text:
Uzhhorod

Uzhhorod (Ukrainian: Ужгород, also transliterated Uzhgorod from Russian: Ужгород; Hungarian: Ungvár, German: Uschhorod) is a city in Western Ukraine, the administrative center of Zakarpatska Oblast (Transcarpthian Region). The population of Uzhhorod is multiethnic. The majority of the natives are Ukrainian, but there are a lot of Russians (who immigrated here after World War II), Hungarians, Slovaks, Germans, Jews and Gypsies. Uzhhorod is a very interesting place to visit because the cultures cross here.

Understand
Uzhhorod, or Uzhgorod as transliterated till the end of the 20th century, is the administrative center of Transcarpathia, which was annexed to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1945. Until then it was part of Czechoslovakia and before 1919 it was Austro-Hungarian.

Its population in 2020 was 116,000 people. A foreigner has to be very patient with the natives, because some of them will be glad to help you, but some might like to make your life tougher.

Uzhhorod's downtown is very nice with shops, restaurants, and even a small hotel.

By plane
The closest operating airport is in Košice:

By car
Make sure you have all necessary documents relating to car registration, insurance, etc., when crossing the border into Ukraine.

Uzhhorod has a 24-hour entry point from Slovakia, where an extensive border complex has been constructed with financial support from the European Union. This is on the E50 European highway route which should eventually extend from Vienna to Kyiv, via Bratislava and Košice. Eastward travel by road experiences little delay, but there are often extensive queues in the other direction. In theory pedestrians are allowed to cross this border, but in practice Slovak guards prevent them. One option for those without their own transport is to walk back down the road and hitch a lift through from a Ukrainian vehicle, which they will generally do free or for 200-400 грн.

The M06 highway connects Kyiv with Budapest and runs through Uzhhorod. Driving from the direction of Budapest (Chop) you need to go straight after Rizivka through Mynay. If you drive from the direction of Kyiv (Mukachevo), you must turn right after Rozivka. The road from Rizivka-Mynay will take you as far as Zakarpattia Hotel (the city's largest hotel) and then Petofi Square in downtown.

If travelling by rental car from Hungary or Slovakia, make sure to check the rental agreement to see if you will be allowed to enter Ukraine. Many car rental agencies will not allow their cars to be taken there. If this is the case then you will likely be turned away at the border.

By public transport
Uzhhorod has a convenient public transport system:

Single ride tickets in buses and marshrutkas cost 12 грн.
 * 6 bus routes
 * 12 marshrutka routes

Schedules are available on rozklad.in.ua (in Ukrainian).

You can also check information about public transport on DozoR (for city and intercity buses, in Ukrainian), EasyWay and Google Maps.

By taxi
Taxi is the easiest way of getting around the city. Some popular taxi companies include:

Do

 * Taste bogrács, the region's staple dish
 * Soak in chany, the Transcarpathian mineral water baths
 * Explore the city's wine cellars
 * Soak in chany, the Transcarpathian mineral water baths
 * Explore the city's wine cellars

Go next

 * Khust (SE 120 km) - St. Elizabeth church, (костел св.Єлизавети) 1450.
 * Lviv - The non official capital of Western Ukraine. A 'piece' of Vienna.
 * Mukachevo (SE 40 km)) - Mediaeval Castle "Palanok", the largest one in the region and gothic St. Martin chapel.
 * Mukachevo (SE 40 km)) - Mediaeval Castle "Palanok", the largest one in the region and gothic St. Martin chapel.

title: Uzhhorod


text:
Užice

Užice is a city in Western Serbia.

It has an attractive setting, in a limestone gorge, with red-roofed houses spreading up the hillsides. However, the central area is largely concrete (1960s?) and quite run down. The high number of Yugos on the roads gives the impression that there isn't much money around.

It might be a bit hard to breathe in the town during winter season because of smog/smoke. Buildings don't have central heating, people heat their homes with wood, and the town is located in a valley.

By train
Four fast and six slow trains pass through on the Belgrade-Bar rail line (3 hours from Belgrade). Train from Belgrade costs RSD 660 (as of 2018) and taken 3.5 hours.

By bus
Buses run from the most major cities, including Belgrade. A bus from Belgrade to Užice costs ca. RSD 1,200 (as of 2018).

There are two buses a day to Mokra Gora, and hourly buses to Zlatibor (trip takes 25-40 mins).

Get around
The best way to get around is on foot but taxis are also available.

Taxi ride inside the city costs 100-150 RSD, to Zlatibor town - 800-900 RSD. One of the taxi operators - Taxi Leptir, tel. +381 31 500500.

See and do

Eat
Besides traditional Serbian food, it is worth trying lepinja since Užice is considered the town where it was invented. The most popular place among locals is Šuljaga Milana Laziča.

Drink
Many types of beer are available, from those brewed in town to the big American brands.

Also if you are between the ages of 13 and 113, you can go to techno clubs; there are many and if you don't know where there is a good one just ask around or ask a taxi driver.

