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Siliguri

The largest city in North Bengal, Siliguri (Bengali: শিলিগুড়ি Śiliguṛi, Nepali: सिलगड़ी Silgaṛī, Hindi: सिलीगुड़ी Silīguṛī) is a liberal and cosmopolitan city that is known for its vibrant music scene and strong youth culture. Located on the banks of the Mahananda River and the Teesta River at the foothills of the Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri is the third-largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal. It is known as the "Gateway of North-Eastern India" as it connects North-Eastern India with mainland India, making it a major trading and transportation hub. It borders Nepal on one side and Bangladesh on the other.

Understand

Siliguri (Bengali pronunciation: SHIH-lih-GOO-rih /ʃiliɡuɽi/) has a population of 728,000 (2024 estimate) (around 1,000,000 in the metropolitan area), making it the third-largest city in West Bengal.

With massive developments since the turn of the 21st century, the city has grown from a small regional town into one of the most important business centres in Eastern India. Sprawling and boisterous, it is a city whose periphery is dominated by modern condominiums, while the downtown is characterised by sprawling street markets, up-scale shops, and large shopping malls.

Due to its position as a commercial hub and centre of learning, the city enjoys a sophistication and range of shopping usually only associated with metro cities. Furthermore, as it has attracted a large number of young Nepalese, Sikkimese, Tibetans, and Bhutanese, it has developed into one of India's most liberal and cosmopolitan cities that is known for its vibrant music scene and strong youth culture.

Siliguri is the only city in West Bengal other than Kolkata to have international airport and, perhaps due to the high concentration of colleges, institutes and private schools, the city has the highest literacy rates in the state. Traditionally, Siliguri has been known for the four 'T's — tourism, timber, tea and transport — and is the gateway to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan and North-Eastern India.

Climate
Siliguri has a warm summer, cool winters and a severe monsoon. In summer, the temperature varies from a minimum of 18-22 °C to a maximum of 26-32 °C. The temperature in summer sometimes exceeds 35 °C. On the other hand, the winter maximum temperature hovers around 20-24 °C, and the minimum drops 6-9 °C. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 16.1 °C. The minimum temperature in winter season sometimes drops 5 °C or below. On an average, Siliguri gets 3340 mm per year. Winters are mostly dry, with the summers being rainy. About 80% of the annual rainfall is felt between June to September, this period is known as monsoons or rainy season in the season cycle. Heavy showers are often felt in May, June, July, August and September. July is the wettest month (804 mm) and January is the driest month (12 mm).

Talk
Bengali, Hindi, and Nepali are respectively the most common languages spoken in Siliguri. However, as a major business and trading hub, the city has attracted numerous people from different ethnic groups, and so it is not uncommon to hear other dialects or languages spoken on the streets and in homes.

New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station

NJP is served by four Rajdhani Express trains, two Vistadome Express trains, two Humsafar Express trains, four AC Superfast Express trains, a Shatabdi Express train and a Vande Bharat Express train from this station. There is also an international train from Bangladesh, called Mitali Express. NJP also connects the mainstream broad-gauge line with the heritage narrow-gauge line.

NJP has two double-bedded air-conditioned (AC) retiring rooms, six double-bedded non-AC retiring rooms, one three-bedded dormitory and one twelve-bedded dormitory. Free high-speed Wi-Fi is available at this station. It has IRCTC and other private restaurants. There is also a decommissioned train coach that acts as a restaurant, and tea rooms that serve locally grown tea. The tourist office and pre-paid taxi booth are directly opposite the station main entrance.

Transport options to city centre:
 * By bus: North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) operates bus services from NJP to Siliguri city centre. There are private bus options as well.
 * By taxi: Ride-hailing services, such as Uber, Rapido and Ola, provide rides from NJP to various parts of the city. Apart from these, numerous private taxi operators provide pre-paid and post-paid taxi services to the city.

By bus

There are regular buses from Kolkata. The well-known and comfortable Siliguri Rocket, run by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC), leaves Kolkata at 8PM arriving Siliguri at 8AM (₹245). Some private bus lines also ply the route. The 'Royal Cruiser' Volvo buses leaves Kolkata at 8PM arriving Siliguri at 9AM (₹745 AC/₹325 non-AC).

Under a joint understanding between Indian and Bangladeshi transport authority, there are regular bus services from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses leave Dhaka every night at 8PM and reach India-Bangladesh border at Changrabanda post at early morning. These buses will not cross the border and the passengers have to clear customs, walk a few hundred yards to cross the border and board the waiting Indian buses for another three-hour ride to Siliguri. The buses are air conditioned, very comfortable and depart on time. One-way fare from Dhaka to Siliguri is between US$20-25, depending on conversion rates.

There is also a regular bus service from Phuentsholing, Bhutan. Buses from Phuentsholing leave at 7:30AM, and 2PM daily, with the journey taking approximately four hours. ₹300. A daily direct deluxe service (https://www.greenlineservices.in/index.html) links Siliguri to Kathmandu, with buses departing Kathmandu at 3PM and reaching Siliguri at 8AM the next day. ₹2,000. The border crossing at Panitanki near Siliguri is only open for Indian, Nepalese, and Bhutanese citizens (as of Feb 2024).

Get around
Moving in and around Siliguri is cheap. There are electric rickshaws (locally known as totos), shared vans, an efficient public bus service, and rental cars. App-based car services are also available on OLA Cabs and Uber, while shared e-rickshaws and vans run on established routes, charging ₹20 per person (as of 2023) per journey. The core areas can be covered on foot and is very safe.

Parks

Do
There are many places in Siliguri to visit and spend some quality time. You can tour the city yourself by renting a bike or a car. There are many places to watch movies. You can also visit tea estates for a tour where you can see the serene and spacious tea farms in and around the city. There are many exhibitions and sport events around the city.

Buy
Silguri sells its wares on three streets: Hill Cart Road, Bidhan Road and Sevoke Road. The former offers more traditional stores and is home to many of the city's hotels, Sevoke is home to several upscale shopping malls and is the centre of the city's banking, while Bidhan Road is primarily known for the street markets that span out from the thoroughfare.

As the centre of a tea-growing area, Siliguri is an excellent place to pick up some Darjeeling and other brands of the leaf.

Eat
Due to the large number of Nepalese and Tibetans living in Siliguri, the city offers an excellent selection of authentic Tibetan and Nepali delicacies. In addition, there are also several good quality restaurants specializing in Western and Chinese cuisine as well as a considerable number of US fast food outlets.

Coffee
As Siliguri is at the heart of a tea-growing area, it has traditionally been associated with tea. However, following the international trend, coffee culture has made inroads in the city and there are now numerous branches of cafe chains as well as a large number of independent coffee shops in and around Siliguri, and the quality of the coffee served is generally very good.

Alcohol
With a young, educated, and liberal population, Siliguri enjoys a vibrant and lively pub scene. Planet Mall is the city's main watering hole, and there are a number of pubs and cafes throughout the mall.

Sleep
If you are using Siliguri as an overnight halt, you might consider your hotel options based on the convenience of traveling to your next destination. Bagdogra, Matigara and Darjeeling More areas are convenient for Darjeeling, Kurseong (route 110), and the airport (route 327), while Salugara, 2nd or 3rd mile Sevoke Road addresses are good for Kalimpong, Gangtok and Bhutan (route 10).

Splurge
Many of the modern, up-scale hotels are on Sevoke Road (2nd-3rd mile), near Vega Circle Mall.

Stay safe
As in all of India, travelers may find themselves falling victim to scams and touts. Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you unsolicited directions or travel advice, and so do not openly show that this is your first trip to the city.

If you're arriving after midnight, it is advisable to have accommodation pre-booked and an arranged pick-up from the bus terminal or station.

In general, Siliguri is an extremely safe city with a very low crime rate, and violent crime against international travelers is unheard of.

Siliguri Metropolitan Police
The Siliguri Metropolitan Police is one of the most advanced police forces in North Bengal. There are police patrollers all around the city and can be asked for any help.

Connect
Cell phone coverage in the city is excellent. There are three major service providers offering a wide variety of plans. Among them are Airtel, VI (formerly Vodafone) and Jio. Airtel is the preferable one as it provides high quality calls and great internet speed all across the city.

To call Siliguri from abroad you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India's country code +91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add the area code of Siliguri, 0353 before the number.

Internet services are unreliable in some parts of the city. Most stores have broadband connections. Both the railway stations have free high-speed Wi-fi services but you need an Indian mobile number to register and receive the One-time password.

Newspapers
Local newspapers can be handy and reliable sources for day-to-day updates about the city. The city has number of newspapers and other publication that list local happenings. There are different options for newspapers including daily, weekly and bi-weekly. Some of the popular newspapers are Uttarbanga Sambad, Bartaman, Anandabazar Patrika, The Statesman, Pratidin, Aajkaal and Times of India

Money exchange
There are several banks that offer foreign exchange and ATM service.

