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Visalia

Visalia is a city of 141,384 (2020) in Tulare County in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Get in
Visalia can be reached from Fresno to the north via California State Route 99 and from Bakersfield to the south via SR-99. Visalia Municipal Airport offers daily flights to/from Ontario International Airport in Ontario, CA aboard Great Lakes Airline.

By bus
Greyhound and Amtrak offer bus service to the Visalia Transit Center at 425 E Oak Ave.

Get around
Highway 198 cuts straight through the middle of the city going east to west. It provides an easy route to downtown as well as to Sequoia National Park and Kaweah Lake.

Mooney Blvd. is the main strip for shopping in town. It runs north to south curving into main street on its north end which will take you to the downtown area.

Akers, Caldwell, Lover's Lane and Goshen Ave. are the main connected streets that take you around the outside borders of town, though the city is quickly growing beyond them.

Tulare, Walnut, and Whitendale are also useful east to west streets that are used to get around the south side of the city.

By bus
Visalia Transit offers bus service.

Go next

 * Fresno is located 45 miles north on 99.
 * Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

title: Visalia


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Visayas

The Visayas are a major island and cultural grouping in the midsection of the Philippines. Nearly every part of the region has some fine beaches along its coasts, some fine diving areas including many coral reefs teeming with life, and some interesting historic buildings, mostly from the Spanish colonial period, in the cities and some towns. Most of the larger islands have mountains near the center, most of them volcanic in origin though few are active now.

The country's best-known resort island, Boracay, is in the northwestern corner of the region. Diving destinations include Moalboal and Malapascua in Cebu Province, Panglao Island in Bohol Province, Apo Island in Negros Oriental, Danjugan Island in Negros Occidental, and many others. Other tourist draws include Metro Cebu which is the main urban center of the region, the Chocolate Hills of Carmen, Bohol, and whale watching in the Tañon Strait near Bais, Negros Oriental.

Regions
For Wikivoyage purposes, we divide the region up by islands and provinces; see the Administrative divisions section below for how the Philippine government divides it. For interesting places that are not separate provinces, see the Cities section and the Other destinations section of the article.

Provinces
Some of the most important provinces consist of one main island plus a few smaller ones nearby. These are:
 * Cebu Province, a large island and a populous province, transport hub of the region, Has the largest urban center in the Visayas, Metro Cebu, with Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a major air hub and the Philippines' second busiest airport. Many visitors enter the Visayas via either this airport or the sea port in Cebu City.
 * Bohol, a mid-sized province with a booming tourist industry. Attractions include the resort area Panglao Island, the scenic Chocolate Hills, and a forest reserve with Tarsiers, one of the world's smallest primates.

Other large islands have more than one province:

 * Panay with Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo provinces. The main tourist draw is the highly developed beach resort island of Boracay.
 * Negros with Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. Tourist draws include the tallest peak in the Visayas, the semi-active Kanlaon Volcano near Bacolod, the tourist town and retirement destination Dumaguete, and diving destinations such as Apo Island.
 * Leyte Island with Leyte Province and Southern Leyte
 * Samar Island with Samar Province, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

The region also includes several small island provinces, each one main island plus some smaller ones nearby:
 * — between Bohol and Negros, known for legends of witches and sorcerers.
 * - between Panay and Negros, famous for mangoes.
 * - between Samar Island and Leyte Island

Some provinces that are linguistically and ethnically connected to the Visayas are not covered here because they are administered as parts of other regions, To the north, Masbate and Romblon are under the political jurisdictions of Bicol Region and Mimaropa respectively, both administered as parts of Luzon. To the south, Camiguin is part of Mindanao.

Administrative divisions
The Philippine government divides the Visayas into three regions for administrative purposes:This division is at least partly based on language. All these provinces plus some areas outside the Visayas speak Visayan languages, but all the areas designated as Central Visayas speak Cebuano while Hiligaynon and others are important in the west and Waray in the east.

Cities

 * — the provincial capital of Negros Occidental and home of the MassKara Festival where it got its nickname "The City of Smiles". It is the center of the Metro Bacolod urban area, the largest in Negros and second in the Visayas.
 * — the capital of Samar.
 * — the capital of Cebu Province and the regional center of Central Visayas. It anchors the sprawling Metro Cebu urban area. It is home of the Sinulog festival and the centuries-old Magellan Shrine. It is nicknamed the 'Queen City of the South".
 * — the provincial capital of Negros Oriental, with a clean sea-front boulevard and several universities. This "City of Gentle People" is a popular destination for both tourism and retirement.
 * — known as the "City of Love" in the Philippines. Known for its festival, the Dinagyang.
 * — main ferry port of its region
 * — the regional center of Eastern Visayas and the capital of the province of Leyte. It is home of the famous Pintados Festival and the San Juanico Bridge that connects Leyte to Samar.
 * — the provincial capital and main transport hub of Bohol.
 * — the capital of Capiz. Seafood of assorted kinds is popular in this midsized coastal city.

Other destinations

 * — a diving destination near Dumaguete; has a large, protected coral reef
 * — a major resort island at the northwest corner of the Visayas.
 * - an island group near Cebu
 * — small island with good beaches, diving, reefs and sharks
 * — once mainly a backpacker destination, it has good diving and has been developed to welcome a broader range of visitors
 * in Metro Cebu - a popular destination for bird watchers, also has a large protected coral reef area
 * in Bohol Province — a major resort area near the provincial capital.
 * - a quiet off-the-beaten-path area with fine beaches

Understand
The history goes back to prehistoric times; the largest migration was of Austronesian people, who are the ancestors of most modern Filipinos and related peoples, such as Indonesians, Malaysians, Micronesians and Polynesians. There are several different theories which differ on the details, but all agree that the migration took place several thousand years BCE.

The Portuguese adventurer Ferdinand Magellan led a Spanish expedition that made the first circumnavigation of the earth in the 1520s, and visited the Visayas. Limasawa in Southern Leyte, is where the first Christian mass in the Philippines was held. Magellan himself did not complete the trip; he was killed while fighting a Visayan warrior-ruler named Lapu-Lapu on Mactan Island, Cebu Province.

Talk
There are three major local languages in the Visayas group of islands; Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray. Negros is divided linguistically; Negros Occidental mainly speaks Hiligaynon while Negros Oriental mainly speaks Cebuano.
 * Cebuano is widely spoken in the Central Visayas, as well as Eastern Visayas. It is also the main language in large parts of Mindanao.
 * Hiligaynon (also known as Ilonggo) is widely spoken in Panay and Guimaras, as well as in the central southwestern part of Mindanao.
 * Waray is widely spoken in the Eastern Visayas, from Samar Island to the northeastern part of Leyte, and parts of Biliran.

There are other local languages in the Visayas such as Capiznon, Aklanon and Kinaray-a in some parts of Panay and Porohanon in Cebu's Camotes Islands. Nearly all are members of the Visayan languages group. In Capul Island close to Samar, a non-Visayan language called Inabaknon is spoken.

Despite differences in local languages, most Visayan people speak and understand English, as well as Filipino. Both are official languages for the country and are taught in all schools, but neither is indigenous to this area. A few locals will also understand various other languages; the Visayas is home to many of the overseas workers that keep the Philippines afloat economically with their monthly remittances and then come home to retire and build a house with their savings.

English: Good morning! Cebuano: Ma-ayong buntag! Hiligaynon: Ma-ayong aga! Waray: Maupay nga aga!

English: Good afternoon! Cebuano: Ma-ayong hapon! Hiligaynon: Ma-ayong hapon! Waray: Maupay nga kulop!

English: Good evening! Cebuano: Ma-ayong gabi-i! Hiligaynon: Ma-ayong gab-i! Waray: Maupay nga gabi!

Get in
The region's main air hub is Mactan-Cebu International Airport. It has domestic flights to most airports in the Philippines, international flights to many in the Asia/Pacific region, and a few to places beyond that. Other airports with some international flights are Iloilo, Kalibo and Panglao.

There are many flights from Manila to most major cities in the Visayas — Cebu, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Kalibo, Iloilo, Bacolod and Dumaguete — mostly on Air Asia, Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines. Some of these also have flights from Cebu, but many travellers use buses or ferries instead. A few have flights from CDO/Iligan airport or Clark.

The port in Cebu City is the main hub for sea travel. It has boats to many destinations in the Visayas, several in Mindanao, and Manila. Other port cities such as Dumaguete and Iloilo also have many ferries.

Get around
There are ferries nearly anywhere in the Visayas, with the port in Cebu City as the main hub and smaller ports all over the region. There are also lots of buses, many of which ride ferries for parts of their routes. See the "Get in" sections of destination articles for details.

Landmarks

 * San Juanico Bridge (Eastern Visayas)
 * Magellan's Shrine (Central Visayas)
 * Magellan's Cross (Central Visayas)

Natural spots

 * Balinsasayao-Danao Lakes (Negros)
 * Chocolate Hills (Central Visayas)
 * Kanlaon Volcano (Negros)
 * Langun-Gobingob Caves (Eastern Visayas)
 * Sogod Bay (Eastern Visayas)
 * Danao Lake (Eastern Visayas)

Wildlife

 * Tarsier of Bohol, a primate only about the size of a chihuahua

Do
Festivals
 * Ati-atihan Festival (January, Western Visayas)
 * Dinagyang Festival (January, Western Visayas)
 * Sinulog Festival (January, Central Visayas)
 * Pintados Festival (June, Eastern Visayas)
 * MassKara Festival (October, Negros)

Stay safe
The area has significant risk of typhoons; travellers should check weather reports regularly and either take precautions or, even better, get out of the area when a storm is expected.

