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User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Nice

Nice is a large city in France on the French Riviera.

By plane
Nice Airport (IATA:NCE) is one of the busiest in France and has direct flights to most major cities in Europe as well New York, Atlanta and a number of destinations in North Africa and the Middle East. The airport is located at the western end of Nice on landfill. Arrival and departure in good weather often provides beautiful views of the French Riviera.

Most airlines use Terminal 1 (the older terminal) while Terminal 2 is used primarily by Air France (and partners) and Easyjet. There is a free shuttle bus between the terminals.

Various bus lines depart from the airport. To get to the downtown bus depot, take line 98 (departing at bus stop 1 every 30 minutes, on the hour). The fare to the terminus is 4 Euros per person. The airport website has a page with timetables.

Some hotels offer shuttle buses from the airport - inquire at your hotel before or upon arrival.

By train
Nice is connected to the rest of France via the SNCF train network. A direct TGV train from Paris to Nice takes about 6 hours, fare for an adult is about 100 Euros. The train arrives in Nice at the central station (called simply "Gare SNCF").

A new service called "IdTGV" is now available: it offers low-cost TGV ticket (from 19€ for a single trip between Paris and Nice). These tickets have to be bought online, they are not refundable. http://www.idtgv.com/

By bus
The best, cheapest and most reliable way to get from the Airport to central nice or the Nice Ville train station is the 98 and 23 buses. They run high frequency between 08:00 and 20:00. The first one is at about 05:30 and the last one around 19:40. The airport website gives an updated timetable in PDF format (see by plane above).

By car
Best access is by car from the A8 autoroute. The airport is well signed from the A8 and the A8 well signed from the airport. Just make sure that you know which direction you need to go when getting on the A8 and which terminal when leaving. Especially in the morning and evening rush hour do allow extra time to deal with accidents and traffic jams. The A8 has a ferocious bend just by the airport and accidents are frequent.

Driving a car on the Riviera is only for the brave, the region has one of the worst accident records in France (which is saying something) and every local has his or her favourite story about a mad driver. However all major car rental firms, as well as some less well known ones such as easycar and ADA, are present. Most are located by terminal 2 however easycar is located just off site near terminal 1. If you have a choice try to pick a car that is already well dinged so that no one notices the new dings and scratches you will add.

By taxi
If you can avoid the taxis, sadly in many cases you do not have a choice. Also often it is hard to find a taxi when you need one.

Nice taxi drivers are notorious for ripping off foreigners. Insist on the meter being on the whole time. Try and sit where you can see it so that you can immediately query the driver when/if it goes off "accidentally". Taxi fares within Nice should be less than €20, Antibes €50 and Monaco or Cannes should result in fares of approximately €70.

By bus
A number of public buses crisscross Nice. When taking the bus, you must be aware of the somewhat odd way the bus schedules are laid out.

They list the departure time at the first bus station - not the one you are currently at (unless the two coincide, naturally). At the right hand side of the bus schedule, you have a list of stations, and next to some you will find the time listed it will take the bus to get there (+20', for example). This means that you will have to do a lot of guessing. Best ask a native and leave some extra padding time (30 minutes or more depending on the complexity of your bus trip) if you plan to take a bus to any scheduled event that you really do not want to miss (airport, train, etc).

You can find local bus route maps and timetables at this link. Route maps are listed under 'Maps' and timetables as 'Timetables'. They are provided in PDF format. Also, a new service ('Stop timetables') purports to display the times at your stop. From previous experience with the bus company, those should stand somewhere between educated guesses and outright fiction. The interurban bus station (Gare Routière) in central Nice is on Avenue Félix Faure near the Rue du Lycée.

Take care to check for temporary changes to your bus stops near any roadworks for Nice's new tram system.

By foot
Nice isn't very big. Unless you want to reach the very outlying areas, you can probably get away with walking your entire stay.

By scooter/motorbike
Unless you are very experienced, don't.

See
The ruined castle overlooking the harbour is a nice vantage point overlooking the city. Not much is left besides crumbling walls. Still, climbing up the stairs to reach the platforms 90m above Nice is well worth the view. Be aware that the castle "park" closes at 8:00 in the evening. Expect to be escorted outside if you stay longer.

Nice is also known for several museums. Some of the most famous are in Cimiez, the older, upper part of the city, including:

 * The Musee Chagall, which includes stain glass windows by the artist.
 * Musee Matisse
 * Musee et Site Archeologiques de Cimiez, the ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez, plus a museum with nice documentation on Gallo-Roman life (but mostly not in English).

Beaches
If you go to Nice for bathing or generally lounging on the beach, you may wish to think again. The beaches of Nice consist entirely of gravel and rocks - much nicer beaches exist in other cities around the Mediterranean (Villefranche-sur-Mer or Cannes are way more sandy, though). A few private beaches have added a layer of sand, but the free public beaches are a stony experience. Besides towels or mats you should definitely bring sandals (walking on the rocks can be painful) and cushions (if you want to sit). Showers are provided (for free) on all public beaches, as well.

Private beaches offer various services from restaurants / bars to the rental of lounge chairs and towels.

Beautiful Landscapes
Go to Eze. It is a small village on the way to Monaco. The village is situated on a small mountain and there is a beautiful garden with a spectacular view (a must see). There is also a perfume factory which you can visit for free.

Learn
There are many schools offering courses in French. Perhaps the most reputable is Alliance Française.

Buy
Most stores and restaurants in Nice will accept the major credit cards, as well as debit cards from major banks (anything carrying the EC or MAESTRO labels). If this fails you can always get money from any of the numerous ATM machines.

Postcards (as many other things) vary greatly in price. Do some comparison shopping as the price range is between 20 cents and 1 Euro per normal postcard.

Eat
A food called "Socca" is a local speciality, as is a tuna fish sandwich called "Pan Bagnat." Other specialties include Soupe de Poisson (Fish Soup, made with chili aioli, croutons, and grated cheese), Salade Nicoise (made with seafood), and Tourtes aux Blettes (sweet tartes made with Savoy cabbage, raisins, nuts, and powdered sugar).

Check out the daily market in the Vieux Nice for fresh, local produce.

Budget
Cheap & cheerful food in Nice is hard to come by. Even the menus offered at McDonalds are between 5.50€-7€ for a sandwich, pommes frites and a soda drink.

The best deals in the centre can be found in the port area. Old Nice and all along the sea front the prices cannot be described as budget.

Mid-range

 * The Casa mia on rue Pontin, Old Nice does amazing Italian in a very homely environment. The menus around 20-25 euros offer excellent value for the service and quality.

 * The Domaine de Lintillac at 37 Rue d'Angleterre (tel: +33-4-93885075) specializes on duck. Main dishes are an excellent value at a little under 10 euro.

 * Le Delhi Belhi at 22 rue de la Barillerie, Vieux Nice (tel: +33-4-93925187) specializes in Indian cuisine. Open daily for dinner only.

 * Le Shalimar at 11 Rue Biscarra (tel: +33-4-93139578) has tasty Indian food. The lunch menus are a good deal.

Drink
You can save a lot of money by buying drinks and such in a normal supermarket instead of the vendors geared towards tourists. With the hot Niçois summers, carrying a bottle of water is almost a must.

Some popular places to go out for a drink include:
 * Wayne's - Almost every tourist under the age of 30 end up here at least once. Women get a free drink if they pose topless. Karaoke on Sundays.
 * Thor Pub - Often has live music.
 * Ma Nolan's - Has everything you would expect from an Irish pub.
 * Blue Whales - Stays open until the wee hours of the morning.

Sleep
There are a number of hotels within walking distance of terminal 1 of the Airport and a special hotel shuttle bus serves other hotels within Nice itself.

Budget
It would seem that the simplest solution is to stay at a youth hostel. There are quite a number in Nice, three of which are:

 * Mont-Boron, Route Forestière du Mont-Alban. Situated 4 kms from Nice in a forest.
 * Les Camélias, 3, rue Spitalieri. Situated near the shopping center Nice Etoile, in the heart of the city center.
 * Villa Saint Exupery, 22, Avenue Gravier. Situated a fair way to the north of the town centre in a former monastery.

Mid-range
Being a heavily touristed city, it's easy to find a number of small hotels which are perfectly acceptable, and usually at a decent rate.

Hotels 2* located in the centre of Nice Hotels 3* located in the centre of Nice
 * La Résidence
 * Carlyna
 * Le Vendôme

Splurge
Holiday palaces are numerous in Nice: there are 14 four-star hotels of which these are a sampling:

 * Negresco
 * Radisson
 * Four Points Elysée Palace
 * Sofitel
 * Ruhl

Stay safe
Nice is not really more dangerous than other cities in western countries. You can easily stay safe following a few pieces of advice:
 * The vol à la portière, that consisted in opening on of door of the car when stopping at a traffic light and stealing the passengers' goods has decreased over the last years, but a few are still reported every year. To avoid that, keep the doors of your car locked and make sure that purses, cameras or other expensive things cannot be seen from the outside. Note that cars registered outside the Alpes-Marimes (with a number plate ending with something else than '06') are more likely to be targeted.
 * Avoid the areas called les Moulins and l'Ariane : crime is higher in these districts. Anyway these places have no interest.

Religious services

 * Holy mass in catholic churches in vicinity to the Convention center Acropolis (Palais des Congrès et des Expositions):

Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice, 36, Place Don Bosco. Sat: 18:30; Sun: 8:30, 10:00; Mon-Fri: 16:15, 18:30

St. Joseph, 21, Rue Smolett. Sat: 18:30; Sun 9:00; Thu: 18:00

Saint Jean-Baptiste, Place du Voeu/Rue Alfrede Mortier. Sat: 18:00; Sun: 11:00, Mon-Wed: 18:45; Thu-Fri: 8:30

'''St. Martin-St. Augustin''', Place Saint-Augustin. Sat: 16:00, 17:30; Sun: 9:30, 11:00; Tue-Fri: 16:00

Some other catholic churches in downtown Nice:

Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, Place Rossetti. Sat: 18:30; Sun: 10:00, 12:00; Mon-Fri: 10:00

Notre Dame du Port, 8, Place Ile de Beaute. Sun: 10:00; Mon-Fri: 18:00

Basilique Notre Dame, 2, Rue d’Italie. Sat: 11:00, 17:30; Sun: 8:30, 10:00, 11:15; 18:00; Mon-Fri: 11:00, 18:00

 * Protestant churches

Reformed temple, 21, boulevard Victor Hugo. Sun: 10:15

Lutheran church, 4, Rue Melchior de Vogüé. Sun: 10:30

Baptist church, 32 rue de l'hôtel des postes. Sun: 10:30

Evangelical church, 51bis, avenue de Pessicart. Sun: 10:00

Anglican church Holy Trinity, 11, rue de la Buffa. Sun: 11:00; Mon&Thu: 12:15; Tue: 18:15; Wed&Fri: 10:30; Sat: 09:00

 * Orthodox churches

Greek orthodox church Saint Spyridon, 2, Avenue Desambrois. Sun: 10:30; Mon-Sat: 10:15

Russian orthodox cathedral Saint Nicolas, Avenue Nicolas II. Sun-Sat: 10:00

Apostolic Armenian church, 281 Boulevard de la Madeleine. Sun: 10:00

By train
If you're getting out of Nice towards Paris, consider taking the TGV. Cruising at 300 km/h is quite fun (but the train only reaches high speed beyond Marseille) and the train has a nice route with plenty of views of the coast. Be sure to ask for a seat on the left-hand side of the train when going west from Nice.

