The largest city in Santa Catarina, with nearly 500,000 inhabitants, Joinville is the base of the Caminho dos Príncipes, or the Route of the Princes. A bucolic route that passes through cities such as Jaraguá do Sul, Rio Negrinho, São Bento do Sul and Corupá. A trip along this route unveils the simplicity and the beauty of the interior of Santa Catarina, tempered by the rich German tradition.

Situated between the coastal mountains known as Serra do Mar and Babitonga Bay, Joinville is the largest industrial park and export center of Santa Catarina. It unites broad avenues and shopping centers with beautiful German colonial architecture and the peaceful air of a rural city.

Along state highway SC-301, just north of Joinville, one finds a magic trail of that leads to Campo Alegre, São Bento do Sul and Rio Negrinho. These are small typically German cities, with large wooden houses and streets that are impeccably clean. São Bento is the most prosperous, but its 60,000 residents harmonize progress with the preservation of the enchantments of the past.

Leaving Rio Negrinho by the old-fashioned Waterfall Railroad, or by the modern highway that winds through the mountains, one reaches Corupá. There the attractions are the waterfalls that sprout from the hillsides, mapped by ecological trails. A little below, is Jaraguá do Sul an important industrial center. It has 100,000 inhabitants, the hospitality of a small city, and is known as an excellent location for canoeing and hang-gliding.