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Eritrea

Eritrea is a country in East Africa. Formerly an Italian colony, the country shares a common language and culture with its large neighbour, Ethiopia, which it was once a part of until Eritrea gained its independence in 1993. It used to be Africa's youngest country until 2011, which was when South Sudan gained its independence.

Travel to Eritrea provides one the opportunity to see and learn more about one of the most isolated countries on the planet, governed by one of the world's most repressive dictatorships. Not that many people are brave enough to explore this mysterious nation, but if you do intend to visit, know that you are in for a real, authentic African experience; the country's charms lie in its natural attractions, wonderful architecture, dramatic scenery, and highly friendly and hospitable people.

Cities

 * (Asmera) – the capital
 * (Batsi or Mitsiwa)
 * (Aseb)
 * — home to the resistance movement against Ethiopia for 30 years and namesake of the currency, it was leveled in 1983 bombing raids; surrounded by trenches and remnants of the war, there is a sizeable population but it is considerably smaller than pre-war.
 * (Aseb)
 * — home to the resistance movement against Ethiopia for 30 years and namesake of the currency, it was leveled in 1983 bombing raids; surrounded by trenches and remnants of the war, there is a sizeable population but it is considerably smaller than pre-war.
 * — home to the resistance movement against Ethiopia for 30 years and namesake of the currency, it was leveled in 1983 bombing raids; surrounded by trenches and remnants of the war, there is a sizeable population but it is considerably smaller than pre-war.

Other destinations

 * – the Red Sea's largest archipelago of which just four islands are inhabited; ruins from the early Arabic/Islamic settlers of the 8th century have been found and Ethiopian weapons and vehicles dumped into the sea during the war have created large artificial reefs great for diving.
 * – is a hilltop Orthodox monastery founded in 1361; women are forbidden but men can hike to the top to enjoy beautiful scenery and visit the monastery's centuries-old library.
 * – is a hilltop Orthodox monastery and the site of an annual pilgrimage by thousands.
 * – ruins dating from the Aksumite Empire, partially destroyed in the 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia.

History
The territory that is present-day Eritrea is considered to be the likely location of Punt, which had close relations with Ancient Egypt during the rule of Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut.

South Arabian migrants settled in the highlands in the 1st millennium BC and introduced Semitic elements and Eritrea was part of the Kingdom of D'mt. From the 3rd to 7th centuries, much of the territory was part of the Kingdom of Aksum.

Eritrea was conquered in 1890 by Italy, who hung onto it until World War II, when they were expelled by the British. Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province ten years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence, which ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating Ethiopian and Ethiopian-backed forces. Independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum administered by the UN.

Hopes were high when the new state was born but a new border war with Ethiopia erupted again in 1998 and ended only under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea briefly hosted a UN peacekeeping operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections, and the border remains very tense to this day. Eritrea has since expelled the peacekeepers due to lack of support from the UN in having the border ruling enforced.

Using the war as an excuse, Eritrea's government has devolved into one of the most controlling dictatorships in the world, sometimes referred to as Africa's answer to North Korea. No national elections have ever been held, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the only party allowed, dissidents disappear into jails, and the country comes dead last in the Press Freedom Index. Obligatory military service has been extended to eight years for men and women, border guards shoot on sight at people trying to escape. Eritreans outside the country have to pay taxes to visit. The country is desperately poor, with half the population subsisting on less than a dollar a day. Growth was crippled by the war and the termination of trade with Ethiopia, but has been steady due to state partnerships with mining companies.

In 2018, Eritrea signed a peace treaty with Ethiopia, putting an end to the war, restoring trade relations between the two countries, and finalising the demarcation of their border. Eritrea is now slowly recovering from decades of conflict, though where the future lies is anybody's guess.

Climate
Hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 610 mm (24 in) of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in the coastal desert.

Landscape
Bordering Ethiopia, there are north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to rolling plains. Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon declaring independence in 1993.

Eritrea is a relatively small country (by African standards), about the same size as Pennsylvania or England, but it has a varied and contrasting landscape due to the diverse topography of the Great Rift Valley, which traverses all of East Africa, the Red Sea and the Middle East.

There are six main topographical features in the country. The highlands in the center and south of Eritrea, the western lowlands, the Sahel in the north, the subtropical eastern escarpments, the northern coast and archipelago and the southern coast.

Eritrean highlands
The highlands, where the capital Asmara is situated, lie between 1500 and 3500 meters above sea level and are blessed with a temperate, Mediterranean and dry climate, with little seasonal variation in temperature. There, the rainy season comes between May and September and the dry season lasts from December to April. There is however considerable variation in temperature between different altitudes in the highlands. The landscape essentially consists of valleys, hills and vast expanses of plateaus interrupted by dramatic chasms and gorges. The dry season from December to April is distinguished by the red-brown, rusty, beige or black (stone and rubble-colored) landscape, resembling photos from Mars. The vegetation consists largely of shrubbery, eucalyptus, aloes, cacti and the odd explosively colorful specs of bougainvillea, jacaranda or other ornamental plants in the villages and towns. The rainy season brings torrents of rain and nourishment to the land, which transforms into a verdant, emerald and grassy landscape in the post-rain months from August to October.

Rural highlanders live a lifestyle that resembles Biblical times: villages with stone houses, small plots, ancient temples (both Christian and Muslim), people farming and herding with traditional means using little technology, and transporting their goods (as well as themselves) with mules and camels. A good place to explore the highland landscape is in the outskirts of Asmara, the capital. Near the village of Tselot is the Martyrs National Park, inaugurated in 2000. It is a mountainous forest and wildlife preserve at the ridge of the highland plateau where the capital was built.

Western lowlands
The western lowlands lie between 1500 and 100 meters above sea level, the climate is tropical with high humidity and heat throughout the day during the rainy season (which comes at the same time as in the Highlands, i.e. from May to September) and dry hot days with cold nights during the dry season. The landscape consists largely of plains, which are grassy, muddy and green during the rainy season and dry, dusty and sparsely covered with shrubbery during the dry season.

The plains are interrupted by the odd hills and mounts as well as three seasonal rivers originating in the Eritrean highlands and one perennial river, which forms part of the Ethiopian border and originates in the Ethiopian highlands (the Setit, also known as Tekeze in Ethiopia and Atbara in Sudan). All major towns in the lowlands are situated on or near these rivers. The southern half of the lowlands consists of typical African Savannah and hosts the odd flocks of wild African elephants and other typically Savannah-type flora and fauna. The northern half of the lowlands is considered part of the Sahara desert and consists of vast expanses of sand dunes and rocks with a few sparsely populated oases. The best place to explore both aspects of the lowlands is the market town Tessenei by the Sudanese border and its surroundings, as it lies right between the dry and green parts of the lowlands. Tessenei is also a place of trade for the nomadic peoples of the desert as well as the sedentary farming communities of the Savannah. Tessenei affords some of the most basic amenities for visitors such as hotels with showers and flush toilets, shops (including photo shops to buy film and bottled drinks) and restaurants serving well-cooked meals. It is accessible by asphalt road from the capital Asmara via Keren and the towns of Agordat and Barentu, which takes about 10 hours. Buses run daily from Asmara. It can also be reached by dirt track from the Sudanese city of Kassala only 40 km (25 mi) away. Considering the border bureaucracy, this short distance could however prove to be a whole day's endeavor.

Sahelian Eritrea
The Sahel in northern Eritrea lies at the eastern fringes of the great Sahara desert and is distinguished by its sharp contrast with the sandy deserts of the western lowlands and those of the eastern coast. The Sahel consists of a towering narrow chain of mountains ranging from 1000 to 2500 meters (3280-8200 ft) high and continue all the way north to Sudan and Egypt (a feature of the Great Rift Valley). The slopes to the east and west are sparsely populated by herding nomads. The rainy season in the western slopes comes at the same time as in the Highlands and western lowlands, whereas the eastern slopes resembles the Red Sea's climate of erratic precipitation between December and March. The rainfall in this region is much less than in most other inhabited parts of the country. The climate is desert-like with little humidity, dry hot days and cold nights with little seasonal variation in temperatures. Variations in temperature are seen however, between different altitudes. Heavy erosion due to war and previous overgrazing has also seriously impeded the benefits of the rainy seasons. The landscape is therefore very arid and fit for only the most tenacious of nomadic herding communities. The central and northern core consists of impenetrable and hair-raising mountain passes, gorges and valleys. This was the main base for the Eritrean rebels (who now make up the country's government) when they fought against Ethiopia for Eritrea's independence. One seasonal river, Anseba, originating in the highlands, bisects the mountain range and drains in a delta on the Red Sea coast of Sudan just north of the Eritrean border. The best place to explore the Sahel is the town of Nakfa, which was the main base of the Eritrean resistance and gave the national currency its name. Nakfa also has a war-museum commemorating the liberation struggle and a comfortable, yet modest government-run hotel with a restaurant and satellite TV. It is accessible from Asmara via Keren on asphalt road and from Keren via the town of Afabet on a dirt road. This takes 10 to 12 hours as the road between Keren and Nakfa is awful. Buses run to Nakfa from Keren starting early in the morning so a trip from Asmara would entail an overnight stay in Keren (which is served many times daily from Asmara). Afabet is also accessible by asphalt road from the port of Massawa via the town of She'eb. The Massawa-Nakfa trip would still take about 10 hours as the unavoidable Afabet-Nakfa leg of the journey is the most taxing. Buses run once weekly from Massawa to Nakfa.

Eastern escarpment
The subtropical eastern escarpment, consists of the eastern (seaward) slopes of the highland region. Unique for this thin sliver of landscape is that it hosts the country's only subtropical rainforest and one of the world's largest selection of bird species, both seasonal (winter-migrants) and endemic (tropical). Being so mountainous, it has never been heavily settled (luckily) as it is very hard to farm. Nevertheless, there are some small coffee and spice plantations in its central, higher altitude areas as well as tropical fruit plantations in the lower areas. The Solomouna National Park is the best place to explore this area and is accessible by asphalt road from the capital Asmara as well as the port of Massawa. The only way to the national park is by guided tour with one of Eritrea's tour agencies, which all operate out of Asmara. Traveling to coastal Massawa from highland Asmara, one also passes through this region. The flavor of this region is represented by the towns and villages between Nefasit (25 km from Asmara) and Dongollo Alto (50 km from Asmara).