Sleep

Go next

 * Take a day trip out and see the lovely mountains around Uzice (to Tara National park or to Uvac river). For more day trips, see Podrinje.
 * Also drive about 1 hour and visit a small village called Mokra Gora which has a tourist train line (Šagranska Osmica).
 * There is Zlatibor mountain, which has great ski resorts which are very active during the winter season in December.
 * Višegrad or Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina to which a bus, priced at RSD1,200 leaves every day at 11ː00
 * Podgorica or Bar in Montenegro to which a bus leaves every day at 12ː00 or 01ː00

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

title: Užice


text:
Vaals

Vaals is a small city in the South Limburg region, in the Dutch province Limburg. It is located right on both the Belgian and German border, with the much larger German city of Aachen at just a stone's throw away. A popular holiday destination for Dutch domestic tourists, the town is surrounded by the rolling hills this region is famous for and is known for its beautiful landscapes.

Understand

The borders of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet here in Vaals, on the Drielandenpunt. The official place of the Drielandenpunt is just a few steps aways from the highest point of the (European) Netherlands, the Vaalserberg. Vaals is a friendly town for tourists, with regular activities and a beautiful natural area surrounding it. The Dutch call it "a piece of abroad in the Netherlands".

The municipality of Vaals comprises the town and a few other villages and hamlets. The main population centres are:
 * Vijlen and its hamlets, the highest located village in the country and popular with hikers and bikers.
 * Lemiers, a small village with a nice, old church.
 * Holset, a tiny village with some good options to eat and a medieval church.

A large number of the inhabitants, up to 26%, are Germans. Nowadays, the town's main activity is tourism. Many Dutch, German and Belgian tourists visit this friendly town each year, with the Drielandenpunt as its main attraction but mostly of course for the beautiful scenery and picturesque hamlets around town.

History
The oldest archaeological traces of human settlements in Vaals were found in the nearby Vijlener forest, and date from the time of Linear Potter culture, about 5000BC. The origin of the town's name is Roman, with its ancient names Vals and Vallis meaning "in the Valley".

Vaals is first mentioned in documents in 1041. In that time, Emperor Henry III donated land to the St. Adalbert Abbey and to distinguish between the city of Aachen and this land, it is referred to as "in the valley"/in Vallis. In those days, the centre of the municipality was Holset, also home to a high court of justice.

Given the location of the municipality, along the main (and originally Roman) road between Aachen and Maastricht, Vaals observed many armies passing by. During the war against the Spanish occupation, in 1568, the armed forces of William of Orange passed through Vaals and looted St. Pauls Church.

In 1661 Vaals became part of the Republic of the United Netherlands. Many wealthy citizens moved to Vaals and turned it into a flourishing industrial hub. One prominent industrial family were the Von Clermonts, who moved from Aachen to Vaals in 1761 and established a large linen factory, with clientèle in Prussia, Belgium, Austria, Poland and even Russia. In 1717, Tsar Peter the Great visited the Von Clermonts. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, and his wife Josephine de Beauharnais visited Vaals and stayed in Bloemendal Castle, one of the outhouses of the Von Clermont family.

During the Conference of Vienna, Aachen was assigned to Prussia and Vaals to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Upon the Belgian declaration of independence in 1830, Vaals was Belgian claimed territory until it was reassigned to the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1839. As a result, the four national boundaries of Prussia, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Neutral Territory of Moresnet, met near Vaals until Moresnet was absorbed into Belgium in 1919 and the current 3 countries point remained.

After 1840
Owing to increased competition and the political closure of the German and Belgian regio to Vaals, industrial activity went down after 1840. Vaals turned from a wealthy industrial town into a leisure and holiday destination for the citizens of Aachen. Its casino's in this time made it a Monte Carlo like destination for the well-to-do of the surrounding regions. Germans referred to the town as the "Vaalser Paradies". To stimulate industry and tourism, a tram was installed in 1922 from Aachen, via Vaals to Wijlre, which was expanded to Maastricht in 1924. This prestigious and costly project was not very successful, as the tram ran no more than 13 years.

Before and during World War II the borders were closed and Vaals grew isolated due to its remote location in the Netherlands. After the war, commerce rose. Germans visited Vaals on a daily basis, as they still do today. Many inhabitants of Vaals found jobs in Aachen and smuggle routes across the border prospered. The smugglers of Vaals were called "The Owls of Vaals", referring to their nightly endeavours. Nowadays, the borders are of course open and Vaals is well embedded in the Aachen local transport system.

Get in
The main way in by car is over the N281, which is connected to the E14/A76. This road is essentially the ancient Roman route from Maastricht to Aachen. Still today, it goes straight through town on to Aachen, and the two towns have basically become one big urban area, with no space in between. Smaller, regional roads (which are advisable if you like to enjoy the scenery) lead to neighbouring Epen and Vijlen, and across the Belgium border to Gemmenich and Plobières.