The Visayas were hit extremely hard by Typhoon Haiyan, one of the largest tropical storms on record, in November 2013. Thousands were killed and whole towns flattened. Cleanup and rebuilding were almost done when they were hit again by Typhoon Ruby in December 2014. Damage this time is not nearly as severe but travellers should expect disruption of various services, especially in the Eastern Visayas.

Stay healthy
As for most travel, it is worth checking with your doctor and possibly getting some vaccines before setting out. The area is tropical, so see also tropical diseases.

Taking precautions against mosquitoes, including insecticide treatment for clothing and gear, is a good idea anywhere in the region. Dengue fever is fairly common and the dengue vaccine should be considered. Zika virus is quite rare throughout the country, but it is not unknown so women who are or may become pregnant should be especially cautious about mosquitoes. Unlike some other areas of the country, the Visayas have no risk of malaria.

The region has lots of stray or feral dogs and cats, and some rats, mice and bats, so rabies vaccinations may be a good idea.

Go next
The obvious places to go next are the other parts of the Philippines — north to Luzon, south to Mindanao, or west to Palawan. There are flights and ferries to some of those from most major cities in the Visayas. The main hubs are in Metro Cebu, Mactan-Cebu International Airport for flights and the port in Cebu City for ferries. Iloilo has a ferry to Palawan via the Cuyo Islands.

Mactan-Cebu Airport also has connections to many Asian cities, and a few beyond Asia. Iloilo and Kalibo airports also have some international flights.

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

title: Visayas


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Visby

Visby is one of the most remarkable towns in the Nordic countries. It is on the west coast of Sweden's largest island Gotland in the Baltic Sea with about 23,000 citizens. Visby is known for the city wall, the Cathedral and many church ruins. In 1995 the old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During the Swedish summer, from mid-June to mid-August, Visby is crowded. It is one of the best party cities in Sweden in the summer. Many Visby residents leave during these hectic months and let their apartments to visitors. During the rest of the year, the atmosphere is quite different.

Understand
Visby is on the western shore of Gotland, and is the only city on the island. The old city centre is encircled by a medieval city wall. The old city has an oblong shape along the shore, measuring some 2 km in length and half a km in breadth. It is often called "the city of roses and ruins": roses thrive on the limestone island, and the city is filled with medieval ruins.

Around 900 AD, Visby became a hub for trading in the Baltic Sea, and it eventually became a member of the Hanseatic League. During the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries the city prospered, and several churches as well as a major defensive wall were constructed. Visby's long period of decline began in 1361, when the Danish king Valdemar IV conquered Gotland and held Visby for ransom, threatening to pillage the city if he did not get three beer barrels filled with gold and silver. In the latter part of the 14th century Visby became a nest of a pirate organization called "The Victual Brothers". The Danes regained control over the island in 1409 and construction of the major fortification Wisborg started two years later. In 1525 the city was burnt by occupying Hanseatic troops. Much of the city was never re-built after this, and many of Visby's ruins stem from this event. In the 17th century, Gotland became a part of Sweden rather than Denmark. In order to prevent Wisborg from falling into Swedish hands the castle was destroyed by Danish troops. In the latter part of the 19th century the city started growing due to industrialization and an emerging tourist industry, and eventually came to develop beyond the old city walls.

As the Pippi Longstocking movies were shot in Visby, and the original Villa Villekulla can be visited in Kneippbyn in the city outskirts, it is a great destination for Astrid Lindgren tourism. The city was also the model for the fictional setting of the Japanese movie "Kiki's Delivery Service".

Climate
Visby has an oceanic climate, with cooler summers and milder winters compared to most of mainland Sweden. Nevertheless, the climate is strongly influenced by continental air flows. Precipitation is relatively constant throughout the year, and fairly low for an oceanic climate.

By boat
From the Swedish mainland, Destination Gotland runs ferries from Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn to Visby. You can bring your car. Hansa Destinations operates a once-weekly ferry from Rostock. In the summer some Baltic Sea cruises also include Visby.

Visby Marina
There is a lively marina in Visby centre.

Visby is some 35 nautical miles from Öland or the Swedish coast, some 60 from the Stockholm archipelago (Landsort), so a full day of sailing. There is little shelter except from the mainland and Gotland itself. The coast of Gotland is exposed, with only some harbours.

The port of Visby is tight and busy in the summer. Check the ferry timetables, listen on VHF 16, and adjust arrival and departure accordingly. Be alert and apply good seamanship.

The 250 berths are distributed between the inner harbour, the north breakwater and the fishing harbour to the right of the entrance. There is often a boat meeting visitors to assist in finding a berth. There are quays also for big vessels. A few berths can be booked, but mostly you just show up and will find or be showed a berth. At the big events, check the situation beforehand.

Get around
The inner city (Old Town), which is located within the city walls, is small enough to be covered by foot. The rest of the city is easy to get around by bike and has plenty of good bike paths.

By foot
Visby is best enjoyed by foot, especially the Old Town, located within the city wall.

By bicycle
During the summer there are usually plenty of bike rentals, but they can be expensive, if you're staying for a longer period purchasing a used bike might be a cheaper option.

By bus
There are several bus lines going out to the rest of the island, check the timetable before heading out though.

By car
During the summer cars are not allowed within the city walls. There are parking options free of charge, though a small parking fee is usually required in the city center.

By taxi
Like the rest of Sweden, taxis can be expensive, and are best for short trips when you are unable to get around otherwise.

By sightseeing train
There are a few sightseeing "trains" - practically a couple of trailers with seats and roofs pulled by a vehicle making tours around the old town with an audio guide playing through the speakers. Tours take about 30 minutes and tickets typically cost 65 kr/person.

See
Note that many of the town's attractions are only open during the summer months, usually until Aug 30th.

Church ruins in the Old Town
Visby once had many more churches, but most of them were destroyed in a major fire in 1525. Today the ruins of these remain as attractions.

Annual events

 * Almedalsveckan, (The politicians' week) takes place in the Almedalen park in Visby, first week of July. All political parties and organizations meet for debates and seminars, most of it open to the public; mostly in Swedish, but some in English. Big media coverage.
 * Stockholm week, (Stockholmsveckan) is a week of clubbing and partying in mid July when Visby is filled with youths, many of which come from the Swedish capital Stockholm.
 * Medieval Week (Medeltidsveckan), a large feast during a whole week in the beginning of August every year. Visitors dress in medieval clothes while visiting the medieval market or the jousting tournament. The feast is concentrated to Visby, but arrangements are held on all of Gotland. 2018 is the 35th anniversary. Visby is crowded during this week, and venues and connections are heavily booked.

Buy
There are only three ATMs in the old town and port area: one at Donners Plats just as you come up from the water front, one on Adelsgatan, and one on Stora Torget. The one on Stora Torget in the wall of the small grocery store with the hand-painted text saying "Uttagsautomat" is a minor sight in itself. Along the Östercentrum there are several others.

Most shops close at 17:00 on weekdays, 15:00 on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays.

Main shopping areas

 * Adelsgatan This is the major shopping street, and by far the most touristy. Don't be discouraged though, it has plenty of interesting shops selling small trinkets and local handicraft. If you venture off this street you'll get to see the beautiful alleys and the smaller streets, which are less crowded, and there are smaller shops hidden here and there.
 * Hästgatan
 * Sankt Hans Quarter (Sankt Hansgatan) - some clothes and design shops
 * Östercentrum (exit the old city through the Österport gate) Modern pedestrian shopping district with most of the usual European retail outlets, as well as banks, pharmacies, and fast food joints. In this area you can find Systembolaget to buy some good local beer, and records shop to buy home some nice Swedish music.

Eat
There are countless restaurants in Visby, especially during the summer, though the best cooked food is usually served at the year-round-establishments.

Drink
Gotlandsdricke is a local type of beer. It is no longer legal to sell, but it's still legal to make it yourself so if you ask around you might be able to find someone who makes it. Back in the day, every farm had their own recipe. Saffranspannkaka is a local form of dessert pastry, or fika. It is made from rice, milk, egg, almonds and saffron, and is usually served with whipped cream and dewberry jam.

Sleep

If you come to Visby late by ferry and are on a bike, it's probably easiest to wild-camp somewhere south of the city.

Go next

 * Ferries connect Visby with Oskarshamn on the coast of Småland.
 * The bigger cities Stockholm and Uppsala are reachable from here without too much effort.
 * Visit various small villages and other interesting places here on the Gotland island: Central Gotland is nearby.
 * Fårö, is a smaller island just north of Gotland, known for its barren climate.
 * Karlsöarna, is the second oldest natural reserve in the world, famous for its rich birdlife.

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Viscri

Viscri or Deutsch Weisskirch is a village in Brasov County. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Get in
The village is located in comuna Bunesti. It is reachable from the villages Bunesti (6 km) or Dacia (8 km). These are accessible from the road that links Sighisoara and Brasov. Viscri is very close to Rupea. On maps you will probably only find Bunesti.

From Sighisoara an appointment can be made for a bus by calling. The cost is €15/person, minimum 2 persons. You can also take a taxi from Sighisoara train station to Viscri. It takes about a 45-minute drive.

Hitchhiking from the main road should not be very difficult.

See

 * The Saxon museum is located in the fortress and requires no extra entrance fee. It features several rooms that show the now almost extinct Saxon culture. Tip: the women keeping the museum and fortress is a Saxon herself, one of the last 25 in the village; you can ask her about Saxon culture and history. She will be happy to tell you.
 * The brickworks are burning clay bricks and tiles as they used to 500 years ago.
 * The charburner is still making coal in a traditional way.
 * The charburner is still making coal in a traditional way.

Do

 * walk around or have a picnic in the beautiful countryside
 * get out of your usual decor into a traditional and picturesque village

Buy
Near the school and the post office there is a shop of the Association of Women from Viscri, where you can find handmade socks, hats, pottery and other traditional art and crafts.