Northern coast and archipelago
The northern coast and archipelago consists largely of a sandy red-brown and beige semi-desert with some shrubbery and volcanic basalt-rock along the mainland coast. The elevation is between 0 and 500 m (1640 ft) above sea level and the climate is always tropical and humid, reaching uncomfortable highs of 37 to 50 °C (99-122 °F) in the summer months from May to September before cooling to breezy and warm "lows" of 25 to 35 °C (77-95 °F) between October and March. The rainy season is an insignificant concept on the coast as it seldom rains at all, save for the freak storm that occurs on the odd year. Some minimal precipitation and cloudiness may occur in the months of November to March, but the coast relies mainly on the runoff from the highlands and eastern escarpments for its water supply (from aquifers and table water). The few attractions inland are the hot springs resort about 35 km (22 mi) from the port city of Massawa, where hot mineral water baths are available and the water is also bottled as one of the country's most popular mineral water sources and brands (Dongollo, sold in brown glass bottles).

The coast and archipelago host some of the Red Sea's most pristine coral reefs, rife with marine wildlife ranging from dugongs and mantas to big schools of tigerfish, dolphins and of course sharks. Eritrea's coast offers some of the best diving in the world but some of the most limited diving and tourist facilities, all of which are based in the port city of Massawa and are extremely expensive. The beaches in and immediately surrounding the port city of Massawa and to the north are of modest to poor quality due to pollution, flooding and erosion from the nearby highlands. Parts of the northern coast also consists of large mangrove swamps, great for fishing and bird watching but not for beach life.

The beaches on the Dahlak islands, on the other hand, are clean, white and pristine, with lagoons of clear turquoise water. The only way to get to the Dahlak islands is to charter a boat from a licensed company in Massawa. The biggest island Dahlak Kebir, which features one modest resort-hotel is 90 km (56 mi) away as are some other smaller uninhabited islands like Dissei, which can make for affordable day-trips from Massawa. Beyond Dissei, the archipelago extends much farther and offers much greater attractions. With Eritrea's limited facilities, the possibility of going on longer cruises and exploring more of the attractions is prohibitively expensive and only available through a few European-run companies based in Massawa. With the country's heightened sense of security, doing such travel independently on one's own boat or a chartered one is impossible. The best place to explore the northern coast and archipelago is obviously the port city of Massawa.

Southern coast
The southern coast is perhaps Eritrea's most dramatic yet most inhospitable landscape because of its volcanoes, quicksand, bubbling sulphuric mud pools, salt lakes, coastal cliffs and inland depressions. The elevation ranges between peaks of over 2000 m (6,560 ft) above sea level and depressions of more than 100 m (330 ft) below sea level with fields of salt pans and strangely shaped rocks where temperatures reach the highest on our planet. The southern coast has the highest recorded temperatures in Eritrea which regularly reaches 55°C (131 °F). Humidity keeps the temperatures high all throughout the day and seasonal variations are the same as on the northern coast. The northern inland areas of the southern coast offer a dramatic landscape of contrast between the backdrop of the towering mountains of the highlands to the west and the vast expanses of coastal desert to the east. It is the only area of considerable vegetation in the whole region, thanks to the highland rainfall and runoff. The area also hosts an interesting array of wildlife such as mountain goats and ostriches. The region is situated between the port cities of Massawa and Assab, which are about 500 km (310 mi) apart. The region is ideally visited on a journey between the two cities, but a journey could also consist of excursions from Massawa and/or Assab individually, especially for trips geared towards viewing inland landscapes. Any journey without guides to this region is off-limits due to the extreme climate and to political volatility near the Ethiopian border. The only public transportation in the area consist of buses between Massawa and Assab, which run a few times weekly.

Local information

 * Ministry of Information website

Visa requirements
Largely isolated from the rest of the world, obtaining an Eritrean visa is a difficult, painstaking, and expensive affair.

When you apply for an Eritrean visa, you must do it at an Eritrean diplomatic mission located in your home country, i.e. a country you are a citizen of. If your home country does not have an Eritrean embassy or consulate, you must go to an Eritrean diplomatic mission that is accredited to your home country.

For a tourist visa, you need to submit specific information about your plans. Prepare a travel itinerary well before you apply for an Eritrean visa.

The application process can take a long time, so be patient. Having a local contact in Eritrea will be of great help; they can speed up the process by putting in a good word for you at your local Eritrean diplomatic mission.

If you are suspected of being a journalist or someone who expresses dissenting views against the Eritrean government, there is a good chance that you will either encounter trouble at the border or not get an Eritrean visa.

By plane

The only active international airport is in the capital Asmara.

 * Egyptair serves Asmara daily from Cairo.
 * Eritrean Airlines flies from Cairo, Dubai, Khartoum however as of mid-2023 they seem to not be flying anymore.
 * Ethiopian: Once-daily flight from Addis Ababa, resumed in summer 2018 after a 20-year hiatus.
 * Fly Dubai flies daily to Dubai.
 * Turkish Airlines flies to Asmara from Istanbul.
 * Sudan Airways flies to Khartoum.
 * Yemenia has suspended their flights due to the conditions in Sanaa.
 * Tarco Airlines flies from Khartoum

By train
There is a Vintage Tourist line connecting Asmara and the port city of Massawa but, to date, there is no international railway connection to Eritrea.

By car
You can enter Eritrea driving from Sudan (Kassala border crossing) provided you have a valid certificate of ownership of the vehicle you're driving (no rentals) and all your (including your passengers') passports and visas in order as well as a customs declaration (if necessary). Visas should be arranged in your country of origin, before arriving in Sudan (unless you are a Sudanese national). The roads on the borders are very poor so you should be driving a 4WD. The first gas-station entering Eritrea from the Sudanese border is in Tesseney, a distance of about 40 km. Diesel is not sold officially to private car owners because it is reserved for trucks, buses etc.

By bus
There are Sudanese pickup taxis running from Kassala in Sudan to the Eritrean border (a half hour away) daily, and Eritrean taxis from the Eritrean border to Tesseney (Tesseney is 45 km from the Sudanese border), about an hour away.

The bureaucracy of the border crossings can take hours so start in the morning or early afternoon from Kassala in Sudan as it is not possible to enter Eritrea after dusk (border posts are closed).

By boat
Ports and harbors: Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa). Sadaka Shipping Lines and Eritrean Shipping Lines serve the route Massawa - Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They serve mainly Muslim pilgrims, and it is quite difficult for non-pilgrims to enter or transit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If you are sailing or cruising in on a private boat, you can apply for a special permit upon arrival in the ports of Massawa and Assab, to re-fuel, buy supplies and make reparations. Consult your country's foreign ministry and the Eritrean mission in/accredited to your country of origin in advance for details.

Get around

While it may be tempting to explore all that Eritrea has to offer, you must obtain a travel permit from the Eritrean government if you wish to travel outside Asmara, the capital city. It can take 24 hours or more to obtain a travel permit, so plan your trip well ahead in advance.

Third party governments recommend getting a travel permit from the Ministry of Tourism office on Harnet Avenue in Asmara.

If you are flying in to Asmara, you will need a permit from the Tourist Bureau on Liberation Avenue if you consider travelling outside Asmara's city limits. This permit needs to be applied for several days before travel. There are few places other than Asmara, Keren and Massawa/Dahlak Islands that foreigners can travel to as of September 2017 (other than those on a designated mission working with the Eritrean government) depending on the time of the year (therefore the conditions of the roads) and mostly, the decisions of the government. If you are coming by land (or ferry/private boat to Massawa), you can get a travel permit at the locality of your arrival, to transit the country, given you have a valid entry visa to Eritrea. As long as you notify and consult with the Eritrean mission issuing your entry visa about your point of entry and travel plans well ahead of time, getting the travel permit is no problem.

By bus
The most common form of intercity transportation in Eritrea is bus and/or minibus. The most frequent services, consisting of several buses/minibuses a day run between Asmara and Keren, Asmara and Massawa as well as between Asmara and the towns of the southern highlands such as Debarwa, Mendefera, Adi Quala as well as Dekemhare, Segeneiti, Adi Qeyh and Senafe reaching the Ethiopian border. It is not possible for foreign nationals to approach the Ethiopian border and travel beyond the towns of Senafe and Adi Quala as it is a heavily militarized war zone. There are also daily bus services on the road between Teseney (on the Sudanese border close to Kassala) and Asmara traversing Barentu, Agordat and Keren as well as an alternative route traversing Barentu and Mendefera. Once a day, buses/minibuses also run between Asmara and some of the villages of the southern highlands as well. Buses to the north of the country (Nakfa) are less frequent and travel between once weekly to a couple of times weekly between Asmara and Nakfa traversing Keren and Afabet. The buses to the southern coast (Assab) from Asmara (120 km) are equally infrequent, once weekly only, traversing Massawa. However, the road between these towns is reportedly good quality and very scenic. Tickets are bought on the bus and a first-come-first-served rule applies. Some state-run bus lines travelling to remote frontier areas do allow for tickets to be bought in advance at the Asmara bus station, where you can also inquire about the bus-schedule. There will always be some people who speak English and are more than willing to help translate.

By plane
Since the collapse of Nasair in 2014, there have been no scheduled domestic flights in Eritrea.

By train
The only rail line in Eritrea runs between Asmara and Massawa, and it is only served by a museum railway (steam engine and all) with no regular service except for freight. It only caters to chartered tour groups, and it takes a daunting 5 hours to complete just the one way journey.

By car
The roads from Asmara to Massawa, Medefera, Dekemhare, Barentu and Keren are paved and in relatively good condition. Other roads are unpaved and can be in very poor condition, especially during the rainy season.

Unpaved roads may be mined, so tourists should check with the local authorities before setting off. Travel in the dark should be avoided.

Talk
The main languages of the country are Tigrinya, Arabic, and English.

Tigrinya is the lingua franca of Eritrea, and shares a lot in common with Amharic, the official language and lingua franca of neighbouring Ethiopia. If you know some Amharic, picking up Tigrinya should be easy. Although you can get far with English, learning a few phrases in Tigrinya would go a long way and would most certainly endear you to the locals.

The use of Italian has diminished drastically since the end of Italian colonialism. Very few people (apart from the elderly and the well-educated) speak the language.