Go next

 * Darjeeling — one of the oldest hill stations in India with interesting sites as well as trekking opportunities.
 * Gangtok — this hill station is a popular site as a jumping-off point for treks, the home of the Banjhakri Falls, views of surrounding mountains and friendly atmosphere. ₹400 for shared taxi from Siliguri Bus Station (a little more from NJP Station).
 * Gompa Dara — a small village that is the site of Gompa Rock and meditation caves and the Ogyen Mindrol Samtenling (Buddhist monastery)
 * Jalpaiguri — a city with many historical links to the past
 * Jaldapara National Park — this national park is a 180-min drive from Siliguri. It's famous for its wildlife, in particular the Indian rhinoceros, bison, elephants, and peacocks.
 * Kalimpong — a hill station with many gardens and religious sites. Buses depart Tenzing Norgay bus station and NJP train station every 20 minutes until 4PM - ₹110-₹130 for the two and a half hour journey (little more from NJP). Shared and private jeeps also ply the route from the same locations - approx ₹300 and ₹2,800/₹3,000 respectively.
 * Kathmandu. The Indian border town of Panitanki is around one hour from Siliguri. From there, it is 1.7 km to the Nepalese border town of Kakarbhitta (rickshaws available). The border at Panitanki is closed for all nationals, except Indian, Nepali, and Bhutanese (as of February 2024). Green Line (https://www.greenlineservices.in/index.html) operates a daily overnight A/C Volvo bus service from Siliguri to Kathmandu. Departs Tenzing Norgay Bus Station at 3PM. Arrives Kathmandu at 8AM. ₹2,000.
 * Lava — a hamlet surrounded by beautiful natural forests. Home to the Lava Monastery and a spot to view Kanchenjunga peak at sunrise.
 * Loleygaon (Lolegaon) — a village noted for its Canopy Walk, Jhandi Dhara Sunrise Point, and Lolegaon View Point.
 * Mangpoo — a small village (hill station) with beautiful views was once known for its medicinal plant cultivation. It was the site where poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote his famous poem Janmadine.
 * Mirik — a hill station with scenic views and tea gardens. The town is home to Sumendu Lake, several religious sites, and the international Bokar Buddhist Meditation Centre.
 * Phuentsholing — Buses depart for Phuentsholing (Dophu Transport +91 9832071965) at 7:30AM and 2PM every day from opposite Golden Plaza on Burdwan Road (behind Air View More). Tickets are sold at a counter near the bus - ₹300. There are more frequent Indian buses to the border town of Jaigaon from Tenzing Norgay Bus Station on Hill Cart Road. In addition, trains depart Silguri Junction at 7:45AM and 1PM (local - around 4 hours) and 8:15AM and 12:30PM (express - around 3 hours) to Hasimara, from where an auto (shared - around ₹30-50, reserved - around ₹300) can be taken to Jaigoan - 20 minutes. Foreign nationals need to complete Indian immigration formalities before entering Bhutan, and so need to alight the bus or auto at the immigration office in Jaigaon.

title: Siliguri


text:
Silistra

Silistra (Bulgarian: Силистра) is a city in Northeastern Bulgaria.

Understand
Silistra, on the banks of the Danube River, is home to about 50,000 people.

Get in
Bus services from Ruse, Varna, Shumen, Dobrich, Veliko Turnovo, Razgrad, Sofia Train Sofia-Silistra /but not recommended in my opinion/ Main roads to Ruse 120 km, Razgrad 90 km, Shumen 130 km, Dobrich 80 km. Varna via Dobrich 135 km. Constanta /Romania/ 130 km. The roads are in good condition, but in the winter are little problematic when snowing. The winds blow the snow through the road and in the low parts /Dobroudja is hilly area/ can be large sleeps.. Never drive alone in the winter, no matter in a daylight or not! Nearest airports are in Bucharest OTP, Varna WAR and Constanta /this is in Romania/ There is a border crossing point to Romania in the town, and foot near one can board a ferry to the other side of the Danube river; from there to Calarasi, the Romanian town across. Another option is a watertaxi service from Drustar hotel, but this is operated just in the summer. In Calarasi take off point is at the canal near the city park there.

Get around
Silistra is not that big and easy to explore by foot. The Gallery of fine arts is in the very center, the hotels, the shopping area, town's park along the river, cafés, restasurants lie in that area. If you need transport, get a taxi - just wave at the free one /green lamp/, its cheep in town. Many locals use bycycle as transport. Sometimes you can see a donkey carts also.. ;)

See
Silistra is 2000 years old, and the roman general Flavius Aetius, that was the only one to defeat Attila the Hun, is born and raised in Silistra, then called Durrostorum. In the middle ages the town was the seat of the Church, and many - from Byzantines to Celtic, Gothic, Avar, Alan, Russian, Turkish and of course, Slavic and proto-Bulgarian people had lived or passed by here. Ruins from the past can be seen lying all around. Public swimming pools, tennis courts by the Drustar Hotel 5*.

Do

Take a river boat ride. Ask at Drustar Hotel or in the Infocenter at the Municipality. There are combined efforts to develop tourism in Dobroudja alongside Romanian municipalities north of the border and Bulgarian ones.

Rent a car and drive to the Kainardja village 30 km. There is a history spot where the Peace after the First Crimean war 1774 /Russo-Turkish/ was signed. The village has famous wine cellar.. 10 km. away, near the Strelkovo village /big honey producing place/ is the shrine of the Tracian god Zalmoxis, believed to be the father of Dionissius, the ancient Greek god of Wine.. Bulgarians celebrate this ancient tradition every 14 February, alongside with the orthodox saint Trifon and the catholic Valentine.. Wine, love, women and gods... How not to think about Orpheus, with his songs and music, that could resurrect the dead... and who was first Thracian god, then Greek.. Get to Alfatar, where the Beautiful Albena has lived. Enjoy folk dance, music and traditions presented to you in Boryana's house - another famous beauty from Yordan Yovkov novelas.. Bulgarian folklore is unique, no other like that survived the ages.. Do not mistake to think the modern popfolk /or chalga, said in Bulgarian/ is the authentic folk-music.. ask at the hotel to play some real pieces to you.. And there are several tv channels that play authentic style. Make the difference! From there you can take a trip to Tervel town /beautiful church/ and Dobrich. Or drive to Tutrakan town, on the Danube bank, famous with a fine fish soup and Fire over Water festival /end of June/. How about facing the 1st of July sunrise with Ken form Uriah Heep singing live July Morning? Well - be there!

The Silistra town feast is on 14 September - the Cross Rising day. There is a small version of Oktoberfest back the Municipality, near park entrance. There is also a fair, kids entertainment and concerts and cultural events during the feast week.

Meanwhile, 11 km on the way to Constanta is situated the Dervent Monastery. The legend says that Holy Apostle Andrew has preached in Dobroudja after Christ Transcend, and there is a spring near that is running after St. Andrew hit the ground in a hot summer day to fill the thirst of him an his disciples. The monastery church is believed by women to help conceive, after a night spent in. Further near Adamchlisi is Tropeum Trajani - a roman monument marking emperor Trajan's victory over Dacian tribes. A little further is St. Andrew Monastery, with the cave, where the Holy Apostle is believed to had used as church and living premises. It's a great place and worth a visit.

St. Paul and St. Peter is the main church in town, beautifully decorated and packed with orthodox icons. You should listen to the church choir chants during a mass, unbelievable... Buy an icon. Light a candle - up for the living, down for the dead.. Pray in front of your patron saint..

In the evening is best to visit one of the many taverns, good food, wines and beverages. Many of them has live music played, and if you're eager, you can learn one to two easy folk-dances - horo - where all dancers hold each others by hands. Its fun and also calories burning experience, since it takes a lot of hopping and swinging. Ask somebody to show you how.

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

title: Silistra


text:
Silkeborg

Silkeborg is a town in Jutland founded in 1844 around a paper mill (Silkeborg Paprfabrik) at the Gudenå River. The history of the place goes back to the 15th century, when a castle was located at an islet in the lake of Silkeborg. This castle gave Silkeborg its name, meaning ‘silk castle’.

The city has been proclaimed as the "Outdoor capital" of Denmark, due to its many outdoor possibilities, and events.

Being surrounded by forests and lakes, nowhere in Silkeborg is far from nature. The city is on the banks on the longest river in Denmark, Gudenåen (The Gudenå river), which makes water sports and activities very popular.

Get in
By train from Copenhagen change at Skanderborg. Trains from Aarhus via Skanderborg run every 30 min to Silkeborg, 30 min, and continue to Herning (another 30 min).

is just south of the centre, with the main bus stops outside on Drewsensvej.

Midttrafik Bus 124 runs every 30 min from Aarhus to Silkeborg, taking 40 min. The 113 also runs frequently but takes 75 min.

By road follow E45, Jutland's north-south artery, and branch off at Skandeborg through Ry.

Get around
Hjejlen [YAI-len] sails between Silkeborg and Himmelbjerget (1 hr 15 min). Bookings. Hjejlen is both the name of the oldest boat and the company that now operates several boats. The Hjejle-boats stop at many interesting places and with a return ticket, you can go on and off. This also gives you the opportunity to ride at least once with the original steam paddleboat.

Do

 * Watch football: Silkeborg IF were promoted in 2021 so they now play soccer in Superliga, Denmark's top tier. Their stadium JYSK Park (capacity 10,000) is across the lake 2 km northeast of town centre.
 * Watch football: Silkeborg IF were promoted in 2021 so they now play soccer in Superliga, Denmark's top tier. Their stadium JYSK Park (capacity 10,000) is across the lake 2 km northeast of town centre.
 * Watch football: Silkeborg IF were promoted in 2021 so they now play soccer in Superliga, Denmark's top tier. Their stadium JYSK Park (capacity 10,000) is across the lake 2 km northeast of town centre.
 * Watch football: Silkeborg IF were promoted in 2021 so they now play soccer in Superliga, Denmark's top tier. Their stadium JYSK Park (capacity 10,000) is across the lake 2 km northeast of town centre.

Buy

 * The main downtown store is Netto at 9 Østergade, daily 08:00-22:00.

Eat
There are several restaurants at the paper mill:

There are also many restaurants around the main square and on the shopping streets radiating out from the main square. These restaurants meet all budget ranges and includes:

Three restaurants in Silkeborg are featuring in the White Guide; an authorative, but not complete, gastronomical guide to the Nordic countries.

The region holds several Kroer; Danish inns held in high social regard where you can dine and sometimes stay. Kroer (plural of Kro) near Silkeborg includes:

Connect
As of Sep 2021, Silkeborg has 5G from TDC and 4G from 3 Tre, Telenor and Telia. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next

 * Aarhus is the lively regional capital.
 * Herning is a textile town with several museums.
 * Skanderborg is mainly a transport and commercial hub but has museums and other visitor amenities.

title: Silkeborg


text:
Silk Road

 * For modern-day trade in China, see Shopping in China

The Silk Road (丝绸之路 sī chóu zhī lù), also known as the Silk Route, is not a single road, but a network of historical trade routes across Asia from China to Europe. One poem calls it "The Golden Road to Samarkand".

In 2014, UNESCO added "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor" to their World Heritage List. This is a 5000-km (about 3300 miles) stretch from Chang'an (now called Xi'an) in central China to the Tianshan mountain range along the border between China and Central Asia. The western end is the region once known as Zhetysu, now divided between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; its main cities are Almaty and Bishkek. This was only the first of several applications for Silk Road routes; several more are being planned but each nation can nominate only one candidate a year so it will take time to get through the whole list.

Another section, "Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor" through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, from the Zeravshan Valley to around Merv, was added in 2023.

Many sites along the historic overland routes are already on the UNESCO list. At the two ends, Xi'an and Istanbul are both listed. In between Samarkand, Bukhara, Merv, Tabriz, Damascus and others are on the list. Several of the great ports on the maritime routes are also listed.

