7 Best Sights in The South, Brazil

Although not as old and renowned as its counterpart in Rio, the Botanical Garden has become a Curitiba showplace. Its most outstanding feature is the tropical flora in the two-story steel-and-glass greenhouse that was inspired by London's Crystal Palace. The Municipal Botanical Museum, with its library and remarkable collection of rare Brazilian plants, is also worth visiting. There are several paths for jogging or just wandering.

The 8-acre German Woods, a park honoring German immigration, is on a hill in the Jardim Schaffer neighborhood. On its upper side is the Bach Oratorium, a small concert hall that looks like a chapel. The park also has a viewing point overlooking downtown, a library with children's books, and a path through the woods called the Trilha de João e Maria ("Hansel and Gretel Trail"), which depicts the Grimm Brothers' tale in 12 paintings along the way. The trail ends at the Mural de Fausto, where there's a stage for music shows.

This cultural complex was built in the abandoned João Gava quarry and adjacent wooded lot. The quarry itself was converted into an amphitheater that can accommodate 60,000 people. The 2,400-seat Ópera de Arame (Wire Opera House), also on the grounds here, was constructed from tubular steel and wire mesh above a water–field quarry pit. National and international musical events have given this facility world renown.

The most-visited park in the city, Tangüá shows creative landscaping in an abandoned quarry with its pond, tunnel (dug 160 feet into the rock wall), artificial waterfall, and walkway over the water, all surrounded by woods, with many imposing Brazilian pines.

Designed to protect the upper basin of the Rio Barigüí from urban encroachment, this pleasant park has trails through the woods and barbecue areas. It's best known as the site of the Ukranian Memorial, which includes a reproduction of a wooden church with onion domes built by Ukrainian Catholic immigrants in 1900 in the town of Prudentópolis, 250 km (155 miles) away. There is also a shop with traditional Ukrainian handicrafts.

Opened in 1886, the Public Thoroughfare was designed as a botanical and zoological garden and soon became a favorite place for the affluent to spend their weekend afternoons. The main gate is a replica of that at the Cimetière des Chiens in Paris. Although it's no longer the official city zoo, you can observe several Brazilian primates and birds still kept in the park, as well as majestic sycamores, oaks, and the ipê amarelo, a striking Brazilian tree with vibrant yellow flowers.

The main objective of the Free University of the Environment, in the Bosque Zaninelli (Zaninelli Woods), is to promote environmental awareness. It opened in 1992 during the UN Conference on the Environment and Development being held in Rio. The impressive main structure is built of eucalyptus wood and has a scenic overlook on its top level. Several paths through the woods make the Bosque Zaninelli a popular place to wander.