See

 * Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. With a bell tower that reaches high into the sky, this building, which was the principal church of the Italian colonials, is a sterling piece of Lombard-Romanesque architecture and a useful bearing point for lost travellers.
 * Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral. The ancient church is located at the center of the city and symbolizes the four directions of the earth (east, west, north and south) the four gates on each direction have an equal number of worshippers passing through them every day. At the compound of this church you will find a tree called "Berberestelim". Long ago priests use to wash dead bodies by adding these tree leaves into the water and the body stays as it is for years.
 * Asmara Theatre and Opera House. Constructed in 1920, the Asmara Opera House is an amazing Italian Architectural piece.
 * Al Khulafa Al Rashidin Mosque. One of the most elegant mosques in Africa. The architecture is eclectic, a mix of Italian and local Moorish styles.
 * Fiat Tagliero. One a very few futuristic architectural pieces ever built in the world. It is an old service station designed to look like an airplane. It has two cantilevered wings, acting as a cover for each side.

Money
The currency is the Eritrean nakfa, denoted by the symbol "Nkf" or "ናቕፋ" (ISO currency code: ERN). It is pegged to the US dollar. The official exchange rates are shown above. Black market rates may differ, although a currency reform in 2016 may have largely eliminated the black market as the black market rate was reported in 2019 to be Nkf 17-20 to US$1.

Coins are issued in denominations of 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents and 100 cents. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 nakfas. Do not accept banknotes issued before 1 January 2016 as they are no longer valid.

Shopping
The best Eritrean souvenirs are traditional handicrafts made from leather, olivewood, clay and straw. These can be found in most souvenir shops in Asmara along with traditional home-spun cotton garments. Posters and postcards are also readily available at most press-kiosks even at the airport. Leopard and zebra skin as well as ivory items can be found in the souvenir markets, but you will be stopped from leaving Eritrea with these. Then, you will probably be stopped and fined at your home destination, because international trade in such materials is banned. Eritrea however has several souvenirs made from goatskin. Gold, pearl, and silver jewellery is also available in the markets in Asmara along with frankincense and myrrh. Beware buying textiles such as home-spun cotton garments, animal skins with fur and mats; they could be infested with parasites. Make sure it has been washed, treated and dried before returning home.

Costs
Eritrea is generally a cheap place to shop, eat, travel and spend time (hotel prices, apart from the pricey 5-star Intercontinental in Asmara, are also cheap). The only things that could be expensive in the country are understandably imports (especially fuel), services that depend on imports (up-scale restaurants, hotels, private transport or flights) and various government fees (visas, airport taxes, travel permits, etc.) If you stay away from imports (or bring such things as toiletries and cosmetics), eat locally, stay at budget hotels (especially the government-owned), and travel on public transportation, you need less than US$50 per day for food, lodging and transport.

Eat
Eritrean cuisine in the highlands (around Asmara) consists largely of spicy dishes and is very similar to Ethiopian food. The staple is a flat, spongy crepe or bread called injera, made from a batter of fermented grains. Spicy stews with meat and vegetables are served on top of it and eaten with the hands. This cuisine is generally found in many restaurants in the country. Pork is rare as the Eritrean church forbids its followers from consuming pork.

Middle Eastern dishes such as shahan-ful (bean stew) served with pitas are also readily available everywhere but more commonly eaten for breakfast or brunch in modest establishments.

Lowland cuisine is not readily available in many restaurants, but in the old town (outermost island) of Massawa, adjacent to the freeport area, there are some simple restaurants that serve cuisine typical to the Red Sea area such as grilled spicy fish and "khobzen" (pitas drenched in goats butter and honey).

Owing to its colonial history, Italian food is abundant, albeit not too varied all across Eritrea. You will always find a restaurant that serves good pasta, lasagna, steak, grilled fish, etc.

In Asmara, there are also several Chinese restaurants, a Sudanese restaurant, and an Indian restaurant (Rooftop).

Drink
The most common beverage in Eritrea by far is beer. There is only one (state-owned) brand in the country so there is not much choice, but it is quite good. Beer is consumed cold in Eritrea. Beer's popularity is closely followed by various soft drinks, and the most common flavours are as elsewhere in the world: orange, lemon/lime and cola, produced by one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The same company that holds the beer monopoly also holds the monopoly on producing the local form of Sambouca, colloquially called "Araqi", as well as Vermouth and other spirits. International brands of the same spirits, as well as others, are readily available at most bars for a cheap price. Sophisticated cocktails are not known in Eritrea (as of yet) outside of the Intercontinental Hotel which charges a steep price. On a side note, there is an Irish bar in that hotel.

Traditionally Eritreans also drink the local form of mead called "suwa", which consists of old bread fermented in water with honey, as well as a sweet honeywine called "mies".

Tap water should not be drunk by foreigners. There is plenty of bottled mineral water, both carbonated and non-carbonated in Eritrea costing around 20 to 30 nakfa.

Cafes in some towns offer fresh fruit juices, very common and cheap is seytun = guava, others like orange juice or mango juice are more expensive. To avoid food poisoning unpeeled fruits can be eaten or squeezed fresh by you. Avoid ice creams and all types of salads. Stick to bottled drinks and cooked foods.

Sleep
There are hotels at all prices and standard ranges in Asmara, from cheap pensions for 100 nakfa to the modest ones for 200 nakfa, and the overpriced Intercontinental Hotel Asmara, the only international hotel in the country (a little over US$150 per night). Some hotels have one price for foreigners and another for locals.

In most smaller towns, the lodging is quite modest and priced accordingly. The only expensive hotels outside of Asmara would be the two hotels on the sea in Massawa, neither of which exceeds US$65 per night as of 2007. Modest in Eritrean terms usually means shared bathroom with several other guests, no room-service, a common room TV, no air-conditioning and no change of sheets or cleaning throughout occupancy unless asked for (and then you might be charged extra just as if you had your clothes washed and ironed, which is also readily available for an additional price).

The middle-range hotels will have all these missing amenities (private bathroom, TV, air-conditioning, etc.) but no room-service nor inclusive laundering of sheets or clothes during occupancy. Restaurants and/or cafes are available at most mid-range hotels are regular hangout places for non-guests. In a hot place like Massawa, it is very highly recommended to stay at least at a middle-range hotel where air-conditioning is available. The only hotel that accepts credit cards in Eritrea is the Intercontinental (for a fee) and it is also the only hotel in the entire country with a swimming pool (both indoor and outdoor), gym and other common amenities in a modern standard hotel.

Most, if not all, hotels beyond the towns of Asmara, Massawa, Keren and Assab are of the modest category. There are reported to be mid-range hotels in Nakfa, Barentu and Tesseney as well as resorts in Gel'alo and Dahlak (on the South coast and east of Massawa, respectively).

Learn
There is a dearth of educational opportunities in Eritrea, even for Eritrean citizens.

The country is home to approximately 800 schools and one university, which is enough to say that the educational scene of the country is unlikely to be attractive to most people reading Wikivoyage.

Work
Working in Eritrea for an Eritrean employer (state or private) and for an Eritrean wage is not an attractive prospect for most Westerners or people reading Wikivoyage. Most foreigners in Eritrea work for foreign employers (the UN, the few remaining NGOs, foreign companies, foreign embassies and related agencies as well as the International School). A few foreigners, mainly from South Asia, work for the Eritrean government in various state-job contracts. Most, if not all, of these individuals acquired their jobs in their home country and/or were recruited and provided with their legal documentation by the Eritrean government while in their home country. It is unusual and perhaps difficult to arrive in Eritrea on a tourist visa and later apply for a work and residence permit while there.

Stay safe
Watch out for bicycle riders, vehicle drivers and pedestrians. People don’t look when crossing streets and bike riding accidents are common. Eritrea is generally safe though and you can walk about at night and anywhere in the cities and not worry about crime. There are sometimes children that aggressively beg and throw rocks but usually leave you alone if you are stern with them. Homosexuality is a crime which can get up to 3 years in prison or even death.

Travelling near the borders of any country surrounding Eritrea is extremely dangerous, and should be avoided. The towns of Teseney, Barentu and Assab should also be avoided due to the dangerous situation there. Tensions remain high with neighbouring states, and violence can erupt at any time.

Do not fall prey to those willing to offer you a better exchange rate for your hard currency or some other "shady economic deal". Chances are, you might land in severe trouble with the zero-tolerance Eritrean justice system.

Consular assistance
Consular support is severely limited in Eritrea, in due large part to the fact that the Eritrean government routinely restricts foreign diplomats from talking to foreign nationals in detention.

If you have been detained for whatever reason, know that your embassy will have little influence in assisting you. They may not even be notified that you have been detained.

Dual nationals
If you are thought to be Eritrean – such as having Eritrean identity documents (even those that are out of date) or being a dual national – possessing another passport will not grant you consular protection in the event you get arrested or detained.

Dual nationals are required to apply for exit visas to leave the country. If you haven't completed mandatory military service or if you're a critic of the current government, there's a good chance you will not be allowed to leave the country. If this applies to you and you are concerned about your safety, do not travel to Eritrea.

Stay healthy
Do not drink the tap water and even check bottled water to make sure the cap is sealed. Be very careful what you eat. Many people get sick here. There is a Jordanian UN hospital that will treat foreigners. Local hospitals have inadequate facilities. Be healthy if you come here. Avoid uncooked food and unbottled drinks.

Adult HIV/AIDS is more than 0.8%.

Respect
Eritreans are polite, hospitable and soft-spoken but, due to the language barrier, may keep their distance from foreigners. If approached by an English speaker, try to maintain an innocent topic of conversation and use universal common sense. Avoid displaying disdain, arrogance or harsh criticism towards the country, culture, religion or politics of the country, although most will be tolerant of your "mistakes" as you are a passing foreigner. You are in a police state, don't forget it!

It is rude to take pictures of people or their property without asking for permission. When taking pictures of public buildings beware of government buildings, especially police and military buildings. Taking pictures of these is not always illegal, but, done without permission or supervision, it can be viewed as highly suspect and can result in an uncomfortable arrest and interrogation. Ask the closest official (receptionist or police) for permission.

Public displays of affection are considered immodest. Like in many East African and Middle Eastern countries, use of the left hand to greet, eat or hand something to someone is considered very dirty. When handing something over, using both hands is accepted and even seen as respectful, but not using the left hand alone.