Understand
Caravans have been travelling the Silk Road for over 2000 years; Chinese silk was reaching Rome and Roman glass was reaching China before 100 BCE.

Trade over parts of the route is far older; there was trade between the Indus Valley Civilisation and Ancient Mesopotamia before 2000 BCE (cities like Mohenjo-daro in Sindh and Nineveh in Iraq), jade from Khotan in what is now Xinjiang was reaching central China by around 1500 BCE and the Persian Royal Road connected the Mediterranean port of Sardis to the Persian Gulf ports in the 5th century BCE. Around that time there was extensive trade all across the Persian Empire, which was centred in what is now Iran and in those days included much of the Caucasus, Central Asia and what is now Turkey.

Around 330 BCE, Alexander the Great conquered from Greece to Egypt, where he founded Alexandria, which later became a great trading city, the main depot for goods from the Maritime Silk Road going to the Mediterranean. Then he turned East and conquered the Persian Empire, which then included much of Central Asia, and after that he took much of Pakistan and parts of northern India. His empire fell apart after his death, but trade continued. He founded what is now the city of Khujand in Tajikistan and took Samarkand; both cities later became centres of Silk Road trade.

In the 2nd century BCE, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu (a belligerent confederation of nomadic peoples of the steppes, perhaps related to the Huns who later conquered part of Europe) and established Chinese control over parts of Central Asia for the first time. The pacification of the Xiongnu provided the necessary stability for traders to safely traverse the route, resulting in the first Silk Road being established. In this period, envoys from both Alexander's successors and the Chinese court reached Kashgar; this seems to have been the first contact between China and Europeans.

Although it later declined as China descended into war and anarchy with the fall of the Han Dynasty, the route was re-established and expanded under the 7th century reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty after he defeated the Eastern Turks and Western Turks, and re-established Chinese control over much of the parts of Central Asia that were previously ruled by the Han Dynasty. However, the route gradually declined following the fall of the Tang Dynasty, and would eventually be shut during the 15th century, when the ruling Ming Dynasty decided to adopt a policy of isolationism.

From Alexander's time until the Russian expansion into Central Asia in the 19th century, there was usually some powerful Empire at the centre of the Silk Road. The region was conquered by outsiders three times – Alexander, the Arabs in the 7th century CE and the Mongols in the 13th. At other times it was ruled by various incarnations of the Persian Empire or by other empires based in Central Asia, and sometimes these empires included various adjacent regions. Whoever was in charge, trade continued.

While Genghis Khan is popularly known as a destructive raider that raped and pillaged his way across Eurasia, the Mongol Empire had a beneficial effect on trade; though they left few great cities, they did leave a lasting mark on both China and Central Asia. By the time of the Great Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, the Empire covered almost the entire length of the Silk Road from modern Hungary and Turkey to China and Korea. Within the Empire, tariffs were reduced, roads improved, bandits ruthlessly eliminated, and trade and communication encouraged. Europeans, including Marco Polo, visited the Mongol capital in Karakorum and China. Travel between Europe and China was faster and safer than it was for centuries afterwards. This trade gradually declined during the Black Plague – now thought to have spread in part on silk road trade routes – and the slow decay of the Empire, though successor states ruled by descendants of Genghis kept the road open to some degree well afterwards.

One Mongol descendant was Tamerlane who ruled much of Central Asia in the 14th century; his palace in Samarkand, the Registan, is now a World Heritage Site and one of the Silk Road's best-known attractions. He was a conqueror who dreamed of rebuilding Genghis's great empire. Tamerlane invaded India, Syria, Anatolia and the Caucasus and took cities as diverse as Delhi, Damascus and Moscow; he died while en route to attack China. His descendants created the Mughal Empire in what are now India and Pakistan.

Much more than just silk was traded over this route. Trade was restricted to relatively expensive goods – hauling something like rice or lumber over long distances was not economical with medieval transport – but there was quite a variety of those. Porcelain, glass work, fabrics other than silk, other fine craft items, gems, and furs were traded. So were luxury food items, in particular spices. Coffee, originally from Ethiopia, and tea, originally only from China, first reached the rest of the world via these routes. In medieval London or Paris, pepper cost more than its weight in gold.

Carpets were historically a major trade item and even today, countries along this route produce many fine carpets; these are a major export commodity and a fine thing to bring home as souvenirs. If you bargain moderately well, they are considerably cheaper here than in other places. There is a phenomenal range available, with each region and sometimes each village producing its own designs. The most finely-woven rugs are produced in the great weaving centres of Iran and Turkey, but areas such as the Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet are also famous for rugs. There is some carpet production almost everywhere from China in the east to Romania and North Africa in the west, and carpet-making is an important industry in both India and Pakistan.

Ideas also travelled this road. Both Islam and Buddhism reached China by this route and some Silk Road areas have important relics of those religions. Important Buddhist sites include the huge statues at Bamiyan, Afghanistan (now destroyed), the ancient city of Taxila in Pakistan, the large cache of manuscripts found at Gilgit in northern Pakistan, and the caves at Dunhuang in Xinjiang. During the Tang Dynasty, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang (玄奘) made a pilgrimage overland from the then Chinese capital Chang'an (modern day Xi'an) to Buddhist sites in what is today India, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan, including the famed Buddhist university at Nalanda. Xuanzang would subsequently return to China with Buddhist scriptures that he collected during his 18-year-long pilgrimage, and dedicated the rest of his life to translating those scriptures. The epic Chinese novel Journey to the West is a famous fictionalised account of Xuanzang's journey, featuring Xuanzang and three mythical companions as the main characters. Mosques and other Islamic architecture are found all across Central Asia, much of South Asia, and the western provinces of China. There are also some in eastern China, perhaps most notably the fine old mosques in the Silk Road ports Guangzhou and Quanzhou.

Other religions also spread this way; Nestorian Christianity (centred in Persia) sent missionaries as far as Korea, and Xi'an has a stele commemorating their arrival there in the 7th century CE. There were Zoroastrians in Quanzhou by 1000 CE and nearby Jinjiang has the world's last surviving Manichean temple. The first Catholic missionaries reached China by sea in the 14th century, landing at Quanzhou. A community of Jews would also settle in Kaifeng by the 10th century.

Various ideas from the East – notably Chinese inventions such as gunpowder, window glass and use of coal as fuel – also reached the Islamic countries and then Europe via the Silk Road. Chess reached the West from Persia ("checkmate" is from shah mat, Persian for "king dies"), though it was likely invented in India. The game would also be brought to East Asia, where it would evolve into unique national variants in China, Korea and Japan.

Marco Polo followed this route, reaching China overland via Khotan and beginning his homeward journey with a ship on the Maritime Silk Road from Quanzhou to Iran. A few decades later the great Berber traveller Ibn Battuta both entered and left China via Quanzhou. Other famous expeditions include those of Xuanzang (see above), William of Rubruck, Gan Yang (a Chinese explorer who made it as far as Parthia and almost discovered the Roman Empire), and Ibn Fadlan (who used the northern parts of the Silk Road to venture into the Volga region).

The overwhelmingly vast amount of traders and travellers on the Silk Road did not travel large portions of it; rather, they travelled from one city to another nearby and back, bringing goods with them. Travelling most of the Silk Road, like in the famous expeditions mentioned above are rare exceptions to the normal trans-Silk-Road transit. Even today, travelling the entirety of any of the Silk Road routes is a Herculean task, and involves a mastery of visa applications, more than a month of constant travel, lots of money, and an ironclad will.

Disruption during Age of Sail
At the western end of the Silk Road were the city-states of Italy, where the accumulation of wealth and knowledge led to the Italian Renaissance. Domination of the western Middle East and Balkans by the Ottoman Empire, and its poor relations with much of maritime Europe, led to the Ottomans enacting extremely high taxes on Europeans travelling through their lands. In the late 15th century, advances in shipbuilding technology enabled Vasco da Gama to sail south of Cape Bojador (in modern-day Western Sahara) and discover the Cape Route around Africa, which came to replace the overland routes between Europe and Asia and bypass the Ottoman monopoly over the western Silk Road.

Later Magellan found an alternate route, sailing south of South America. Various European powers established colonies along the old Maritime Silk Road, the British in many places, Portugal in Africa, Goa, Timor-Leste, and Macau, and the Dutch in what is now Indonesia, including the fantastically valuable Spice Islands. The Spanish established an important alternate route with extensive trade between their colonies, mainly on galleons from Acapulco to Manila, and on to mainland Asia. Still later the Suez and Panama canals opened up new routes; steamers using the Suez Canal from its opening in 1869 soon replaced the great sailing tea clippers, which used to run from China to Europe via the Cape of Good Hope (the route is still used – nowadays by ships too large for the canal, and for round-the-world sailing), and likewise, the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 allowed ships to travel between both coasts of North America without making the long and hazardous journey around Cape Horn. The old Maritime Silk Road region of the Pearl River Delta still does extensive trade, mostly seaborne.

In the 21st century, China and its neighbours are investing in land infrastructure – especially railways – possibly creating a renaissance for overland transportation between Europe and Asia. Several European cities now see daily or weekly freight trains from China.

Prepare

This is not an easy route or one for the novice traveller. Consult a travel medicine specialist about vaccinations and about medicine to take along.

If you are doing the full route, bring phrasebooks for at least Chinese, Russian, Arabic and Persian. Also note that large portions of the overland routes go through Turkic-majority countries, so knowledge of any of the Turkic languages (Turkish, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azeri, Turkmen, Tatar, etc.) will also help.

Parts of this route may be difficult or impassable in winter, and various borders may sometimes be closed for political reasons. For most countries on this route, travellers with most passports will require visas obtained in advance. Planning ahead may be needed to get these since some of the smaller nations have few embassies. For example, Turkmenistan does not have an embassy in Ottawa so a Canadian might need to deal with the embassy in Washington, London, Beijing or Moscow to get a visa. Check country listings for details. That being said, each Central Asian country has an embassy in each of the other Central Asian countries, so some travellers will apply for visas in a neighbouring country and wait it out.