Buses run frequently and are the only form of public transport to get in or out. The town's main terminal is right in the centre, at the Alexanderplein and in the middle of the shopping area. The main connections are:
 * Line 43 - to Simpelveld and Heerlen
 * Line 50 - to Gulpen and Maastricht
 * Line 50 - to Aachen

The nearest airport is Maastricht-Aachen Airport served by a handful of seasonal flights to beach destinations, and from nearby Aachen direct trains also run to Düsseldorf Airport, which is just over an hour away and has many more international destinations.

There's no train station in Vaals. It's easy enough however to catch a German train in Aachen, or to arrive in Maastricht or Heerlen and take a bus from there.

Get around
The old centre can be reasonably well be explored by foot, but a bike or car is a good option since many of the sights lie on the outskirts of town. Also, the surrounding natural area and villages make one of the towns greatest assets, but take quite a hike on foot. Unlike most other Dutch cities, the centre is not car-free and it therefore easy to get around when driving.

Electric bikes are an increasingly popular way to get around, as they provide all the benefits of a normal bike but make it a lot easier to make your way to the hill tops. This "groenfietsen" (green biking) is an extensive initiative and comes with route proposals. If you book ahead, several restaurants, hotels and campings in Vaals can make these so-called "green-bikes" available for you. If you haven't reserved one, try nearbyHerberg Oud Holset, Holset 54 Lemiers. For more information and a list of participants, see the project website.

Buy
Vaals has a good range of shops, including clothing, shoes, toy and giftstores as well as many daily grocery options. Most of the stores are along the Maastrichterlaan, the main road through town.

There's a fairly large weekly market on Tuesday mornings, in front of the town hall. During the tourist season (roughly from May to October) a regional products market is held very second Saturday (in the evenly numbered weeks). It's small but sells local products like mustard and jams that make good souvenirs. You'll find it on the Prins Willem Alexanderplein, in front of the Albert Heijn Supermarket.

Drink
For a real taste of nightlife, follow the locals and head to Aachen, Maastricht or Heerlen. Nonetheless, if you're just looking for a pleasant place to have a drink, there are a few around.

Sleep
There are several lodging options, but many are in the surrounding villages (which belong to the Vaals municipality) Therefore, consider staying in Vijlen or Lemiers as well.

Connect
Several hotels and other accommodations offer wifi for their guests. The public library offers free use of computers with internet access.

Go next
As the old German city of Aachen is just a stone's throw away, it makes for a great day trip. You can easily bike there, or take bus line 50 from the bus station in Vaals.

Other nearby travel destinations include:
 * Gulpen, take the N278 or bus line 50
 * Maastricht, take the N278 or bus line 50
 * Simpelveld, take the N287 & N281 or bus line 43

For further destinations you can catch an intercity train in Maastricht, Heerlen or Aachen.

title: Vaals


text:
Vaasa

Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa) is the capital of the administrative region Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. The surrounding municipality of Korsholm (Finnish: Mustasaari) is also handled in this article.

Understand
Vaasa was an important place of governance when Finland was part of Sweden. It started in the 14th century when Korsholm castle was built near the village of Korsholm (Finnish: Mustasaari). In 1606 the village was granted city status and five years later it was renamed Wasa in honor of the Swedish royal lineage. The old names live on in the municipality that surrounds Vaasa.

The old town of Vaasa burned to the ground in 1852, and when it was rebuilt it was relocated closer to the sea some six kilometers northwest from its original location. In the same process the town was renamed Nikolainkaupunki (Sw: Nikolaistad) in honor of Russian Czar Nikolai I, as Finland at that time was a Grand Duchy under Russian rule (1809–1917). In its new location the town became an important sea-faring city and a local businessman named Carl Gustaf Wolff (1800–1868) was at one point the biggest shipowner in the Nordic countries. When Finland proclaimed its independence in 1917 the name of the town was again reverted to Vaasa. The town was made capital of the white side (conservative, bourgeois) during the civil war (1918), when Helsinki was occupied by the red side (socialist, communist). It has since then been known as The White City; the support for the whites was very strong in the area.

Around 25% of Vaasa's population is Swedish-speaking and even more are bilingual in Finnish and Swedish. In the area surrounding Vaasa the majority of people are Swedish-speaking; Korsholm has a 70% Swedish majority. The ties to Sweden are strong among the Swedish-speaking of the region, including those in Vaasa itself. The city is shielded from the open sea by the many islands in the archipelago. The nature of this area is nearly unique in the world as it continuously rises from the sea as the sea level due to post-glacial rebound. The Kvarken Archipelago, which is a UNESCO world nature heritage site, is lies off Vaasa.

 * Vaasa and Korsholm Municipal Government websites

By car
Highway 3 (also E12) from Helsinki through Tampere to Vaasa (419 km). The coastal main road 8 (E8) goes from Turku through Rauma and Pori to Vaasa (332 km) and continues through Kokkola to Oulu (318 km).

By train
All trains from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi via Tampere stop at Seinäjoki. From there you can take connection trains, which head to Vaasa. There are also trains that go straight to Vaasa via Seinäjoki. Three of these trains also go from Vaasa to Jyväskylä via Seinäjoki. Check timetables at VR's web site.