Eat
Every meal and every ingredient in Viscri is homemade, the only thing produced industrially in your meals will be oil and sugar. A meal ranges from 20 to 50 lei, depending on what you eat.

Drink
Near the school there is a good and very cheap cafe: fresh coffee for 4 lei, water 1 leu.

Sleep
There are also about 60 rooms in the whole village with prices around 35 lei/person/night. Because it is a village and everybody knows everybody you can just ask somebody to help you find a place to stay.

There is a nice pension located at the corner of the T-intersection, where the main road meets the steep road leading up to the fortified church. The pension is on one right-angle corner of the T-intersection on the slope, and is directly opposite the Romanian government building which is on the other right-angle corner of the T-intersection.

Go next

 * Rupea fortress, 11 km away
 * Sighisoara, about 40 km away
 * Saschiz fortress, about 20 km away

title: Viscri


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Visegrad

There is more than one place called Visegrad:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 * Višegrad — A town in Sarajevo Region.

Hungary

 * Visegrád — A town in Transdanubia.

title: Visegrad


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Visegrád

(German: Plintenburg, Slovak: Vyšehrad) is a small castle town in the Danube Bend region. It is north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube. Visegrád is famous for the remains of the Early Renaissance summer palace of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and the medieval citadel.

Understand
The name Visegrád (Vyšehrad) is of Slavic origin, meaning acropolis, literary "the upper castle" (the castle with a privileged position) or "the upper settlement".

Visegrád was first mentioned in 1009 as a county town and the chief town of an archdeaconry. After the destructive Mongol invasion of Europe in 1242, the town was rebuilt in a slightly different location to the south. King Charles I of Hungary made Visegrád, his hometown, the royal seat of Hungary in 1325.

In 1335, Charles hosted at Visegrád a two-month congress with the Bohemian king, John of Luxembourg, and the Polish king, Casimir III. It was crucial in creating a peace between the three kingdoms and securing an alliance between Poland and Hungary against Habsburg Austria. Another congress followed in 1338.

Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Croatia in personal union with Hungary, moved the royal seat to Buda between 1405 and 1408. King Matthias Corvinus (1443–1490), King of Hungary, used Visegrád as a country residence.

Visegrád lost importance after the partition of the Kingdom of Hungary following the Battle of Mohács in 1526.

By train
The closest train station is Nagymaros-Visegrád, which is located at the opposite site of the Danube river. From Budapest-Nyugati pályaudvar, you can travel by train to Nagymaros-Visegrád train station, then transfer to ferry towards Visegrád. The whole journey from Budapest to Visegrád takes about an hour and costs.

By bus
Direct buses from Budapest-Újpest-Városkapu are available hourly. The journey takes 75 minutes and costs.

By ferry
There are ferry services available between Visegrád and Nagymaros, and between Szentgyörgypuszta and Kisoroszi.

By boat
Boats are available between May–Sep daily except on Mondays from Visegrád to Nagymaros, Zebegény and Dömös. Further destinations available only from Friday to Sunday: Budapest, Szentendre, Leányfalu, Tahitótfalu, Vác.

Get around
There is no local public transport service. You can use the regional buses operated by Volánbusz.

Pilis Protected Area

 * Guided tours in nature protection area.
 * Take a walk to the most highest place in the Pilis Mountains is the 757 m high "Pilis Peak" and enjoy the superb view from Boldog Özséb (Blessed Eusebius) Lookout.
 * Take one of the cave tours: The rock-bed of the Pilis Hills stretching from Esztergom to Budapest is made up of limestone and dolomite. Because of the basic characteristics of limestone karst formation, the hills are exceptionally rich in caves. Therefore it is not surprising that most of the caves of the National Park can be found in the Pilis Hills.
 * Moonshine Canyon (Holdvilág-árok) The Holdvilág ditch is a popular tourist destination a water habitat, a memorial site, in the Visegrad Mountains Northwest from Pomáz, about 6 km away. In addition, however, is considered an ancient burial ground, place of worship. it has botanical value.
 * Miklós Bertényi Fűvészkert,
 * Pilisszentkereszt Cistercian Monastery ruin and gorge (Pilisszentkereszti Szurdok) ravine in forestry of Pilisi Park, in the near of Pilisszentkereszt on the blue marked tour,
 * Rám Abyss and trail gap,
 * Mogyoró Hill trails in Visegrad:
 * Mogyoróhegyi natural history trail and educational path in nature conservation area, without admission fee. This is a 1-km trail not so far from Budapest with 10 stations. This trail is ideal for familes or children groups. It has very rich flora und fauna also a water habitat and it has geological value.
 * Áprily-völgyi Rege-Termő nature trail. 1200 m long, Moderately difficult walk with eleven trail station points.
 * Take an other tour here on an 800-m-long trail called Kisvillámi Vadvirágos trail,-with 14 infostation points,-guided tours are available.
 * Take an other tour here on an 800-m-long trail called Kisvillámi Vadvirágos trail,-with 14 infostation points,-guided tours are available.

A bit far away: For a full list or details ask at Tourinform. Anyone can visit the forest area on foot, horse and human powered bicycle. Temporary closures are possible, especially in the winter -- check the website.
 * Mogyoró hill Wildlife Park - Mócsi farm (Phone: +36 (20) 9846045, +36 26 398227 Fax: +36 26 398227 Open M-F 09:00-15:00) Available with guided tours, by appointment. Without admission fee!) This is a Wildlife Park and a traditional eco-farm with bio-farming in forest park,
 * Vadálló stones at Prédikálószék Rock,
 * Zsitvay Lookout in Visegradon Nagy- Villám Hill,
 * Yurt camping in Visegrad,
 * Miklós deák Valley lakes.
 * Pusztamaróti historic memorial site for the battle of Mohács which was in 1526. (Phone: +36 26 598000 Fax: +36 26 398227, No admission fee! Located on Bajna-Bajót route, from Lábatlan on the red marked itinerary, or in direction of Bajót or Tardos on the blue marked itinerary.
 * Budaszentlőrinc Pálos monostory, (Phone: +36 26 598000, Fax: +36 26 398229 Email: budapest@pprt.com Open: all year long. Admission is free of charge.) A Paulaner Monastery close to the Budapest Forestry.
 * Árpád lookout tower on Budapest, Látó Hill (phone:+36 1 3910540, +36 26 598000, fax:+36 26 398229) An excursion place and a lock out tower on top of the Látó Hill.

Free camps in the Pilis forest. Two (of six) are near Visegrad (both open: only May-Sep, ask permit: Visegrád, Mátyás király Way 4. - Phone:+36 26 598080, mail: nemedy.zoltan@pprt.hu): Mócsay tanya (farm with piped water, max 120 people), Vöröskői Vándortábor (Red Rock Hiking Camp with piped water, max 120 people).

Hunting in 50,000 ha available to roe deer, big game, deer, wild boar, fox, mouflon, woodcock. Hungarian, English, German guides.

Connect
Visegrád's postal code is H-2025, and its telephone area code is 26.

Go next

 * Esztergom — one of the most visited cities in Hungary, west. Esztergom has much to see, including the largest cathedral in the country
 * Leányfalu – village southeast
 * Nagymaros – town west
 * Szentendre — town southeast known for its museums (most notably the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum), galleries, and artists
 * Szob – town northwest
 * Vác — town east
 * Verőce – village northeast

title: Visegrád


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Viseu

Viseu, is a charming hilltop city and district capital (around 53,000 inhabitants) in central Portugal. It is situated in the Beira Alta between the mountain ranges of the Serra da Estrela and Serra do Caramulo, about halfway between Aveiro and Guarda off the new A25 Motorway right in the middle of the famous Dão wine region.

Understand

Viseu (/vi.ˈzew/, vee-ZIHOO), a regional centre for agriculture and education, has many schools, a modern polytechnic and two universities (the Catholic University and the Piaget Institute). There is no heavy industry.

Get in
Viseu has excellent motorway links with other major cities, the coast and Spain via the junction of the A25 (east/west) and A24/IP3 (north/south) motorways. There is an outer ringroad consisting of part A25 and IP5.

There are frequent long distance coach services operated by Rede/Expressos to other major cities.

There is no train service. The closest railway stations are in Nelas or Mangualde, both on the Linha da Beira Alta. This makes Viseu the largest city on the Iberian peninsula without a railway station.

By plane
Porto airport is the nearest international airport, about 1 3/4 hours away by car.

Get around
By car: signposting for the city centre is good. There is an inner ring road with 12 roundabouts giving access to the inner city at frequent intervals.

The old town can easily be explored on foot. There is also a funicular connecting the lower city (The Forum) with the upper city (Adro da Sé).

See
The well-kept, clean and prosperous city has a fine historic quarter (Centro Historico) with cobbled streets, hidden alleys, flights of steps and intriguing corners. There are numerous Renaissance and Baroque mansions and palaces as well as some remaining city gates like the 15th C. Porta do Soar de Cima. The crowning glory is the Romanesque and Gothic Sé (Cathedral), one of the finest in Portugal and partly built directly on granite boulders which is particularly evident at the back. It is located on the Adro da Sé, an impressive square, which is also the location of the striking Misericordia Church with its broad white Rococo facade. Since it is the highest point in town, the square provides extensive views to the surrounding countryside.

However, striking modern architecture is evident too. The Forum shopping, food and cinema centre (2005), bordering the river Pavia, is a good example as is the enormous Palacio do Gelo shopping & restaurant mall (2008) with its indoor ice rink and other sports facilities, easily accessible on the ring road. Also of note is the converted Old Market on the Rua Formosa with cafés and boutiques, and now a venue for exhibitions and open air concerts. The city has ample municipal facilities for visitors such as free internet locations, a modern public library, a new large district hospital, a youth hostel (Pousada de Juventude), a swimming pool complex and other modern sports facilities.