Some nice places just to the west of Nice include Antibes and Cannes.

East of Nice the trains stops at Villefranche, Monaco and Menton. San Remo in Italy is also just a little over one hour away.

By bus
There are coaches from Nice Airport to most places between Marseilles and Genoa.

Eze can be reached using line 82 or 112 from the Gare Routiere (bus terminal) in Nice.

Helicopter
There are a number of helicopter services available with regular flights to St Tropez, Cannes and Monaco. The price is quite competitive with a taxi fare and the views are stunning.

Nice Nice Nisa

Nice Europe/France/Regions/Provence-Alpes-Cote_d'Azur/Alpes-Maritimes/Localities/Nice/

isin: Provence-Alpes-Côte_d'Azur

title: User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Nice


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User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Portland (Oregon)

Portland, "The City of Roses", is the largest city in Oregon and one of the major cities in the Pacific Northwest.

Understand
Had a coin flip gone the other way, the largest city in Oregon would be called Boston, Oregon. From that fateful coin flip on, the city of Portland has, for the most part, been the recipient of great fortune.

Portland lies about 70 miles from the Pacific Coast on the northern border of the state of Oregon, straddling the Willamette River just south of its confluence with the Columbia River at Vancouver, Washington. About 50 miles to the east lies majestic Mount Hood, which forms the perfect backdrop for Portland's skyline.

As the largest city between San Francisco and Seattle, Portland vies with those cities as the spiritual capital of the laid-back northern Pacific coast. However, it does so in a way that mixes big-city dynamics with small-town friendliness. In contrast to rapid-growing Seattle, until recently Portland avoided the problems that come with fast growth. Although now Portland is experiencing the same rapid growth, it has been able to keep its unique character.

Progressive city planning practices such as an urban growth boundary have made Portland a very compact and user-friendly city. Unlike other metropolitan areas, you can drive 20 miles from downtown Portland and be out in the country. Environmentally friendly practices such as recycling are part of the culture here. It is also known for taking creative and unconventional ideas to solve its problems. For instance, it tore up a downtown freeway and transformed it into Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Its light rail system, originally built in the 1980s and subsequently expanded, has won nationwide acclaim.

In recent years, the city has become known as much for its microbreweries as Seattle is for its coffee houses. There are many microbreweries around Portland, many of which have won nationwide and international acclaim.

Portland is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with an exciting blend of historic and modern architecture. The scenery can't be beat with views of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River, stately Douglas Fir trees, roses everywhere and stunning seasonal color. Combine this with great art, waterfront festivals, a diverse population and you have one very exciting city.

By plane
Portland International Airport (PDX) is located 9 miles northeast of downtown Portland on the Columbia River. Most major airlines serve Portland from nearly all major airports in the United States. Daily non-stop air service is also available from Vancouver, BC, Canada; Tokyo, Japan; Guadalajara, Mexico; and Frankfurt, Germany. Daily direct service is also available to Mexico City, Mexico; and Singapore.

A taxi from the airport to downtown is around $30. The MAX light rail will only set you back $1.95 and will take you from one end of the Portland to the other. Plus it goes right downtown. All light rail connects with the city wide bus system. You be the one to decide: MAX or taxi.

If you're renting a car, the best way to get to downtown Portland from the airport is to take I-205 south to I-84 west, then follow the signs to the City Center at I-84's terminus and interchange with I-5. This will take you over the Morrison Bridge into downtown. Renting a car for a downtown destination is not recommended: inconvenient, spendy and hard-to-find parking combined with active parking meter enforcement (8 am to 7 pm) and nonintuitive street closures, transit malls and restrictions make it frustrating even for locals. Within downtown, buses, Max and the street car are free. Most people can walk from one end of downtown to the other in 15 minutes—faster than driving at times.

By train
[Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/] provides service to Portland from all along the west coast. The Amtrak Cascades service runs two trains per day between Portland and Eugene, Oregon to the south. Additionally, there are three Cascades trains between Portland and Seattle to the north. These trains are more reliable schedule-wise than the long distance trains.

For long distance service, Portland is served daily by the Coast Starlight, running the length of the West Coast (Seattle-Portland-San Francisco Bay Area-Los Angeles). The Starlight has earned the nickname the "Starlate", since it is usually delayed for hours running north from California. The Empire Builder (Portland-Spokane-Glacier Nat'l Park-Minneapolis/St Paul-Milwaukee-Chicago) also provides daily service eastward, and tends not to be as delayed as the Starlight.

Portland's Union Station (800 NW Sixth Av) is located north of downtown, about a 15-minute walk from Pioneer Square. It is adjacent to the Greyhound bus station. The bus mall ends at Union Station, so local TriMet Buses run by Union Station very frequently.

By car
From Washington to the north and California as well as most of the rest of Oregon to the south, the easiest way to get to Portland is on Interstate 5. I-5 runs directly through downtown Portland with a number of exits.

From Boise and other points east, Interstate 84 leads along the Columbia into Portland. From the Oregon Coast Highway and other points along the Pacific coast to the west, the easiest approach is U.S. 26. It cuts east towards Portland between Cannon Beach and Seaside.

By bus
Greyhound provides bus service along the West coast as well as from points inland.

By boat
No useful boat lines exist, although you can cruise up and down the river.

Get around
Portland is an easy city to bike, walk or use public transport. Much of Portland is a grid, so it should be fairly easy to navigate. In general, east-west streets are named while north-south avenues are numbered. This doesn't hold true in the North Portland neighborhood where avenues are also named, or in the hills where roads are helter-skelter.

Walking
Portland is a great city for walking. Many intersections are designed with pedestrians in mind, and Portland has a lot of street life for an American city. Good mass transit also makes walking more feasible in Portland.

Biking
Several streets in Portland are designed to be predominantly for bicycle use. These streets, such as SE Ankeny, SE Salmon, SE Lincoln, and SE Clinton, are usually spaced about halfway between the main car thoroughfares in the grid of East Portland. The bike streets are generally signed with green "Bike Route" signs. Additionally, many major streets have striped bike lanes.

Maps of bike trails can be obtained from Metro, in the Bike There! section.

TriMet and other Public Transport
TriMet maintains Bus and Light Rail throughout the Portland area, and City of Portland maintains the Streetcar line which runs through downtown and Northwest Portland. http://www.trimet.org/

C-Tran runs buses in Clark County, Washington. Fares for TriMet, C-Tran, and the Portland Streetcar are all interchangeable. Also available is a extensive system map available for a small cost from the tri-met store in Pioneer Square

For mapped point to point Public Transportation directions visit Google Transit: http://www.google.com/transit

Neighborhoods
Portland is divided into five sections. Burnside Street is the north/south split. The Willamette (pronounced will-LAM-et) splits Southeast and Southwest, but the river takes a turn north of Burnside. Since mother nature wasn't smart enough to use straight lines in her planning, the city decided to split what would be the Northwest quadrant into Northwest (West of the river) and North (East of the River), then divide North and Northeast at Williams Avenue. All Portland addresses contain their designating sector inserted between house number and street name (i.e. 3719 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) This will make it easier to figure out where things are. If you hear Portlanders talking about the Southwest or the Northeast, they're probably talking about the section of the town rather than Arizona or Massachusetts.

North

 * St. Johns, near the confluence of the Willamette and the Columbia, is more like a small town than a neighborhood. It has a nice line of storefronts.

 * Albina and Mississippi Avenues host a lively little neighborhood.

Southeast

 * Sellwood once was a rival of Portland. It was later annexed and is now a thriving little neighborhood of its own along with West Moreland.

 * Hawthorne Blvd. has a good collection of shops as well as a branch of Powell's Bookstore and the ornate Bagdad Theater. It is the center of the counter-culture/hippy/bohemian community.

 * Belmont St., while not as major as Hawthorne, also has a decent collection of shops, restaurants and entertainment. The greatest concentration of businesses is around 34th Ave.

 * Division St. also has a good deal of sites and activities.

 * The Clinton District, on Clinton St. at 21st and 26th, is a nice little neighborhood center with some decent food and a theater.

 * The neighborhood along Woodstock Blvd., centered around 45th, is more oriented towards residents.

 * 82nd Ave. is definitely one of the seedier parts of Portland, but is a good place to go for anything ethnic, especially Asian.

Northeast

 * Hollywood is a dense little neighborhood centered around the ornate Hollywood theater on Sandy Blvd. Ironically, the Hollywood Theater kind of goes against the Hollywood grain, and frequently shows great movies that you might not get a chance to see at more Hollywood oriented theaters.  During warm months, the Hollywood Saturday Market offers fresh produce and community events.

 * Alberta St. has a thriving arts district between Martin Luther King and 30th.

 * Beaumont is a nice little neighborhood along Fremont St. in the 40s

Southwest

 * Downtown, the heart of Portland, lies in the Southwest

 * The West Hills, also stretching north of Burnside in the Northwest section, are where the well-to-do of Portland have traditionally lived. You can see pretty large mansions suspended on stilts above the hillside.  Because of the geography, the streets in the West Hills are a bit of a maze.  If you think you won't get lost, though, the West Hills might be an interesting trek.  You'll find lavish mansions, ornate public staircases from several different time periods, and a few good views of downtown.  You might also want to see the Vista Bridge.  This bridge was once nicknamed the "Suicide Bridge" because of the people that jumped from it during the Great Depression in the 1930's

 * Goose Hollow lies west across I-405 from downtown. This neighborhood is sort of a quieter, more residential extension of downtown.

 * Lair Hill is another quiet but attractive neighborhood south across I-405 from downtown. Look for the Great Northwest Bookstore in an old church in this neighborhood.

 * Multnomah Village is a nice little neighborhood in hilly SW Portland.

 *  Burnside Triangle is the center of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Trannsexual community in Portland. It is basically a micro-neighborhood within Downtown. Ask a local and they'll help direct you there.

Northwest

 * Chinatown and Old Town lie north of Burnside between the Park Blocks and the river. This area has a sort of old, seedy feel.   However, as the Pearl District expands its tentacles outward, the fringes of this neighborhood are experiencing some  regentrification.  True to the name, this is really the oldest section of Portland.

 * The Pearl District lies between I-405, Burnside and the Park blocks. This is where you want to go if you want to get your trendiness in.  The Pearl was once a half abandoned warehouse district, but in recent years has been given a fresh new coat of make-up by those wanting to live in a more urban environment close to downtown.