Dress code is generally Western: women are not required to "cover up" or wear veils, but anyone showing too much skin will earn very little respect, and women who show too much cleavage or/and wear too short a skirt/pair of shorts will be viewed as prostitutes. Eritrean or Eritrean-looking women would also be judged badly for smoking. Do not however, conflate standards of female modesty with a lack of status or official capacity for women in Eritrea. Women do drive in Eritrea - all vehicles, even military tanks, ships, planes. They also command troops and serve in all the ranks of the army and government in the same capacity as men. It is a country undergoing a post-liberation accelerated (and sometimes paradoxical) cultural evolution.

Connect
Eritrea's country code is 291.

To circumvent heavy censorship, use the free, open-source TOR Project. This workaround may become steadily less effective as the repressive regime gets aid and advice from China.

title: Eritrea


text:
Erlangen

Erlangen  is a city of 113,000 people (2019) in Franconia, Germany. It is home to most of the Friedrich-Alexander University (two faculties are in Nuremberg) and the Siemens company. It grew as a result of settlement of Huguenot refugees from France, and because it was the secondary residence of the margraves of Ansbach Bayreuth.

Understand
About a third of the residents are involved with the university (students, researchers, etc.), and roughly another third work for Siemens.

Medicine is one of the specialties of the university, so you are in luck if you fall ill with more than six clinics in the city.

Tourist information
The

Early history, the Margraves and the Huguenots
While Erlangen can trace its history back to a first mention (as "Villa Erlangon") over a thousand years ago, it was soon overshadowed by its neighbour, Nuremberg, which is 50-odd years younger. The biggest lasting influence upon Erlangen was its former rulers, the Margraves from the Ansbach-Bayreuth branch line of the Hohenzollern (the leaders of Prussia and later all of Germany) dynasty. They ruled the city for most of the early modern period, but preferred to reside in Bayreuth and Ansbach respectively most of the time.

When the French Protestants were expelled by Louis XIV, the Margrave, much like his distant relatives in Brandenburg, decided to invite them to come to Erlangen. The old houses, the one-way streets of the "Huguenot-town" (which are almost unnavigable unless you ride a bike like most locals do), and a centrally located rather impressive reformed church (right next to Hugenottenplatz) still bear witness to this era. With the Huguenots a certain wealth entered town and Erlangen has been a centre for various industries, trades and research ever since. This was aided when the Margraves decided to open a new university in Erlangen, which later got two faculties in Nuremberg. A common joke (probably made up by a student of theology from Erlangen) claims that Erlangen is the only German place mentioned in the Bible with the (real sounding but fake) quote "Suchet das Himmelreich zu erlangen". This can be translated either as "seek to reach heaven" or "Search for heaven in Erlangen". However, no such quote is to be found in any common German version of the Bible.

Industrialisation and World War II
When Erlangen became part of Bavaria in the first years of the 19th century, all universities in Franconia were to be shut down in favor of the universities of "Old Bavaria". But someone pointed out that Erlangen had a unique selling point no other university in the new kingdom had: an evangelical theological faculty. As the new king wanted Protestant ministers to be educated somewhere, he decided to shut down the university in Altdorf (near Nuremberg), and retain the university of Erlangen. This proved a good decision for the city and with the industrialisation, Erlangen became an important centre of cotton processing plants. ErBa (Erlangen-Bamberg) and Baumwollspinnerei (Cotton factory) are names from this period and still found in some place names in Erlangen. During the Weimar Republic the student body of the university became dominated by far right and Nazi elements and when the Nazis took power in 1933, Erlangen citizens destroyed a monument to Jakob Herz, a famous Jewish doctor who had worked in Erlangen. After the war it took a while for Erlangen to openly discuss its Nazi past but there is now a "monument to a monument" in honor of Jakob Herz and Stolpersteine reminding of former Jewish inhabitants of Erlangen who didn't survive the Nazi era. While Erlangen was not unaffected by the Nazis and the Second World War, it was not bombed despite being a garrison town. In the waning days of the war the mayor (who had been member of the Nazi party since 1933) together with a high ranking general called Walter Lorleberg surrendered the town to the American army despite orders to the contrary from higher up. While the details are not known, Lorleberg died in the waning hours of the war, presumably killed by fanatic Nazis or through suicide. A square in Erlangen is still named after him, which is controversial because he was a high-ranking Nazi general. The monument in his honor at the approximate site of his death is both the site of wreaths being deposited in his honor and leftist graffiti or other vandalism calling into question whether a Nazi should be honored for having a single decent moment at the end of his life. Still, Erlangen escaped World War II basically intact, the only notable damage occurring early in the occupation when the last city gate, Nürnberger Tor was torn down because tanks wouldn't fit through. Reportedly local merchants had desired the removal of the gate for decades, so that may have played a role as well.

Post-war
After the war, Siemens decided to move out of Berlin, which had been almost entirely destroyed. To avoid the Soviets, they decided to build two headquarters in the American Zone, one of which would become Erlangen (the other is in Munich). This decision continues to benefit the city. Siemens' policies and decisions are followed almost as intensely as mayoral politics in Erlangen.

Erlangen grew rapidly from just under 30,000 inhabitants in 1925. Between people moving in and the incorporation of suburbs such as Dechsendorf, by 1975 the city had reached 100,000 people. Thus attaining "Großstadt" status.

Erlangen had been the site of a garrison of the Bavarian Army since the mid-19th century and became a garrison of the German Army after World War I. After the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, the garrison was taken over by the US Army and expanded. However, in the course of downsizing the troop presence after the Cold War, the garrison was closed in the early 1990s, and was turned into direly needed housing as well as a nature reserve. Residents and local politicians still refer to the "Housing Area" when discussing the part of the city that once housed American soldiers and their families. This transformation is sometimes cited as an example of the "peace dividend" that many hoped would result after the cold war as military installations were turned over to civilian uses. On the other hand, the forests to the east of Erlangen that had been used for artillery training are still contaminated with unexploded ordinance and you should not leave the trails there.

Erlangen's mayor from 1972 to 1996, Dietmar Hahlweg, decided against building more and bigger streets or relying solely on public transport. Instead he encouraged cycling as a means of getting around investing in infrastructure and riding a bike to work himself to set an example. Today many residents (even those working for Siemens and the mayor) get to work on their bikes every day, and the cars clogging the streets often have number-plates of the surrounding villages and suburbs. Erlangen thrives economically today, but is still dependent upon its university and Siemens. If either coughs, the city gets pneumonia.

By plane
The next airport is in Nuremberg with domestic and limited international connections. The U-Bahn (subway) takes you to the Nuremberg main station in roughly 13 minutes, from where you can take a wide variety of inter-city (ICE and IC), regional (RE and RB) and commuter-trains (the S-Bahn) to Erlangen. The subway and regional trains are fully integrated within the VGN tariff union. There is also a direct bus (line 30) from the airport to downtown Erlangen every 20 minutes on weekdays (40 minutes on weekends). This option takes a bit under half an hour.

If you are flying in from Frankfurt airport, there are connections with one change (in Nuremberg) from the train station integrated into the airport. Erlangen can be reached somewhat more quickly from Munich Airport, although it is one more stop away on the train. For more on combined train and flight tickets see this article.

By train
Trains run regularly from Nuremberg and take about 20 min. Bamberg is about 30 min away in the other direction. Most ICE trains between Munich and Berlin stop in Erlangen. Since the December 2017 schedule change, trains take a bit under three hours from Berlin on their fastest runs. The Nuremberg S-Bahn network includes four stops in Erlangen (all of them ), two of them in annexed suburbs (,, and ) VGN rates apply for all local trains trams and buses as far as Bayreuth, but not on IC or ICE, even if you're only going from Erlangen to Nuremberg. If you plan on a round trip to Bayreuth, for example, look for a day ticket as they can be cheaper than two single trips.

By bus
Privately run Intercity buses stop close to the main train station at, which is also a stop or the terminus for some public buses. To get to the city centre you have to cross the railway tracks by going through the train station. From Nuremberg the public run bus number 30 (VGN rates apply) connectsthe city centre of Erlangen with the last tram stop ("am Wegfeld") before continuing towards the airport. Bus lines 20 and 290 also go to "am Wegfeld" but they take a more circuitous route and terminate there instead of going on to the airport.

Plans to build a light rail line (locally known as Stadt-Umland-Bahn or StUB) to Nuremberg (replacing at least part of bus line 30) and to Herzogenaurach are under way but construction probably won't start before the mid to late 2020s. Other surrounding minor towns and suburbs, including Herzogenaurach (lines 199, 200 and 201) are also connected to Erlangen by public buses. Around 2017, Erlangen, cities, towns and suburbs around it and the Landkreis (roughly county) of Erlangen-Höchstadt decided to improve bus service leading to more frequent departures into surrounding areas, sometimes dramatically so on erstwhile "low traffic" times like weekends. Under the new schedule, few routes have less-than-hourly departures, even during the weekends, making public transit a much more reasonable option even for exploring the suburbs.

By car
Two Autobahns pass through Erlangen. A3 serves as the municipal boundary with Herzogenaurach at the western edge of town before turning east through Frauenaurach and exiting the city limits towards the southeast. A 73 also called "Frankenschnellweg" - its frequent congestion notwithstanding - passes just west of downtown and follows a mostly straight north-south alignment.

Get around
While the old town walls are only preserved in very few stones and street names like (cardinal direction) Stadtmauerstraße, the rectangular area once inside the walls is still evident as the main pedestrianised and shopping area with driving inside it much more difficult than outside it. Four physical boundaries run roughly North-South and separate the city into eastern and western parts. Those are (roughly from west to east) the Main Donau Kanal, the Regnitz river with its extensive floodplains, the A73 (partially using the bed of the former Ludwig Donau Main Kanal through Erlangen) and the railway line. As there are only two crossings across the Regnitz anywhere near downtown that are open to cars, it is often easier to go by bike from one side of those four barriers to the other.

By public transport
Local public transport consists primarily of buses, and to lesser extent the S-Bahn (with only four stops in the city area). Erlangen is part of the VGN (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg, association of public transportation of the Nuremberg metropolitan area). The VGN website allows for automated route planning and provides fare and network information. The local bus operator ESTW (Erlanger Stadtwerke) operates an information/ticket store which shares the office with the tourist information (for the location, see Understand section above).