 * Old Quarter (Centro Historico) with Rua Direita, Rua Augusta Hilario, Rua D. Duarte, Praca D. Duarte, Rua Escura, Rua das Quintas.
 * Museum Casa Almeida Moreira
 * Porta do Soar de Cima
 * Porta dos Cavaleiros
 * Fontelo Park with Solar do Vinho do Dao (Dao wine institute)
 * Nerys Convent (seminary with suspended staircase) and Igreja do Carmo on Largo Santa Cristina
 * Cava de Viriato. Remains of a very large Lusitanian-Roman camp surrounded by a pentagonal earthen wall.
 * Old Market on Rua Formosa
 * Statue of Viriathus

Do

 * Walk the streets and soak up the atmosphere in this unspoilt Portuguese city. Eat and drink in one of the many cafés,restaurants or cervejarias.
 * Visit the Municipal Theatre, Teatro do Viriato, where there is usually an exhibition during the daytime.
 * Visit the Cathedral, churches and chapels, all free during opening hours.
 * See works by the famous painter Vasco Fernandes in the Grao Vasco Museum. Free on Sunday mornings!
 * Walk the newly constructed riverside walkway along the Rio Pavia which runs straight through the lower city.
 * Visit the modern sports facilities in Fontelo Park
 * Shop in the Rua Direita, Rua Formosa, The Forum and Palacio do Gelo
 * See the Cava de Viriato with Viriato's statue in front.
 * Football: Académico de Viseu FC play soccer in Liga Portugal 2, the second tier. Their home ground Estádio do Fontelo (capacity 14,300) is 1 km east of town centre.

Buy

 * Dao Wine, Serra da Estrela cheese, handicrafts.

Eat
The numerous restaurants, cafés, pastelarias, bars and cervejarias provide excellent freshly prepared food for all budgets.

Try the traditional pastry of the region, the Viriato, for sale in good pastelarias.

Drink
The excellent local Dao wines from the co-operatives like UDACA (Union of the Dao Co-operatives) and private wineries such as: Casa de Santar, Quinta da Fata, Quinta de Cabriz, Casa da Insua, Duque de Viseu, Grao Vasco and many more.

Sleep
There are many hotels in Viseu ranging from 1 to 5 stars.

Go next

 * Alcafache (spa), Almeida, Caramulo, Celorico, Guarda, Penedono, Pinhel, Sabugal, Santa Comba Dao (rivers Mondego, Criz and Dao), Santar, Sao Pedro do Sul (spa), Seia, Sernancelhe, Serra da Estrela (highest Portuguese mountain range), Vouzela.
 * The road from Viseu to Nelas is very picturesque offering views of many vineyards.

title: Viseu


text:
Vista

Vista is a town in San Diego County, Southern California.

Get in
Vista is located on California State Route 78. State Route 76 and Interstate 15 also pass near the north of Vista; to get into Vista from these routes, exit at Santa Fe or Gopher Canyon Road, respectively. Traffic from Interstate 5 should exit at the interchange for SR 78.

The SPRINTER light rail line between Oceanside and Escondido stops in Vista.

Get around
Vista is part of the North County Transit District, and is covered by a network of bus routes and the new Sprinter Light Rail. However, they don't go everywhere you want to go, the schedules are mediocre, and taxis are available only by appointment, so it is recommended that you drive.

See

 * Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave. Whimsical museum from yesteryear, adjacent to Rancho Guajome Adobe. W-Su 10AM-4PM.
 * Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave. Whimsical museum from yesteryear, adjacent to Rancho Guajome Adobe. W-Su 10AM-4PM.
 * Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave. Whimsical museum from yesteryear, adjacent to Rancho Guajome Adobe. W-Su 10AM-4PM.
 * Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave. Whimsical museum from yesteryear, adjacent to Rancho Guajome Adobe. W-Su 10AM-4PM.

Eat

 * "Bertos": Many local Mexican restaurants in the area have the suffix berto's: Gilbertos, Alberto's, Adalberto's, Rigoberto's, etc. Most of these are adequate.

Sleep
There are a number of small, cheap inns and motels in the city, mostly located on main roads such as Santa Fe. Additional lodging options can be found in neighboring cities.

Go next

 * The 78 east will take you through San Marcos and Escondido, then to the San Diego Safari Park and Ramona.
 * The 78 west will take you through northern Carlsbad and ends in Oceanside at an interchange onto the 5.
 * The 5 north will take you to Orange County and Los Angeles.
 * The 5 south will take you through Carlsbad, Encinitas, and ultimately to San Diego.
 * The 15 north will take you to Temecula, Riverside, through the desert, and on to Las Vegas.
 * The 15 south will take you to Escondido and ultimately to San Diego.
 * The 76 west will take you to Oceanside, and is convenient if you want to see Mission San Luis Rey.
 * The 76 east will take you through Fallbrook and to Julian.

title: Vista


text:
Vista (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Vista:

United States of America

 * Vista - a town in San Diego County, Southern California

title: Vista (disambiguation)


text:
Vitória

Vitória, the small and cozy capital of Espírito Santo, is a city on the southeast coast of Brazil, famous for its beaches and culture, and for its proximity from many other tourist destinations in the state. Most of the city's neighborhoods are surrounded by parks and forests and many cultural events add an extra bliss to the city throughout the year. One might also consider staying in a hotel in Vitória while visiting nearby cities and regions of interest during the day like Vila Velha, Guarapari, Domingos Martins, or Serra, all of them with many attractions less than 2 hours away by car or bus. Vitória is also a perfect stop for travelers planning to go from the state of Rio de Janeiro or east of Minas Gerais by bus or car to beach destinations in the south of Bahia, like Prado, Caravelas and Abrolhos, or even Porto Seguro.

Understand
Vitória, with around 360,000 people (2015), is considered by the UN to be the fourth best place to live in Brazil.

History
Founded in 1551, is the third oldest capital of Brazil, after Salvador and Recife. For a long time it was only a ‘city-port’, suffering various French, British and Dutch attacks, after sugar and ‘pau-brasil’.

Its name is attributed to a victory over the native Indians, when, seeking refuge, the Portuguese fled to the island, and then achieved victory, renaming the village, at the time known only as “Vila Nova”, to “Vila Nova da Vitória”. It has many nicknames, like Ilha do Mel (Honey Island), Cidade Sol (Sun City) and others.

Geography
It is located in the southeastern region of Brazil, the most developed in the country. It is close to the big urban centers, being on average, one hour away by plane from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.

Circled by the Bay of Vitória, the main island has mangroves, beaches, granite formations and many smaller islands.

The municipality of Vitória is made of an archipelago with 34 islands and a continental area. Its total area is 104 km², including the main island, the continental area, the coastal islands and the oceanic islands of Trindade and Martin Vaz. It used to have more than 50 islands, but now many of them have been incorporated, by landfills, to the main island.

The highest point is the Maciço da Fonte Grande, a granite formation 309 meters tall, and then there is the Pedra dos (Dois) Olhos, 296 meters tall.

The climate is tropical humid, with a maximum average temperature of 30.4ºC and a minimum of 24ºC, with most of the rainfall in the months between October and January.

By plane
It's about 10 minutes by taxi to most hotels and served by many bus lines.

The bus line 212 direction Aeroporto / B.Mar x Mario Cyprestes takes you from the airport via the Camburi beach, the port and the city center to the main bus station in 50-60 minutes.

By bus
Vitória's long-distance bus station is downtown, also with many bus lines serving it. There are many buses arriving and leaving during the day from cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Brasília and others. It's around 20 minutes away from most of the hotels by taxi and 30 to 35 minutes by bus.

The bus 212 Aeroporto / B.Mar x Mario Cyprestes takes you from the bus station via the city center, the port and the Camburi beach to the airport in 50-60 minutes.

The bus trip from Rio de Janeiro takes about 8 hours, and from São Paulo some 14 hours, but most of the bus times are at night, making the trip not as tiring and time-wasting.

By train
The train station is located in the city of Cariacica (Greater Vitória) and connects the city to Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais.

By car
The two main roads are the BR-101, which runs south-north just inland of the coast, linking Vitória to Rio de Janeiro, to the south, and Salvador, to the north, and BR-262, that runs east-west, leaving Vitória and going to Belo Horizonte. Another road, local highway 60, runs along the coast southward to Guarapari.

Get around
Vitoria has an extensive bus network. You cannot pay cash in the bus, instead you need a local "Cartão GV - Bilhete Único Metropolitano". If you've a CPF you might be able to get one in a pharmacy. Otherwise, without a CPF, you can get one at the Terminal Jardim América, opposite the train station.

See
Parts of the old town look a bit grubby and like they're dissolving away in the salt air, but 5 centuries is a long time.

Learn
At UFES (Federal University of Espírito Santo), one can find Portuguese courses for foreigners at its Language Center. There are beginning and intermediate courses, and each level takes 1 semester.

Eat
Just south of Camburi is the Praia do Canto neighborhood, where you will find a couple of streets lined with restaurants of all types.

Drink

 * On most nights, there are live music events on the beach at Curva da Jurema. Music varies and there are plenty of drink kiosks to keep people happy.
 * Wunderbar Kaffee. In the corner of Rio Branco and Chapot Presvot streets there is this delicious bar with great beers (Brazilian and foreign), excellent music (jazz, "chorinho", "bossa nova", Brazilian world music) and good food (German and Brazilian). Rio Branco Street, 1305 - Lj 4 - Praia do Canto,.
 * Wunderbar Kaffee. In the corner of Rio Branco and Chapot Presvot streets there is this delicious bar with great beers (Brazilian and foreign), excellent music (jazz, "chorinho", "bossa nova", Brazilian world music) and good food (German and Brazilian). Rio Branco Street, 1305 - Lj 4 - Praia do Canto,.