By bus
There are west coast bus connections from Oulu to Turku, which go through Vaasa. Buses connect Vaasa also to Helsinki, Tampere, Pori, Kokkola and Hämeenlinna. Coming via Tallinn, there may be coach connections with arranged transfer from the port, mostly via Kamppi. Coming via Stockholm, there may be direct coaches from Turku harbour. Check Matkahuolto and Onnibus for timetables and such.

By boat
A ferry line called Wasaline crosses daily between Vaasa and Umeå, Sweden (with the port in Holmsund at the mouth of the river). One way tickets are 350–390/270–300/150 kr (children 6–17). Normal cars add an extra 550–570 kr to the price, a booked seat 70–120 kr, a cabin 330–480 kr. You can also do a day cruise (six days a week from Vaasa and once weekly from Umeå) which is 410–440 kr return. There are also campaign prices, at least off season. There is a transfer bus from Holmsund to Umeå (15 km; 70/30 kr, children 7–19). Vaasa also has its own transfer bus between the ferry terminal and the city centre.

People arriving with their own motor- or sailboat can make use of Wasa Segelförening (one of Finland's oldest yacht clubs) on the island of Vaskiluoto (Swedish: Vasklot). They run the official guest harbour of Vaasa and offer good services for the occasional boat crew. There's a good view over town from the harbour and it's a two-kilometre walk into the centre.

By plane

Local bus lines 4, 10 and 40 operated by Vaasan paikallisliikenne go to the city centre; a one-way ticket on these buses costs €2.50. Local buses from the airport operate only during weekdays of the school-year, not on weekends or in the summer holidays.

Get around
The city is quite compact and most things to see are within walking distance. The commercial centre and nightlife are concentrated in the area around the market square. The distance to much of Korsholm, on the other hand, is some 12 km. Replot is 20 km away, Björköby 35 and Panike 45, the latter north and north-west of Replot.

By bus
Information about local buses can be found from Wasa Citybus. You can use the Digitransit route planner to seek local bus routes between given locations and addresses. Waltti mobile app can be used for ticket purchase. You can also use NFC payment with Visa, Mastercard or Eurocard (Diners Club and American Express do not work) or a mobile device with Apple Pay, Pivo or Google Pay: the payment card or mobile device is displayed to the reader device, which then says "Lähimaksu hyväksytty" ("Proximity payment accepted").

The local bus traffic to other parts of the city and the surrounding municipalities leaves mainly from the southern end of the market square or from the western side of the Rewell Center shopping mall. Bus lines typically have intervals of one hour or half an hour per line. The office for the city buses, Vaasan Paikallisliikenne, is situated on the second floor of the Rewell Center.

Local transport to surrounding localities around Vaasa is provided by Wiik & Ström.

By electric kick scooter
German Tier rents electric kick scooters for use in the centre.

By taxi

 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

By boat
For the archipelago, you might want a boat cruise or a kayak. See Kvarken Archipelago for some options.

See

 * The campuses of Vaasa. Vaasa has three university-level educational institutions with campuses that make use of Vaasa's industrial past. has a unique campus that combines modern architectural elements with an old Cotton Mill in the neighborhood of Palosaari. The campus is on the waterfront and has park areas all around. Some say it is the most beautiful campus in Finland. South from that campus, closer to the city centre but still along the waterfront is, a former grain mill that houses two faculties of Åbo Akademi university in Vaasa. In the northern end of Kauppapuistikko you will find the , also known as Hanken, which is housed in a former clothing factory.Söderfjärden Landsat.jpg
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * The campuses of Vaasa. Vaasa has three university-level educational institutions with campuses that make use of Vaasa's industrial past. has a unique campus that combines modern architectural elements with an old Cotton Mill in the neighborhood of Palosaari. The campus is on the waterfront and has park areas all around. Some say it is the most beautiful campus in Finland. South from that campus, closer to the city centre but still along the waterfront is, a former grain mill that houses two faculties of Åbo Akademi university in Vaasa. In the northern end of Kauppapuistikko you will find the , also known as Hanken, which is housed in a former clothing factory.Söderfjärden Landsat.jpg
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.
 * Contemporary architecture. There are some interesting buildings to see if you are an architecture buff of the modern sort. One interesting area is the Campus of Vaasa university already mentioned above, another is the city's Center City Block, also called, which was designed by architect Viljo Revell and finished in 1963. In the neighbourhood of Huutoniemi (sw: Roparnäs) you'll find , a modernist building finished in 1964 and designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori. Significant industral architecture is well represented in and the City Library, also mentioned above, is an interesting meld of old and new.

Museums

Do
The archipelago off Vaasa is a : the Kvarken Archipelago.

Venue
If you want to experience live music on a regular basis in Vaasa then there are two venues to keep in mind.

Sports

 * Football:
 * Vasa IFK share that stadium, playing soccer in Kakkonen the third tier.