Inside Erlangen price level "C" applies which means €2.30 for a single trip for an adult (child €1.20), €8.10 for a four-trip ticket (not sold by drivers, only through machines and at the tourist information) and €4.70 for a Tagesticket solo (€7.60 for a Tagesticket plus) (April 2018). A Tagesticket plus is valid for up to two adults and a combination of up to four kids (under 15), dogs or bikes (e.g. two adults, a dog a kid and two bikes). Bus rides inside the central areas are free of charge – stops where this applies are marked by their name being written on a yellow (not white) background on the station sign. Line 299 which runs every ten minutes during the day is free of charge along its entire route.

During the day buses are reasonably comfortable and frequent albeit usually slower than going by bike, but at night they only run on nights from Friday to Saturday, Saturday to Sunday or any night followed by a public holiday. Night buses also follow different routes from regular buses indicated on the schedules with a line number with a leading N. Night buses (or no buses) run from 01:00 to 05:00 with the last and first regular bus running some time in the hour before and after that time-frame respectively.

Buses are increasingly equipped with onboard Wi-Fi and there are real time departure screens at the central stops Hugenottenplatz, Arcaden and Hauptbahnhof as well as the bus/S-Bahn interchange point Paul Gossen Straße. If you're leaving the main station towards the pedestrian zone, there are two displays right in your sight line that show departures from nearby stops (Arcaden and Hugenottenplatz, both just a few minute's walk away) which allows you to judge whether it is worth walking there (or even running) for a particular connection. The bus departure board at Paul Gossen Straße also indicates the departures of S-Bahn services whereas the departure board at Hauptbahnhof lists only buses (no train services) to avoid getting the board too "crowded".

By taxi
There are a lot of taxi companies available throughout the city that are available 24/7. At night you won't have a problem finding a taxi near Hugenottenplatz or one of the partying hotspots. The printed timetables at bus shelters usually include a number you can call to get a taxi if you missed your bus or don't want to wait.

By bicycle
Cycling is the best way to get around and most locals bike to work and leisure activities. This is true for all ages, genders and income groups and a middle-aged man in a suit on a bike is no rare sight - in fact, you may even see a former or current mayor on his bike. You can rent one at various local bicycle shops or at the main train station. A large part of Erlangen was built with the Huguenot refugees from France in mind but before the advent of the car. Therefore a number of streets are too narrow for two cars to pass side by side. Almost all of these one-way streets can be entered by bike both ways. Thus cycling makes for the shortest trip lengths by distance. In downtown, the pedestrian zone is only open to cyclists on its entire length from evening to early morning with (somewhat confusing) signs advising which parts are pedestrian only during which times. The rule is frequently skirted and even the hyper-correct state police of Bavaria don't always enforce it. (Expect to pay a fine in the vicinity of if you get caught and the police make a point of enforcing the law that day) Many locals just go a bit slower when and where cycling is not permitted.

If your lodgings aren't in central Erlangen or if you want to explore beyond the city walls, the Wiesengrund is another barrier to east-west movement that is vastly easier to cross by bike than by car. Besides the shorter trip distances, it is also pleasant in almost any weather to see relatively intact nature a few hundred metres from the edge of downtown.

Bikeshare
Erlangen is part of the VAG Rad scheme. Bikes can be rented via the app for €0.10 starting fee plus €0.10 per minute. You can return the bike at any of the fixed stations throughout Erlangen, Fürth, Nuremberg and Schwabach or in the "Flex Zone" in central Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen.

On foot
In the heart of the city, everything is in a walking distance and there are a lot of pedestrian-only areas. Watch out for cyclists, especially around the university's main campus, as they often drive very fast and assume people will get out the way rather than the other way round. As in most of Germany, red bricks or white lines indicate cycle routes, so try and walk on the pedestrian side to make life easier for everyone.

By car
If you need to cross a cycle lane with your car, be prepared to reverse if a bicycle approaches. When you turn, give way to cyclists.

If you drive, avoid downtown. There are several streets that are partially or entirely closed for cars and a lot of streets you can only drive one way (Einbahnstraße in German a white arrow on blue ground with that word written on is the symbol for that a white bar on red ground means: wrong direction). On streets that are one-way for cars, cyclists may often use them in both ways. The best choice is to park outside downtown (e.g. the centrally located Großparkplatz (big parking lot) next to the main train station) and walk. If you stay for more than a couple of days, don't rent a car, rent a bike and do as the locals and bike everywhere.

See
Erlangen is a surprisingly eclectic mixture of old and new. It doesn't always coexist in harmony and sometimes clashes rather glaringly. However it often combines to create a unique blend. The area built for the Huguenots and the building activity of the Margraves who resided here are perhaps the best known landmarks of Erlangen. But outside a rather small area of the historic core, the city grew too rapidly in the 20th century for aesthetic concerns to always be taken into consideration. That said, the city has taken considerable efforts to commission murals and legal graffiti on surfaces such as underpasses that would otherwise be dreary naked concrete. Erlangen was not bombed in World War II despite being a garrison town and thus a lot of old buildings were preserved - or in some cases would have been if not for the needs of the expanding University and the need for modern buildings outweighing concerns of historic preservation.

In terms of nature, the serendipitously preserved meadows of the Regnitz (local parlance "Wiesengrund") are perhaps the most striking feature. They are passionately, sometimes jealously or over-zealously guarded against any potential destruction by the citizenry that uses the area for their daily bike commute, to relax, sunbathe, do sports and numerous other activities every day.

Streets and squares
The city centre is worth seeing, as most of its buildings have been preserved. As an example, the “new town” (Neustadt) was built as a planned community for the Huguenots who came as religious refugees from France. It spans from the and the square. The architecture has been significantly influenced by that fact. Its streets lie straight in a grid and the houses display façades in a continuous style. The market and palace square (Marktplatz/Schlossplatz) with the and the  together with the Huguenot square (Hugenottenplatz) form the centre of this baroque part of the city. The Pauli fountain was designed in new renaissance style and has been donated to the city by the merchant couple Pauli.

The historic old town is north of the new town; however, it burned down in 1706 and was rebuilt from scratch. The current buildings are nevertheless worth seeing, even though they are younger than the houses of the new town, and have been based on their style. When visiting, take a walk around the streets (especially the ones around Schiffstraße, Altstädter Kirchplatz and Theaterplatz). Archeologists have found out that the alignment of the cellars and basements follows that of the former houses in places more than that of the current houses.

Outside of the city centre, you will find further areas with buildings dating to the interwar years or earlier. These are mostly east and southeast of the centre (you can use Schillerstraße and Österreicher Straße as orientation points to find the areas). Further interesting old architecture can be found on the university's Röthelheim campus (between Artielleriestraße and Allee am Röthelheimpark). The former "Housing Area" (sometimes referred to by those words in German) of the military barracks is largely built in an interesting red brick style.

Museums

Somewhat out of the city:

Parks

Erlangen has a lot of parks and garden which enable you to relax in the green:

 * The
 * Just next to it, the
 * The
 * Some hundred metres north of the old town, you will find the
 * The
 * Green squares in the city such as Ohmplatz south of the centre and the Bohlenplatz in the eastern part of the new town. You may furthermore relax on the sunny Altstädter Kirchplatz or within the shadow at Neustädter Kirchplatz, potentially seeing some boule players.

Nature
Within its city limits, Erlangen offers two nature reserves, (slightly east of the centre) and (south of the centre, east of the district Bruck).

In the southern part of Erlangen, in the woods north of and east of the district of Tennenlohe, you will find the Furthermore, you can look for the  If you want to extend your walk some more, you can start in eastern Tennenlohe next to the firefire station and start your walk with the

The In many parts, it still shows the old watering canals that were used for agriculture; citizen initiatives even restored some of the old scoop wheels, such as the.

Do

In any case, for experiencing Erlangen, you should take a stroll through the small but cosy Altstadt (roughly said the area delimited by Hauptstraße, Schlossgarten and Theaterplatz) and Neustadt (the area south of Slossgarten) and the pedestrian zone (northern part of Nürnberger Straße and side streets). If you want to relax with a newspaper, take a time and read within the nice reading area of the at Marktplatz 1. On warm summer evenings, you could join the students by picnicking or having a beer at Bohlenplatz. For a city of this size, cultural offerings and events are plentyful and of good quality and you should just check what's on when you are here and what suits your interests.

Events
The Stadtverband der Erlanger Kulturvereine maintains a list of events. You will find a lot of current information in the magazines hugo! and curt.

In spring

 * International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.
 * International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.
 * International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.
 * International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.
 * International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.

In winter
Erlangen has three centrally located Christmas Markets, which are all atmospherically nice.

Venues
The following host a wide variety of events and are too multi-purpose to fit under any one category

Sports

 * There is an extensive network of designated bicycling routes, which are marked with white signs. For tours out of town, best consult the information provided by ADFC (German bicycling association), one of the nicer ways is cycling the Regnitz Radweg next to the river via Fürth to Nürnberg (~25 km one way; you may also take the train for the other direction but be sure to buy a ticket both for you and for your bike). Renting bikes is possible at several places in town (see Getting around section).
 * There is a golf course operated by.
 * Annual charitable football tournament "Football against cancer". Last Sunday of February in the sport hall of Friedrich-Alexander University.
 * DAV Erlangen operates a climbing and bouldering hall and a climbing tower.
 * HC Erlangen is the town's (Olympic) Handball club that made its way to the first division Bundesliga in 2014 and again in 2016. They used to play all home games in the Karl Heinz Hiersemann Halle in Erlangen (where their second team still plays) but since 2016 have played in their temporary home in Nuremberg. Plans to build a bigger venue to accommodate the bigger crowds were shelved due to cost concerns.
 * During the Cold War the city had an US garrison with all that entails and after the soldiers left, it largely fell into the hands of the city. While the living quarters were turned into housing and some of the former training grounds are now nature reserve, the baseball diamond was given over to the Erlangen White Sox while an American Football team, the Erlangen Sharks play right next door.

Public swimming pools

 * There are two swimming pools in the city open for the public. You can find opening times and prices (in German) here. Both swimming pools are combined open air and indoor facilities. They are perfectly adequate for swimming and certainly make for a fun time on a summer day for a price that's hard to beat, but if you are more into waterparks or "fun baths" the Atlantis in Herzogenaurach or the Palm Beach in Stein bei Nürnberg might be more to your liking.