Connect
The telephone area code for Vitória is 27 (as well as in central and northern parts of Espírito Santo).

Stay safe
Even if it is not very reported, most of Brazil's high and mid-populated cities have the same kind of criminality problems, and with Vitória it's not different. Remember to take the same care.

Avoid:
 * To enter in the poor streets over hills. If you need, try to get the company of a local friend to visit any poor neighbourhood.
 * Walk along empty streets at night. Prefer taxis back to your hotel.

Double alert:
 * Around the Curva da Jurema and outside of the Shopping Vitória at night. The presence of muggers over bicycles there is common.
 * In the Vitória's downtown, day or night. The Vila Rubim people's tradeshop is always frequented for muggers. Avoid walking alone if you don't know the place very well.

Stay healthy
As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Vitória are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the city's map of the latest weekly beach water quality report (in Portuguese, relatório de qualidade da águas das praias).

Go next

 * Vila Velha — Famous for Convento da Penha (a 16th-century hilltop Franciscan convent), and the beaches of Praia da Costa, Itapuã, and Coqueiral de Itaparica.
 * Guarapari - A popular beach resort town. Famous for its lively ambiance, with many clubs and beach parties, especially during the summer months.
 * Domingos Martins - To get a taste of a town colonized by German immigrants, and the famous Pedra Azul (Blue Rock).
 * Santa Teresa - To get a taste of a town colonized by Italian immigrants.
 * Itaúnas - Famous for its dunes and forró, a Northeastern Brazilian dance.
 * Rio de Janeiro - World-known city famous for its breathtaking landscape and annual carnival.

title: Vitória


text:
Vitebsk

Vitebsk or Viciebsk (Belarusian: Віцебск, Russian: Витебск) is the middle of Vitebsk Oblast in Belarus.

Understand
Typically assigned a founding date of 974, Vitebsk has long been an important cultural and commercial hub for the numerous occupiers in its long history. It is still an important centre of arts and culture for the Republic of Belarus and is surrounded by stunning countryside.

By plane
There is a small regional airport near from Vitebsk, but it is not served by any airlines worthy of note for the typical tourist, and you will be able to connect to only larger airports in Belarus and Russia. The best way to reach Vitebsk would be flying to Minsk and taking a 4½-hour train to Vitebsk. Another option would be to fly to Moscow or Saint Petersburg and taking a 9-hour train from there.

While Belarus and Russia formally have no monitored border (you may hop on a train and get from one country to the other), train crews normally check your passport before getting on the train to make sure you possess the visa. Gomel airport in southern Belarus, accepting flights from far abroad, might be a good connection to reach Vitebsk, but you need to verify that before planning your trip.

By train
Vitebsk sits on the major train route from Minsk, capital of Belarus, to Saint Petersburg, Russia. Moscow is also easily accessible by train. Vitebsk also serves as a regional hub.

By car
Vitebsk is accessible by major highways.

By bus
Regular buses travel between Vitebsk and Minsk or Moscow, as well as to numerous other smaller regional towns. Buses to Lithuania and Latvia are also available. "Route buses" or "marshrutka" from Minsk is a good way of transportation: they are fast, convenient and can often can drop you off nearby the hotel or the house in Vitebsk, which you point to. Getting to Riga takes about 11 hours by coach. Getting to Moscow is around 9 hours, Saint Petersburg around 12 hours. Leaving the country by coach can be time-consuming due to border controls.

Get around
Buses, trolleybuses, and trams all operate in and around the city, and cost in the area of US$0.40 for a single ride. Monthly passes are also available should you have an extended stay. Private buses and "route taxis" also operate throughout the city, for higher rates, but are more likely to be available and run punctually. Taxis are easy to find at the train station, center of the city, and near the major universities. The price of the taxi to your destination should be agreed in advance, and should typically not exceed US$5. The tourist sights are all within walking distance.

See
Vitebsk is often referred to as the "Cultural Capital" of Belarus. It is best known as the birthplace of the Jewish painter Marc Chagall, and his home has been preserved and operates as a museum. It is near the railway station to get in. There is also a museum dedicated to his works that also frequently hosts exhibitions by the city's large modernist/post-modernist/avant garde artist community.

 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.
 * There is a museum and a park at Zdravnevo, former residence of a famous Russian painter Ilya Repin not far from Vitebsk. You can get there in ~1 hour by bus 26A from the city -- take off at the station right after the bridge, then walk eastwards about 1.5 km. Bus 26 is also OK, but its terminus is a couple of stations earlier, so you will have to walk some extra 1-2 km.

Do
Vitebsk is also home to the National Academic Dramatic Theatre named for Yakub Kolas. This company has seen considerable success internationally. It is especially notable for being one of the last two professional theatres in the world performing exclusively in the Belarusian language. Foreign travellers unable to understand Belarusian should not be afraid of attending a performance, however, given that much of the work directed by Artistic Director Vital Barkouski is both visually striking and frequently of such an avant garde nature that they can be appreciated without an understanding of the language. Traditional works with charismatic flair are frequently directed by Yuri Lizianhevich.

In November, the city holds the International Festival of Modern Choreography, which hosts dance companies from around the world.

Finally, Vitebsk is the home of the Slaviansky Bazaar a huge festival of music from across the Slavic-speaking world. Other cultural events and activities, such as exhibitions and traditional crafts also play a significant part in the festival, and guest theatre productions are hosted in the Yakub Kolas Theatre.

Buy
Traditional Belarusian handicrafts are available in the Univermag department store on ul. Zamkovaya or at the train station. They can also be purchased at the open market not far from the train station. Vodka of particularly high quality is available at shops around the city, and Vitebsk is home to a distillery which produces fine vodkas with "tourist-worthy" bottles. The best time to buy Belarusian arts and craft is the time of the aforementioned festival "Slaviansky Bazaar" when dozens of artists come to Vitebsk to sell hand-made crafts.

Eat
There is not a great deal of fine dining available in Vitebsk, nor a great deal of variety.

There are numerous other smaller cafes around. Kiosks sell fast foods like hot dogs, "home-style" pizza slices, and 'Tchebureks', a student favorite of meat in fried crust. For some time, there was only one dedicated pizza restaurant, of middling quality but with a wide variety of toppings, sitting near the pedagogical and technological universities on Moskovski Prospekt. A new pizza restaurant, Arena, has opened in the center of the city. It is spotlessly clean, popular with locals and serves decent pizzas, including a vegetarian option. Late night dining is normally available only in dancing clubs.

Belarusian food is normally of the "meat and potatoes" variety. The best known Belarusian dish is "draniki," which are fried potato pancakes, frequently filled with meat, that are best served with sour cream. "Draniki" is a common specialty in Slavic countries like Russia, Ukraine or Poland. "Kotlety" or pork cutlets, are also a regional favorite. Mushrooms from the local forests add a rich flavor to many local dishes, and fresh fish from the regions lakes also make for delicious entrees. Soups are absolutely not to be missed. Salads will typically throw the typical out-of-towner off. Leafy greens are extremely far and few between. Instead, Belarusian salads are normally some combination of rice, mayonnaise, mushrooms, chopped boiled eggs, and other flavorings. The best comparison, in texture and flavor, would be to American potato or chicken salads. The closest to a purely vegan salad to be found would be chopped cucumber and tomatoes in oil. Vitebsk's proximity to Russia has had an impact on the variety of dishes served.

Drink
The previously mentioned Cafe Teatralnoye, Club Aurora, and the club on the main floor of the Hotel Vitebsk are the most popular places to go for drinking and dancing. There are numerous other smaller cafes, such as Cafe Gulliver behind the Yakub Kolas Theatre, Cafe Aladdin and Cafe Jamaica, where you might grab a quick drink. Cafe "Melody" would be the ideal destination for those seeking serenity and good quality of service and food.

Vodka is normally enjoyed with food, but if you're not hungry, it is customary to at least purchase a soft drink to serve as a chaser. Drinking vodka straight without anything to chase is associated more with drunkards. Apart from certain brandies, you'll pay incredibly high prices for ordinary foreign liquor, such as Jack Daniels whiskey or Jose Cuervo tequila. Beer is easy to come by and cheap, though. Better beers available in Vitebsk include own brands of "Nikolayevskoe" and "Dvinskij Brovar". "Baltika", a Russian brand, and Minsk's "Olivariya" brand are easily found.

Sleep
Hotels in Vitebsk are seriously overpriced, but decent accommodation can nevertheless be found. Foreigners staying in Belarus should know that hotel prices are different for foreigners than they are for CIS citizens.

 * In "Eridan", 4 stars, US$60-120 a night.
 * "Luchyosa" is also overpriced but the quality of service is similar to that of in Eridan.
 * Hotel "Vitebsk" is by the river Dvina and, despite its Soviet entourage, provides guests with all necessary amenities (known up-to-date in Belarus).
 * Hotel "Vetraz", near the hotel "Luchyosa" on the banks of the Dvina river. The best way to experience the Soviet-style hospitality.

Apart from the hotels mentioned above, there are a number of smaller private hotels spread across the city. Vitebsk Yellow Pages would be the best way to find more opportunities for accommodating yourself in this lovely city.

Stay safe
Belarusians are typically quite friendly to foreigners, sometimes too much, however. Some less scrupulous individuals get tourists drunk and then rob them. Western men are advised that attentive females encountered in dancing clubs and bars are highly likely to be con artists. The typical ploy is that after you take her to a private location, her large "boyfriend" emerges to accept your "apology" for toying with his girl. Your apology will come in the form of cash.

