BrazilTour

Paraná

The State of Paraná was formed with the union of Polish, Italian, German, Ukrainian, Dutch, Syrian-Lebanese, Jewish, Japanese and many others who adopted it as home and established their roots there. Since the start of immigration, these tireless workers began to extract from the soil the wealth that, as time went by, transformed the State in the fifth biggest economy in the Country – located in the center of the most industrialized region in Latin America.

The strategic location on the Brazilian map has made the State open the doors to Mercosul and its market of almost 200 million people. Thus, it has made large investments in agribusiness. With an industrial park of 24 thousand companies, the State is responsible for 23% of all Brazilian production, highlighting the cultivation of wheat, corn, cotton, soy, beans, potatoes and coffee. Also there are 8,5 million heads on its bovine herd, producing 1,3 billion liters of milk a year.
 
Curitiba, capital of the State, besides standing out as one of the best destinations for business tourism, also invests heavily on the preservation of its green. This Brazilian city which became internationally known for the urban solutions, keeps an area of 52 square meters of green per resident – much more than the 16 square meters recommended by the UN. This fact makes the destination one of the best places to live and travel; enjoying the natural landscapes, allied to the modernity that surrounds this great metropole.

Still in the environmental area, The State of Paraná develops a program for recovering rivers and eroding areas, recognized worldwide, and develops an intense work of preservation of its ecosystems. Favored by the pleasant subtropical climate, the State boasts a vegetation that follows the climatic variation: At the colder places the araucaria forests are predominant and on the coastal regions there are preserved Atlantic Forest sanctuaries, such as Mel Island, Guaraqueçaba Ecologic Station and Superagüi National Park, where large areas of marsh and animals threatened with extinction are preserved. Not forgetting, of course, Iguaçu National Park, an area of 220 thousand hectares – 170 thousand in Brazil and 50 thousand in Argentina – granted Heritage of the Humanity by Unesco.

But Paraná State has much more to offer to its visitors. Between the upland and the coast, one of the most charming tours is the Imperial Railway – connecting Curitiba to Paranaguá since 1880. It´s 110km long, contouring the Ocean Mountains, among the Atlantic Forest, going through tunnels, bridges, overpasses and ravines, watered by wonderful cascades. An unmissable trip.

For those who prefer to travel by car, the same route can be followed on Graciosa Highway, which still preserves parts of the original paving from 1873, adorned with kilometers of giant hydrangeas and where, between stops to appreciate the landscape, the visitor can taste the typical dish from Paraná State, the barreado. A cabocla legacy, this dish is prepared with jerked beef, bacon and seasonings, cooked for 10 hours on a large ceramic pot closed with wet manioc flour. The result is an unwoven meat, which should be eaten with a delicious mush and cooked banana. You must try this delicacy!

Come visit this little piece of Brazil, which keeps so many treasures, and become a fan!