Almost anyone travelling this route will want to at least take a look at the fine carpets that are traditionally traded at many places, and perhaps buy some of them. Even on a tight budget, one might want to pick up some of the common smaller items such as woven saddlebags or purses and boots decorated with carpet. Reading a book or two on carpets before setting out is a fine idea; among the most useful writers is a California doctor and carpet collector named Murray Eiland. If you do buy any carpets, be aware of any export restrictions of the country in which you purchased the carpet. For example, Turkmen carpets are some of the highest-valued carpets in the world, but the Turkmen government charges taxes of 115 manat per square meter and a 400 manat psm tax for large carpets, and you're required to obtain a permission of export to take it out of the country.

Some parts of the route are arguably less safe now than they were a few centuries ago. Before heading out, read up on the security situation, and carefully consider whether some countries or regions within countries shouldn't be bypassed entirely. A starting point is our section below.

Get in
Many travellers today follow all or part of this ancient path by train, bus and private car. Some Wikivoyage itineraries partly follow the Silk Road.
 * Istanbul to New Delhi over land
 * On the trail of Marco Polo
 * Moscow to Urumqi

You could start a Silk Road journey from anywhere in Europe or China, but the obvious jumping-off spots are the two ends of the historic road – Chang'an, which is now called Xi'an, and Constantinople, now Istanbul.

From either end, the first part of the route can be done by train; China has a good rail system which goes to Kashgar and to Urumqi where there are connections to Almaty. From Russia, there is good rail service to many places in Central Asia. The Trans-Asia Express runs from Istanbul to Tehran. From Tehran there are trains east to Mashad and from there north to Turkmenistan, and also southeast to Zahedan and then Quetta in Pakistan. Going east from Quetta, the Pakistani rail system is quite good, but the Zahedan-Quetta train runs only twice a month and, as of mid-2014, the area around Quetta is considered quite dangerous.

To explore just the central part of the road in Central Asia, it would be easiest to fly into a city in that area with good air connections – Tashkent, Almaty or even Urumqi. One could also get into the area on several rail routes branching off from the Trans-Siberian Railway, though the main line is north of the major Silk Road routes.

Overland routes
There were multiple interlinked routes. The map shows the main route from Xi'an to Damascus in yellow with some extensions in green.

Xi'an to Dunhuang (Hexi corridor)
The main caravan route from China to the West

 * started in the capital Chang'an, what we know today as the great city of Xi'an
 * headed west past the gorges of Baoji, along the Corn Flake Mountain of Tianshui to Lanzhou on the banks of the Yellow River.
 * northwest along the Hexi Corridor to the Han dynasty garrison towns of Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan
 * to Jiayuguan, the western terminus of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, shown as a dotted blue line on the map
 * to Guazhou, a region dotted with ancient ruins, including the World Heritage-listed Suoyang City ruins
 * to Dunhuang, the 'Blazing Beacon' of Chinese civilization in the western regions. The Jade Gate just outside of Dunhuang delimited the Chinese realm from the semi-independent city states of the Tarim Basin.

There were related routes within China; green links on the map show connections from Xi'an north to Beijing and east to Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Around the desert (Tarim Basin)
Beyond Dunhuang the main route splits to go around the Taklimakan Desert.

 * Northern route: Dunhuang, Hami, Turfan, Korla, Kashgar
 * Southern route: Dunhuang, Cherchen, Khotan, Yarkand, Kashgar
 * (also called the jade route because Khotan is famous for jade)

The routes above run along the edges of the desert; there are several alternate routes that involve starting on one of the above, then cutting across the center of the desert (e.g. Cherchen to Korla) to finish on the other.

The routes rejoin at Kashgar. Today, Kashgar is China's westernmost city; at other times it has been the capital of an independent kingdom, part of the Mongol Empire, or part of various other Central Asian empires. Today, the majority of its population are Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic group that is more culturally similar to Central Asians than to the Han Chinese. The city is regarded by most Chinese to be the main centre of Uyghur culture, and is a popular domestic tourism destination. It has a distinctive Central Asian flair.

Central Asia (Transoxiana)
After Kashgar, the main route goes:
 * northwest over Torugart or Irkeshtam pass into Central Asia
 * a secondary route crosses into Tajikistan and goes along the Pamir Highway to Dushanbe before meeting up at Samarkand
 * along the Ferghana Valley, through Ferghana, Kokand and Khujand
 * on toward Samarkand and Bokhara
 * southwest through Turkmenistan, often via Merv, and into Iran, then known as Persia

Middle East
From Iran, the route goes west from Mashad
 * through Nishapur, Qumis (Hecatompylos), Semnan, Tehran (Rey/Rayy)

Beyond Tehran, the route splits between the southern route through Mesopotamia and the northern route through Anatolia
 * Southern route: Hamedan (Ecbatana), Baghdad (Seleucia/Ctesiphon), Palmyra, Damascus and all over the south eastern Mediterranean: Tyre, Alexandria
 * Northern route: Tabriz, Constantinople all over the north eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea coast: Antioch, Bursa (Cius), Trabzon, Gaziantep (Doliche)

Alternatives
There were also alternate routes — for example:
 * take the steppe route further north, from Urumqi across the Dzungarian Gate to Almaty, Astrakhan, Kazakhstan and on to Russia and the Caucasus
 * Part of this is the route the Chinese government proposed as their first Silk Road entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 * visiting other great cities of the Persian Empire: Herat, Isfahan, Shiraz (Persepolis)...
 * swinging north from Iran into the Caucasus
 * crossing the Caspian Sea by cargo boat, usually from Turkmenbashi to Baku
 * crossing the Black Sea by boat, often from Batumi, Poti or Trabzon to Odesa, Sevastopol, Varna or Istanbul

Overall, the "Silk Road" was never a single road, more a web of roads and caravan trails linking dozens of cities.

Related routes
Various related routes connected China to the Indian subcontinent:
 * South from Xinjiang into Pakistan and India via what is now the Karakoram Highway or via Ladakh. For centuries Taxila was the main terminus on the Indian end of these routes.
 * Into Afghanistan via Bactria from points further west on the road, then perhaps:
 * to what is now central Pakistan via the Khyber Pass
 * to Balochistan and Sindh via the Bolan Pass
 * A "Tea and horse caravan" route much further south, from Chengdu through Yunnan and parts of Tibet to Burma and northern India
 * The Sikkim Silk Route connected Tibet to eastern India. The only border crossing open today between China and India is on this route – though open only to traders, not to tourists.

Further west, the Incense Route brought frankincense, myrrh and other goods from Oman and Yemen, overland via what are now Saudi Arabia and Israel, to the Mediterranean countries. See Mitzpe Ramon for one part of that route.

Maritime Silk Road
By no means all trade went by the overland caravan trails; there was also a great deal of traffic by sea.

Not all of the history is known and historians disagree on parts of it, but it is clear that this trade is quite old and quite wide-ranging. By 2000 BCE some trade routes were well established, between the Indus Valley Civilization and Ancient Mesopotamia via the coast of the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, and the maritime jade route carrying trade over most of Southeast Asia.

Greek records show that routes between the Red Sea, East Africa and what is now the west coast of India were well known a few centuries BCE. Chinese records show traders sailing to India via Indonesia in the third century CE, and it seems likely that trade started centuries earlier. Ptolomey of Alexendria created maps for both land and sea routes to China in the second century CE.

In China, the main ports for this were Guangzhou and Quanzhou. Marco Polo sailed home from Quanzhou and described it as the busiest port on Earth and fabulously wealthy. Ibn Battuta both arrived and departed via Quanzhou.

Further west, the great ports included Malacca in the Straits of Malacca, Rangoon and Chittagong in the Bay of Bengal, Cochin and Calicut on the South Indian coast, Cambay further north in India, Karachi in Pakistan, Basra in Iraq, Muscat in Oman, and Aden in Yemen. Alexandria was this route's gateway to the Mediterranean; Polo considered it the world's second busiest port.

Some words in modern English come from the ports on this route from which certain items first reached Europe: "satin" is from Zaiton (the Arabic name for Quanzhou), the "macassar" hairdressing oil is from Makassar in Sulawesi island, and "calico" from Calicut. Bactrian camels (two-humped, as opposed to Arabian camels, which have a single hump) are named for the inland Silk Road region, Bactria. Similarly, the nutmeg's standard name in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Dutch, German and Russian is "nut from Muscat", even though originally the only source was the Spice Islands in what is now Indonesia.

Grapes were introduced to the Mediterranean region either from the Middle East or the Black Sea, and Muscat grapes were among the earliest, having been grown in Ancient Greece. Some experts suggest they are original seed stock from which all modern grapes derive, and some think they are named for the city of Muscat, though neither claim gets unanimous agreement. Muscat grapes are fermented to produce a sweet wine called Moscatel or Moscato. The oldest evidence of winemakin g has been found in Iran, and wine spread outward to Europe, Georgia, and China (the famous poet Li Bai was known as one of the "Eight Immortals of the Wine-Cup" for his incessant drinking).

During the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, Chinese-Muslim Admiral Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho) would sail on voyages that took him to Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and even as far as Mogadishu in East Africa. His contact with the Malacca Sultanate in what is today Malaysia led to the first wave of Chinese immigration to the area, where many intermarried with the local Malays to give rise to the Peranakan community, whose unique culture and cuisine endures to this day. Until the Emperor shut down all seaborne foreign trade in the 1420s, there was regular trade between China and ports as far West as Aden on both Chinese and other ships. Even after the shutdown, the emperor allowed Zheng He to sail to Jeddah for his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The first Muslim missionaries reached China by sea in the 7th century, and several Chinese cities had mosques built during the Tang Dynasty, i.e. before 907. By around 1000 CE, Quanzhou had a substantial community of Arab and Persian residents, and the Great Mosque there (not the first) was built in 1009.

In the 1980s, an Englishman named Tim Severin had a replica of a 9th century Arab dhow built in Oman and, with an Omani crew, sailed it all the way to Guangzhou. The ship is now back in Oman and on exhibit. See Severin's Wikipedia entry or his book The Sinbad Voyage for details.

In general, Asians were doing extensive trade over these routes centuries before Europeans turned up. When Vasco da Gama (en route to becoming the first European to reach India by sea) reached East Africa via the Cape Route in 1498, he found Chinese trade goods such as blue and white pottery already well established in the market. This made sense at the time; medieval Europe was insignificant on the world stage and the Americas were not yet "discovered" while Asia produced most of the world's wealth and had most of its trade.