Registration is the single most important safety precaution. Admittedly, this is the means by which the government keeps track of the movement of foreigners under the guise of visitor safety. However, being caught with a registration older than three days can result in complicated situations. Hotel agents will automatically register when you check in. Registration for staying in a private residence, however, can be complicated and requires a long wait at a local office that can be hard to find.

Police in Belarus are well-known for being closed-minded. Given the largely homogenous fashion sense of people in Belarus, wild aberrations in clothes or hairstyle may single you out for suspicion of possession of narcotics. Again, have that registration with you at all times.

Consulates

 * 🇱🇻 Latvia Latvia https://www.mfa.gov.lv/by/vitebsk +375 212 614 482. They might be able to help you if you are an EU citizen and something horrible happens.

Go next

 * Polotsk
 * Minsk
 * Mogilev
 * Smolensk in Russia
 * Sankt-Peterburg in Russia

title: Vitebsk


text:
Vitebsk Oblast

Vitebsk Oblast (Belarusian: Віцебская вобласць) is a region in the north-eastern part of Belarus. The western part of the region is occupied by the Braslau Lakes National Park.

Cities

 * — center of the region. A picturesque city combining Polish heritage with Russian and Soviet architecture. The hometown of Marc Chagall.
 * — the gateway to the lakes.
 * — a beautiful Baroque Revival church and a nice manor house.
 * — industrial center close to Polotsk. The cities are reasonably well-connected with public transport, share a university, and the merge of the two into one administrative unit has been discussed for a while.
 * — an active railroad hub with some monasteries and churches to see.
 * — a fine Gothic Revival church and an old Jewish cemetery.
 * — an ancient Belarusian town with many old churches
 * — a quiet town with a couple of small nice churches.

Other destinations

 * – a national park full of lakes and pine forests. The largest lakes in the park are Dryvyaty, Snudy, and Strusta.
 * (Смальяны) — a ruined Baroque castle.

title: Vitebsk Oblast


text:
Viterbo

Viterbo is a city of 68,000 people (2017) in Lazio, a central region of Italy.

As a settlement Viterbo dates back to Etruscan times. Between around 1100 and 1300, it was one of the most important cities in Europe. By the 13th century it had 50 castles under its control. It was the place where Popes took refuge when driven out of Rome and for several decades was the seat of the Papacy. It was the scene of battles between potential invaders of Rome and papal armies. With the departure of the Papacy to Orvieto and then to Avignon Viterbo declined in importance. It was further hit by Black Death, which killed two-thirds of its population and a major earthquake in 1349. In the 20th century it was damaged by appalling Fascist-era town planning and then by Allied bombs. These days its population is about the same as it was in the 13th century, at around 60,000. Apart from its tradition its main claim to fame now is that Italy’s gold reserves are held there.

By train
Main railway stations are Porta Fiorentina and Porta Romana. To arrive at Porta Romana, you can take a Regional Train or a Regional Faster Train (hosted by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiano, the Italian Train Government Service) from Roma Termini, Roma Tiburtina or Roma Ostiense. This trip could be take 1½-2 hours. Or, you can take an extra-urban train (this service is hosted by ATAC, the Roman Transport Government Service) from Roma Saxa Rubra or Roma Ostiense.

By car
From Rome take the ring road of GRA to the Cassia bis exit and follow this road to Viterbo. An alternative, but longer route, is to take the A1 motorway (from Rome follow the signs towards Firenze, and exit at Orte. Then take the S204 towards Viterbo (about €3 tolls from Rome). It´s not really comfortable to drive inside the historical centre, as all the streets are quite narrow and "one way". Better to park your car out of the town walls.

By bus
From the bus station of Roma Saxa Rubra take a COTRAL (the government company for extra-city transport in Lazio) Bus to Viterbo and leave at Porta Romana bus stop (at five minutes by foot from historical centre) or at Riello (the bus station of Viterbo). The trip takes about 1½ hours. The price are: ordinary ticket from Roma Saxa Rubra to Viterbo €4; ordinary ticket on board from Roma Saxa Rubra to Viterbo €7).

Get around
The historical centre is small enough to be visited on foot.

For longer distances you can use the local bus network, hosted by Francigena, the government company of transport in Viterbo (ordinary 90-min ticket for €0.70; ordinary 90-min ticket on board for €1.50; daily ticket for €1.55). Tickets can be found at tobacconists, and must be validated when getting on the bus.

See

Do

 * Thermal springs

Already famous in Roman times, and quoted by Dante in his Divine Comedy... having a bath in one of their natural thermal springs is, perhaps, what you would never miss from Viterbo. As they are in surrounding open-air countryside areas, you can use them all year, every time of the day (for free, of course). Water reaches temperatures of 55°C, so the experience gets more amazing in freezing days (and nights).

The most famous ones are called Bulicame (2 km from Viterbo, on the road that leads to Tuscania). On the other hand there are also some springs run as spas centres (Terme dei Papi and Pianeta Benessere).

 * Shopping

A liked hobby by people who live in Viterbo, is go to do shopping in a one of lots of stores in historical centre (in it, you can find lots of Italian original food stores and dress stores), or in the most modern commercial centre of the city; the Centro Commerciale Tuscia (near Riello Bus Station). Abitually, the price of gadgets, dresses and other common things, is in the standard of a typical province town of the centre of Italy (for example: you can buy a T-shirt for €5-7, and a souvenir magnet at €1-2).

Eat

 * Also good is Pizzeria San Pelligrino, on Via San Pelligrino.
 * Tre Re at Piazza Del'Erbe has excellent pastas and other Viterbese fare for €10-20 per person.
 * Akira Japanese Restaurant, Via Genova, 22. Japanese restaurant, all-you-can-eat.
 * Tre Re at Piazza Del'Erbe has excellent pastas and other Viterbese fare for €10-20 per person.
 * Akira Japanese Restaurant, Via Genova, 22. Japanese restaurant, all-you-can-eat.
 * Akira Japanese Restaurant, Via Genova, 22. Japanese restaurant, all-you-can-eat.
 * Akira Japanese Restaurant, Via Genova, 22. Japanese restaurant, all-you-can-eat.
 * Akira Japanese Restaurant, Via Genova, 22. Japanese restaurant, all-you-can-eat.

Drink

 * "Caffe Cavour" on Via Cavour, has the best cappuccino in town.
 * "Blitz" - great food and drinks
 * "Shu Lounge" - pricey drinks, nice outdoor seating, good music, friendly workers

Go next
Viterbo is the center of a really fascinating area and there are many places that can be explored by car in an easy day trip. To the southwest is the Etruscan city of Tarquinia, to the north Orvieto and in a general southerly direction places such as the park of monsters at Bomarzo and the Etruscan/Roman remains of Sutri should not be missed.

title: Viterbo


text:
Viterbo (province)

Viterbo is a province of Lazio Region of Italy.

Cities

 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla
 * Vetralla

See

 * Sacro Bosco (aka Parco dei Mostri di Bomarzo) in Bomarzo

title: Viterbo (province)


text:
Viti Levu

Viti Levu is the largest island in Fiji and home to 75% of its population. From a Fijian perspective, Viti Levu is the mainland. The highest mountain in Fiji, Tomanivi, is located on the east coast, a remote place covered by mangroves and surrounded by small villages.

Cities

 * - the capital and commercial hub of Fiji
 * - a town on the northwestern coast
 * - second largest city in Fiji
 * - on the western coast
 * - on the northeastern coast
 * on the southeastern coast
 * - on the northern coast
 * - on the southwest coast

By plane
The main airport is Nadi International Airport is the gateway to Fiji and handles almost all of the country's international passenger traffic.

Nausori International Airport (Suva International Airport ) is the secondary international airport in the country, with a smaller selection of airlines and destinations from other cities in Fiji and Oceania.

There are flights from other Fiji airports to Nadi and Suva.

By bus and car
The Kings Road and Queens Road circle the Viti Levu island. With very few roads that cut across the centre of Viti Levu, Kings and Queens Roads are often the only way to get from one destination to another. Queens Road runs in western and southern part of Viti Levu while Kings Road runs in northern and eastern part of Viti Levu. Almost all of the popular destinations and major cities are along these roads.

Bus service are frequent and highly reliable within and between cities both during the day and at night. Just wave at the driver to hop on. You will need to purchase a reloadable card to tap on to get onto the bus, but this was loosely enforced as of 2019. The reloadable cards can be purchased at major bus terminals. Although there are official bus stops, you can ring the bell and the driver will stop anywhere along the route outside of the official bus stops.

Connect
Mobile internet signal is the strongest along the settlements on Kings Road and Queens Road. For Vodaphone, the signal coverage along Queens Road between Nadi and Lautoka are excellent, providing continuous 4G internet connection along this road. There are some pockets west of Sigatoka where the signal strength may drop down to 3G or even 2G.

Go next

 * Mamanuca Islands, just west of Viti Levu (the farthest is only 20 miles away).

title: Viti Levu


text:
Vitoria

There's more than one place called Vittoria, Vitoria or Vitória:

Australia

 * Vittoria - a mining town between Bathurst and Orange (New South Wales)

Brazil

 * Vitória - capital city of the state of Espirito Santo
 * Vitória da Conquista - a city in the state of Bahia
 * Vitória a barrio in Salvador, Bahia.

Portugal

 * Vitória - a parish of the city of Porto

Spain

 * Vitoria-Gasteiz - a city in Alava province, in Basque Country

title: Vitoria


text:
Vitoria-Gasteiz

Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spanish: Vitoria, Basque: Gasteiz) is in the heart of the Basque Country in Spain. The old town has some of the best preserved medieval streets and plazas in the region and it is one of very few cities with two cathedrals. The city also holds well known festivals such as the Azkena rock festival, FesTVal, Vitoria-Gasteiz jazz festival, and the Virgen Blanca Festivities.