 * NW 23rd and NW 21st have a good deal of shops and the like. Like the Pearl, this area is a bit more on the trendy side.  You will sometimes hear this area referred to as the Alphabet District (because the east-west streets run alphabetically), although most people seem to call it simply "Northwest".

See

 * Oregon Zoo, Located on the western side of town off of Hwy 26, the Portland zoo is the largest of its kind in the state. Some attractions are polar bears, elephants, sea lions, monkeys, Giraffes, and various birds and insects.  Admission last summer was $12 for adults, and cheaper for seniors and children. http://www.oregonzoo.org/

 * Saturday Market, SW 1st Ave. under the Burnside Bridge. Sa 10AM - 5PM and Su 11AM-4:30PM, 1st weekend in March to December 24.  This market and craft fair, where everything sold is handmade, is the largest open-air crafts market in continuous operation in the U.S.  Free.  http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com

 * Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Broadway and Yamhill, (503) 223-1613. Every day, 24 hours.  Known as "Portland's Living Room," this is the central courtyard of downtown Portland.  Notable sights in the square is the Weather Machine, a machine that predicts the weather every day at noon.  Many other sculptures and art elements surround the square.  Free.  http://www.pioneercourthousesquare.org

 * The Public Services Building (1120 SW 5th Avenue), aka The Portland Building, is considered an architectural icon. Designed by Michael Graves and built in 1982, its coloring and embellishment marked the arrival of postmodern architecture and the end of stark glass and steel edifices. The statue in front, "Portlandia", is the second largest copper statue in the United States--only the Statue of Liberty is larger.

 * Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Naito Pkwy between the Steel and Marquam bridges. This wide expanse of green lawns along the downtown Portland waterfront was once a four-lane freeway.  Growing environmental awareness led to the city replacing the freeway with this park.  In Waterfront Park are several features: the Salmon Street Springs (see Do below), the Japanese American Memorial Garden, and the U.S.S. Oregon Memorial.  Free.

 * Mill Ends Park, the smallest park in the world.

 * The Portland basketball team play at the Rose Garden.

 * Portland Ducks -- Land & Water Tours of Portland, Oregon. http://www.portlandducks.com

Museums

 * Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), 1945 SE Water Ave., (503) 797-6674 . OMSI is great for kids. It has hundreds of hands on activities and you can spend a full rainy day there and not get bored. But if all you want to do is see an awesome movie check out the IMAX theater that gives you a 360 view of space travel, scuba diving, race car driving, or an Africa safari. Open Tu-Su 9:30AM - 5:30PM (after Labor Day to mid-June). Museum admission: adults $8.50, seniors (63+) and youth (3-13) $6.50. OMNIMAX theatre: separate admission charge, adults $8.50, seniors (63+) and youth (3-13) $6.50.

 * Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Avenue Portland, OR 97205, 503�226�2811 . The Portland Art Museum has several outstanding collections and is regularly updated by moving exhibits. 10-15$ for adults, 6$ for youths. Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Monday closed, Tuesday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Wednesday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

 * Oregon Historical Society, located across the street from the Portland Art Museum.

Public art

 * First Thursday of every month all art galleries in the Pearl district are free, and many serve wine and cheese. http://www.firstthursday.org/The Pearl as the locals call it is a newly remodeled and redeveloped area across from downtown P-town. It was old warehouses just five years ago and now it is posh high rises and condos that have trendy shops and galleries at street level. A modern new city park sits in the middle that includes a boardwalk, grass, trees, waterfall which fills a pool every half hour or so. Little kids love the water on a hot day.
 * Last Thursday is said by many locals to be the alternative to First Thursday Centered around Alberta St. between Martin Luther King and 30th., it includes everything from wine tasting and gallery openings to street vending and performance artist walking the streets and sidwalks.
 * The bronze statue of a woman on 5th & Washington is titled Kvinneakt, created by sculptor Norm Taylor. But everyone knows it as the "Expose Yourself to Art" statue, after a popular poster featuring a flasher facing this work. The flasher was a tavern owner named Bud Clark, who went on to become mayor of the city.
 * The running blog of Portland's public art scene, Portland Public Artwork is independent and opinionated, showing items hidden in plain site and off the beaten track. See http://pdxartwork.blogspot.com/

Do

 * Washington Park, SW Park Place (off Highway 26), 503-823-PLAY. sunrise-sunset, every day. Washington Park is a classic urban park. Sprawling over about 140 acres just west of downtown Portland, the park encompasses a Japanese Garden, the Oregon Zoo, the Rose Garden (with beautiful views of Portland and Mount Hood), a Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a Lewis and Clark Memorial. Free (some attractions charge admission).

 * Forest Park, (in the northwest of the city) is about 20 km2 (7.7 mi2), or 5000 acres. It is the US's largest urban park, and possibly the largest in the world. Many great hiking and biking trails to be found.

 * Salmon Street Springs, SW Naito Pkwy and Salmon St., in Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. A central computer controls 185 jets of water which produce regularly changing water patterns.  A popular attraction for kids, especially during the warm summer months.

 * The Grotto Gardens (503-254-7371) Located on the city's Northeast side the tranquil and spiritual santuary hosts reflection ponds, secluded gardens, and shrines on the top of a basalt cliff. The best time to visit is during the Holdiday season when the grotto is illuminated with lights. The is a very romantic destination for a special night out. http://www.thegrotto.org/

 * Portland Rose Festival. June 2-12, 2005. This award-winning festival, held in early June, is Portland's largest event.  The Portland waterfront is turned into a carnival for a week as military ships moor alongside Waterfront Park.  The world-famous Grand Floral Parade is on the 11th. This festival has decreased in size in recent years and now consists of a few naval vessels and a large fairground with the usual assortment of rides. In 2005, it no longer appeared to be charging admission for the whole festival week, (although had been earlier in the week.)

 * Chinese Classical Garden, NW 3rd & Everett. Tour recommended (12pm and 1pm) however an audio tour looks to be in the works. Don't go expecting peace and solitude. Large groups, traffic, helicopters (and on this wikivoyagers visit a hendrix impersonator across the street!) contributed to a less than reverent atmosphere. If you are on a budget (time or financial) you can peek in through the ornate open windows and see much of the gardens content without paying admission. Students receive concessions. Guides can be recycled on leaving. Disembark Old Town/Chinatown on the MAX. If of interest see also Japanese Garden.

 * Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, (503)226-1561. Everyday (except Dec. 25), 9AM-4PM (Sep 16 - Apr 14), 9AM - 6PM (Apr 15 - Sep 15).  The Oregon Zoo is the largest zoo in Oregon, and is known for its elephant breeding program.  Adults $9.50, seniors (65+) $8.00, children (3-11) $6.50.  http://www.oregonzoo.org

 * Pittock Mansion

 * Portland Beavers Baseball, the Portland Beavers, AAA affiliate of the San Diego Padres, play in beautiful PGE Park from April to September. Tickets are cheap and the games are exciting for all.

 * Portland and its suburbs supposedly have one of the highest concentrations of exotic dancer bars and adult bookstores in the country. See if you can count the number you see while you're in Portland.

Music
Portland has a pretty good music scence throughout town. Music venues hold huge national acts to small underground music groups. Many local pubs and bars offer great local bands ussually on weekends.

Located on One Center Court Portland, OR 97227
 * Rose Quarter

The Rose Quarter hosts the Rose Garden and The Memorial Colisuem which are two major arenas. The Rose Garden is home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Many popular names in music will be performing at the Rose Quarter this spring including Korn, Bon Jovi, David Gray, Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, and Black Eyed Peas.

Ticket Prices are ussually higher for Rose Quarter Events.

Located on NW 6TH and Burnside Ave, Portland, OR, 97209
 * Roseland Theater

Roseland Theater is a great place to go see a rock show or catch a hip hop concert. It is a good size venue but still gives you that crowded rock show feel. This venue is very fun to watch a show because the crowd always gets really into the music. It gets very crowded in some parts of the theater. This theater is standing room only. However there are seats in the upstars to view the show from there. Some great acts are coming to the Roseland this spring including Andre Nickatina, Starting Line, Guster, Matchbox Romance, The Strokes, Saves The Day, Ice Cube, and Blue Oyser Cult.

Located on 1332 W. Burnside Portland, OR 97209
 * Crystal Ballroom

Crystal Ballroom oftenly referred to as The Crystal is one of the nicest venues around. The Ballroom is great size and has great art and motifs all around. Its great when your at a show and you look around and it feels like your in an art musuem. From my experience The crystal Ballroom is one of the cleanest venues I have ever been to, they take real good care of it. It is owned and operated by the McMenamins group which is a chain of pubs, hotels and theaters throughout Oregon. The Crystal has a bar inside the venue with upstairs seating for 21+. The main floor is standing room only which makes the show way more intense. McMenamin's Ringlers Pub is located underneath The Crystal Ballroom in the same building. This feature is great if you want to get something to eat or drink before or after you see a great performance. Some big name acts are coming to The Crystal ballroom including Chris Brown, James Blunt, and Alkaline Trio. The Tickets at The Crystal are between $15-$30 ussually.

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is located on 1037 SW Broadway.
 * Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Home to the Oregon Symphony and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. Contains very immaculate Italian architecture in the hall. The concert hall seats 2,776 people and hosts lectures, symphonies, comedians and big name musical acts.

Located in Ridgefeild, WA- 20 minutes North of Portland
 * Clark County Amphitheater

A great Amphitheater that is open when the weather is right. Hosts big name musical acts including Brooks and Dunn and Jessica Simpson. This Spring the Amphitheater will be hosting Nine Inch Nails.

 * There are many bars and pubs throughout Portland that have live music. Many can be found at Portland CitySearch

 * For more information on music venues in the Portland Area go to PDX Music

Learn
Portland has many nationally recogonized universities and colleges, including Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, Portland State University, and University of Portland.

Portland is the home of two Pulitzer-Prize-winning publications and a number of smaller tabloid-format newspapers of note. Due to some heated local politics the town has become a rather thorny place for journalism. Portlanders identify their politics by what paper they read (Oregonian vs Tribune, Willamette Week vs Mercury).

 * The Oregonian (50 cents daily, $1.50 Sundays) is a nationally-recognized, Pulitzer-winning broadsheet newspaper known for cutting-edge design (which has declined in recent years) and local-oriented coverage (the paper is distributed throughout the state and into Vancouver, WA). The paper suffers as a city guide for the out-of-towner as its arts coverage is limited, but for those interested in longer stays it is a good primer on state politics. Movie times are up-to-date and the city's only printed television schedule is included daily, with an expanded form on Sundays.

 * Willamette Week (free Wednesday mornings), an "alternative weekly" newspaper, recently won a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative reporting. This boomer-hipster hybrid sometimes struggles from identity freak out but is likely the quickest and most immediate help to out of towners. The papers new annual city guide "Finder" can be found around town and is specifically tailored for those new to Portland. Sometimes referred to as Willy Week or "Willy" by old-guard Portland hipsters. Left-leaning editorials and left-viewpoint news.