One of the finest examples of the sheer globalness of trade in the pre-Industrial age is the temple at Borobudur. Along the walls of the temple are many friezes, some of which chronicle foreign trading ships. There is also a section that chronicles trade between the Majapahit (controlling Sumatra, Java, and some parts of neighboring regions) and the Chola kingdom in southern India and Sri Lanka; one of the most famous reliefs from the structure depicts the "Borobudur Ship", highlighting the role of the Maritime Silk Road in the region.

Later, Europeans had huge influence in the region. One significant change was colonisation — Russia in Central Asia and Northeast China, the United Kingdom in India, Malaya, northern Borneo, Burma and Hong Kong, Portugal in Goa, Macau and East Timor, France in Pondicherry and Indochina, the Netherlands in what is today Indonesia, Germany in the Shandong Peninsula, and first Spain then later the United States in the Philippines. There were also large changes in trade routes; some of the most important were huge imports of silver from Spanish Mexico to Spanish Manila and thence into East Asia, and the extensive three-cornered trade involving tea clippers mainly from China to Britain and opium mainly from British Bengal into China.

In the 21st century, China has sought to revive and expand the Maritime Silk Road through the Belt and Road Initiative, through which they have invested in building ports in far-flung corners of the globe such as the Persian Gulf, Africa and Latin America. In Thailand, there has been talk of building a shipping canal across the Isthmus of Kra in Southern Thailand with funding from China, allowing ships travelling between China and Europe or India to bypass Singapore and save several days of time and millions of dollars worth of fuel in the process, though these have been repeatedly held back by concerns over ethnic Malay Muslim separatists near the Malaysian border.

Sleep
The traditional inns of the area are called caravanserai. They are built around a walled courtyard and have stables for the horses and camels. Most were in towns but there were also some rural ones, some of them well fortified against the local bandits.

Some caravanserai still exist; anyone traveling this road should try to find them and stay in them at least once.

One group of caravanserai have been designated a ; see The Persian Caravanserai.

Other than caravanserais, most visitors will stay in hotels, hostels, or homestays. Homestays are especially popular in Central Asia, where countries like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan promote them.

Whether or not you can camp depends on where you are and the local government's policy towards passport controls. In many countries along the Silk Roads, you need to "register" your passport every so often (pretty much every hotel/hostel will do this for you upon check-in), so long-term camping (usually more than 3 days) is next-to-impossible. The only place on the Silk Road where you have to camp is at Darwaza in Turkmenistan, because there are no hotels or hostels.

Stay safe
Historically, many of the people in this region have been nomadic herdsmen, some still are, and even in the cities tribal loyalties may run strong, which implies at least:
 * a tremendous tradition of hospitality
 * suspicion of outsiders, even from neighboring tribes.
 * (Foreigners are sometimes exempt.)

 * considerable hostility toward both Western and Russian influences
 * many of them are heavily armed

The whole area along the overland route, except a few parts of China, is Muslim which implies at least:
 * a tradition of Muslim hospitality and wonderful treatment of visitors
 * some conservatism, especially in matters such as women's clothing
 * risk of foreigners who do not understand Islam giving offense

In this area, the politics get very complicated, with tribal, ethnic and religious issues all adding to the complexity. Moreover, the collapse of the Soviet Union left some of the area's governments in a chaotic state from which they have not entirely recovered. Tajikistan underwent a horrible civil war from 1992-97, and periodically ethnic tensions flare up in the Pamir region. Uzbekistan was a police state until 2018 (and is still heavily bureaucratic). Turkmenistan, for example, is about as authoritarian as North Korea. Iran is a safe country (for the traveller), but its poor relations with many Western governments means that travellers might be on their own if situations arise.

As of early 2019, there has been active warfare for several years in various areas along the route — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, several Caucasian areas with Chechnya the best-known, and Yemen on the Maritime Silk Road — and potential conflicts in several others. Drone attacks by US forces are frequent in Yemen and in Northwest Pakistan. Avoid these areas, or see War zone safety if you must go.

As along other trade routes, there is a long tradition of banditry along the Silk Road. This has been vastly reduced over the past two centuries, but there may be risk of new outbreaks when an area becomes chaotic. There are also complications associated with the drug trade; in the last few decades, Afghanistan has become a major source of opium (the raw material for morphine and heroin manufacture); much of it is smuggled north through neighbouring countries then along old Silk Road routes toward Russia and Europe. Piracy does occur in the Gulf of Aden and Southern Red Sea. If you are using the Maritime Silk Road, be cautious of this.

All that said, with a bit of common sense and goodwill, a willingness to route around trouble spots, and a lot of flexibility on the part of the traveller, the risks are generally quite moderate.

See individual country and city listings for more. Roads are poor in many areas and some are impassable in the winter or monsoon season. Various mountain and desert areas can be quite dangerous if appropriate care is not taken. Also, most locals are friendly, curious and helpful, but the traveller needs some understanding of local customs and must take some care not to give offense.

In some parts along the Silk Roads, the environment can be your worst enemy. Most of Central Asia is dominated by two massive deserts which, in addition to the heat and dehydration dangers they pose, also kick up huge dust storms that can affect places as far away as the Ferghana Valley and Baku. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan are all highly mountainous countries, and avalanches and rockslides can happen at any time. Earthquakes are also relatively common in the region, and can damage infrastructure or cause other natural disasters. In China, the huge Taklamakan desert is nearly devoid of both water and settlements. If travelling through the region, make sure you have enough supplies (water, gas) to get from town to town.

Along the Maritime Silk Roads, tropical storms, monsoons, and cyclones can all put a serious damper on your sea voyage. Make sure you (or people you're travelling with) know how to handle a ship during a storm (and avoid them if you can).

title: Silk Road


text:
Sillamäe

Sillamäe is a town of 17,000 inhabitants in East Estonia, where the Sõtke River into the Bay of Finland. In Soviet times a closed city of nuclear scientists, the Soviet heritage is still very visible here.

Understand

A settlement named Sillamägi ("Bridge Hill") started growing in the mid-18th century, though a text from 1502 mentions a roadside tavern located here. It was a resort for the intelligentsia of the Russian imperial capital Saint Petersburg, for instance physiologist Ivan Pavlov spent some time here and a street is named after him.

In the 1920s the town was industrialized with an oil shale processing plant, a power plant and an industrial port being built. They were destroyed during WWII, but rebuilt afterwards together with a metallurgical plant for extracting uranium for the newly invented atomic bomb. As such, from 1947 onwards to the fall of the Soviet Union, Sillamäe was a closed secret military city that was even not marked on maps. Activities conducted there were mostly military industrial and included mining and refining uranium.

Sillamäe was opened up in 1991 when Estonia became independent, and the uranium plant was turned into a rare metals plant - one of the most important industries in this part of the country. The city retains a treasure trove of beautiful Stalinist architecture, and this is not the only thing Soviet about the city - indeed Sillamäe can be considered the most Soviet town in Estonia. Most of the inhabitants (88% as of 2011) are Russian speaking and even hold Russian citizenship, and even some price tags in shops are written like in the 1970s. Knowing some Russian can come in handy.

Get in
Bus and train schedules are easily available online – read more under Estonia.

By bus

There are frequent bus lines from/to Tallinn (~€10) (2.5-3h), and Narva (30-40 min). Some buses on the Tallinn-Saint Petersburg route also stop here.

By car
Sillamäe is on Highway 1 connecting Tallinn (185 km) with Narva (30 km), which is at the Russian border - St. Petersburg is a further 150 km east of Narva.

By boat
The port is mainly for freight. Car passengers could come in with a daily freight ferry from nearby Ust-Luga in Russia with less busier border controls, but the service is probably suspended because of the pandemic and Russian attack on Ukraine with subsequent embargoes.

Get around
The town is small, for instance you can walk from the bus station to the central attractions or to the shore in about 10 minutes.

There are three local bus lines going around town with a couple of departures a day. Moreover county buses to nearby cities ply the streets entering and exiting Sillamäe.

See

Sillamäe is divided into three parts. East of the bus station are 1980s apartment buildings reminiscent of Lasnamäe in Tallinn; itself not too interesting but it has a pleasant park along the coast. The "old town", i.e. built before the Second World War, is west of the bus station along Kesk street. Pretty much all of Sillamäe's landmarks are there. Still further west across Sõtke River are the industries and the port.
 * 1940s and 50s Soviet architecture is prevalent in Sillamäe, as much of the town had to be rebuilt after the war, indeed the town core can be regarded as an architectural ensemble of such buildings. The most prominent examples are the town hall mentioned above, the on the central square, the  (Kesk 11) faced by the  (Kesk 10). These buildings retain elements like balustrades and flowerbeds, but Soviet statues have been removed.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * 1940s and 50s Soviet architecture is prevalent in Sillamäe, as much of the town had to be rebuilt after the war, indeed the town core can be regarded as an architectural ensemble of such buildings. The most prominent examples are the town hall mentioned above, the on the central square, the  (Kesk 11) faced by the  (Kesk 10). These buildings retain elements like balustrades and flowerbeds, but Soviet statues have been removed.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.
 * Take a sombre moment in remembrance of the Cold War and the unfortunate nuclear arms race, and see what used to be a puddle of uranium refining waste product now a small hill or large heap.

Buy
Shopping in Sillamäe mostly means buying groceries and other everyday goods - if you want to go to shopping malls, head to Narva. There are some supermarkets northeast of the bus station and the highway exit including a Maxima and a Coop Maksimarket, and an indoor grocery market named Sillamäe Turg. In addition there are some shops shattered around town.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

In addition there seems to be individual apartments for rent through different online services.

Connect

All three Estonian operators offer 4G coverage in Sillamäe.

Go next

 * Narva – Estonia's eastern-most and third largest city, on the Narva River, which is the border with Russia. Famous for the Hermann castle, right opposite of the Ivangorod's castle, and the Kreenholm factories. Even though it might seem grey and dull.
 * Narva-Jõesuu – The beach side town of Narva on the Narva River.
 * Toila – A small coastal and historic resort town further west.
 * Jõhvi – The capital of the county, but rather uninteresting from a travellers point of view.

title: Sillamäe


text:
Sillustani

Sillustani is a tiny settlement some 40 km from Puno, in the Peruian Altiplano.