Understand
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the provincial capital of Alava, and has been the political capital of the Basques since the 20 May 1980. Spanish is the main language, but knowledge of Basque is common. English is not widely spoken. The Basque language is called Euskera and nobody knows exactly the origin of this language.

Visitor information: Tourist office at Spain Square (Espainia Plaza/Plaza España) 1 is open daily from 09:00 till 19:00, closed at midday.

Get in
It is 66 km south of Bilbao, 114 km from San Sebastian and 351 km from Madrid.

By plane

 * Bilbao Airport offers more connections and is  away. You can visit Vitoria-Gasteiz coming from Bilbao Airport (Loiu) on a toll road or using public transport (Autobuses La Unión).
 * Bilbao Airport offers more connections and is  away. You can visit Vitoria-Gasteiz coming from Bilbao Airport (Loiu) on a toll road or using public transport (Autobuses La Unión).

By bus
The coach station is north-west of the centre at Euskaltzaindia Plaza with connections to all major Spanish cities including Bilbao, Burgos, Santander, Zaragoza, Pamplona and Madrid.

There is a left-luggage facility at the Coach Station (to the east of the city centre). Cost is roughly €1 per bag per day, and you can leave luggage for several days.

Get around
In the south of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz is a city without sea. To the north, 66 km away is the city of Bilbao, and 114 km away is the beautiful city of San Sebastian. The south part of Alava province, is called La Rioja Alavesa, where the visitor can taste some of the best red wines of the world. There are a lot of touristic tours, and you can find more information about in the following website:. The province to the south of Alava is La Rioja, where the cultivation of wine is one of the most important attractions.

Vitoria-Gasteiz is a very small city. Virtually everything you will want to see is reachable on foot. If you do not fancy walking there are several other proposals to move around:

By bike
Free bike hiring service in several spots through the city:

By bus
Tuvisa. Official information on times and bus network (only in Spanish):

By tram
Euskotren operates the green tram of Vitoria. There are only two lines from Angulema Street in the centre of town to the northern quarters of Abetxuko and Ibaiondo (each 15 minutes). Single tickets are sold from machines at tram stops. Don't forget to validate the ticket before boarding.

By taxi
Taxi Iberia

Radio Taxi Gasteiz, Santa Mª, 9-3º, +34 945 27 35 00, rtaxi@rtaxi.e.telefonica.net

Patxi Taxi +34 656 710 167, servicios@patxitaxi.com

See

Festivals
Visit to Armentia's Saint Prudencio church. Eat of scrambled perretxikos (mushrooms found locally) and snails. Extremely popular. Move around to see the atmosphere!
 * Night of 27 April and day of 28 April. San Prudencio Saint. On the eve bands of trumpeters, clarinet players and drummers meet in the Plaza de la Provincia and play in an open-air concert. Afterwards parade of drummers and txistu players around the city center.
 * Mid July. Festival de Jazz de Vitoria Gasteiz.
 * 4th August till 9th August. "Fiestas de La Blanca".
 * June. Azkena Rock Festival.

City Centre

 * Early at night: Plaza Virgen Blanca, Calle Dato, Calle Postas
 * Later at night (23:00 and later):
 * Medieval Area Main streets: Zapatería, Cuesta de San Francisco, Cuchillería, Pintorería, Nueva Dentro, Nueva Fuera
 * Ensanche Area Main streets: Calle Dato, Calle Postas, Calle San Prudencio.

Sports

 * Football Deportivo Alavés was promoted in 2023, so they now play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. Their home ground is Estadio Mendizorrotza (capacity 20,000) 1 km southwest of the city centre.
 * Basketball: Saski Baskonia are perennial contenders in the domestic ACB and in continent-wide EuroLeague. Baskonia's home Fernando Buesa Arena has 15,000 seats.

Buy
Two new shopping malls were opened in the north of Vitoria on the road going to Bilbao comprising grocery, DIY, cinemas, bars and everything else you need.
 * Centro Comercial Lakua Duque de Wellington, 6.
 * Centro Comercial Lakua Duque de Wellington, 6.

Or go to the traditional small shops in the town centre such as Calle Dato. This is the place where you find Vitoria-Gasteiz's best shops and bars as well.

Leather and shoes is always an option in Spain and especially in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ayestaran in Calle Dato is a place where you can find nice stuff, but it is expensive.

Corte Ingles is Spain's flagship retailer and the store is in the centre of the town: you can probably find everything you want, but it is pricey by Spanish standards.

Eat
Traditionally you can have a few small drinks in the bars around the town center and enjoy this with some tapas. Usually every bar has one speciality and it is interesting to taste them and then you go to another bar. The boiling point for bar visits is at 14:00 just before lunch time. The Basque cuisine is one of the best in Spain and Vitoria has restaurants in all categories.

Drink
Like in other cities of the Basque Country nightlife is centred on the old medieval zone of the city or 'Casco Viejo' where there is a bar every few meters. Same style bars usually (but now always) tend to be around the same area. Depending of what kind of night you are searching for you should head to one street or another:

 * Cuchilleria (Kutxi/La Cuchi): You could say is the 'Basquest' street. Many of the bars play Basque-rock and are decorated with typical basque paraphernalia. Posters supporting independence for the Basque Country (and sometimes even ETA) can be seen at many places. People from all ages (from 15 to 40 something) can be seen around here.
 * Zapateria (Zapa): Probably the most diversified street. Almost all the bars play commercial hits but the best punk and classic-rock bars can also be found here. As in Cuchi costumers of all ages can be found.
 * Pintoria (Pinto): Mainly commercial and electronic-music bars for teenagers. A couple of heavy-metal and hard-rock bars can also be found.
 * Cuesta (short for La Cuesta de San Francisco): The street where Cuchi and Pinto start. Various bars of all kinds are located here but costumers are usually a little older than in other streets, people on their late 20s or 30s.
 * Dato: The main street of Vitoria. More expensive and with more stylish bars. Although people of all ages may end the night here (bars close usually later), it is a zone where people in their 30s, 40s or even 50s go out.

Sleep

 * Hotel Dato, Calle Dato 28, is a bargain in the centre of town. Rooms are basic, befitting the 2-star rating, but clean and well-equipped, and the public areas are astonishing in their quirky display of art nouveau objects and decor.
 * Hotel Almoneda, Calle Florida 7, a medium-sized hotel in the centre of the city with warm and friendly staff.

Connect
As of June 2022, the town has 4G from MasMovil/Yoigo, and 5G from Movistar, Orange and Vodafone.

Go next

 * Burgos
 * Logroño
 * Bilbao
 * Pamplona
 * San Sebastián
 * Biarritz (France)

title: Vitoria-Gasteiz


text:
Vitosha

Vitosha (Витоша) is a mountain in West-Central Bulgaria, overlooking the capital Sofia. Most of the mountain's territory comprises Nature Park Vitosha, and its proximity to the city have made it a favorite recreation spot of both citizens and visitors of the capital, providing opportunities for winter sports, hiking, biking, rock climbing, etc.

Understand
Vitosha rises directly south of Sofia, with the southern outskirts of the city encroaching onto its foothills. To the west, the Vladaya Saddle separates Vitosha from the smaller Lyulin mountain. To the east is the lower, spread-out mountain Plana, which in turn is separated by the river Iskar from the western part of the Sredna Gora Range. To the south, the elongated Verila mountain connects Vitosha to the rugged Rila, the highest mountain in Bulgaria.

History
Even after Sofia became the capital of newly liberated Bulgaria, it took more than a decade for its citizens to start appreciating the natural beauty of the mountain. The famous Bulgarian writer Aleko Konstantinov (1863-1897) organized the first mass outing to Vitosha's highest peak in 1895. This lead directly to the establishment of first tourist association in the country, which later became the Bulgarian Tourist Union. That´s why the writer is considered the founder of organized tourism and the hikers' movement in Bulgaria. The Aleko Hut and Hotel Shtastlivetsa on Vitosha are named after him, and there's a bust monument of him on Cherni Vrah.

Nature Park Vitosha was established in 1934, making it the first nature park in Bulgaria and perhaps the first one on the Balkans. The same act also created the Bistrishko branishte nature reserve within the park; the Torfeno branishte reserve was established a year later. Between 1977 and 2021, Bistrishko branishte was in the list of biosphere reserves maintained by UNESCO, one of the 17 "old type" biosphere reserves in Bulgaria at the time.

Prominences

 * Cherni Vrah -
 * Kamen Del
 * Kominite
 * Kopitoto - TV tower
 * Reznyovete (the Rezens)
 * Ushite

Natural features

 * Boyana Waterfall
 * Stone rivers
 * Zlatnite Mostove
 * Aleko's Waterfalls
 * Bosnek Karst Area
 * Dragalevski Monastery (Monastery of Dragalevtsi)
 * Sources of the Struma (Strymon in Greece)

Do

 * Winter sports
 * Hiking
 * Mountain biking
 * Rock climbing

Sleep
Camping on the territory of the Park is prohibited. Most available lodgings are in the northern part of the mountain. Sadly, many of the old hiker huts no longer work, and some have been completely abandoned.

Hiker huts
These huts are officially associated with the Bulgarian Tourist Union.

title: Vitosha


text:
Vitré

Vitré (Breton: Gwitreg; Gallo: Vitræ) is a town in the département of Ille-et-Vilaine, in the region of Brittany, France. Vitré lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy Maine and Anjou. The town has been designated a ville d'art et d'histoire, a town of artistic and historic significance, by the Ministry of Culture in recognition of its rich cultural heritage.