 * The Portland Mercury (free Wednesday evenings), another "alt-weekly" newspaper the Portland version of Seattle's The Stranger, this tabloid-sized hipster-focused mag has taken a bite out of the Willamette Week's advertising in recent years, meaning that those looking for movie times or rock show listings can often find them in the pages. Readers offended by foul language or grammatical inaccuracy may be frustrated by the editorial content of the paper. Sneering, anarchical leftiness is on display throughout.

 * Portland Tribune (free Tuesdays and Fridays), this tabloid-sized upstart has struggled since its start to find a spot between the Willamette Week and the Oregonian, the city's mainstays and the paper's main competitors. Many Portlanders will sneer at references to the Oregonian made in conversation, suburbanites who work in the city tend to favor the Tribune.

 * Just Out (free every other Friday), Portland's queer paper, focused on issues of the Gay and Lesbian community. In Portland, "queer" issues--the neutral term of choice--are hot topics, with rural Portlanders swinging right on issues like gay marriage and a huge majority of the rest of the city swinging to the rabid left of absolute inclusion. Visitors to Portland would be ill-advised to expound anti-gay sentiment, and those interested in Portland's queer community would be wise to snag a copy of the paper.

Most other publications would be of only passing interest to travellers but to read what locals think and feel, some of the better neighborhood papers: Northwest Examiner, Portland Observer, Skanner, St. John's Sentinel, and Portland State University Vanguard.

Work
"We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don't tell any of your neighbors where you are going." -Former Governer Tom McCall, 1971 interview

In the last couple of years, Portland has been one of the harder cities in the State of Oregon in which to find work. Although the unemployment and underemployment rate has been falling recently, it is still a tough job market to navigate.

Buy

 * Powell's City of Books, 1005 West Burnside, 503-228-4651. 9AM-11PM every day. Powell's is a landmark in Portland, and most residents are proud to let you know that this is the biggest independent bookstore in the entire world. Covering an entire city block, the store stocks over a million books in 3500 sections. And that's not counting the 5 other branches in Portland (travel bookstore at Pioneer Square, technical bookstore in the north Park Blocks, the airport bookstore, and...)! The store can be imposing (get a map from the front desk), but it's a don't-miss for anyone who loves to read.
 * Sellwood One word, Antique, if you love old vintage furnishings then you need to head towards Sellwood. Plus there are some great new restaurants that serve fancy Thai or Indian food without breaking the bank.
 * NW 23rd, north of Burnside. Part of the Nob Hill District that host funky and eclectic shopping and restuarants and bars; a hotspot on a Thursday and Friday night. One of the most densely populated shopping/eating districts in Portland.
 * Columbia Sportswear Company, 911 SW Broadway or 1323 SE Tacoma Street (outlet store, much cheaper prices). Columbia produces outdoor sports wear with an emphasis on cold and rainy weather clothing.  You may need some sort of rain protection if visiting during the fall, winter or spring.  Portlanders look upon umbrellas with mild disdain.
 * Hawthorne District, east side of the Willamette. Head shops, microbreweries, and craft stores.
 * Lloyd Center, for those who love to shop. Dozens of stores to visit and you're bound to find something you'd like.
 * Town Center''', off of I-205 exit 14. Great shopping facilities, smaller than Lloyd Center, but just as much to see.

Budget

 * New Seasons supermarket, . They make the best sandwiches and have an awesome deli counter. You choose your bread, meat/tofu pate, veggies, and spreads. Quality that you've never seen before. Everyone will love it. Five locations and more on the way, Concordia, Orenco Station, Raleigh Hills, Sellwood, and Seven Corners on SE division.
 * The downtown core is home to a small army of Food Trailers. With less overhead than the traditional indoor restaurant, you can pick up a delicious meal on the cheap.  Choose from a wide variety of ethnic foods including Indian, Mexican, and hot dogs.
 * A staple in Seattle, Taco Del Mar serves up a 2 lb. burrito for around $5. The ingredients are fresh and the staff are mostly laid-back hipsters.  Try the fish taco (their namesake).  Various locations around the downtown area.  Better, more authentic Mexican can be found scattered about the city.
 * The Delta at 46th & SE Woodstock Street. Southern food (chicken fried steak, jambalaya, grits, etc.) on the cheap.  Reed College is nearby and, as such, The Delta is often populated by vaguely poor but very interesting people.  The food is excellent and in large portions.
 * Grand Central Bakery, has 5 bakery cafes in metropolitan Portland area:  Sellwood, Multnomah Village, on Fremont in Mississippi district, Hawthorne at 22nd, and on NE Wiedler at 15th (Irvington district). Famous for artisan breads, pastries, soups, sandwiches and salads.
 * El Grillo. A great dive (although recently remodeled) Mexican joint on SW Broadway between US Outdoors and Stripclub (a Portland landmark). Great fish tacos for $1.50.  Butts up against Mary's, so the bathroom is in the club, and seedy characters exit the stripclub discreetly through the restaurant, making your dining experience more interesting.
 * Cha! Cha! Cha!, Several Portland Locations, good quality mexican food at a middling price.
 * Ryadh's, on SE 14th and Hawthorne is an excellent source of affordable Lebanese food.
 * VooDoo Doughnut on SW 3rd & Ankeny. Very Portland, get unique donuts and a marriage while learning swahili. http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/
 * Fireside Coffee Lodge 1223 SE Powell Blvd. What would a trip to Portland be with out 24-hour coffee with WiFi? Lots of sandwiches and breakfast from Midnight. http://www.firesidecoffeelodge.com/

Mid-range

 * Great brunch at Henry's on SE 26th and Clinton.
 * Byways Cafe, 1212 NW Glisan St. A very '50s-style diner in the middle of the trendy Pearl District, with spectacular breakfast eating and enormous portions. Get a serious blast from the past, and enjoy the food too.
 * Excellent thin-crust pizza at Pizzicato or Hot Lips Pizza. At Pizzicato try the faux-Italian options, and at Hot Lips get any of the surprisingly good veggie pizza toppings like artichoke. Pizzicato is throughout the metro area; Hot Lips is at 1909 SW 6th Ave. downtown near Portland State University and in the Pearl District at 710 NW 10th Ave.
 * Pie Pizzeria''' has been voted one Portland's favorite pizza restaurants for the past decade by hungry locals and media critics alike. They have stores located in SE Portland, Gresham and Lake Oswego.
 * For New York-style pizza, it's hard to beat Escape from New York at 622 NW 23rd., and New York, NY at 7737 SW Barbur Blvd. uptown. The restaurants are shrines to New York, unlike their chain-restaurant counterpart, Pizza Schmizza, (also quite good and spread throughout Portland). Also worth checking out are Bella Faccia at 2934 NE Alberta St. and Pizza A Go-Go at 3420 N Williams Ave.
 * Kornblatt's Delicatessen at 628 NW 23rd Ave. serves up a mean corned beef sandwich, better than most of what you'll get on the West Coast, not to mention their famous bagels. Outside tables in the summertime add to the pleasure.
 * Portland is famous for its bread, and the bakery that started it all, Pearl Bakery, anchors the Pearl District. The bread is rightly acclaimed as the best in town, and you can eat in and get a variety of sandwiches or even excellent breakfast pastries. 102 NW 9th Ave., in the Pearl District.
 * Mio Sushi, near NW 23rd St., is a great and constantly crowded place to eat sushi. It's also pretty reasonably priced. The sushi is fresh and even when crowded the service is pretty quick. 2271 NW Johnson St.
 * Montego Bay Authentic Jamaican Cuisine, 1239 SW Jefferson St serves excellent Caribbean specialties in a very informal atmosphere. Adventurous eaters will love it.  The Curried Goat is excellent.

Splurge

 * Basta's Trattoria, at 410 NW 21st Ave., serves excellent Italian food in a rustic-style decor. The wine list is extensive, and the menu is long but not overwhelming. Try the ragout over rigatoni or the lamb.
 * Portofino Caff� Italiano is a very small restaurant with attentive service and solid northern Italian and French Riviera cuisine. 8075 SE 13th Ave., in Sellwood.
 * Pazzo Ristorante, downtown, has both an excellent location near several movie theaters and the shopping district and solid Italian-Pacific Northwest fusion cuisine. It gets quite crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, however, so be forewarned. 621 SW Washington St.
 * For a more bistro-like atmosphere Southpark Seafood Grill & Wine Bar is located in the southwest corner of the shopping district and near a few movie theaters and the main Portland Center for the Performing Arts facilities. The food is, again, excellent Mediterranean-Italian fare with a regional seafood twist. 901 SW Salmon St.
 * McCormick and Schmick's has now expanded across the U.S., but way back when it was just four (now five) Portland fresh-seafood restaurants. They still serve fresh seafood, too, and it's excellent almost any way they prepare it. Downtown at 235 SW First Ave. (McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurant), 0309 SW Montgomery St. (McCormick and Schmick's Harborside at the Marina), 401 SW 12th Ave. (Jake's Famous Crawfish), 611 SW 10th Ave. (Jake's Grill), and in Beaverton at 9945 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. (McCormick's Fish House and Bar).
 * El Gaucho, a chain with other restaurants in Seattle and Tacoma, serves what The Oregonian sometimes calls the best steak in town and has one of the darkest interiors in town. The steak and ambiance don't come cheaply, however, so be prepared. 319 SW Broadway Ave., downtown.
 * Ringside is El Gaucho's local competition, also an on-again, off-again champion of the Portland steak contest. It, too, is dark, but fully local and noisier. Expect to spend here as well. 2165 W Burnside, downtown.
 * For a more ethnic experience, Plainfields' Mayur is well-known for both good Subcontinental food and good overall experience, in a big house at the edge of the West Hills. 852 SW 21st Ave., near downtown.
 * If you like dessert, Papa Haydn is the place to go. Although the entrees aren't all that impressive, sometimes there are four different lemon desserts, not to mention a plethora of chocolates of every kind, on the menu. Either at 701 NW 23rd Ave., near downtown, or 5829 SE Milwaukie Ave., in Sellwood.
 * Portland City Grill located on the 30th floor of the Unico/US Bancorp Tower at 111 SW Fifth Avenue Portland, Oregon 97204. This expensive, lavishing restaurant has been made into one of the most romantic spots in Portland. If you are lucky enough to get a table or smart to reserve a table next to a window, you can enjoy your meal overlooking the great city of Portland. The menu offers only the finest selection of steak and seafood and you get as good as you pay (IT WILL DEFINITELY BE VERY GOOD!!!) Enjoy an upscale dining at the Portland City Grill.

Drink
Take advantage of the Northwest's famous microbrews - small breweries that serve their own (and other's) craft beers. A world away from the generic beers that are the mainstay of America (comparable to 'real ales' in the UK).