Understand
Hundreds of years ago, the ancient people from the Altiplano, that lived at the shore of the mystical Lake Titicaca, built a series of funeral towers to bury their kings and other important people of their regions. The Sillustani towers are perhaps the finest and the most perfect cylindrical constructions of ancient Peru, as such perfection can be found no where else in South America. A tour to Sillustani will give you a better view into the life of pre-Inca civilizations, and exploring the area, you can marvel with the great beauty of the Umayo Lagoon, which is located at the foot of Sillustani.

Get in

 * No regular public transport, unless you want to walk the last 14.5 km from the Juliaca highway.
 * Some taxi are waiting at the highway level, you could organize that they wait for you and bring you back to the highway.
 * Dozens of agencies in Puno offer half-day trips, mostly leaving around 14:00 and returning around sunset. Going price is S/25-30 (soles), including entrance fee. 40 minutes. Most travel agencies offer the trip in the afternoon.
 * You could also organize with a taxi in Puno (S/90 with one hour of waiting, S/100 with 2 hours of waiting.) Taking a taxi, give you the advantage of coming in the morning and seeing the wild guinea pigs.

See

 * The ruins. Entrance fee S/15 adult, S/5 student, S/2 school child
 * Wild guinea pigs
 * Alpaca
 * Bird watching
 * On the way to Sillustani, you've got typical houses where you could experience local food (cheese, potatoes and clay)

Buy

 * Quite a few stalls sell handicraft similar to what is found in Puno.

Eat and drink
There is a restaurant, and a "café/bar".

Sleep
You could camp.

title: Sillustani


text:
Siloam Springs

Siloam Springs is a city of 17,000 people (2019) in the Ozarks region of Arkansas. Siloam Springs is known for its efforts to preserve and revitalize the city's historic downtown and as a promoter of the arts via Sager Creek Arts Center and the John Brown University campus and art gallery.

Get in
Siloam Springs traffic is primarily served by US 412 (US 412) for east-west travel, connecting the city to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the west via the Cherokee Turnpike and to Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Springdale, Arkansas, to the east. US 59 runs south from West Siloam Springs to Stilwell and Sallisaw, Oklahoma, while Arkansas 59 runs north to Gravette and south to Van Buren and Fort Smith, Arkansas.

title: Siloam Springs


text:
Silsila

Silsila (also spelt "Silsileh" and known as Gebel es-Silsila) is an Egyptian locality - a range of sandstone hills - in the region of Upper Egypt, located on the river Nile some 42 km south of Edfu, alomost immediately north of Kom Ombo and some 65 km north of Aswan. Of huge geological and Egyptological significance, the gorge and ancient quarries of Silsila - together with their associated monuments - represent an interesting stop on the road or river journey through Upper Egypt.

Understand
The river Nile narrows at Silsila in order to get through the relatively narrow gorge, composed of steep sandstone cliffs on either side, that it has cut in order to continue its journey far north to the Mediterranean Sea. The locality seems to have formed a natural obstacle to otherwise sedate river traffic, probably reflected in its ancient Egyptian name Khenu, translated as "the Place of Rowing".

Geologically, this gorge marks the point at which the underlying bedrock of Egypt changes from limestone to sandstone. The high quality sandstones at this locality, much in demand, were quarried for centuries during the Pharaonic period and - having been transported up and down the river - were employed in monumental structures the length of Egypt. By the later Ptolemaic and Roman periods, tens of thousands of workers were employed here each year quarrying building stone.

By car
If you are able to travel with a private vehicle, perhaps with Egyptian friends or colleagues, this offers probably the most convenient option for visiting the locality.

By taxi
Taxi drivers are reluctant to stop at Silsila, owing to the prevailing security demands and schedule posed by the local Tourist Police (considered by many to be unwarranted, but there to be dealt with nonetheless). Negotiations and suitable baksheesh may prove useful in this respect.

By felucca
Travellers making a Nile journey by felucca probably stand the best chance for seeing the quarries, by asking their captain to make the appropriate stop.

By cruise ship
Silsila is a frequent stop on cruise ship itineraries - check with the crew for details of any prospective journey before booking.

See

 * The ancient Quarries - a visit to the extensive and atmospheric channels and tunnels carved out over the centuries is well worth undertaking. Most of the quarries are to be found on the eastern bank. Also to be seen are a large number of rock stelae, inscriptions and graffiti
 * 33 known rock chapels of the 18th Dynasty, functioning as cenotaphs to various high officials who worked on quarrying expeditions to the area, exist on the western bank with several royal cenotaphs (Seti I, Ramesses II, Merneptah), and together with (to the north):

Go next

 * Aswan
 * Edfu

title: Silsila


text:
Silver City

Silver City is a town in the southwestern part of New Mexico, USA. An old mining town, it is undergoing rebirth as a modest high-tech center and jumping-off point to a number of attractive areas in the mountains. The small nearby towns of Bayard, Hurley, etc., are also covered in this article.

Get in
Grant County Airport is served by charter company Advanced Air with non-stop service to Albuquerque and Phoenix. Road access is best from the southeast, via US 180 from Deming, and southwest, via NM 90 from I-10 near Lordsburg. NM 152 connects Silver City to I-25 near Truth or Consequences to the east, and is a scenic and interesting drive, but one with some daunting hairpin curves that may challenge drivers of large, unwieldy vehicles. Access from the north is sharply limited by the roadless Gila Wilderness.

Eat
''Plenty of Mexican food around town. All of them do one or two things really well but none are great across the menu.''

Drink

 * Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. 200 N Bullard, 575-956-6144. Serves only the beers and spirits they make. Also pub foods. Happy hour specials. Live music Fridays and Saturdays. Fun place to hang out.
 * Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. 200 N Bullard, 575-956-6144. Serves only the beers and spirits they make. Also pub foods. Happy hour specials. Live music Fridays and Saturdays. Fun place to hang out.

Go next
Silver City's mountain setting allows for a number of fine excursions to outdoor points of interest:
 * City of Rocks State Park, south of town via NM 61. Fee $5/day for day use; campground fees start at $8/night and range upward depending on access to hookups, etc.  A number of interesting short hikes are possible through weird terrain reminiscent of better-known Chiricahua National Monument across the state line in Arizona (another good, but long, excursion from Silver City).
 * Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument north of town, a unit of the national park system. Plan on 1.5 hour drive to the park. Fee $5/day for individuals, $10/day for families; Park Pass applies. Trails to archaeological sites are open for day use from 9AM to 4PM.  No lodging at the monument; plan to stay in Silver City. Dry camping is available in two small National Forest campgrounds at park entrance or 5 miles before the park are 2 larger campgrounds, also dry camping. A small commercial campground is about 4 miles before the park entrance at Gila Hot Springs which services tents and small RVs. Doc Campbell's trading post is part of the Gila Hot Springs complex.
 * Gila Wilderness is a large roadless area north of town, reachable via any number of trailheads in the area. Good for day hiking and backpacking.
 * Pinos Altos is a mining ghost town 6 miles north of Silver City on State Road 15. It has been converted into a tourist attraction and features museums, restaurants, lodging, and art galleries.

title: Silver City


text:
Silverdale

There is more than one place in the world called Silverdale. You could be looking for:

 * 1) Arnside and Silverdale - One of the United Kingdom Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
 * 2) Silverdale (Washington) - On the Kitsap Peninsula, in Washington, one of the United States of America.

title: Silverdale


text:
Silverdale (Washington)

Silverdale is on the Kitsap Peninsula in Western Washington.

Understand
Home to the Kitsap Mall and many big box stores, Silverdale is where locals go for shopping. Centrally located near, Bremerton, Poulsbo and Port Orchard, Silverdale is a convenient place to visit. On the shores of Dyes Inlet Silverdale is also accessible by the water and offers many great views of the area.

History
Native American Salish people lived comfortably in the Puget Sound area navigating the local waterways in well made cedar canoes for thousands of years and developed a complex ritualistic society before 1792 when Captain George Vancouver 'discovered' the area, named it after one of his officers and declared the area for Great Britain.

Once the Washington Territory was established in 1853, the U.S. government began signing treaties with area tribes to acquire their lands. The Suquamish people ceded most of their land around the Kitsap Peninsula to the United States and logging came into the area in full force. The areas once impassible thick forests gave way to farms, towns and industry as lumber was shipped off to areas such as San Francisco or burned as fuel for the growing fleet of boats known as the Mosquito Fleet.

It was loggers who settled in Silverdale in 1854. They expanded their operations into the valleys of Kitsap County, building roads as they went. By the 1880s, Scandinavian immigrants were moving into the area seeking work. As the timber production took the prime trees and opened up large areas, attention turned to farming.

Farming conditions were excellent and the family farms thrived. The Farmer's Cooperative was formed in 1887. Dairy, chicken and hog farms abounded even through the middle 20th century.

The town was named in 1878. Settler William Littlewood wanted to name the town Goldendale, but it turned out that another town bore that name. Instead of trying to find an entirely new name, he changed the "gold" to "silver" and named it Silverdale.

In the mid 1880s steamer boats began making regular trips to Seattle from the Kitsap area and by 1900 the sloop "Telka" departed Silverdale for Seattle once a week. While the Silverdale Dock was the center of entertainment and commercial trade well into the 1900s, the community remained a fairly quiet, family-oriented town. Remnants of its beginnings as an agricultural and timber center can be found at places such as the Old Mill Site on Bucklin Hill Rd.

The announcement by the Navy that it would develop its West Coast Trident Submarine Base at Bangor, caused a rush of change in the community as more people moved in to the area and businesses moved into the region to support the growing population. Several attempts towards city-hood have been defeated, leaving the community an unincorporated part of the county overseen by a Commissioner, elected to a Board of three serving from the county seat in Port Orchard.

Silverdale managed to enter the 21st century with some undeveloped land -- pastures, roaming deer and old-time barns. You can also still find a solitary, tree-lined avenue or a quiet park. In fact, relaxing spots can be found in the Silverdale waterfront park, on the Clear Creek Trail and Island Lake County park.

By car
If you are coming from East Bremerton, then take WA-303 north, and when you cross over the Brownsville Hwy intersection, you will enter a short expressway (with exits like Central Valley Blvd, Ridgetop Blvd, etc), and at the end of the expressway is WA-3 interchange. You can also take WA-3 if you are from Poulsbo. An alternative way is that you can go on Viking Way, and go straight on Silverdale Way, and you will enter. If you are from Seabeck, go on Seabeck Hwy and turn left on NW Anderson Hill Road or Newberry Hill road, and if you take the Anderson Hill Road cross over Old Frontier Rd/Provost Rd intersection and go straight on the roundabout after going under WA-3; if you chose Newberry Hill Road, go straight and it will change on Silverdale Way NW once you pass Chico Way NW. You can take Tracyton Blvd or Bucklin Hill Road to get there, too.