Understand
Vitré is a medieval town very beautiful with a rich cultural heritage. It is a very good example of the medieval cities with castles, churches, very old houses (15th century), historic monuments, parks and nature. The site of Vitré was occupied in Gallo-Roman times. The name Vitré comes from the Gallo-Roman name "Victor" or "Victrix", after the owner of a farm in the region. The year 1000 marked the formal birth of Vitré, when the duke of Brittany Geoffrey I bestowed feudal powers upon Riwallon Le Vicaire, who was charged with keeping this strategic area as a buffer zone of the "Marches of Brittany".

Get in
Located east of Brittany, the city of Vitré is crossed by the expressway which prolongs motorway A 11, while the motorway of the Estuaries. As in the whole of the Ille-et-Vilaine département, the communes of the country of Vitré are accessible by these expressways (Paris - Rennes).

The Station of Vitré has a lot of trains' stops. The easiest way to get to Vitré from Paris is through Gare Montparnasse. There are trains almost a few per day and the ride is 1hrs and 56 min.

The airport is in Rennes - Saint-Jacques (40 km ≈ 25 miles).

Get around
Vitré is unique in that urban transportation is free for all routes.

Castles

 * Castle of Vitré (11th-20th century)
 * Remparts, Claviers' Tower, Bridole's Tower
 * Rochers-Sévigné Castle
 * Château-Marie (17th century)
 * Hôtel Ringues de la Troussanais (Renaissance)
 * Medieval streets (Beaudrairie, Poterie, d'Embas, etc.) and places (Marchix, Station, Château, Notre-Dame, etc.)

Religious heritage

 * Saint-Nicolas Chapel (near Castle of Vitré)
 * Notre-Dame Church (14th century) gothic
 * Tower of the ancient Saint-Martin's Church (15th century)
 * Saint-Martin Church (19th century)
 * Sainte-Croix Church (17th-19th century)
 * Protestant Church
 * Convent of Bénédictins (Tribunal)
 * Convent of Augustins (17th century)
 * Chapels, calvaries situated in the city and countryside

Other monuments

 * Menhir "La Pierre Blanche" (Beauvais Road to Pocé-les-Bois)
 * Hôtel Sévigné-Nétumières (18th Century)
 * The Station (19th century)
 * Old barracks of 70e régiment d'infanterie
 * The Grand Park

Do
Visit the city, museums, religious heritage, golf, etc.

Buy
Souvenirs of Vitré

Go next
It is fairly easy to travel in France, therefore it would be clever to take advantage of the beautiful cities and coastal scenery in Brittany (Rennes, Dinan, Fougères). Saint-Malo, a wonderful coastal town on the English Channel, is only 45 minutes by TGV and usually costs less than €10. Buses are also available for less, but take a bit longer.

title: Vitré


text:
Vize

Vize (pronounced vee-ZAY) is a town in Eastern Thrace in Turkey. It's in the foothills of the Istranca Mountains, 40 km from the Black Sea coast. In 2012 the town had a population of 12,543, with 28,228 in the whole district.

Understand
Vize of old was Bizye (in Greek Βιζύη) and stood on the northern route between Byzantium / Constantinople and Europe: the Roman historian Livy stated that it was the capital of the Thracian tribe of Asti. Every passing army smashed the place up, and around 550 AD Vize was fortified with a citadel. Its Hagia Sophia church was also built around then, later becoming Gazi Süleyman Paşa mosque. The smashings-up continued until 1453, when the Ottomans gained Constantinople and Thrace, so thereafter the town could quietly get on with making cheese and honey. Like other towns in Thrace, Vize had large populations of Greeks and Bulgars, but these were expelled after the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.

The main road to Europe now passes much further south, and Vize is too far west (for the time being) to be part of Istanbul's commuter belt. Visitors coming here from the metropolis are just passing through on their way to the Black Sea beaches. So the town hasn't grown much, and its industries remain textiles and small-scale agriculture. The hilly terrain and small plots of land make for subsistence or market-gardening rather than mechanised extensive agriculture - you might even encounter buffalo - and most produce is consumed or processed locally. For instance, the forests are managed for firewood and charcoal, with only a small amount hewn into furniture.

Read
19th-century Vize forms the setting of Thracian Tales, a collection of three novellas by Georgios Vizyenos (1849–1896), a native of the town as suggested by his adopted surname, "from Vizye/Vize", and a highly influential writer of modern Greek literature.

Get in
Kale Seyahat (which means "Castle Travel") buses run hourly from Istanbul Bayrampaşa, taking about 3 hr via Çerkezköy and Saray for a fare of 80TL. Pamukkale Turizm and Istanbul Seyahat bus lines also serve this route. Most buses continue to Kırklareli, while those across the hills to Demirköy and İğneada on the Black Sea coast are suspended in 2021. Frequent dolmuses run from Çorlu, which has buses from Tekirdağ and Istanbul city and airport.

Vize (otogar) is east side of town centre.

Çerkezköy is the nearest railway station, with services from the stations on the Thracian mainline between Istanbul and Edirne.

Driving from Istanbul city, head west on O-3 / E80 (toll); from Istanbul airport follow O-7 to join it. Leave it on D567 to Çerkezköy and Saray onto D020; reckon two hours.

Get around
Vize is a small town, with its downtown a single main street. The old town, where all the sights are clustered, is on a hillside north of main street. Reach them from the roundabout in town centre, though the signage is poor.

See

 * "Here were watchtowers built under the administration of Firmus, the son of Aulus Pores, along with Aulus Kenthes, the son of Rytes the son of Kenthes, and Rabdus, the son of Hyakinthus."
 * - inscription on the citadel

 * Town centre is ticky-tacky modern low-rise, but Yeni Cami ("new mosque") in town centre has attractive tilework.
 * The Citadel or acropolis is just north of Little Hagia Sophia, up the hill on Hisar Cd (meaning Castle St). It was built by the Romans circa 72-76 BC and rebuilt under Justinian I. There are scrappy remains of citadel walls and a tower, but antiquities found here have been taken to the museum in Kırklareli. Nice views from the pine-covered hilltop.
 * Hasanbey Mosque 100 m downhill from Little Hagia Sophia was a 14th century synagogue, later converted to a mosque. It was restored in 2007.
 * lower down the hill was only discovered in 1998. It's from 2nd century AD, late Roman, and the only amphitheatre yet found in Thrace. Free if you find it open, but excavation and stabilisation work continues.
 * Tumuli are ancient burial mounds for the rulers of Thrace. They're found all over the region, but especially near Vize, dotting the plain to the south. Excavation of Çömlektepe tumulus in town revealed the amphitheatre.
 * Tumuli are ancient burial mounds for the rulers of Thrace. They're found all over the region, but especially near Vize, dotting the plain to the south. Excavation of Çömlektepe tumulus in town revealed the amphitheatre.

Do

 * Sultan's Trail is a 2500 km long-distance cycling and hiking route, retracing the steps of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent during his march upon Vienna in 1529. Across Eastern Thrace there's choice of routes, and Vize is on the northern branch, with Saray the next major town west.

Buy
Migros next to the bus station is open daily 08:30-22:00.

Eat

 * Town centre places are strung along Devlet, the street one block south of main street.
 * Nehir Konya Etliekmek and Mostar Boşnak Böreği are east of the bus station and Trak Otel.
 * Leeks: the 17th century explorer Derviş Mehmed Zillî, better known by his alias Evliya Çelebi, came through Vize, and about the best thing he could say of town was that it grew nice leeks.

Drink
The town doesn't have free-standing bars, but many cafes serve beer.

Connect
As of Nov 2021, Vize has 4G from all Turkish carriers, with Turkcell extending to the countryside around. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Kıyıköy is a beach resort on the Black Sea coast, with the monastery of St Nicholas carved out its bedrock. You pass a Genoese castle on the way to Kıyıköy.
 * Demirköy has a medieval foundry, the Dupnisa Cave and the beach resort of İğneada.
 * Pınarhisar west has a few Ottoman buildings in its centre and a remaining tower of its Byzantine castle northwest of the centre.
 * Kaynarca further west has some old houses lining a stream springing up below a rock (the local myth describes it as a distributary of the far-away Danube), and fish restaurants.

title: Vize


text:
Vladikavkaz

Vladikavkaz is the capital city of North Ossetia and a major transit hub for the North Caucasus region. Its position on the Georgian Military Highway makes it a staging post for journeys to both Georgia and South Ossetia.

Understand
Modern Vladikavkaz was founded in 1784 at the gateway of Daryal Canyon.

Talk
Generally, English is not spoken. Do not expect to be able to comfortably move around the city without some knowledge of Ossetian, Russian or assistance from a translator.

See

 * Vladikavkaz also has quite a few outdoor sculptures and monuments.
 * Vladikavkaz also has quite a few outdoor sculptures and monuments.
 * Vladikavkaz also has quite a few outdoor sculptures and monuments.

Do

 * The Mariinsky Theatre has a branch in Vladikavkaz.

Buy
The main street, Prospekt Mira, runs roughly parallel to the Terek River, and is a pleasant boulevard with shops and restaurants. The railway station is to the east of Prospekt Mira's northern end.

Connect
The city's phone code is 8672.

Go next

 * The striking North Ossetian mountains: Tse and Fiagdon in particular. However, all non-Russian citizens are forbidden to travel outside the main towns of Vladikavkaz, Beslan, Alagir and Ardon. If found by local authorities outside the regulated areas you may be subject to a fine and/or deportation.
 * Georgia - head south on the Georgian Military Highway to the border post at Verkny Lars and then to Kazbegi in Georgia.
 * South Ossetia - head south on the Trans-Caucasian Highway through the Roki tunnel to the disputed region's capital, Tskhinvali.

title: Vladikavkaz