Curitiba was established in 1693 and became the capital of the state of Parana in 1853, when gained emancipation, and since then the city known for its wide streets continued to grow, as European immigrants kept arriving along the 19th century, mostly German, Italian, Ukrainian and Polish immigrants (in the 20th century, the Japanese added to the melting pot), who contributed to the cultural diversity that to this day can be felt in the city known as “Smiling City”, “Ecological Capital of Brazil” or “Brazilian Pine Capital.”
Today, Curitiba has a cosmopolitan atmosphere and is regarded as the capital city offering the best quality of life in Brazil (Study by Firjan, 2008), with a diversified industrial complex that earned it the position of the fourth largest economy in Brazil and of one of the best five cities to invest in Latin America.
It has the lowest illiteracy rate and highest quality basic education available in all Brazilian capitals. Curitiba also hosts the first Brazilian university, the Federal University of Paraná, established in 1912.
The venue of the World Cup 2014 in Curitiba will be Arena da Baixada; the stadium belongs to Atletico Paranaense, and is one of three privately owned stadiums of the World Cup.
Arena da Baixada is the smallest stadium of the Cup. Given the good location and high attractivity of Curitiba, it is expected that the matches staged at this stadium will have full capacity. People planning a trip to Curitiba should book a hotel as early as possible – check out hotels in Curitiba.
World Cup Cities 2014 