São Paulo – Some cities attract tourists with their beauty, others have stories to tell, and others still are gastronomic and cultural hubs. And then there is Curitiba. The capital of the state of Paraná has the beauty, the history, lots of culture and delightful cuisine. At present, the city inhabited by 1.8 million people takes pride in the qualities that allow it to be big without being chaotic. Would you like an example? Curitiba has plenty of the green area that lacks in major urban centres abounds.
One of the main concert halls in the city, for instance, is right in the middle of the green, at Parque das Pedreiras-Paulo Leminski (the former means Quarries’ Park). Built in 1992, Ópera de Arame (the Wire Opera) has capacity for over 1,600 people and regularly hosts music concerts and theatre plays.
The people who watch performances at Ópera de Arame are graced with three spectacles at once: the one being performed, the spectacle of the architecture, because Ópera is made of iron and glass only, and that of nature itself. Ópera hovers above a lake surrounded by trees. The park is also home to the quarry, where the city’s large open-air festivals are held.
Aside from Parque das Pedreiras, Curitiba has other options of green areas, such as the Tingui, Barigui and Tanguá parks. In the former, visitors may enjoy a fine sight and walk in an ancient cave. The city view is available in the higher portion of the park. The walking area and the cave are in the low portion. Although lengthy, the walk does not require athlete-like physical conditioning.
A visit to Curitiba must also include Jardim Botânico (the Botanical Garden) and its famed greenhouse, made of steel and glass, which harbours specimens of the national flora. During springtime, the flower seedlings are a show of their own in the gardens that surround the greenhouse.
Nature makes its presence felt just about everywhere you go in Curitiba. Not incidentally, she also lends the city its name. In Guarani [the language of the Brazilian Indians), the word kur yt yba means “pine tree woods.” The Indians who lived there used to call it that because of the many pinheiros-do-paraná (Paraná pine trees) that existed in the region.
The Indians christened the city before its official foundation, on March 29th, 1693, when the first election for the City Council was held, and a village named Vila de Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais. Curitiba would become a town in 1721 and for many years it would be used as a resting place for the tropeiros (travelling merchants who used to buy and sell horses and mules) travelling from the state of Rio Grande do Sul to São Paulo.
Later on, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Paraná state capital received immigrants who arrived from Europe, and it also became the point of departure for a railway that led to the Port of Paranaguá.
Like many Brazilian cities, Curitiba was not planned. Still, unlike most of them, it prepared itself for growth later on. As early as the 1970s, an urbanism plan divided the city into sections and neighbourhoods, streets were enlarged or turned into avenues, and the public transportation system was implemented according to passenger’s origin and destination needs.
That, however, does not mean that the city let go of its features. Until this day one can, for instance, drink artisanal wine produced in the city’s most flavourful neighbourhood, Santa Felicidade.
Even though the restaurants offer dishes from virtually every corner of the world, Italian cuisine is the highlight of the menus. Prior to becoming a food hub, Santa Felicidade received colonies of Italian immigrants. In present days, it is even possible to taste the wine made locally by small producers. The wine, of course, should be accompanied by the great pastas, pizzas, meats and dishes from the world over that are available in Santa Felicidade.
If the visitor intends to get to know more of the city and enjoy its cultural spaces, the tip is to let go of the transport and walk. That is how you get to Rua 24 Horas (the 24-Hour Street). Theoretically, everything there remains open 24 hours a day. Along its length of approximately 100 metres, visitors will find snack bars, stores and even flower stands. This “street” is in fact a gallery which, like Jardim Botânico and Ópera de Arame, was built from steel and glass. The materials and architectural features are classical in the capital of Paraná.
Being a big city that received large numbers of immigrants, Curitiba has room for every culture. The Arabs, for instance, have a memorial in the Centre of the city. Cube-shaped, it is inspired by the architecture of Moorish buildings and includes a library of books on Arabic culture. It is decorated with a sculpture that represents writer Gibran Khalil Gibran.
The Arab Memorial is not the only space for contemplation in the city. Another spot that attracts tourists from all over Brazil is the Niemeyer Museum, inaugurated in 2002 at Centro Cívico (Civic Centre) near the seat of the state government. Similar to other buildings designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, the museum is a curve-heavy open-air complex. The museum, for example, was nicknamed “the eye” because it resembles the shape of the human eye. The exhibitions do not follow any particular theme. Currently, there are exhibitions of photos of Paris, of Polish posters and of the designer and woodworker Carlos Motta underway.
After taking a tour of Museu Niemeyer, visitors may rest in a…. green area, Bosque do Papa (the Pope’s Wood). This is Curitiba: amidst the attractions and the turmoil of the big city, there is always a little green spot in which to rest and enjoy the nature.
Where to stay
Ibis Centro Cívico – Rua Mateus Leme, 358, Centro. Tel.: (+55 41) 3324-0469
Ibis Batel – Rua Comendador Araújo, 730, Batel. Tel.: (+55 41) 2102-2000
Crowne Plaza – Rua Presidente Carlos Cavalcanti, 600, Centro. Tel.: (+55 41) 3204-4000
Mercure Parque Barigui – Rua Padre Anchieta, 2.320, Bigorrilho. Tel.: (+55 41) 2111-2800
Curitiba Palace – Rua Desembargador Ermelino de Leão, 45, Centro. Tel.: (+55 41) 3322-8081
Where to eat
Barolo Tratoria – Avenida Silva Jardim, 2.487, Batel. Tel.: (+55 41) 3243-3430
Casa dos Arcos – Avenida Manoel Ribas, 5.999, Sta. Felicidade. Tel.: (+55 41) 3372-2323
Churrascaria Amantino – Avenida Manoel Ribas, 6.047, Sta. Felicidade. Tel.: (+55 41) 3272-4165
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