Buy

There are three shopping malls in Vaasa of which two are found by the market square. On the western side of the square is (named after architect Viljo Revell who planned the modern city block that was built in 1962) and on the eastern side is the smaller. A big mall can be found on the northern end of the market square. In, eastwards from the city center, you'll find a big area with various big shops, a smaller shopping mall and two big supermarkets. Best reached by car.

Budget
There are numerous cheap hamburger, kebab and pizza joints. At lunch time there is a huge variety of places to eat for around. For the cheapest lunches head to a student lunch restaurant. A Finnish student card is required for the subsidised price, but even without it prices are very good value at around €5.

Drink

There are several bars and nightclubs in Vaasa.

Bars and pubs
Most restaurants have bars or pubs in connection to them and especially the summer restaurants have popular terraces to start the evening on.

Go next

 * Kvarken Archipelago (Merenkurkku, Kvarken). The archipelago outside Vaasa is a UNESCO world nature heritage site. The whole archipelago is an experience in itself but the parts under UNESCO protection are mainly in the municipalities of Korsholm, Korsnäs, Malax and Vörå.
 * The coastal towns of Ostrobothnia. Vaasa is the perfect base to go out on daytrips to the smaller towns of Kristinestad (Kristiinankaupunki), Kaskinen (Kaskö) and Närpes (Närpiö) in the south or Nykarleby (Uusikaarlepyy), Jakobstad (Pietarsaari) and Kokkola (Karleby) in the north.
 * Provinssirock is a good rock festival in the city of Seinäjoki, some 80 km east of Vaasa. As most hotels are fully booked in the area during the festival, Vaasa could provide a comfortable base for a musical visit. The annual festival is organized in the middle of June.
 * Or why not take the boat over to Umeå in Sweden.

title: Vaasa


text:
Vacation rentals

Vacation rentals are houses or apartments in tourist destinations that are generally leased to leisure travelers. The residence may have been bought specifically for this purpose, or the regular occupants may vacate it during some parts of the year. The guests will have full use of the residence, typically with utilities included but without servicing or meals. This approach can be cheaper than booking a hotel room or in some cases, several hotel rooms for the same length of time, especially if traveling with a family or other sizable group of people. Vacation rentals are often stocked with a variety of amenities to make your stay more enjoyable, including a private hot tub or swimming pool (without the noisy neighbors), a full-size kitchen (so you don’t have to dine out for every meal), laundry facilities (so you can pack light), etc. Contacting the owners directly is the ideal way to make arrangements as they can answer any questions you may have about the property. Vacation rental agencies that professionally manage locations are also a popular option as they can assure that the facility will be clean and available – and help find one.

Buying a second home might be an option.

Advantages

 * Families traveling with children get privacy for parents, lower accommodation cost, lower meal cost, added together means stays can now be longer. A few extra days vacation makes a big difference.
 * Vacation rentals offer the comfort and privacy of a home so you can have a more relaxing, enjoyable vacation. In a traditional hotel, amenities such as swimming pools and laundry facilities are publicly shared, whereas in most vacation rentals, a private pool and laundry facility is included in the rate.
 * Almost all vacation rentals offer a private kitchen, which allows for cooking meals at home rather than going out to eat each day. This saves time and money on dining expenses.
 * Vacation rentals are often somewhat less to significantly less expensive than a hotel rooms and are great for groups and families who would otherwise have to pay for multiple hotel rooms. In some cases (especially at off-peak times of the year), a one-week rental of a 5-bedroom, 2-story vacation home can cost less than the rate of two or three nights in a regular, high-quality hotel.
 * The typical hotel room is 400 square feet (37 sq. meters); the average vacation rental is a 2,000 square foot house (186 sq. meters).
 * Amenities of vacation rental home communities often feature far more than what can typically be found in a hotel; namely such perquisites like a clubhouse, arcade, expanded business center facilities, sundry shops, and even a movie theater.

Disadvantages

 * While vacation rentals often tout that they are all-inclusive, this usually does not include daily housekeeping and maintenance service, which can be an inconvenience to visitors used to returning to a professionally cleaned room at the end of the day. And if something breaks during your visit, it is most likely your responsibility to call or hire someone who can fix it.
 * Vacation rentals typically tend to be situated within several minutes distance to the most popular area attractions or neighborhoods, but this isn't always the case. Hotels are usually located much closer to the area's main attractions as well.
 * The use of AirBnB-style home stay networks to convert existing local housing stock to "ghost hotels" has become controversial in many localities. Some landlords evict existing tenants to turn units into short-term vacation rentals, some tenants sublet apartments without their landlord's knowledge or consent, some neighbours become less neighbourly after their quiet condominium block turns into a revolving door of loud or drunken transient visitors and existing hotels simply don't want the competition.
 * Minimum stay time tends to be longer (often one week), an issue if you're in town for just one night or one weekend. Cancellation policies are also less flexible; if you need to cancel or cut your trip short you may be out the cost of accommodations you are unable to use.
 * Understand how suitable the vacation rental and community is for you and your travel companions. Some rentals cater more toward adult clientèle (think smaller, more upscale accommodations), while others are very child/family-oriented (think colorful décor, lots of amenities, etc.)

title: Vacation rentals


text:
Vacaville

Vacaville is in Solano County in the Sacramento Valley of California.

