Joinville is the largest city in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is principally an industrial city and many of its 500,000 inhabitants are of German descent.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Joinville, in its first year known as Colônia Dona Francisca, was founded in 1851 by German, Swiss and Norwegian immigrants. Even though it is considered a German-Brazilian city, its name is French (Joinville was named after François d'Orléans, prince of Joinville, son of King Louis-Philippe of France, who married Princess Francisca of Brazil, in 1843). The land where Joinville is located was part of the French and Brazilian Royal Family wedding gift, even though the Prince of Joinville and his Brazilian bride had never been to the land. However, a Royal Palace was built in their honor around 1870.
It is easiest to get around Centro (downtown) by foot, as everything is close together. Should you wish to venture out into the suburbs, Joinville has a reliable bus network which is used heavily by locals. Tickets can be purchased from any one of the numerous bus terminals around the city, or on the buses themselves. Be warned, however: both buses painted completely blue and those with a blue stripe on each side are direct buses, they generally go from one bus station to another without stopping.
Bolshoi Ballet School (Escola de Teatro Bolshoi), Avenida Beira Rio, 315, ☏ +55 47 3422-4070. F 10AM-4PM. Well worth a visit if you're in the area. This is the only school run by the famous Bolshoi Ballet Company outside of Russia. Guided tours are in Portuguese (though if you're lucky the guide may be fluent enough in English to give you a run down), and should be booked in advance. R$3. Caiera Park (Parque da Caiera) (south zone). A part of the Atlantic Forest with walking trails and a lookout with views on Babitonga Bay. Finder Hill Ecological Park (Parque Ecológico Morro do Finder), Bom Retiro.
Solidarity Fest (Festa da Solidariedade). June. Joinville Dance Festival (Festival de Dança de Joinville), ☏ +55 47 3423-1010. 10 days in late July. Considered the biggest dance festival in the world, thousands of dancers from all over Brazil and beyond flock to the city, making it possibly the best time to visit the city. For the duration of the event, various public spaces throughout Centro become the setting of all kinds of dance performances, from hip hop to ballet. The festival cumulates with 'Champions Night', where the winners of all the categories perform in the Bolshoi Ballet Theater. It is sure to be a memorable night. Tickets sell fast.
In addition to the standard array of Brazilian, Italian, and Middle Eastern food that can be found pretty much anywhere in Brazil, Joinville is an excellent place to enjoy traditional German and Swiss cuisine, and restaurants of this type can be found throughout the city. Also look to pick up some streuselkuchen or apple strudel at one of the many confectioneries, and keep an eye out for locally produced chocolate such as Joinvilândia. If you're having trouble deciding what to eat, take a stroll down Rua Visconde de Taunay, the city's biggest concentration of restaurants and bars. Recanto do Marreco, Rua 15 de Novembro, 3791 - Glória, ☏ +55 47 3453-0975.
Biero Restarante e Boate, Rua Ministro Clógeras, 791, ☏ +55 47 3422-3016. Dreams, Rua Blumenau, 1321, ☏ +55 47 3026-2143.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Joinville typically sees ~21°C daytime highs and 6 rainy days.
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