The World’s Most Beautiful Street is a Tree-Filled Oasis in the Heart of Porto Alegre, Brazil

In the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre lies the 500 meter stretch of Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho - an amazing tree-lined avenue that may well be the most beautiful street in the world. Towering <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipuana_tipu">Tipuana trees</a> line both sides of the road, creating an incredible green archway that looks like a mythical forest. It's amazing that this verdant space is actually three blocks in the middle of a modern city!

The Tipuana trees along Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho were planted in the 1930's and they have grown into a shady neighborhood canopy for the past 70 years.

In 2005, construction of a mall in the area threatened the destruction of the trees. Residents protested, and they were successful in lobbying mayor José Fogaça to declare the area a cultural site that has to be preserved.

The trees on Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho create a dense shaded area. From above, it looks as if a forest has filled in between all of the neighboring buildings.

The google map view, seen here, gives a perspective of just how isolated this small stretch of nature if among the skyscrapers and commercial buildings of Porto Alegre.

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipuana_tipu">Tipuana trees</a>, also known as Rosewood, are native to South America and can grow to be upwards of 100 feet tall. Their extensive root systems can be known to damage streets, sidewalks and nearby homes, but special trenching can prevent this. When in bloom, they have lovely yellow flowers.

A post in <a href="http://sombra-verde.blogspot.com/2011/07/eu-sou-de-porto-alegre.html">The Green Shade</a> named Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho the most beautiful street in the world. Blogger <a href="http://sombra-verde.blogspot.com/2011/07/eu-sou-de-porto-alegre.html">Pedro Nuno Teixeira Santos</a> says that this is not just for its aesthetics, but because of its importance to the city: "It was from this love and this struggle of the residents of Goncalo de Carvalho, that the political power of the city found itself forced to recognize the importance of cultural heritage, landscape and environment, classifying and protecting it with the force of law."