Curitiba is the capital of Paraná state and one of Brazil's best-planned cities. While it lacks the drama of Rio or the energy of São Paulo, it is a genuinely pleasant place — clean, green, well-organised, and full of parks. The innovative bus rapid transit system, designed in the 1970s, became a model copied by cities worldwide.
The city has a strong European immigrant heritage, particularly Italian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, and Japanese. This shows in the neighbourhoods: Santa Felicidade is the Italian quarter, with long-table restaurants serving enormous portions of polenta and pasta. The Bosque Alemão and the Ukrainian memorial in Parque Tingui reflect the city's multicultural roots. The neighbourhood of Batel is the most cosmopolitan part of the city, with the best concentration of restaurants and bars.
The Oscar Niemeyer Museum, housed in a striking eye-shaped building designed by Niemeyer himself at age 94, is the city's best museum. The Botanical Garden, with its Art Nouveau-style greenhouse, is the most-photographed spot. The historic centre around Largo da Ordem hosts a lively Sunday market. The Ópera de Arame and Teatro Guaíra are the city's main performing arts venues.
Curitiba also serves as a base for one of Brazil's great train journeys — the Serra Verde Express to Paranaguá, which descends through Atlantic Forest and mountainous terrain to the coast. The scenery is spectacular, and Guaratuba and Ilha do Mel are easily reached from Paranaguá.