By car

 * I-80.svg Vacaville is about northeast from San Francisco and  southwest of Sacramento. Vacaville is accessed from Exit 51B (Pena Adobe Rd) through Exit 59 (Meridian Rd, Weber Rd) of I-80. Nearest BART station to Vacaville is the Concord Station,  southwest, in Concord (via Concord Ave from Exit 52 of I-680).
 * I-505.svg from I-5.svg. I-505 goes from I-5, near Dunnigan (exit 553), to Exit 56 of I-80 in Vacaville.  This serves as a short cut for travelers coming from Dunnigan or anywhere further north to the San Francisco Bay Area (via Vacaville) without going into Sacramento.

Do
Riverwalk park, west side of Highway 80.

Go next

 * Lake Berryessa- 505 North to 128 West. About 75 minutes away.
 * Napa- 80 West to 12 West to 29 North. About 30 minutes away.
 * Sacramento- 80 East. About 40 minutes away.

title: Vacaville


text:
Vadodara

Vadodara (Gujarati: વડોદરા Vaḍodarā), also known as Baroda, is a city in Central Gujarat, India. It is named for the vaḍ (વડ, meaning "banyan") trees that flourish in the area. It is known as the cultural capital of Gujarat.

Understand
Vadodara lies on the bank of Vishwamitri River, 141 km from Gandhinagar, the state capital. The eastern part is the old city, while the western part beyond the Railway Station is the modern part of the city.

Vadodara came into prominence during the period of the Maratha confederacy, when the a general of the Marathas, Pilaji Gaekwad, conquered the city from the Mughals. He and his descendants ruled the region, initially under the vassalage of the Maratha Peshwas, becoming increasingly independent as the Peshwas weakened as a power. After the defeat of the Peshwas, the Gaekwads continued to rule the kingdom as one of the autonomous princely states under the British. Vadodara owes much to the Gaekwads, who were generally considered to be enlightened rulers, bringing industry and excellent educational institutions to the city. Many of the attractions for travelers are from those times.

The city has continued its tradition of being a being an industrial centre during modern times as well. It is home to people who have moved here from other cities in India, attracted by a lifestyle that combines the calm of a small town with the amenities you would expect from a major city. Vadodara has a significant population of people who have returned from a stay abroad (former Non-Resident Indians or NRIs) who have decided to settle here.

Talk
Apart from Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi and Sindhi  are spoken by pockets of the population, Marathi due to the heritage of the Gaekwad rule and Sindhi by descendants of refugees from the Partition. Most people are easily able to speak passable English, and in certain areas you will meet people that are fluent in English.

By plane
The nearest international airport is about 100 km away in Ahmedabad which hosts Air India, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

By car
The National Highway no.8 passes through Baroda. It is connected by excellent roads. There is an express highway to Ahmedabad, and highway travel is fairly speedy by road, at least to other places in the western part of the country. Its going to be a 6 Lane road soon.

By bus

 * Hotmail Sign Up
 * Hotmail Sign Up

Get around
Local transport consists mainly of city buses and three-wheelers called auto-rickshaws which are very cheap and easily available. All the drivers refuse to use meters. You can also get an autorickshaw using the Uber or Jugnoo apps, or you can use the prices from these apps to negotiate a better one.

The VITCOS City Buses take you to all parts of the city, and the VITCOS Bus Stand is right opposite to the Railway Station. The buses are very comfortable and cheap. They cost ₹1 per 1.2 km.

See

Do
There are quite a few sights worth taking a look at such as the Lakshmi Vilas Palace and the old zoo. If you're headed here plan a trip that lasts not more than three days because then you'll run out of things to do. And because of the fact that it is cosmopolitan, infrastructurally decent and well connected by rail, road and air, this is a good place to have as your 'hub' and make day trips to other places.

Events

 * Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival -

Religious festivals

 * Navratri, meaning nine days, is the biggest festival of Baroda. People worship the nine avatars of Goddess Durga, the manifestation of Shakti. The festival includes typical dances, known as Garbas and Dandiya Raas, performed by men and women wearing traditional, colorful dresses. The Navratri festival normally falls in the month of October every year

Learn
If you wish to undertake studies in the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) you must apply at any India Embassy or Consulate in your country for a student visa. International student fees are high. Your best bet for reducing costs is to apply for scholarship issued by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Work
Vadodara has companies like L&T, Xylem water solutions, IOCL, ABB, GSFC, ONGC, IPCL (now Reliance), Bombardier, General Motors, Kemrock, Alembic and Jyoti. Many other petrochemical companies like GACL and pharma companies like Sun Pharma, Alembic and Sarabhai are also well known. It is also considered a good location for IT companies, and a new biotech park is coming to the city. Quickstart Global has set up its operations as well, providing employment to more than 800 people in Vadodara.