By plane
The nearest airport is Bremerton National Airport. However, it's only for general aviation. The nearest airport for passengers is SeaTac Airport, which is a 1-hour drive via WA-16 off I-5.

Get around
Getting around is easy. The most places are on Ridgetop Blvd and Silverdale Way. You can also shop at Kitsap Mall, the only mall that is in Kitsap County.

See
Whaling Days - The most famous event, which happens on the fourth Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of July. It features food and craft booths, carnival games and concerts.

Birdwatching
The Kitsap Audubon Society has been actively meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders actively tracking and sharing sightings since then. They also maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen in the area.

The state Audubon society developed 'The Great Audubon Birding Trail' which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. The Old Mill Park in Silverdale is one of only a handful of areas in the region named to the list.

Chuck E' Cheese's - next to the Silverdale Way/Myhre Road intersection, Chuck E' Cheese's is a basic sit-down pizza restaurant with a lot of arcade games.

Go next
You can go to Shelton or Port Angeles, or even Port Gamble (looks like it has been in the 1940s!) And sometimes, try to go to Grand Mound as your next stop to the famous Great Wolf Lodge (a fun hotel).

title: Silverdale (Washington)


text:
Silver Ring

Silver Ring is a collection of historical towns and cities in Northwestern Russia.

Understand
The Silver Ring tourism project was launched in 2012 to promote the cultural and historical centers of the Northwest of Russia. It includes temples, ancient churches, architectural types of the Northwest, the castles of the Novgorod Republic and the Teutonian Order, and Korela people's houses.

Prepare
See the travel warnings in our Russia article.

Get in
Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport is the largest international Airport serving the Silver Ring region.

See

 * — The city, which later became the capital of Imperial Russia, was founded by Peter the Great on the lands conquered from Sweden, and named after St. Peter.

 * — Novgorod was the capital of Rus' before it was moved to Kyiv (Kiev) in modern-day Ukraine. Founded in the 9th century. The main attraction of the city is the Novgorod Kremlin, in the museum of which birch bark letters are exhibited ), and on the Millennium of Russia monument you can see the main milestones in the history of the Russian state. Also popular among tourists are St. Sophia Cathedral, Yaroslav's Courtyard and Torg, Yuryev Monastery, Rurik's Settlement.

 * (Старая Русса) — Staraya Russa was first mentioned in chronicles in 1167, but founded no later than the 10th century. From a cultural and historical point of view, the ancient settlement "Staraya Russa" (11th-14th centuries), the Transfiguration Monastery (12th century), St. George's Church (14th century) are of interest. Later buildings include the Trinity Church (17th century) and the Resurrection Cathedral (17th century).

 * (Великие Луки) — the first mention of Velikiye Luki in chronicles was in 1166. The city stands on the Lovat River, along which the route from the Varangians to the Greeks ran . The city was subjected to devastating invasions of the Livonian Order and the Polish troops of False Dmitry II. For this reason, little remains of the old architecture.

 * (Рърхов) — in 1239, Alexander Nevsky with his retinue cut down a fortress on the Shelon River to protect against the Lithuanians. In 1387, on the site of the burnt wooden fortress, stone walls were built from flagstone. Today the fortress works as a museum. The walls themselves, three towers and the church of Nikola inside remained from its architectural ensemble. Speaking of churches. They are here, despite not the most advanced age, special. For example, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary looks like it was built in the first centuries of our era. Although in fact it was founded in the 14th century. But the point is not only in its dilapidation and lack of restoration makeup. The very silhouette of the shrine is more like southern Byzantine churches than classical Orthodox monasteries. No onion domes, bell-shaped candles or flat trapezoid belfries. No fancy galleries. Everything is simple, sometimes even gloomy.

 * (Псков) — the first mention of Pskov was in the Laurentian Chronicle for 903. The city was an important outpost on the western borders of Russia, having extensive defensive fortifications, the core of which is Krom. The main attraction of the Kremlin is the Trinity Cathedral. The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Mirozhsky Monastery (12th century) and the Snetogorsky Monastery (13th century) are considered to be the most ancient monuments of history and culture.
 * (Избо́рск) —	once one of the oldest cities in Rus', now a village. According to legend, it was founded by Slovene the Old in the 9th century. The city got its name Izboresk during the reign of Izbor, the son of Sloven.

 * (Печо́ры) — according to the chronicle, in 1392 two hunters from Izborsk stumbled upon the caves, over which the Assumption Church was erected in 1473. The main attraction of the city is the Pskov-Caves Monastery.

 * (Калининград) — Kant Island	Kaliningrad (until 1946, Königsberg) is a former Prussian city that became part of Russia following the Potsdam Conference (1945). The city was founded in 1255 by the Teutonic Knights. The architecture of the city was badly damaged during the Second World War: from the British bombing (August 1944) and the assault by the Red Army (April 1945). The main attractions are the Cathedral and fortifications preserved in the old city.

 * (Ивангород) — the city was founded by Prince Ivan III of Novy Selo on the Narova River in 1492, opposite the Teutonic Order Hermann Castle in Rugodiv . The purpose of building a fortress literally a hundred meters across the river from the Teutonic castle was to protect the Novgorod land from invasions from its western neighbors. During the construction of the fortress, the architects took advantage of the geological feature: the walls were erected on the ledge of the Baltic-Ladoga Glint, which made its assault unpromising. The architectural ensemble of the fortress includes the Assumption Cathedral, St. Nicholas Church, the Kolyvan Gates, a powder pit, an arsenal, and 11 towers.

 * (Ямбург) — the city of Yam (before 1703 Kingisepp had this name) began with the founding of the stone fortress of the same name by the Novgorod boyar Ivan Fedorovich in 1384. The fortifications were dismantled in the 18th century. In the 21st century, only ramparts and remnants of walls remained. In the absence of medieval fortress walls, the main attraction of the city was Catherine's Cathedral, built in the second half of the 18th century by decree of Empress Catherine II.

 * (Выборг) — founded in 1293 by the Swedes. During its long history, the city managed to be part of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Russian Empire and Finland. Since the Winter War, the city became part of the USSR, and after Russia. In the city, the Vyborg Castle, the Round Tower, the clock tower of the cathedral of the 14th century, the Town Hall tower (1477) are interesting. On the outskirts of Vyborg there is a rocky landscape park Mon Repos, popular with residents and guests of the city.

 * (Приозерск) — the history of the city begins with the Karela fortress on an island at the mouth of the river Uzerva. The first mention in the Novgorod Chronicle dates back to 1143. The first defensive fortifications were made of wood and built by the Karelians. Today's fortress was founded by Novgorodians at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, and in different years belonged to Sweden, the Russian Empire, and Finland. The city finally became part of Russia after the confrontation between the USSR and Finland in the Great Patriotic War.

 * (Ста́рая Ла́дога) — Ladoga is known as a point on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks and as the burial place of Prophetic Oleg (according to the Novgorod Chronicle). The main building in Ladoga is the Staraya Ladoga fortress, located on the territory of the museum-reserve. Other sights include St. George's Church, the Church of Demetrius of Thessalonica (Staraya Ladoga), the mound - the grave of the Prophetic Oleg. Staraya Ladoga is also where Rus', the first Russian kingdom, was said to have been founded by Rurik the Viking in 862.

 * (Вологда) — it was first mentioned in chronicles in 1147. Under Ivan III at the end of the 19th century, it became a place of exile for famous personalities, under Ivan the Terrible - one of the most important transit centers for trade with Western European states through the Sukhona and Northern Dvina rivers. The fortress walls and towers of the Vologda Kremlin have not survived to this day, they were dismantled by the 1820s. Vologda is rich in temple architecture.

 * (Тихвин) — the first information about the Tikhvin Prechistensky churchyard (the settlement that preceded the city of Tikhvin) dates back to 1383. The main architectural and historical landmark of the city is the Tikhvin Assumption Monastery, founded in 1560.

 * (Валаамский монастырь) — it was founded by the monks Sergius and Herman in the early Middle Ages. During its history, the Valaam Archipelago belonged to Sweden (Vyborg Flax), the Russian Empire (Vyborg Governorate, the Finnish Governorate, in the Grand Duchy of Finland again entered the Vyborg Governorate), Finland (Vyborg Governorate), the Soviet Union (Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) and the Russian Federation (Republic of Karelia).).

 * (Солове́цкий монасты́рь) — founded in 1436 in the lands of the Novgorod Republic by the monks Zosima and German. However, the first monastic settlement on the islands appeared as early as 1429. Its founders were Herman and Savvaty.

 * (Kizhi Pogost, Кижский погост) — on January 1, 1966, on the basis of the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost, the Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum was founded, where, in addition to the buildings existing in their original places, a large number of chapels, houses and outbuildings from Zaonezhye and other regions of Karelia were brought.

 * (Малые Корелы) — the museum was founded in 1964, 25 km from Arkhangelsk. Buildings for transportation to the territory of the museum were rolled out on logs, and then reassembled already in Malyye Korely.

title: Silver Ring


text:
Silver Spring

Silver Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is considered to be an "edge city". It sits next door to Washington, DC, and had about 82,000 residents in 2018. It has redeveloped its downtown district with an outdoor shopping plaza called "Downtown Silver Spring", and is criss-crossed by four creeks that are the basis for parks offering hiking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and tennis courts.

Understand
Silver Spring is just across the northeast border of Washington D.C. at Eastern Ave.

As the story goes, Silver Spring was named after a spring with flecks of mica that was discovered in 1840. Francis Preston Blair, one of the organizers of the Republican Party, discovered the spring and owned most of the land that now comprises Silver Spring. He named his mansion Silver Spring after the spring. The spring is said to have been located in what is now on East-West Highway.

From other points in Montgomery County

 * Ride-on-Bus operates service between downtown Silver Spring and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Bethesda, and Wheaton.

By foot
The entire downtown is very compact and easily traversed by foot.

By bus
Van Go Shuttle is a free purple bus that offers frequent service around Silver Spring M-Th from 7AM-midnight and F Sa from 7AM-2AM.

