograph unavailableRio Branco palaceLandmark

Rio Branco palace

Headquarters building of the legislative power of the city of Curitiba

Photograph unavailablePraça Carlos Gomes, CuritibaLandmark

Praça Carlos Gomes, Curitiba

Square in Curitiba

Photograph unavailableGeneral Osório SquareLandmark

General Osório Square

Public square in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailablePraça Eufrásio CorreiaLandmark

Praça Eufrásio Correia

Square in the city of Curitiba listed as having historical interest

Photograph unavailableLandmark

Palacete Leão Júnior

Castle.

Monuments & memorials

(8)
Photograph unavailableMemorial UcranianoMonument

Memorial Ucraniano

Monument in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailableTile panels of the 1º Centenário do ParanáMonument

Tile panels of the 1º Centenário do Paraná

Blue tile historical work by Poty Lazzarotto in Curitiba

Photograph unavailableLargo da SaúdeMonument

Largo da Saúde

COVID-19 memorial in Curitiba

Photograph unavailableCentennial monument to Parana's Political Emancipation, CuritibaMonument

Centennial monument to Parana's Political Emancipation, Curitiba

Granite sculptures in Praça Dezenove de Dezembro, by Cozzo and Stenzel

Photograph unavailableMonument

Parque da Vilinha

Memorial.

Photograph unavailableMonument

Chico Mendes

Memorial.

Photograph unavailableMonument

Vênus Curitibana

Public artwork by Maria Inés Di Bella.

Photograph unavailableMonument

Manoel Ribas

Public artwork by João Turin.

Places of worship

(7)
Photograph unavailableIgreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco das ChagasReligious

Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco das Chagas

Church in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailableCentro Israelita do ParanáReligious

Centro Israelita do Paraná

Jewish centre in Brazil

Photograph unavailableIgreja Ortodoxa São JorgeReligious

Igreja Ortodoxa São Jorge

Church in Curitiba, Brazil

Photograph unavailableParóquia Imaculado Coração de MariaReligious

Paróquia Imaculado Coração de Maria

Church building in Brazil

Photograph unavailableTemplo Evangélico LuteranoReligious

Templo Evangélico Luterano

Historical good listed by the Coordination of Cultural Heritage of the State of Paraná in the city of Curitiba

Photograph unavailableReligious

Paróquia São José Santa Felicidade

Place of worship.

Photograph unavailableReligious

Igreja da Glória

Place of worship.

Parks & nature

(6)
Photograph unavailableBotanical Garden of CuritibaPark

Botanical Garden of Curitiba

Botanical garden

Photograph unavailablePasseio PúblicoPark

Passeio Público

Park in Curitiba

Photograph unavailablePark

Praça Primo Favretto

Public park.

Photograph unavailablePark

Praça Santos Andrade

Centro

Public park in Centro.

Photograph unavailablePark

Praça Oswaldo Cruz

Centro

Public park in Centro.

Photograph unavailablePark

Jardinete Desembargador Zeferino Krukoski

Public park.

More to explore

(3)
Photograph unavailableAttraction

Parque Tanguá

Visitor attraction.

Photograph unavailableAttraction

Mirante da Chaminé Passaúna

Viewpoint.

Photograph unavailableAttraction

Armazém Santa Ana

Visitor attraction.

Data from Wikidata (CC0) & OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Images via Wikimedia Commons — see each credit. Listings are community-maintained and may be incomplete or out of date — verify hours and access before visiting.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make Curitiba feel like home

Globe Quest gives you a free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, setup steps and people to meet, timed to your move.