 * Bagdad Theater and Pub, 3702 SE Hawthorne, +1 503 228-4651. 2:30-midnight every day (depending on feature). The Bagdad is one of the great things about Portland: a 700-seat second-run movie theater serving a selection of regional craft brews you can drink while you watch. Add on top of that a good selection of pizza (slice or pie), sandwiches, and other brew-pubby foodstuffs, and you've got a great place to blow an evening. Movies start around 5:30PM, and run about every two hours after that. $3 (admission; beer and food extra).
 * Likewise the Mission Theater (1624 NW Glisan) and Kennedy School Theater (5736 NE 33rd) are part of the McMenamins Empire.
 * The Delta Cafe on SE Woodstock, serves messy Barbecue Pork sandwiches, lemonade in a jar, mixed drinks and 40oz Mickey's.
 * Dots on SE Clinton and 26th, a funky night spot.
 * Coffee People, with locations throughout the city, is Portland's answer to Starbucks' empire, except the coffee is better. Try a Velvet Hammer if you need caffeine.
 * Silverado, Stark and 12th in SW. Gay bar, strippers.  Always a fun crowd.
 * Rose and Raindrop, 532 SE Grand. A vaguely English-style pub.  Very relaxed, many places to sit and accommodating of large (6-8 people) groups.  A good selection of beers and food.
 * Horse Brass Pub, 4534 SE Belmont. Another English-style pub that also serves a range of English-style food.
 * Red and Black Cafe, 2138 SE Division. A Worker owned collective in SE.
 * Pied Cow, 3244 SE Belmont St, +1 503 230-4866. A great coffee house in Porland. No other place like it. There's an article featuring it and other great coffee houses. If you visit for the summer, you must come to this place. It's a great experience.
 * Go to Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (1728 NE 40 th Avenue) for the quintessential Portland Brewpub experience. Enjoy beer crafted by award-winning Brewmaster Christian Ettinger along with excellent food in a family-friendly setting.  The garlic fries are not to be missed, desserts are huge and appealing, and the Laurelwood Spinach Salad is the best salad in Portland.  Entrees are creative and of high quality.  There is also a NW location at 2327 NW Kearney Street.
 * Fireside Coffee Lodge 1223 SE Powell Blvd. What would a trip to Portland be with out 24-hour coffee with WiFi? Lots of sandwiches and breakfast from Midnight. http://www.firesidecoffeelodge.com/
 * Rogue Ales Public House 1339 NW Flanders  (503) 222-5910.  Best burger and fries downtown, and more beers then I can handle. http://www.rogue.com/locations-portland.html

Budget

 * Portland has two hostels.
 * Hostelling International-Portland, Hawthorne District, 3031 SE Hawthorne Blvd. +1 503 236-3380.
 * Hostelling International-Portland, Northwest Neighborhood, 1818 NW Glisan St. +1 503 241-2783.

Mid-range

 * The Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd is a decommissioned elementary school converted into a hotel. On site are a restaurant, a number of bars, a movie theater, and a soaking pool.

 * The Park Lane Suites, 809 SW King near NW 21st and Burnside. +1 503 226-6288; +1 800 532-9543 boasts apartment-like suites with kitchens (stove, refrigerator, coffee-maker, and dishwasher). Rooms also include a living room and comfortable beds. The hotel is located near the "Alphabet District" and PGE Park (the minor league baseball stadium). It's a short bus ride on the 15 to downtown. Rates are reasonable.

Splurge

 * Embassy Suites Portland Downtown, 319 SW Pine St., +1 503 279-9000. is in the renovated Multnomah Hotel and boasts good location and nice decor for the money.
 * Riverplace 1510 S.W. Harbor Way. Four star hotel overlooking the river. Rooms start at $150.
 * The Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Avenue, +1 503 224-3400. Historic Four star hotel.
 * The Benson Hotel, SW Broadway & Oak, downtown grand historic hotel.
 * The Mallory Hotel, currently closed for renovation, reopens mid-2006.
 * The Westin, downtown, SW Alder & Park
 * Marriott City Center, SW Broadway & Washington
 * Fifth Avenue Suites, SW 5th & Alder

Contact
Portland is home to one of the largest community wireless networks based on the works of The Personal Telco Project. Check to find one of nearly 100 spots you can log onto the Internet free of any charge. Many major attractions such as Pioneer Square, PGE Park and many local parks are covered.

Stay safe
Portland is very safe for a city of its size. However, it is advisable to be cautious when walking alone during the night, particularly in Old Town/Chinatown, portions of North Portland and in Outer Southeast neighborhoods.

Cope
As in other places in the Pacific Northwest, there is abundant rainfall in the autumn, winter, and spring. However, the rain is usually a fine mist or fog; total precipitation in Seattle and Portland can be less than other cities on the East Coast. Nonetheless, a sunny day in the rainy season can seem to be very rare. Bring or buy an umbrella if you're in Portland between September 25th and June 25th. Wear a rain jacket if you don't want to stand out so much as a tourist.

It is rumored that the one day which has never had recorded rain is July 12. All other days, be prepared. (But July and August do only have a 7% chance of rain on any given day.)

Gay
Portland has a pretty vibrant lesbian and gay community. Most of the gay bars are found either in Oldtown/Chinatown or along Stark Street between SW 12th and 10th, but Portland gays and lesbians aren't really cooped up in a ghetto like in most other cities. Try counting the number of rainbow flags or HRC stickers you see while you're in Portland.

Get out
Located just 50 miles from the Cascade Range and 90 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Portland is the

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text:
User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Rodi

Città e villaggi
Città e villaggi

 * Kalithea - 10 km from Rodi. It boasts numerous lodges. You they visit the Terme, constructed to the time of the Italian administration. The style of the building sends back to atmospheres andaluse but it would have urgent need of a restoration

 * Faliraki - beautiful ones run aground them that it extends for 5 km entire occupied from large lodges that of they hide the sight from the part of the litoranea. Here the camping is found also.

 * Afandou - One of the countries older than famous Rodi for a private club that receives the enthusiasts you of the golf.

 * Lindos - it is a small village of the coast orients them with one ancient acropoli. The circulation of the cars in its center is not admitted and is prohibited the construction of new lodges for preservare its beautifulst landscape.

 * Pefkos - close Lindos it is full of lodges.

 * [[Lardos]

 * [[Gennadi]

Spiagge
is one good variety of spiagge to Rodi. The coast orients them is all to ollow itself of cale, calette and bays from waters calm, without currents. The wind in kind strikes alone on the western coast that for this is attended exclusively from the enthusiasts you of the surf. Of continuation the list of the spiagge is supplied of Rodi in order of distance from the capoluogo.

Depositor orients them: * Rodi city has its beach with a lot of beach umbrellas and deckchairs but it makes the bath you is not more the entusiasmante experience than once. The beach calls Ellis and is near the acquarium.

 * Kalithea - 7 km. To south of the thermal buildings described before series of spiagge is one ognuna separated from the other and ognuna with just the restaurant.

 * Faliraki - 12 km. It runs aground them of 5 km super equipped and with a bag of it lodges between which choosing. There are also numerous taverne, restaurants and swimming pools. From the litoranea the bay is not more visible, hidden com' is from the high buildings of lodges all in row like on the tree-lined avenue of one great city. To Faliraki there is also a camping.

 * Ladiko (the bay of Anthony Quinn) - 15 Km. An indeed scenografico place. From a part there is the beach, in truth, a po' small; from the other there is a reef with a platform in wood from where us it can be dived or simply to stretch itself in order to get tan itself.

 * Afandou - 20 km. pebble beach is one with crystalline waters

 * Kolymbia Beach - 25 km. Beautiful crowded bathing locality and with little but elegant does not lodge. The shoreline is made of large pebbles white men

 * Tsampika - 26 km. It runs aground gilded them watched from omonimo the small monastero. A lot attended from tourists of all the nationalities and all the ages.

 * Steghn� - 29 km. This is the beach of the Germans in vacation to Rodi. The only present hotel in the area is occupied all from they.

 * Haraki - 36 km. This is the beach of the famigliole for via of the low one founds them ideal for children. Naturally there are many "rooms to let" and the immancabili minimarket.

 * Agathi - 36 km. A sand beach strangely without shadow of lodges but with many snaks that they offer breakfast to English and they fry patatine mountains. It can also be slept with the sleeping bag and are in many to make it. The sand but is humid of night.

 * Lindos - 50 km. The beach of Lindos is much made width and of fine sand. E' a scenografica beach for via of the acropoli that dominate it. Of August but it is crowded beyond every limit. Of the yacths that a time used to throw the anchor in the oadstead, today not if of it it sees not even the shadow.

 * Pefki - 56 km. On this beach riversano caravans of families for the more north European that occupy the modest lodgings of the zone.

 * Kiotari - 60 km. Kiotari is full of lodges lussuosi fates all as fungi to the end of XX the century to ridosso of this along run aground them

 * Gennadi - 63 km. The beach of Gennadi is one continuation of previous but with one the various style. The lodgings are for more "rooms to let". The part of the free beach from infrastructures constitutes the domenicale gathering of "rockettari" young people.

Spiagge

Altre destinazioni
Altre destinazioni

 * Many beaches * Undeveloped south --

Capire Rodi

 * Rodi is a pole of tourist attraction for how many is to the search of sea and sun. The island can boast the supremacy of beyond 300 days suns you to the year. * The shorelines of Rodi are made of gravel and large pebbles while the sand is less frequent. * Rodi alive nearly exclusively of tourism. 80% of its proceeds come from the pockets of its summery visitors. This means that ovunque it is gone, inciamper� always in crowds of tourists and in spiagge crowded and rowdy where will be asked to you immancabilmente to pour the obolo for the deckchair who you will have occupied. * If it is lived in a great city not it will perceive that resting feeling to have left bustle and noise to the own shoulders but it will seem it are carried it behind.

If all this does not appeal to, then it will be better to think next to destinations alternatives. * It is not that every angle of the island is cementificato with casermoni strapieni of holiday. It lodges are all concentrates in those 50 km to you of litoranea that join the capoluogo to Lindos. Elsewhere the presence of the tourists is oadstead. If the western litoranea from an end to the other is covered will meet little people and they will be noticed least lodges. The depositor the west of Rodi but is not beautiful; The shoreline is for more the strait, the landscape monotone and often annoying ones blow you twenty.

There are however of the advantages to keep in mind:

 * It lodges are much comfortable and outside from the high season they also practice large reductions in price to buy up some customer * The inhabitants of Rodi do not speak only Greek as it happens in the rest of Greece. Their English is melted and then it is not rare to imbattersi in persons that they know the Italian. To Rodi it is easier to communicate.

Informazioni turistiche
The local office for tourist information is found to the confluence of the roads Makariou & Papagou. Telephone: 22410 44335-6, Fax: 22410 26955.

Parlare
The Greek is the language speech from the inhabitants born you of Rodi. The English language is diffuse much and it is not rare to meet persons that they above all speak to other European languages the German. The Italian instead is spoken from little old persons or from how many they have perfected their studies in some Italian university.