Other

 * Take a stroll at one of the nice flea markets (see Buy section for best offers, come early, they usually start around 08:00).

Buy
For a city of its size, Erlangen's shopping opportunities are both varied and abundant. Probably the nicest aspect of shopping in Erlangen is that you have a mix of all the standards you may need but also a diverse scene of smaller and not-so-common shops that offer you another type of shopping experience and in many cases good personal consultation and advice if you wish. A lot of exquisite small shops have great things on offer, and are often highly specialised (e.g. arts and crafts, music).

The shops are mostly located in the areas of the Altstadt (old town) and Neustadt (new town) and around the axes of Hauptstraße/Marktplatz/Nürnberger Straße and Friedrichstraße/Obere Karlstraße; always also including the neighbouring streets around them. You can take a pleasant walk around all of these areas (which are all easily covered on foot). If you want to shop in the Altstadt area, note that there is an offer called Altstadtshopping on Thursday late afternoons: most shops are open somewhat longer (often till 20:00) and parking on the Fuchsenwiese parking space is free of charge as of 16:00.

Most shops open between 09:30 and 11:00 (most at 10:00), with smaller shops usually closing between 18:00 and 19:00 on weekdays and between 14:00 and 16:00 on Saturdays. Due to Bavaria's strict laws, no shops may open beyond 20:00 or on Sundays with the exception of those serving a travel need (e.g. shops in gas stations or train stations) or bakeries, which also open on Sundays but not after 20:00. There are some verkaufsoffene Sonntage on a semi-regular basis when most shops open on Sunday, but expect a lot of traffic on those days and crowded shops.

There is a long standing concern among business owners and politicians that the Old Town is slowly but surely losing its charm and particularly its businesses and the city is doing quite a bit to counteract this. Among other things there is a riksha that rides up and down the pedestrian zone that shoppers may use free of charge and there is a Tag der Altstadt ("Day of the Old Town") to promote the businesses and shopping opportunities in the Old Town.

Specialty shops
Antiques:

Beer (local) and liquors:

Books:

Clothes:

Ecological clothing:

Second-hand clothing:

Comics:

Flowers:

Gifts, arts and crafts:

Records and music:

Flea markets
Erlangen hosts some good flea markets, amongst the garage style sales, the following ones are recommended (for best offers, come early, they usually start around 08:00):

Eat
The region is famous for the number and charm of its beer gardens, where in summer you can enjoy a cool drink and a bite to eat (Brotzeit = German equivalent of a picnic) whilst enjoying traditional music. Entla's Keller (regional dialect for duck's cellar) is located on the Burgberg where the Bergkirchweih is held as well but outside of this festival operates as a normal beer garden (the locally preferred word is Bierkeller, beer-cellar) and sells typical Franconian cuisine and beer by the liter.

Budget

Further options

 * You can have sandwiches at several bakeries, e.g. "Der Beck" cafés and in some of "Der Kalchreuther Bäcker"
 * Furthermore, many of the Cafés listed in the Drink section offer a limited set of dishes at comparably low price.

Breakfast
If you are looking for a nice breakfast out of your hotel, have a look at the Café section as some of the cafés have the respective offerings.

Cafés
While Erlangen is somewhat short of nice street cafés, there are many places where you can enjoy a good cup in the rooms, quiet gardens or at some places even with a look outside to see what is happening. Some of the good addresses which are operating as cafés at daytime and partly as bars on the evenings are:

Neustadt area (around Neustädter Kirchplatz and Bohlenplatz)

On and around Market Square:

Old town (Altstadt):

Southern part of the centre (around Nürnberger Straße):

East of the centre (area towards Lorlebergplatz/Zollhof/Med Museum):

Out of core town:

Bars and pubs

Cocktail bars:

Venues with regular live music: Pubs: Wine:

Budget

Camping:

Mid-range

Apartments:

Go next
There are many interesting and charming destinations for sightseeing and day trips (or longer) in the Erlangen region. The surrounding countryside is beautiful (Franconian Switzerland, Franconian lake district) and there are many towns and villages of historical and architectural interest.

 * Augsburg - often overlooked nice medium-sized city near to and much older than Munich, historically important amongst others due to its strong banking business
 * Bamberg - old bishop-town - UNESCO World Heritage site
 * Fürth - Erlangen's next neighbour to the south, this city is much overlooked, but has over 2000 historic monuments to offer and is streadily improving its inner city offerings
 * Munich - the capital of Bavaria
 * Nuremberg - the big neighbouring city
 * Rothenburg ob der Tauber - a rather small city, famous for its mostly original medieval old centre
 * Würzburg - a nice city with a strong wine growing business in the surroundings and magnificent Baroque heritage (UNESCO World Heritage site), situated at the Main river

Smaller or less famous but nevertheless worthy destinations in the area:
 * Forchheim quite a nice small town with mostly intact old town a short S-Bahn ride from Erlangen
 * Herzogenaurach - a quaint and nice Franconian town that's home to Adidas and Puma with correspondingly many sports outlet-store shopping opportunities

Erlangen's sister cities around the world include Riverside, California San Carlos (Nicaragua), Bolzano, Beşiktaş, Eskilstuna, Jena, Shenzhen, Rennes and Stoke on Trent

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Erlangen


text:
Erlian

Erlian (二连; Èrlián) is a city in Inner Mongolia. It is also variously known as Ereen or Eriyen in Mongolia, and Erenhot or Erlianhaote (二连浩特; Èrliánhàotè) in China. It appears as Erlian on Chinese railway timetables, and Ereen on Monglian railway timetables.

By plane
There is a direct flight Beijing-Erlian (Erenhot Shi, code ERL) via Capital Airlines, China.

From Erlian to Hohhot a 40-minute flight was just over ¥170 (Sep 2016).

There is a free airport bus from the airport to the city centre.

By train
There are trains from Beijing. The train station is on the eastern border of the town. Tickets can be purchased at the station 20 days in advance, or from almost any tourist/travel centre 5 days in advance. Prices are controlled by the government and there should only be a ¥10 commission on the sale if you buy it from a 3rd party agent.

Train #K23 departs from Beijing at 11:22 arriving in Erlian at 22:30 shared hard berth ¥200 (March 2016).

You can get from Zamiin-Uud in Mongolia to Erlian by train on the international train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar as described in Zamiin-Uud. From Moscow and other major Russian cities along the track, you can take the weekly train 43, aka the "Trans-Mongolian", to Erlian.

As of May 2023, the Trans-Mongolian service has been paused indefinitely, and there are no direct train service to Beijing or Zamiin-Uud for the time being. From Beijing other major cities, one can take a train to Jining and change to a local train.

Visa run
Trains to Beijing only run a few days a week. If you are doing a visa run from Beijing, find out when trains will be coming back before going to Erlian. Train tickets can typically be purchased at the train station five days before the train is scheduled to leave, ten days during Chinese New Year (2010). If you are traveling from Beijing to renew a visa, return tickets can not be purchased in Beijing.

By bus
There are sleeper buses from Beijing. (¥200, 2011) The long-distance bus station is nearby, about one block west and 2-3 blocks north of the train station.

You can take a bus from Hohhot. There are several buses each day for ¥95 (2017). Depending on the traffic the trip is about 6 hours and 30 minutes. Bus stops for the driver to eat, but there is not much choice so bring some snacks.

You can get from Zamiin-Uud train center in Mongolia by bus (¥40, July 2009).

The bus station was closed for Chinese New Year until Feb 19 (2010).

By jeep
You can get from Zamiin-Uud in Mongolia by jeep, which costs around ¥50 per person (July 2009). Russian-made jeeps driven by Mongolian drivers start at the market where Mongolians buy goods to take back to Mongolia. The same jeeps also pick up passengers at the first border checkpoint with Chinese guards if they have room. At the border a jeep will arrive every few minutes. A Chinese taxi can take you to this checkpoint for ¥5-10. The jeeps are allowed to carry 5 passengers; however, some drivers ask the Chinese guards for exceptions and carry up to 7 passengers. If taking a jeep, expect to be very crowded and to either sit on someone's lap or someone on yours. Get out of the jeep at the Chinese and Mongolian entry points and walk through. Be sure to remember which jeep is yours as they come in only two colours (grey and green) and look nearly identical to each other. Many Mongolians cross the border on a daily basis so they are familiar with the process and can help out. Many speak at least some English.

You are not allowed to walk between the Chinese and Mongolian border posts though they are within walking distance. You will need to pay a ¥5 exit tax. The process takes around 1½ hours.

On some holidays (e.g. 1 June, Children's Day), the border is closed and you may be forced to stay a day longer than prepared. It may happen that a driver still offers you a lift, then notices at the border that it isn't possible and still wants to charge you for it.

Get around
Taxis, pedicabs and rickshaws are everywhere. A taxi around town costs ¥5 flat rate or ¥10 to the border from town (February 2010). The number one bus also will take you from town to the border for ¥1.

Buy
Antiques (of suspect age) and touristy knickknacks, at the alleys of gift shops at the north-east corner of 新华街 (mislabeled as Xinghua Street) and 前进路 (Qianjin Road).

Eat
The Mongolian restaurant in the bus station complex (on the left side) has excellent food with reasonable prices and a picture menu. They also have some imported items from Mongolia and ¥1 lockers if you don't want to lug your bag around. Most of the clientele are Mongolians and many of the waitstaff don't speak Mandarin so you know it's authentic!

There are also Muslim restaurants opened by the Hui Muslims of China.

There are many barbecue places on Xilin street that set up outside dinning and start getting busy around 19:30.

Sleep
There are many smaller hotels around the train station costing ¥50-60 for a double.

Other hotels:

Go next

 * Xilinhot, also known as Xilin Gol (锡林郭勒盟). There is only one bus departing in the early morning (around 07:00). It is a scenic bus drive over the dirt grassland roads for about 12 hours to this city of over 200,000 people. Continuing on to Jining by bus is an inexpensive way of doing a self-guided grasslands tour.
 * Zamiin-Uud, for onward travel to the rest of Mongolia. Head to the International Bus Station (二连国际汽车站) to buy a ticket to the Zamiin-Uud train station (¥50 per person, June 2023). Buses leave every hour or so. Get off at the Chinese border post to cross Chinese immigration, board the same bus again, get off at the Mongolia border post to cross Mongolian immigration, then board the bus one last time to get to the train station. The buses, drivers, and most passengers are Mongolian. Do not expect any English, or even Mandarin proficiency.