Metrobus and Ride-on-Bus operate service around Silver Spring.

By bicycle
For information on bike-sharing programs in the Washington, DC area, see Washington DC.

Eat
In addition, Downtown Silver Spring, near Ellsworth Street and Fenton Street, has many chain restaurants such as Chipotle, Panera Bread, and Jimmy John's.

Go next

 * Bethesda
 * Takoma Park
 * College Park
 * Washington, D.C.

title: Silver Spring


text:
Silver Springs

There is more than one place called Silver Springs:

United States of America

 * Silver Springs (Alaska)
 * Silver Springs (Florida)
 * Silver Springs (Nevada)
 * Silver Springs (New York)

See also: Silver Spring (Maryland)

title: Silver Springs


text:
Silver Springs (Nevada)

Silver Springs  is a city in Western Nevada.

title: Silver Springs (Nevada)


text:
Silver Star

Silver Star is a Canadian mountain resort in British Columbia's Okanagan region. It is 22 km northeast of the town of Vernon.

Understand
One of the larger ski resorts in British Columbia, the mountain has 3,065 skiable acres and a vertical of 760 m and enjoys the dry, "champagne powder" snow of the Okanagan.

SilverStar's snow season runs from late November to mid-April weather permitting. SilverStar provides summer lift access for mountain biking and hiking from the end of June through to September. Check weather conditions here.

The resort spans over four mountain faces, giving it four distinct areas:
 * offers most of the beginner and intermediate runs on the mountain. Therefore it is usually the busiest face of the mountain and has mostly groomed runs along with intermediate and expert runs. Vance Creek is serviced by the "Comet Six-pack Express" which ferries skiers from below the Village base and Silver Woods areas to the summit at 1,915 m. The "Summit Chair" is a Mueller double chair that takes skiers directly from the Village to the summit as well.
 * is a small area beside Vance Creek which offers a wide variety of glade and groomed runs. The "Alpine Meadows" chair is a fixed grip quad and offers ski-in/ski-out access to the mountain from the developed area called Alpine Meadows.
 * is a part of a catchment below the Comet Express and is serviced by the "Silver Woods Express" which is a detachable high-speed quad. Silver Woods offers many intermediate treed and glade runs and is an access point to the hill from the "Knoll Residential Area". The Silver Woods, along with The Attridge and Vance Creek, make up the area known as 'The Frontside'.
 * , often referred to as the Backside, introduces skiers to much more difficult terrain than the rest of the mountain and offers to the more experienced skier. Most of the runs in the Putnam Creek area are black diamond and double black diamond runs consisting of steep lines with moguls and tree skiing. The "Powder Gulch Express", a detachable high-speed quad gives lift access to the many runs and a way out with the "Home Run T-bar" back to the village.

By car
Silver Star is approximately a 6-hour drive from Vancouver. Take the Trans-Canada Highway (#1) to Hope, Highway 5 to Kamloops, the Trans-Canada again to Monte Creek, Highway 97 to Silver Star Road (just before Vernon).

By plane
The nearest large airport is Kelowna International Airport. See "By bus" below for an airport shuttle service.

By bus
Buses travel to Silver Star during ski season (November to April)

Winter season

 * Skiing and snowboarding: a one-day adult lift pass costs $109 (2020). SilverStar has 12 lifts: one 8 person gondola, one Six-Pack Express chairlift (Comet Six-Pack Express), two detachable high-speed quads (Silverwoods Express, Powder Gulch Express), two fixed-grip quads (Silver Queen Chair, Alpine Meadows Chair) one T-bar (Home Run T-bar), three beginner magic carpets, and two tube lifts, on  (13 km²) of skiable terrain.
 * Tubing, ice skating and mini-snowmobiles
 * Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing: with access to nearby Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, SilverStar offers more than 105 km (60 miles) of daily groomed trails – the largest daily groomed trail network in Canada.

Summer season

 *  Lift Access Mountain Biking: more than 50 km of downhill bike trails and more than 30 km of XC trail. The bike park features a 4-bike carrier lift system that uses a bike carrier on every second chair so you hardly ever wait in line. Biking terrain (XC and DH combined) consists of roughly 23% beginner green trails, 43% intermediate blue trails and 34% advanced and expert trails.
 *  Hiking, wildflower and nature tours

Sleep
A range of on-mountain accommodations is available.

title: Silver Star


text:
Silverstone

Silverstone is a medium sized village in Northamptonshire, England. It lies about half way between Northampton and Oxford. Population about 2,000.

Understand
In the Middle Ages the village trade was primarily in timber from the surrounding Whittlewood forest. Linnell Bros. still operate a woodyard to this day. Fish ponds on the north side of the village fed the villagers.

About half a mile to the south of the village is the world famous Silverstone Circuit, the traditional home of the British Grand Prix. The racing circuit is on the site of RAF Silverstone. For one week in the year it gets a bit hectic, but for the rest of the time it is a pleasant shire village with a healthy community spirit.

By car
Silverstone (Circuit) is located about 115 km northwest of London. Most easily accessible by road, it lies on the A43 between Towcester and Brackley and is signposted from M1 junction 15A and M40 junction 10.

By plane
The closest airports serving Silverstone are: London Luton (48 miles), Birmingham (53 miles), East Midlands Airport (60 miles) and London Heathrow (68 miles).

By train
The main railway stations near Silverstone are at Northampton and Milton Keynes which can both be reached from London Euston.

By bus
Bus and coach services are also available from London but need to be booked in advance. Coach tours are available to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix weekend, leaving from numerous places around the country.

Do

 * When the Formula One World Championship began in 1950, Silverstone held the very first round, won by Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo. In 1951 the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) was handed the lease by the RAC, and huge modifications were made. The pits were moved to the straight between Woodcote and Copse, from the Farm straight where they had been, and a short circuit was built within the larger circuit, cutting from Becketts corner to Woodcote.
 * From 1955 the British Grand Prix swapped venues between Aintree and Silverstone, but with the advent of the 1960s, Aintree fell out of favour and the race was switched between Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
 * In 1971 the BRDC bought the entire 720-acre plot on which Silverstone sits and went about redeveloping the track. New pits were built and a chicane was erected at Woodcote which provided close finishes and great overtaking opportunities.
 * In 1987, with speeds at the circuit reaching astounding levels, a corner was built before Woodcote, and in 1992 a new complex of corners was created between Farm and Woodcote.
 * In the 1990s various upgrades were made to the track's facilities. There is now a racing school at the circuit, and with government funding a new bypass has been built, greatly improving access to the once notoriously out-of-the-way venue.
 * In the 1990s various upgrades were made to the track's facilities. There is now a racing school at the circuit, and with government funding a new bypass has been built, greatly improving access to the once notoriously out-of-the-way venue.

Sleep

 * Escapade trackside accommodation opens in time for the next Grand Prix in July 2024.
 * Escapade trackside accommodation opens in time for the next Grand Prix in July 2024.
 * Escapade trackside accommodation opens in time for the next Grand Prix in July 2024.

Go next
Six miles south of Silverstone Circuit, the North Bucks market town of Buckingham makes a good stop over or handy location for accommodation and supplies.

title: Silverstone


text:
Silverton

There is more than one place called Silverton:

Australia

 * Silverton (New South Wales) - a town in New South Wales.

United States of America

 * Silverton (Colorado) - A town in Colorado.
 * Silverton (Ohio) - A city in Ohio.
 * Silverton (Oregon) - A city in Oregon.
 * Silverton (Texas) - A city in Texas.

title: Silverton


text:
Silverton (Colorado)

Silverton is a small town in San Juan County in Southwestern Colorado. Once famous for its mining resources, it is now becoming famous with the extreme sports set, for a famously tough endurance run (the Hardrock Hundred) and a ski resort that focuses on giving skiers a back-country experience.

Get in
Silverton is on US 550, the famed "Million Dollar Highway" that connects Durango and Ouray, passing through incredible mountain scenery and over several high passes. However, most visitors to Silverton arrive instead by railroad, specifically the Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad, +1-888-872-4607. This scenic line originates in Durango and runs along the Animas River, with a few stops along the way at trailheads for hiking and backpacking. The depot in Silverton is a short walk from the downtown area.

Get around
The town is tiny, and from the train station you'll be able to get to anywhere in town by foot or bike within minutes. (Allow a little extra time for walking because of the 9000-foot elevation.) If you're venturing into the hinterlands, consider renting a jeep from one of these outfitters:
 * Red Mountain Motel, RV Park and Jeep Rentals, 664 Greene St., +1-888-970-5512 or +1 970 387-5512.
 * Silver Summit, 640 Mineral St., +1-800-352-1637 or +1 970 387-0240.
 * Triangle Jeep Rental , 864 Greene St., +1 970 387-9990 or +1-877-522-2354.

See
If you arrive via the narrow-gauge and will be departing the same day, you won't have time for much more than a walk around the many historic buildings downtown. The town maintains a web site with a recommended route and information on the history of the buildings, many of them photogenic.

Buy
Souvenir shops line Greene Street, the main drag through town, and "Notorious Blair Street" to its east. Silverton is not a manufacturing city (to put it mildly) and produces few durable goods of any value, but like many Colorado mountain towns, it supports an arts-and-crafts community of sorts, and you may find something artsy-craftsy of interest amid the tourist trinkets.

Eat
Restaurants in Silverton live a hand-to-mouth existence (so to speak) because of the very small population base during the off season. Make sure to check locally to be sure that your chosen restaurant is still in business.

Go next

 * If you arrived by car, make sure to drive the Million Dollar Highway some distance beyond town before continuing on your way, whether heading north or south. The scenery is superb, with a number of pullouts (notably at the summit of Molas Pass south of town and Red Mountain Pass to the north) where you can pause and drink it in.  There are also a number of fine day-hiking possibilities that are accessible from side roads leaving the Highway.  Some require high-clearance vehicles to approach, but most can be reached by passenger cars.  (Tread carefully; this is high country, and altitude sickness is a real possibility, as are dangerous thunderstorms in the summer and avalanches in the winter and spring.)
 * Creede, Lake City, Ouray and Telluride (the latter a noted ski resort) are other mountain towns nearby, each with its own Rocky Mountain color.
 * Durango is about 50 miles south, and Mesa Verde National Park another 80 or so miles beyond it to the west. Both are worth a visit.

title: Silverton (Colorado)