Arrivare
Arrivare

In aereo
The only one areoporto of the island is areoporto international Diagoras (RHO). It is found to 17 km from Rodi cities, on the western coast, close the village of Paradissi.

Voli dall'Italia

 * The airline neos air organizes flights for Rodi from Milan Malpensa and Verona Valerio Catullo * The airline Myair flies to Rodi from Milan-Orio to Serious (the BGY) and from Venice-Mark Pole (VCE) * the airline Air flies to Rodi from Rome Fiumicino perhaps and from Milan Linate but with port of call to Atene and it must change airplane.

Voli interni
A service of daily flights from and for Atene and in the summery period exists (May september) additional flights for Iraklion Clay, Karpathos, Santorini, Mykonos. The connections are managed from the Olympic airways, but they can be subject to variation for which it is better to consult the situated Italian of the company. It must reserve for time why in kind the flights are much crowd to you.

Voli interni

In nave
If you want, you can catch up Rodi with a ferry from the Pireo. The way Pireo - hard Rodi from the 13 to the 20 hours to second of the intermediate ports of call that it carries out. Adviced against E' however for the conditions of extreme congestion of the port of the Pireo in high season.

Spostarsi
Spostarsi

In autobus
Buses publics serve every angle of the island. * Line 21 that gives to Rodi city makes capolinea to Faliraki part in every kind half hour. The price of the race is 1,70 Euro * The master station of the buses is found close Nea Agor�, the new market. The varied price to second of the way. * The tickets can be buy to you also on the bus. * E' better to conserve the title it of travel for all the duration of the race. * The stopped ones of the buses are marked from one table that unfortunately not filler the passage timetables. Often to flank of the stopped ones small costuzione of mattoni is one that it allows to repair itself from the sun in the wait that the bus arrives. When it is looked at, it must fargli signal to stop itself.

In taxi
The Taxis to Rodi are of dark blue color with the roof white man. The tourist intelligence section rilascia one list with a maximum of the rates. The Rodi Feature city-Faliraki cannot cost more than 13 euro. A service of Radio exists also taxi that answers to number 22410 69800. If of it you will have use of you will pay adds them of 1.50 euro. Between midnight and the 5 of mattino the rate of the taxi double. To Rodi as in all the other small tourist localities of Greece you would have to be much shrewed with leading of taxi. These have pessima the habit not to put in function the taximeter or to then annul it in order imporvi the sum of they piacimento.

In auto
It is not worth the pain carrying nearby the car, for how much this is in possible theory. E' one scocciatura and enough. A car to aereoporto or through reception del' the hotel or near one of the chartering agencies can be rented the scattered car a po' wherever. The street mantle of the roads is generally good with some exception in the entroterra and the extreme south of the island.

In moto
Motorcycle would be more test to rent one anziche one car, considered the narrowness of some roads of country. A lot in voga then exists a particular type of motorcycle between the young people that thread themselves dapertutto. An additional advantage is the low cost of chartering: 10-15 euro against the 50 for one car. Before leaving it will be necessary to make the full load; the distributors are not much frequent. The use of the helmet is not obligatory but it is better to  make oneself some lend above all from the chartering agency if intention is had to use it in city.

Da vedere
Da vedere

 * The Filerimos mount. To 15 km from the capoluogo, raggiungibile from one crosspiece of the litoranea inerpica west that for the wooded slopes of the mount. On the top a monastero with annexed one is found gotica church dedicated to the reconstructed Madonna in the years of the Italian administration. In dorica age the place was occupied from acropoli of which it remains some trace of templi. Little far away from the monastero the rests of one are found erected medieval fortress from the Knights on situated of one preesistente the construction of age bizantina. Remarkable the panorama. * Kamiros. Ancient ruins. * The castle and the acropoli of Lindos. * The Tsambika mount. * citt� of Rodi. * They of the butterflies goes. Before the opening of the park the butterflies were indeed; but after the institution they are diminished until disappearing, evidently why disturbed from the too many visitors. Therefore to come here does not have more sense if in order not to make one walk in a pretty place.

Attività ricreative

 * To make the shopping in the city of Rodi. The old city is stracolma of storees and stalls that sell every type of cianfrusaglie. * To take the tintarella. * To take a bath * Snorkeling * To explore I found them navy. * To only make the Surfing but on the coast the west, above all in southern drawn its where the twenty are sufficiently strong. * Many lodge have their program of recreational activities. * Many tourist agencies propose guided visits. * The scaling of the Attavyros Mount. The scaling to the mount, highest of island (1215 m) demands approximately 3 hours

Acquisti

 * Shells (but consult the section personal Emergency), more under. * Sponges * Ceramik (watch for the many "Keramik factory" outlets along the roads). * Reproductions of icone bizantine. Draft only of one satinata and thick paper glue on one table of legnoI * Umbrellas in order not to repair itself from the rain but from the impietoso sun

Cibi
The traditional Greek foods as suvlakia and giros (Greek version of the Kebab) are reperibili ovunque. The fish fried also but a po' less than to Clay. At least once it would have to try the yoghurt with the honey. You see also the relative section in the article: [[Greece]

Bevande
Bevande

Whilst the tap water is drinkable, bottled water is easily available and preferable. Local drinks includes Mythos (beer) and Ouzo.

Sicurezza personale
Rodi is a sure tourist destination but there are some points to consider:

 * Leading of taxi often will not make to release the taximeter in order makes you to ppagare one arbitrary sum. Assured to you that they do not make it. * The colored marine shells in sale ovunque, come in truth from the Indo-china or the Caribbeanses. They are not a souvenir local and they belong to a protected species for which if they peck to you you will pass a trouble.

Escursioni

 * Daily excursions in boat to Symi and other islands. * To Marmaris, (Turkey) in hydrofoil. * To [[Nisyros]

Escursioni

[[en:Rhodes]

Rodi [[Dmoz:Europa/Grecia/Sud_Egeo/Dodecanneso/Rodi/]

title: User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Rodi


text:
User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Stolberg

Understand
Hintergrund In Stolberg one feels carried back to the Middle Ages, there the entire townscape of old half timbered houses from 15. to 18. Jh. is coined/shaped. This urge completely by forests surround themselves in some close valleys of the south resin. Because of its old built volumes Stolberg 1993 the title received „historische Europastadt“. For the Shoppen and going out the city is less suitable, it is rather something for recovery-looking for and nature friends with ambitions for a time journey into the past. The place developed around the year 1000 as miner settlement, whereby since 796 in the area mining industry is provable already. Already in old times iron, copper, silver, tin and gold were promoted here. In 13. Jh. was lent Stolberg the municipal law. The nunmehrige city was soon residence of the counts von Stolberg Stolberg-Wernigerode. Under the farmer leader born here Thomas Muentzer was Stolberg in the German farmer war place of several fights. On 2 May up-constant farmers penetrated and forced 1525 into the city the count to the acceptance of their demands (24 Stolberger articles), to which it cancelled fast again after the defeat of the farmers however. Already since that 12. Jh. were coined/shaped in the city coins, and in 16. Jh. had the handicraft its bloom time. The mining industry became however starting from that 17. Jh. adjusted. 1815 came the city to Prussia, and 1833 had Stolberg already 2,392 of inhabitants. At the beginning 20. Century Stolberg tourist place, 1923 was opened a railway after Berga Kelbra, and since 1946 the city is finally health resort.

Get in
Anreise Course - at the railroad line between resounds (Saale) and Kassel there is still the branch at the station Berga Kelbra. At this one transfers into a small feeder course and arrives then with the German course directly up to the station Stolberg (resin). Owing to the tourism this small distance was still received from the course. In the summer also courses operate directly without transferring out Leipzig after Stolberg. From the station one runs approx.. 15 minutes into the city centre. A taxi can be attained under 034654 579, then geht's still faster. Bus - remote penalty head for themselves usually the station, that approx.. 15 minutes footpath south of the city centre finds. Some remote penalty keep also direct on the market place. Stolberg is attainable with the car over the following routes:

Airplane - next large airport Leipzig-resounds, from there course or car.
 * from direction the west to Goettingen, B after 27 Herzberg, B after 243 bath Sachsa, then over Walkenried, new city and Rottleberode after Stolberg.
 * from direction the east, A 14 to departure toward hall bridge, Sandersleben, Hettstedt, there first toward ice lives, in the center direction Harzgerode, briefly before Harzgerode left starting from direction Stolberg
 * starting from 2006 on A 38 to branch Rossla, then 15 km toward Stolberg

Get around
Mobilität Stolberg one can explore because of its size comfortably to foot, there it also the best kind is in the usually narrow and bent lanes forward to be come.

See
Sehenswürdigkeiten

Do
Aktivitäten Since Stolberg is approximately around surrounded by forest, this loads for moving in. A number of beautiful goals in the closer environment can be reached in such a way on well out-described ways. Either fun on the chutes and in the flow channel or relaxation in the Saunalandschaft can one in the leisure time swimming pool Thyragrotte at the outskirts of a town find. Tel.: 034654/92110 so - DO: 10 - 21 o'clock; Fr/SA 10 - 22 o'clock 1

Buy
IS VOID --

Eat
Küche

1
 * stolberg.de/html/lerchen.html Stolberger larks are no roasted singing birds separate a deftige meal with roasted sausages and we singing herb.
 * The Friwi pastry is legendary, tastes and is a good idea for a Mitbringsel with an attendance in the city. Sales in the Niedergasse 21, Mo: 13:00 - 17:00 o'clock, Di - SA: 9:00 - 18:00 o'clock, so: 11:00 - 18:00 o'clock

Drink
IS VOID --

Sleep
Unterkunft

Information are available with the tourist information Stolberg, market 2, Tel.: 454 o. 19433, fax: 729. email: [mailto:info@stadt stolber.de info@stadt stolber.de].
 * in stolberg.de vacation homes Juergen jug, contact: Rubianusstr. 16, 99084 Erfurt, Tel.: 0170 6615294, fax: 0180 54025258388, email: [mailto:info@urlaub in stolberg.de info@urlaub in stolberg.de].