Mongolian visa
Get a Mongolian visa either from:
 * CITS (when open)
 * Costs ¥495. You drop it off at 09:00 and pick up at 15:00.

 * The Mongolian Consulate
 * No.1206, Youyi Beilu Erlianhaote
 * Open M-F 08:30-12:00. Same-day processing costs ¥465.

The visa will last for 30 days. You will need one passport photo and to pay with cash. The prices above apply to most, but not all nationalities. For a full list see the Mongolian Embassy in China website.

Directions from the train station: Walk straight ahead along the road that runs directly in front of the clock outside the train station until you reach the second junction. The CITS will be on the left hand corner. Turn right here, then walk straight ahead for about five minutes. When you get to Chichaer St you will see the beige bus station down the street on the left, but continue walking straight ahead for a about another ten minutes until you see the blue, red and yellow Mongolian flag on the left. Do not worry if it seems like you have walked a bit outside town, you are meant to. Go to the small office at the gate.

During Chinese New Year, the border (18 Feb) and the Mongolian Consulate (22 Feb) were both closed. (2010)

One Australian was able to obtain a visa at the border while the consulate in town was closed during Chinese New Year but this process did not seem to be encouraged and may not be typically available.

For residents of Beijing, a trip to Erlian is the cheapest way to leave the country and renew a multiple entry visa (a visa run) but is less straight forward than a trip to Hong Kong or Seoul, Korea. Most people in town and at the border do not speak any English so some basic Chinese is very helpful.

title: Erlian


text:
Ermioni

Ermioni (Ερμιόνη), sometimes Hermione, is a city in the Peloponnese.

Ermioni (pop. 4,554) administratively belongs to the Prefecture of Argolis. Although it is quite popular with Athenians, especially during Easter and summer weekends, it still more peaceful than the nearby more touristed islands of Spetses and Hydra, and quite cheaper as well. Ermioni is on a very small out-cropping of the land facing the island of Hydra. Because it faces the sea from three sides as well as the architectural style of the buildings, Ermioni gives the impression that you are actually on one of the most beautiful islands of Greece, rather than a town just 2.5 hours away from Athens.

By boat
The preferred method of travel from Athens to Ermioni, if car is not available, is by sea from the port of Piraeus. In high season several passenger-only hydrofoils and catamarans of Hellenic Seaways]] depart the port of Piraeus daily, calling at the islands of Poros, Hydra and Spetses, as well as the mainland ports of Ermioni and Porto Heli on the Peloponnese. Depending on the ports of call, trip duration from Piraeus to Ermioni is between 2 hours and 3 hours. Passenger tickets cost €29,5 one way.

Winter sees a major reduction in service, with only four hydrofoils daily. These are subject to cancellations when the weather turns nasty.

By bus
There are daily buses from Athens and Nafplio to the nearby town Kranidi (approximately 9 km from Ermioni). The ticket from Athens costs €15.30 one way. The trip takes longer than the car trip because the buss stops to a number of towns along the way. From Kranidi there are daily buses to Ermioni, however the departure times are rarely convenient to people arriving with the buss from Athens. Another way to reach Ermioni is to hire a local taxi but be sure to ask for the price beforehand, as well as a receipt. The cheapest way is, of course, hitch-hiking.

By car
From Athens the trip is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. From Nafplion the trip is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

See
You can visit Bisti Park, which is a hill in the edge of Ermioni with great view of the sea. Also, graphic Greek Orthodox Churches are very beautiful, such as Agios Gerasimos at the other side hill.

title: Ermioni


text:
Ernakulam District

Ernakulam is a district of Central Kerala.

Cities

 * — a riverside town

 * — the birthplace of Adi Shankara.

 * (Cochin) — The commercial capital of Kerala and major gateway to the state.

 * —

 * —

 * —

 * —

 * —

 * — The WonderLa, Kochin refinery, FACT, InfoPark etc. are situated outskirts of Pattimattom

 * — Is the town crowded with Indian workers in Kerala. Several thousands of Bengalis, Biharis and Assamese live in this tiny town.

 * —

Other destinations

 * —

 * — thickly forested with bamboo and other trees is home to a large variety of fauna and flora

title: Ernakulam District


text:
Erode

Erode is a city in Tamil Nadu in South India, likely to be called by various names such as Textile City, Turmeric City or Loom City of India.

By road
Erode, as the headquarters of Erode district, has an extensive highway and road network.

The Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation operates huge fleet of buses from Erode to almost all places of the state and to neighboring states like Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

By train
There are lot of trains available from all parts of Tamil Nadu. Catch Cheran, Nilgiri, Kovai, Yercaud, Allepey and all Kerala-bound trains from Chennai Central.

Do

 * Gobichetti palayam is a famous cinema shooting spot near to Erode.

Buy

 * Known for its name "Textile City" - Erode is famous for its Textile market where you can purchase textile products (Bedspreads, shirting and suiting....) for very low prices. Textile merchants from various parts of India converge here for Textile trading, especially in cotton materials.
 * Erode is also famous for Turmeric (Manjal) which is a natural anti-septic powder.

Eat
In Erode you can find Parotta, Dosai, Idly etc. You will also be able to locate a lot of multi-cuisine restaurants in an around Erode. Both the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian people could have a tasty and tummy full food cheaper than other cities in Tamil Nadu.

Best Places:
 * Vegetarian:
 * Trichy Cafe - two hotels. One located near bus-stand and the other near Manikoondu.
 * kongu parotta for its delicious parotta
 * Non-Vegetarian:
 * Kuppanna - famous for its biriyani. Located in multiple places. Recommended - The one near the bus-stand.
 * Sri Ayyappa Vilas- famous for its mutton chops started in the year 1955.
 * Chicken Pallipalayam is very special dish prepared by coconut and chicken.

Drink
Lot of bar available in and around erode city.

Go next

 * Male Mahadeshwara Betta
 * Chamarajanagar
 * Nanjangud
 * Mysore
 * Coimbatore

title: Erode


text:
Erongarícuaro

Erongarícuaro, also called Eronga, is located on Lake Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. The town retains its ancient atmosphere. It consists of largely one-story adobe or plaster-over-brick buildings with red tile roofs. The streets are dusty cobblestones traveled by horse and car. The plaza has a fountain, stage and amazing collection of trees.

Understand
Erongaricuaro, which means "place of waiting" or "place of the watchtower" in the Purhépecha language, is a village in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. It is located about an hour and a half drive from Morelia and Uruapan, and 20 minutes from the famous colonial town of Patzcuaro. The estimated population is 2,700 people in 2020.

Erongarícuaro, lies just across Lake Pátzcuaro from Pátzcuaro. The native Purhépecha from the pueblos near Erongarícuaro come to market day on Tuesdays. This ancient town was one of the critical trade points for the Purhepecha empire. Friendly to outsiders, Erongarícuaro has hosted artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera along with the father of surrealism, Andre Breton, and Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Former president Lazaro Cardenas used it as his hideaway across the lake before the road arrived to Erongarícuaro. Today Erongarícuaro hosts ex-patriots from Argentina, the United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

The lively Erongarícuaro plaza has many exotic trees displaying the area's tolerant climate.

History
The pretty colonial-era village of Erongarícuaro lies on the west side of the lake about 17km/11mi from Pátzcuaro. During the Second World War a group of French Surrealists found refuge in Erongarícuaro making the village a new Left Bank. Stokely Carmichael hid out here during the dangerous years of the 1960s.

The original Purhépecha village of Erongarícuaro was located up the mountain from the present day village and dates back around two thousand years. Although Erongarícuaro was a part of the Purhé Empire, it was such an important village that it was relatively independent from the main seat of the empire in Tzintzuntzan, probably due to its ties with the villages on the Meseta Purhépecha to the west.

By bus
Bus from Morelia direct to Erongarícuaro. There are reports that these may no longer run.

Combis run from Pátzcuaro frequently. The cost is M$10 (pesos).

Busses and combis leave from near the statue of Lazaro Cardenas. The bus station is farther up though that might be the easiest for you.

By taxi
Taxis from Pátzcuaro to Erongarícuaro cost M$80.

By car
The roads are safe. In some seasons potholes can pose a serious hazard to unaware drivers in the stretch between Erongarícuaro and Patzcuaro. Drive carefully as the roads have many speed bumps, burros, dogs, cows, and horses.

From Pátzcuaro, head toward the muelle (dock), and follow the signs to Tocuaro and Erongarícuaro, where you'll pass through the villages of Huecorio, San Pedro, Tócuaro, Arocutín, San Francisco Uricho, before reaching Erongarícuaro, 17 km from Pátzcuaro.

Get around
Visitors should do most of their exploring by foot in Erongarícuaro. Everything is within walking distance.

Do

 * Permaculture Farms Some of the permaculture farms allow visitors.
 * Rancho Fresno Classes in Composting.
 * Granja Tierramor Workshops and classes in permaculture.

Tours

 * Horsebackriding. Granja Lolita has horses available for riding.
 * Birdwatching.
 * Guided walks on the mountains behind the village and plain air sessions can be arranged through Red Star Café and Gallery.
 * Pitaya Farm Tour. The Pitaya (dragonfruit) farm is only available for tour by special appointment.
 * Homestay Language Exchange.

Festivals

 * Reyes Magos, January 6th, is the largest festival in Erongarícuaro. The men working in the United States return with their trucks and earnings. The plaza has many rides for children
 * Jaripeos (Bullriding) Best ones are for Reyes Magos. Nearby towns have japipeos. Horse racing in Zincero.
 * February 2 Day of the Candlemas
 * Festival in honor of the water spirit. In February.

Buy

 * No ATM is available though across the lake in Patzcuaro there are several.
 * Bike shop for bike repairs.

Eat
The nieve (ice cream), sold in shops on the plaza, is a delightful treat. There are many different flavors, made with water or with cream. Combinations of flavors add variety and taste. Popsicles made from exotic fruits make a pleasant taste adventure.

Except for early evening there is always food on the plaza. Warm atole in the morning and night. Tacos, gorditas, hamburgers and burritos.

