In Brazil, one special street has been called “the most beautiful street in the world.” Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho located in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul is an avenue lined by 500 meters of tall tipuana trees forming an immense canopy that is almost like a huge green tunnel. However, it earned its title not just for its stunning visual beauty, but because it has been grown and kept in a labor of love by the res

The tipuana trees were planted in the 1930’s by German workers at a nearby brewery. Through the years, they have grown to a remarkable height, reaching the 7th floor of adjacent buildings. In 2005, plans laid out to build a new shopping mall threatened to cut off a part of the trees. Locals rose up and campaigned for the preservation of the tree-lined street. The campaign was successful, and the government stepped in and protected the street, declaring it a historical, cultural, and natural heritage of the city.