Get out
Weiter geht's Not far of Stolberg the large Auerberg (579 m) rises. On it is the 38 meters high observation tower with the name saale.de/Impressionen/Denkmale_Tuerme/Josephskreuz/josephskreuz.html Josephskreuz. Originally from wood delighted of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, he was destroyed 1880 by a lightning strike. 1896 were again developed the tower as iron construction, completely in the sense of the industriellen revolution. The Josephskreuz is 123 tons heavily and by approximately 100,000 rivets is held together. It is ideal, of Stolberg there along the road of the songs to move (sing is voluntary). Daily of 10.00 - 17,00 o'clock and/or opened up to the break-down of the darkness. In thunderstorm, storm, freezing up, strong fog, rain or snow it remains conclude from safety reasons (distance 5 km). home throat one is the largest German Karsthoehlen. On a led rundgang one discovers some secret. May until October daily 10-17 November until April daily 10-16. Guidance as required, in general each hour, at least 5 persons (distance 9 km). In the further environment you find the and others following trip goals:

In addition one can from Stolberg the entire resin explore. There one can explore bizarre rock things and rare plants, hear stories from the Kaiser era in castles, visit mines and caves or undertake a journey with the old resin transverse course e.g. for sagenumwobenen breaking into.
 * tourismus.de/de/sagen/kyffhaeuser_denkmal.asp Kyffaeuserdenkmal
 * museum.de/ panorama museum in bath Franconia living
 * rosarium.de/index_old.html Rosarium in Sangerhausen
 * glasebach.de/ mine museum pit glass brook
 * [http://www.ruebeland.com/hoehle/th01.htm of carrot countries tropfsteinhoehlen

title: User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Stolberg


text:
User:(WT-en) Maj/Sandbox/Tallinn

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is truly one of the gems of Northern Europe. The city lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, only 70 km (43 mi) south of Helsinki. At the historical heart of the city is the hill of Toompea, covered in cobbled streets and filled with medieval houses and alleyways. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall. Around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling.

While the old town has been astonishingly well preserved and is now in better shape than ever, with the bigger roads converted into fashionable shopping streets reminiscent of Zürich or Geneva, the new town sprawling all around is largely built in typical concrete Soviet style. The new center of town is Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square) at the edge of the old town, and nearby is the giant matchbox of Hotel Viru, the former Intourist flagship and notorious den of Cold War intrigue (every room was tapped and monitored by the KGB!). Recently, Tallinn has received a boom in tourism, especially by daytrippers which visit it from its sister city across the Baltic Sea, Helsinki.

Understand
Tallinn is a historical city dating back from the medieval times and first mentioned in 1154, although the first fortress was built on Toompea in 1050. In 1219, the city was conquered by Valdemar II of Denmark, but it was soon sold to the Hanseatic League in 1285. The city -- known as Reval at the time -- prospered as a trading town in the 14th century, and much of Tallinn's historic center was built at this time.

Tallinn then became a pawn in the geopolitical games of its big neighbors, passing into Swedish hands in 1561 and then to Russia under Peter the Great in 1710. By World War I and the ensuing brief Estonian independence (starting 1918) Tallinn's population had reached 150,000.

Estonia was eventually annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, only to be conquered by Nazi Germany (1941-44) and then retaken by the Soviets. In World War II, the city was quite extensively bombed, even though luckily the medieval town remains. The Soviet Union undertook a program of Russification, and just over 40% of Tallinn's current inhabitants are Russian (compared to an average of 28% for the entire country). On August 20, 1991, Estonia declared independence and Tallinn became its capital once again.

Today, Tallinn is a bustling, gleaming metropolis of 400,000 people, undoubtedly the most modern city in the Baltics. However, among the tall glassy buildings and corporate headquarters, Tallinn retains an inner charm rarely found anywhere else. Estonia considers itself a Northern European country (i.e. nearly Scandinavian) and, if you have had Scandinavian travel experiences before, you will understand Tallinn well.

 * Tourist Information Center, Niguliste 2 / Kullassepa 4, Phone: +372 645 7777, (Email: [mailto:turismiinfo@tallinnlv.ee turismiinfo@tallinnlv.ee]),.

By catamaran or ferry
As in other parts of Baltic Europe and Scandinavia, sea is the easiest and most common way of reaching Tallinn.

The most common ferry shuttle route is the short journey from Helsinki in Finland to Tallinn. The basic choice is between fast hydrofoil or catamaran, which complete the trip in 1.5 hours but cost more (€22-38 one way) and are susceptible to poor weather, and slow ferries, which plod for 3.5 hours in rain or shine for half the price (starting at €12). Exact pricing depends on operator, season (summer costs more), day of week (Fri/Sat costs more) and even time of departure (to Tallinn in the morning and back in the evening is popular and hence more expensive).

As of 2004, the list of operators is:
 * Eckerö Line, large ferries
 * Linda Line, small hydrofoils
 * Nordic Jet Line, fast catamarans
 * SeaWind Line, large ferries
 * Silja Line, fast catamarans
 * Tallink, fast catamarans and slow ferries (the largest operator)
 * Viking Line, large ferries

Note that large catamarans and all ferries can also carry cars. There are also several ferry options to Stockholm, St. Petersburg and even some ports in Germany.

All ferries except Linda Line dock at Reisisadam port, to the north of the center. From here, there is a direct bus to both the city center and the airport; alternatively, just walk for a leisurely 15 minutes, first east to Mere pst and then down to Viru Square. The journey from the port to the city center is not all that impressive but don't be shocked - this isn't the real Tallinn!

By plane
Tallinn Airport (TLL), about 5 km from the city center, is increasingly becoming an airport hub of the Baltics. Nordica provides good quality services to a series of European cities, including London, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Riga, Vilnius, Kiev and Moscow. If you live in or near these cities, air travel is the best way to get to Tallinn. Fares are also fairly cheap - Amsterdam to Tallinn is from 67 Euro. In a code-share agreement with SAS Scandinavian Airlines, there are now a whopping 18 flights per week to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Another Estonian carrier, Finnair-owned Aero Airlines, operates 8 aircraft and offers 48 flights a week (7 a day on weekdays) to Helsinki, from where they have very good and flexible connections to 36 destinations all over Europe and to 10 destinations in Asia. Since 2004 the newest major air carrier EasyJet offers connections to London and Berlin at low prices. Detailed information is available from Tallinn Airport timetable.

Bus line 2 comes right in front of the airport and goes to the city center in just a few minutes. Be careful! Line no. 2 buses also go to the Mõigu area from the same stop. In the city centre, get off in stop A.Laikmaa, which deposits you smack dab in the middle of the city next to Hotel Tallink and the Viru Center shopping mall.

By helicopter
Alternatively, if you're in a very big hurry to get to or from Helsinki, Copterline operates an hourly helicopter service between the city centres. Flights take 20 minutes and the list price is a steep €198, although last-minute one-way ticket can be had for for €69. There are also a number of discounts and packages are available, notably €110 for Silja's catamaran one way and a helicopter ride back.

By train
Train travel in the Baltics has considerably decreased in recent years, and today, Estonian rail is a cocktail of private companies and subcontractors that makes it fairly hard to get around by train. There are limited train services to Latvia, Lithuania and Russia (Moscow by EVRekspress). Therefore, train is not a good option to get into Estonia. If you're visiting from Russia, take the plane; if you're in Latvia or Lithuania, consider the bus. If in Poland, fly to a European hub and transfer to Tallinn, or catch a bus.

By bus
There are a series of fairly frequent bus routes that radiate out from Tallinn and serve other countries. These particularly go to Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania, as well as other parts of Estonia. Even though not always the best of comfort, they are much better (usually) than the train if you live in one of Estonia's neighbouring countries. Increasingly, the buses are also servicing Russia, Germany and Poland
 * Eurolines

Get around
The Old City is best navigated on foot, not that you have much choice. A network of buses, trams and trolleybuses covers the rest of the city, and there is an abundance of (relatively) cheap taxis.

Public transport
Buses, trolleys and trams operate regularly between 6AM and 11PM. Make sure that you have a valid ticket when driving. You can buy tickets from newsstands or from drivers. For ticket prices go to https://www.pilet.ee/pages.php/0403 .The Tallinn Card holders may use unlimited public transportation free.

Buses
The bus network covers the whole city from southeast to northwest. One time ticket from newsstand costs 10 EEK(from driver 15 EEK). Ticket has to be punched right after entering.

Trams
The tram network is covering the city centre. There are 4 lines and they all meet at Viru Center, at stop Hobujaama. About 15 vehicles are with a lowered middle-section, which makes trams wheelchair-accessible. Tickets also 10 or 15 EEK.

Trolleybuses
All trolley lines have a direction to south or west. There are 8 lines, 1-7 and 9. Trolley no. 8 was closed in 2000 and replaced with bus no. 22. The fleet is relatively new, though there are some old Škoda-s. Tickets 10 or 15 EEK.

Taxis
If possible, always order taxi by phone and for example don't use the ones standing in Tallinn Port taxi stop. They are being called "the sleeve-taxis", cause usually they have extortionate prices and the taximeter seems to go a bit faster than normal. Legal taxi companies operating in Tallinn can be found at http://www.ttl.ee/taksod.php

By car
Like every other large-ish city, Tallinn has its fair share of traffic jams and therefore is not for the faint-hearted. Their road rules and driving style make sense only to themselves. The one and two way roads seem to change all the time and often you have to go around a barely-there signposted diversion to get into a road on your left. That being said, traffic jams in Tallinn clear very quickly and if you are from a large city, they will seem like speed-humps rather than headaches.

Speed limit in Tallinn is 50 km/h, except some bigger streets like Laagna tee, Pirita tee, Pärnu mnt., Paldiski mnt., Peterburi tee etc., which have the speed limit of 70 km/h.

If you are Melbourner (Melbournite if you are from Sydney), then this next rule will be familiar to you: if a tram picking up passengers, stop. They stop very frequently in the city centre so be wary of them. On the note of trams: do not do hook turns. It is very bad form - and from personal experience - the Estonians will hate you for it. Instead, the correct thing to do (if possible, without blocking the path of a tram) is to make a normal left turn from the lane closest to the centre.

As in other major cities, there is an abundance of parking if you are willing to pay for it. However, you might notice a lack of ticket machines or obvious methods to pay for your parking - one would logically think that you can park for free anywhere in the city. But, no such luck - you still have to pay for it. To compound the problem, they are not very clearly signposted either. To ensure you don't get fined, follow these steps:

 * 1) Each rental car should come with a plastic clock, visible on the dashboard. Every car in Tallinn gets 15 minutes free parking in paid parking areas. Indicate the time of your arrival, e.g. if you park at 15:30, your plastic clock should show 15:30 and you will have free parking until 15:45. Display this clock prominently on your dashboard so that it is visible from the outside.
 * 2) Find a fluro-vested parking inspector. Go to the person and ask: "Palun, üks parkimispilet" (One parking ticket please). You'll have to use a combination of sign language and a phrasebook if your Estonian is limited or non-existant to negotiate what type of parking ticket to get. There are several types of parking tickets - take the 24EEK parking ticket to be safe.
 * 3) Scratch the correct date and length. When you get your parking ticket, it will look more like a lottery ticket. The ticket is split into sections - fortunately, the tickets are in Estonian and English. Scratch off the date of usage. Then scratch off the time you wish the ticket to start. Make sure it is clearly visible next to the clock on the dashboard.
 * 4) Mobile phone payment is very popular, but you have to have local mobile contract to use it.

The Old City
Tallinn's prime attraction is the excellently preserved Old City, built in the 15-17th centuries. The compact area is best explored on foot. In addition to the few spots listed below check out the city's Official Tourism site where detailed and colourful sightseeing overview is provided.

 * Start your walk from Viru Gate, the entrance to the street of the same name, which is now Tallinn's trendiest shopping drag.