Buy
Camel leather and related arts of embedding pure gold and stone colors, on camel leather and hide vessels are well known here.

Eat
There are plenty of eateries in and around the city and getting good food is not a problem.

Mid-range

Don't forget to try the famous 'Gujarati Thali' (Kathiyawadi):

Drink
Vadodara is a nice place to be but lacks a nightlife altogether because of a blanket ban on alcohol throughout Gujarat. Foreign nationals can procure alcohol after getting a permit, but this procedure is not without its headaches.

You will need your passport plus a photocopy of your passport data page and your visa. You must ask your hotel to stamp this photocopy and write a simple statement to say that "xxx is residing at this hotel, room xxx. The fee for the permit is ₹100. The permit is valid for one month, during which time each person is allowed to buy a limited quantity - 10 units at a time (one unit is 10 large bottles of beer, or 3 bottles of wine or 1 bottle of spirits), no more than twice in six days.  This should satisfy all but the heaviest of drinkers. You can use the permit at any location that sells alcohol.

The wine shop at the Hotel Kaviraj (the hotel is being refurbished but the wine shop is open on the side of the building) is open from noon to 10PM and can always issue a permit.

Budget
Choose any of the hotels available besides the railway station (Sayaji Gunj area), but be aware that they sometimes refuse foreign tourists because of the paperwork needed for the booking.

Mail
Vadodara has 3 main post offices:

Phone and internet
Most hotels in Baroda do offer free Wi-Fi. You'll be able to check email or use Skype at McDonald's Family Restaurants too. Internet Cafes are few.

Stay safe
Vadodara is generally a safe city, and is heavily secured by the local cops (who may be in yellow-ochre, black, white or informal dress but in yellow-ochre socks). In the relatively unlikely event that you have any trouble, you can call 108 (emergency number).

Cope
Tourists and especially non-resident Indians can expect to pay significantly more than locals, so don't be surprised if you experience this.

Go next

 * Bharuch - Halfway between Vadodara-Surat, Bharuch is the oldest city in Gujarat.
 * Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (47 km from Vadovara) - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll see the remains of a medieval city whose architecture is special because it was Islamic buildings executed by Hindu and Jain workmen in a very unique style.  Pavagadh Kalika mandir is a must see place. You may hire local taxi or auto to reach Manchi which is 5 km from Pavagadh. There is a state bus facility every hour from Pavagadh to Manchi. At Manchi, Get a Ropeway (Udan Khatola in Hindi) ticket (₹98 to and fro) one of the best ropeways in India. After getting down from ropeway, climb 250 steps to Kalika mandir.
 * Dabhoi (33 km from the city center) - an old fortified town, originally known as Darbhavati, renowned for its gates and Jain temples, both impressive for its fine carved details
 * Kevadia ( from Vadodara) – a small town, best known for the majestic Statue of Unity.
 * Sankheda - Travel to Sankheda to see the making of lovely lacquer-coated furniture.
 * Tejgadh - A village noted for its  Tribal Academy of Gujarat, which is a social service organization aiming for the development of local tribals. It also operates a museum showcasing tribal crafts.

title: Vadodara


text:
Vadsø

Vadsø is a town in Finnmark.

By car
Vadsø is on E75.

By bus

 * Eskelisen Lapinjat  offers bus rides from Finland to Vadsø.
 * You can take a bus from Kirkenes airport to Vadsø. The trip takes approximately 2.5 hours. Search finnmark.no for regional bus connections.

By boat
Hurtigruten calls Vadsø. It and Kirkenes are the only ports visited once on a Hurtigruten ferry cycle. The ferry arrives and departs in the early morning.

Get around
Vadø is small and can easily be explored on foot. Bicycles can be rented to explore small neighboring villages not listed on some maps, and to better see the surrounding Arctic landscape.

See
Airship mast. On the small island, that is connected to the main town by bridge, lies the slightly dilapidated airship mast that was designed by the well-known Italian airforce general Umberto Nobile in the 1920s. It was the last mainland port for the airships used to explore the north pole region. It can be easily climbed, but watch out for the rusting ladder. The top platform gives fantastic views over the island and Vadsø.

Do

There are a number of fine beaches just outside of Vadsø.

Eat
Vadsø is synonymous with the King Crab. Though the commercial fishing industry has shuttered Vadsø's fish processing plant, a small group of local fisherman still place crab pots (specially designed traps) in the waters around Vadsø. Live King Cran can be purchased, with a bit of determination, from local fisherman at the wharf when they are bringing in the days catch.

title: Vadsø


text:
Vadstena and Ödeshög

Vadstena (pronounced "Vasstena" by the locals) is a village in Sweden. It is in the northern part of the Götaland region in the Östergötland county. It has about 5,000 inhabitants.

Vadstena is a small town, but has many historic buildings from its impressive history.

Ödeshög has just short of 3,000 inhabitants, with just above 5,000 inhabitants in the municipality as a total.