The bread shop at the lower end of the plaza has wholewheat bread. And tortilla shops of all kinds abound. Whole roasted chickens.

Seafood stands.

 * Comida Corrida Located on the lower end of the plaza, the last restaurant as you leave the plaza going toward Quiroga. Lunch selections vary daily, and include nopales, molé, carne asada, chicken with spices, etc. Vegetarian selections are often available as a member of the family business is a vegetarian. M$35 for traditional main dish, beans, rice, tortillas, salsa and a soda.
 * Seafood Place. Just after down the slight hill out of town on the way to Patzcuaro, there is a seafood restaurant.
 * Lonceria "El 10", Lower side of the plaza, Open all day. Tasty simple tortas. M$10-$15.
 * Sunday Evenings on the streets. Each Sunday evening the local matriarchs and those in training sit out and sell their homemade goodies. Head slightly uphill from the plaza or into any back streets and you will likely find them. Don't ask about the water or food conditions. Buy what they have if it looks good and you are not too sensitive. These ladies have fed generations of Mexican kids. Reasonable prices.

Drink

 * The Plaza. The most popular place to drink is on the Plaza on the upper end outside "El Brazo Fuerte". Other small grocery stores serve as simple bars for drinking beer.

Stores on the upper and lower ends of the plaza have a limited selection of overpriced wines. You would do better to buy your wines direct from Costco which is likely where they buy them.

Sleep
There are several excellent lodging choices in Erongarícuaro.

 * Hotel Jardin, Calles Ignacio Zaragoza 14 (At the upper corner of the plaza), 01-434-34-40168 y 01-44-31-29-3230,. Days and times open. 15 rooms, M$250-350. Very clean triples, doubles and singles available. Open 24 hours. Food is available but perhaps it is best to arrange that ahead of time. Since this hotel is right on the plaza, there is food available nearby from morning till night. Tour groups of all kinds use Hotel Jardin. The hotel has a bathroom which charges M$3 for non-guests.
 * Raul's, Out on the end of Ocampo street. Rustic. Charming handbuilt spaces, including some of the old troje style cabins which are available as well. Bring a sleeping bag if you have one. A studio with mirror for dance classes. Campfires at night.
 * The Monastery Maybe be open to conferences sometimes. Performances are held there.
 * The Monastery Maybe be open to conferences sometimes. Performances are held there.
 * The Monastery Maybe be open to conferences sometimes. Performances are held there.

Go next
Taxi to Patzcuaro is M$80. Quiroga M$90. Combis leave frequently to Patzcuaro for M$10. Bus to Morelia leaves every hour: M$25- get off at Isquina Corona and taxi in to centro.

title: Erongarícuaro


text:
Erongo

Erongo is a region in eastern central Namibia.

Cities

 * , a mining town in the middle of the Namib Desert
 * , a coastal holiday town, famous for its angling opportunities
 * , a small town halfway between the capital Windhoek and the coast of the Atlantic
 * , a small town in the northeast of the region
 * , a coastal town and holiday destination with plenty of German colonial architecture
 * , Namibia's most important harbour town

Other destinations

 * , a mountain massif that contains Namibia's highest mountain, the Königstein, as well as San rock art, with the White Lady the most famous of it
 * National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area
 * The northern part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park
 * , a group of inselbergs rising from the Namib Desert

Understand
Erongo is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and has domestic borders with Hardap in the south, Khomas in the southeast, Otjozondjupa in the northeast, and Kunene in the north. Most of its area is desert—rocky north of the Kuiseb River and sandy south of it.

Get in
Due to the scarcity of other options, most travellers will arrive by car. The major highway in the region is the Trans-Kalahari Highway (B2) that leads from Walvis Bay to Okahandja.

By air
Walvis Bay has a regional airport with scheduled flights to the capital Windhoek, and to Cape Town in South Africa.

By train
There is a train service from Windhoek to Walvis Bay via Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund. It runs a few times a week during the night. The train is predominantly for freight, with only one or two passenger cars, and it stops at every tree rock, as there are few trees in the desert. But the 11-hour trip is cheap and safe, and safes a night of accommodation. Bring a sleeping bag; the desert is cold at night.

By public transport
Between towns you can catch a minibus. Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund have local shared taxis that can take you around.

Get around
The B2 highway is tarred and in very good condition, as is the C33 from Karibib to Otjiwarongo. The C34 from Swakopmund to Terrace Bay is paved with a sand-salt mix. It behaves like tar when it is dry, and like soap when it is wet, drive carefully. The Bosua Pass on the C28 can be problematic when driven uphill (from the coast inlands): It starts off with patches of sand and layers of rock which have to be navigated very slowly in order not to damage the car, and it then becomes very steep for a few meters. All other C-roads are gravel roads and in fair condition, easily passable with an ordinary sedan. Other roads (D-roads, F-roads, and those without letters or numbers) tend to be rough, sandy, heavily corrugated, and will further deteriorate after rainfall.

Within the Namib-Naukluft National Park there are plenty of smaller tracks for which a permit is required. See our park article for details. Most of these tracks require a 4x4.

Farms are private properties. Don't drive onto a farm road, even if the gate is open, unless your destination is signposted there, or you intend to visit that farm. If you open a farm gate to drive through, close it again.

See

 * seal colony, 44km north-west of Hentiesbay
 * , an area of unreal results of the erosion of the Swakop River, 25km east of Swakopmund. The road there further extends to the Welwitschia Plains which contain one of the largest of these plants that exist, estimated to be 1,500 years old. The entire trip has roadside markers every now and then to explain selected plants, artefacts, and geological features. However, the descriptions have disappeared or become illegible. Download them in advance, for instance from here or use mobile Internet access, the round trip has cell phone coverage. The road is rough and crosses the sandy Swakop. You will feel sorry for your car. If you don't have the nerves, come in a 4x4, or do the trip by joining one of the frequent organised tours that start in Swakopmund.
 * , one of the largest open-pit uranium mines in the world. There is a guided tour every first Friday of the month, departing from Swakopmund. The machinery shown is impressive, particularly for kids, but you are also forced to watch a boring PR movie. Tickets at the Swakopmund Museum.

Do

 * Visit, an environmental research center for desert conditions. The center holds an annual open day on which you will be shown around. If you miss that one you might still [mailto:gobabeb@gobabeb.org contact them] to ask if you are welcome. All roads to Gobabeb require a permit for the Namib-Naukluft National Park

Sleep
Erongo is touristically well developed. There is tourist accommodation in all towns and villages. Between tourist destinations there are many guest farms offering accommodation, for instance:

Stay safe
The Ugab riverbed in northern Erongo is inhabited by desert elephants. If you are driving through it, remember that the area is theirs, not yours. They certainly know it. Don't drive too close towards a herd of elephants. 10-15 m is close enough for good holiday pictures and will normally not put your party in danger. Otherwise, the younger ones might play with your car, the older ones might get angry, either way your car might end upside down. You'll know that an elephant is angry when it shakes its head. In this case, stay in the car, switch off the engine, and avoid all unnatural noise (cell phone, camera, such things). They will eventually walk away; wait for this to happen instead of trying a daring escape.

Go next
The following regions of Namibia border with Erongo:
 * Hardap in the south
 * Khomas in the southeast
 * Otjozondjupa in the northeast
 * Kunene in the north

title: Erongo


text:
Erskine

Erskine is a city in northwestern Minnesota.

Get in
By Air

 * Bemidji Regional Airport: This is the closest commercial airport to Erskine. It is about an hour away, with only one flight going to Minneapolis/St. Paul.
 * Hector International Airport: This is a much larger airport, with flights going nationwide. It is about 2 hours away.

By Car

Erskine is located at the intersection of US Highway 2 and US Highway 59.

See
The city park has a statue that is claimed to be the World's Largest Northern Pike.

Do
There are several lakes in the area that are popular fishing and boating destinations, most notably Maple Lake, Union Lake and Lake Sarah.

The Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, located about seven miles south of Erskine, has an interpretive center and several miles of hiking trails.

Go next
Itasca State Park, home of the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, is about an hour west of Erskine.

title: Erskine


text:
Ertholmene

Ertholmene is a group of small islands north-east of Bornholm.

Get in
There are ferries from Gudhjem, Allinge-Sandvig, and Simrishamn.

There is a natural harbour between Frederiksø and Christiansø, where you can anchor your yacht.

Get around
There are no cars on the islands, so you have to walk. Bicycles are not allowed.

Difficult terrain for disabled people.

Understand
There are only about 100 inhabitants living on Ertholmene, but thousands of visitors come every summer. The islands are: Christiansø, Frederiksø, and Græsholm.

Do
Walk around, enjoy the scenary and solitude. Several points on the island have unhindered 360 degrees view over the sea. Visit the barracks and hundreds of years old military installations and imagine how it would feel being garrisoned there over the long, cold winters.

Buy
Not much of a selection to be honest. There are a few arts and crafts vendors/producers over the summer months but nothing really you cannot find on Bornholm next door.

Eat
Christiansø is famous for its marinated herrings. Small convenience shop with limited selection and a small restaurant. If you're on a daytrip from Bornholm, it might be worth considering bringing sandwiches or similar pret-a-porter foods.

Drink

 * Slåensnaps (Blackthorn Schnapps) is a local speciality.

Sleep
Ertholmene has 6 hotelrooms and a camping area. Reservation for both is recommended. Off designated area tenting is not allowed. Or you can sleep in your own yacht.

 * Nearby the school. 24 pitches, basic kitchen facilities. Sanitary facilities 300 m away at the guard.

 * Six rooms, nice view onto the harbour and Frederiksø.

title: Ertholmene


text:
Erzhausen

Erzhausen is a village in Hesse, one of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Understand
Erzhausen has about 9,000 inhabitants. There is some agriculture, a few shops and very little industry. Many of the inhabitants do not actually work in Erzhausen, but in Frankfurt or Darmstadt.

Get in
There is a train service from Frankfurt (25 minutes) and Darmstadt (8 minutes) every half an hour. A bus service to Weiterstadt and Darmstadt-Wixhausen is also available. Connection to Motorways A5 via Weiterstadt, to A661 via Egelsbach.

Eat
Erzhausen has a few nice Restaurants. A very good Greek restaurant is right at the train station.

Go next

 * Langen
 * Darmstadt

title: Erzhausen