 * Head up to Raekoja plats, the square in the heart of the Old City, ringed with cafes and restaurants. The Raekoda (Town Hall) itself, built in 1371, dominates the square.

 * From the square, continue up the hill along Pikk street and Pikk jalg through the gate tower (1380) to Toompea, the site of the Danish castle that founded the city in 1219. Rebuilt in the 18th century, part of the castle now houses the Riigikogu, Estonia's Parliament.  Other notable buildings in the area include the distinctive Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Lutheran Toomkirik, the oldest church in Tallinn.

Outside the Old City

 * Occupation Museum featuring the life conditions under Soviet and Nazi regimes. Toompea str. 8

 * Tallinn Zoo is enormous land area holding among its live exhibits "World's best collections of mountain goats and sheep", which means there's a lot of them. Tallinn Zoo is truly defying the realities of a relative modest town, featuring all the elephants and crocodiles a visitor would expect to see in a big city's zoo as well as breathtaking maze of lake-size ponds hosting birds in summertime.
 * Paldiski mnt. 145, stop "Zoo".
 * Bus 22 and 46 from Vabaduse väljak
 * Bus 21 and trolley 7 from Balti jaam(where the trains arrive)
 * Trolley 6 from Kaubamaja.

 * The Kadriorg Palace is simply an Emperial Russian Summer Residence built by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti for tsar Peter the Great in 1718 and is situated in a 90 ha (222 acre) park in the eastern part of the city. The tsar himself - a typical mysterious Russian soul - preferred to stay in a modest house nearby. This event signified the beginning of Tallinn's fame as a summer resourt for noble and rich of Russia for most part of the 18th and 19th centuries. Currently the palace is housing some painting collections and other art. A part of the complex is nowadays occupied by the Office of the President and is out of reach. Weizenbergi 37

 * Open Air Museum showing 72 buildings of, as the official site describes, "Estonian vernacular architecture and village milieu" of the tsarist time in a dark, dense forest. Get a picture about the life and its hardship in the old times...
 * Vabaõhumuuseumi str. 12, stop Rocca al Mare
 * Bus 21/21B from Balti jaam(where the trains arrive)
 * Bus 21A from Väike-Õismäe.

 * Holy Birgitta Monastery, situated in picturesque Pirita beach area, some 5 km (3 mi) from the city centre is a monastery (and a guesthouse operated by the nuns) of Scandinavian female saint as well as a landmark of 16th century catacombs and ruins.

 * Battery Prison, is the most recent and not yet well-developed historical attraction. Both a cannon fortress built around 1840 to protect the city from the sea-born attacks and notorious USSR prison, which ceazed operations only in 2004. Currently is offering "jail tours" up to 5 hours in length, which include single and torture cells, prison meal and, of course, execution. Kalaranna 2

 * KUMU or National Art Museum, opened in February 2006. Not much known about the content, which almost 50,000 m² (538,196 ft²) complex will be holding, but in the enterior a cyclopic house, partly cut out of limestone rock, is highly visible. Weizenbergi 37/Valge 1

Do
Tallinn Official Sightseeing Tour with multiple daily departures is available by Reisiekspert.

The other available tours are listed on the Tallinn Tourism site

Learn

 * Tallinn Technical University (http://www.ttu.ee)
 * Tallinn University (http://www.tlu.ee)

Work
Estonia has become a hive of activity in IT. CV Online has a lot of advertisements for speakers of Estonian or English in this field. Jobs for non Estonian speakers are less common in other fields.

English language teachers are also in demand, and if you have a TEFL certificate or equivalent you ought to be able to find a job.

Buy
For heavy-duty shopping check out the Kaubamaja and Stockmann  department stores, off Vabaduse väljak. The area near the port has also sprouted an ever-increasing array of minimarkets, supermarkets and hypermarkets catering to the tax-free alcohol brigade.

For boutiques and souvenirs, your best choice is Viru street in the Old City and its side streets. There are many stalls selling traditional items like woolen pullovers and crystal; prepare to bargain.

Eat
The Old City is packed with restaurants claiming to offer authentic Estonian food, particularly on and around Raekoja plats. Prices are steep by Estonian standards, but still much cheaper than neighboring Helsinki -- which explains why on weekends they're always packed with daytripping Finns. Once again, the official site has a list of the dining and drinking places sorted by type.

 * Olde Hansa is the ruling king among Tallinn's restaurants with some of them trying to copy its style. The place is simply medieval, not just in terms of food but also in the sense of performance - no electricity, no music except live and authentic, no modern inventions. House special is bear meat "marinated in rare spices and cooked over a fire in honour of Waldemar II, the brave King of Denmark" costing no less than 40 EUR.

 * Troika. Raekoja plats 15, . One of the better options in the area, offering generous portions of not Estonian but Russian food.  In summer, people watch on the terrace; in winter, head down to the warm cellar.  To fill up, get a misnamed "small" zakuski appetizer plate big  enough for 3 (61 kr), then dip your pelmeni dumplings (49 kr) in smetana or the other sauces provided and wash it down with a shot of vodka (20+ kr).

 * Mauruse Pubi . Near the city library. A great local pub, featuring cheap food with hearty portions.

 * Kohvik Moskva (Moscow Café) . Vabaduse Plats.  A more upscale coffee shop playing with the nostalgy of the "good old" Soviet times. A same name café existed at the spot during the Soviet period.

 * Kompressor Rataskaevu 3, just few minutes walk from Raekoja plats. This place offers huge and delicious pancakes of many kinds. Good deal.

 * Vanaema Juures Rataskaevu 10/12. Translates as "Grandma's Place" which gives you an idea of the warmest welcome you can expect here. Friendly and attentive staff are happy to explain the traditonal dishes. Excellent value for money.  Booking essential in high season (tel. 626 90 80)

Drink
Tallinn's nightlife is extensive enough to be notorious. Exercise some caution in choosing your venue, as some strip clubs and such make their money by fleecing tourists who come in for a drink. Drinking is still cheap in Tallinn, you can get a beer in a bar for 2€.

 * Dekoltee, . Ahtri 10. Claims to be the largest nightclub in the Baltics. Service is poor. Clientelle is predominantly Russian-speaking.

 * Vibe, . Their techno parties are legendary, using venues like abandoned Soviet chemical factories.  Scheduling is random, keep an eye on the website and be sure to attend if one is coming up.

 * DM bar, . A small bar, only plays Depeche Mode.

 * Von Krahli, . An avant-garde theatre/bar.

 * Kuku klubi, . Founded 1935 by local art community and claims having had the best accessible cuisine in whole former USSR since 1958 till the end. Fortunately, this cannot be verified anymore.

 * Woodstock,.

Budget

 * NovoStay Budget Apartment-Hotel, ph. +372 6 440 880, GSM +372 56 213 213, email: info@novostay.com, www.novostay.com. 13 centrally located studio apartments at residential building in Jõe Street 5/7 + several 1- and 2-bedroom apartments. You do not have to worry about how to get to the apartment – we will pick you up and bring you to the desired destination. NovoStay Apartments are more than just affordable – they include all amenities for enjoyable vacation or successful business trip beginning with fully equipped kitchen and ending with internet connection in every apartment. Prices from 45 EUR/night.

 * Vana Tom youth hostel, Vaike-Karja 1, +372 6313252 (fax: +372 6120611), . Very centrally situated in the Old Town, so can be a little noisy. Situated in the same building as a strip club. A breakfast of a ham/cheese baguette, egg, fruit juice and piece of fruit is included. Clean, comfortable dorms. 235 EEK for a triple-decker dorm bed.

 * Tallinn Backpackers, Lai 10, +372 58106697 (E-mail: tallinnbackpackers@hotmail.com), . Located in a medieval apartment in the center of the Old Town, this hostel feels just like being at home! Ideal for individual travelers with true backpackers spirit, Tallinn Backpackers has everything, even a minigolf course and a sauna! Deffinitely one of the nicest hostels in Tallinn. 175 EEK (€12).

Mid-range
Apartment rental is a viable option.
 * Apartments for rent in Tallinn & Riga by RED Group Apartments, more than 40 comfortable and fully furnished apartments in Old Town and centre for short and long stay. Expect more - apartment is a great alternative to hotel to feel like at home on your business trip or vacation. Private and cosy. See apartments for rent in Tallinn or apartments for rent in Riga. RED Group Apartments ph. +372 6 440 880 (Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM), GSM +372 56 213 213, info@redgroup.ee, www.redgroup.ee
 * Apartments, Aasa 2, Tallinn, 10122, Estonia, +372 5045444, www.apartment.ee. Brokers a wide selection of budget priced apartments in Tallinn, from 29€ a night.

Splurge

 * Merchants House Hotel, Dunkri 4/6, tel +372 6977 500, . The hotel is located only yards from the Town Hall Square and has 31 rooms and 6 suites. The hotel is a small complex of 14th and 16th century building with rooms all looking in on the central courtyard.  The historic buildings contrast with the luxurious designer interiors of the rooms.
 * Sokos Hotel Viru, Viru väljak 4, tel. +372-6809300, . A giant matchbox of a building, for a long time the tallest modern building in Tallinn, very centrally located at the edge of the Old Town. In the Soviet days, when Tallinn was a hotbed of espionage, Viru was the city's premier hotel in and every single room was famously bugged by the KGB.  Today it's just a very good Finnish-run business hotel, and even the gray facade has been whitewashed.
 * Townhouse Apartments, 11 comfortable apartments with overall facilities for rent at one of the main streets of Tallinn Old Town. Excellent view to the old town of Tallinn.Townhouse Apartments homepage

Stay safe
In some of the shadier bits of Tallinn's nightlife Mafia presence remains heavy, but much less visible and violent than it used to be. Overall, Tallinn is a safe town if you don't go out of your way to court trouble. Thefts and robberies still happen even in the most popular city centre.

Get out

 * Pirita was the venue for the yachting at the Moscow Olympic Games. Find bizarre Soviet architecture and Olympic ruins. 5 km (3 mi), walk or take the bus 1A, 8, 34A or 38.

Beaches

 * There is also a big and wide sand beach at Pirita, full of locals and tourists in the summer.
 * Stroomi beach is at Northern Tallinn, big and popular place to visit. The water is clean and warm.
 * Harku lake is in West Tallinn. It's a small lake with lots of people, though the lake gets dirtier every year and it's not recommended to swim there.
 * Kakumäe beach is one of the youngest beaches in Tallinn. The water is almost the purest of all Tallinn beaches. Bus 21 from Balti jaam(where the trains arrive), bus 21A from Väike-Õismäe. Stop Kakumäe tee. Walk back to the city until you see a sign that shows a swimming area.
 * Pikakari beach is the newest in Tallinn, opened in May 2006. The water quality isn't very good, so t's not advised to go swimming there. The results of purity will come in next year.

 * REMEMBER - there is a flag system. Green flag means you can swim, it's safe; Yellow flag means you can swim, but it isn't recommended; Red flag means swimming is unadvised, go in at your own risk.

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