Understand
Vadstena is situated on the eastern shores of Lake Vättern in a rich farmland district.

The town's history is closely connected to the convent, founded by Saint Bridget of Sweden in 1384. It was the first, and also the largest, convent of the Bridgettine Order. The convent was established in the 13th century royal palace by lake Vättern. Since 1999, Bridget has been one of Europe's six patron saints.

After the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the convent was closed and the abbey church later became the Vadstena parish church, which it still is today.

In the 16th century, a hospital was founded next to the convent to care for the poor pilgrims who couldn't afford to stay at inns and guest houses in town. The hospital lived on through the centuries specialised on psychiatric help. Several old buildings in the hospital area are still standing today.

By plane

 * Skavsta Airport - Used by Ryanair. Lies some 140 km north-east of Vadstena. A shuttle bus (90 min) overland link between Linköping and Skavsta airport.
 * Linköping Airport - 40 km East from Vadstena. Flights almost only to Stockholm, Amsterdam, Riga and Copenhagen. There are no shuttles between the airport and Linköping central station and you need to take a taxi from the airport.
 * Norrköping Airport - Flights almost only to Helsinki, Visby, München and Copenhagen. Lies 90 km north-east of Vadstena.

By train
Train stations are in Motala, Mjölby or Linköping, from where you take the bus to Vadstena.

By bus

 * The local bus company is called Östgötatrafiken. They also run the buses and trains in the rest of Östergötland and is the cheapest way to get to Vadstena.
 * The local bus company is called Östgötatrafiken. They also run the buses and trains in the rest of Östergötland and is the cheapest way to get to Vadstena.

It's not possible to pay cash for a ticket on the bus. You can get a ticket in Quickomats and some stores. It's also possible to buy an SMS-ticket - information how to do that can be found at. The ticket is valid for a limited time so you can use the same ticket for more than 1 trip.

You can also buy a bus card. It is a magnetic strip card and you can load money in it. The advantage is that each trip fare is cheaper than the normal fare. You'll find more info about tickets and fares at.

By car

 * 245 km south of Stockholm.
 * 90 km south of Norrköping.
 * 450 km north of Malmö/Copenhagen.
 * 15 km south of Motala.

Get around
Vadstena is a small town and the easiest way to see the sights is by foot.

Taxi
Taxis are on the expensive side. The meter is used to control the cost but always make sure that this is set when commencing a journey.

See

Do

 * Visit the Abbey. Don't miss the concertos.
 * Walk around the city.
 * Attend the Nostalgic evenings at the Toy Museum, once a week during summers.
 * The city sightseeing train Hjulius with guided tour of the town.

Buy

 * Bobbin laces, traditionally woven in Vadstena since the 17th century.

Go next

 * Herrestad Church and Örberga Church, dated to the early 12th century
 * Borghamn, little town 15 km south of Vadstena where you can buy fish and enjoy the harbor, and beautiful walk up to Omberg.
 * Vadstena Motorcycle and Tractor Museum, just outside Vadstena
 * Motala, town 15 km north of Vadstena.
 * Motala, town 15 km north of Vadstena.

title: Vadstena and Ödeshög


text:
Vaduz

Vaduz is the capital city of Liechtenstein and has a population of 5,700 (2019). It's home to the prince's castle and his museums, and thus the main point of interest for visitors to this small country. However, some people consider it to be a rather disappointing hodge-podge of unattractive modern buildings, cranes and farmland, so while it is a European capital, it may not be of interest to some visitors for more than a quick stop.

Understand
Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein, but not its largest city: Schaan is slightly larger. German language sources like to point out that it lacks Stadtrecht and is thus the only capital of a European state that is legally a village.

By public transit
ÖBB, the Austrian federal railway company, runs trains to (near Schaan) from Buchs SG station in Switzerland and from Feldkirch in Austria.

Trains from Vienna, Zurich and Chur arrive at the (the main Swiss town on the Liechtenstein border). Buses run every 15 minutes from to Schaan and Vaduz. Tickets can be purchased on the bus for Fr. 3.40 and it only takes about 10 minutes to Schaan and another 5 to Vaduz.

If you're coming by rail from Switzerland, it may be quicker and cheaper to take the train as far as Sargans (rather than Buchs), from where it's possible to catch a bus (see below) straight to Vaduz. Consult the SBB timetable to find out what'll be quickest when you're travelling. There are lockers at the Sargans station so you can leave your luggage there. This link provides a plan of the station showing the lockers and where to catch the bus from.

The Liechtenstein Buses number 12 service runs from Sargans railway station to Buchs railway station via central Vaduz and Schaan railway station. It leaves from outside each station approximately every 20 minutes. The buses are yellow-green in colour. A fare to Vaduz is Fr. 5.80 from Sargens and Fr. 3.40 from Buchs. Consider getting a whole network day pass (Fr. 12) or week pass (Fr. 24) if you are making many journeys on Liechtenstein Buses, though two single fares (e.g. from Sargens or Buchs to Vaduz and Vaduz onward to Feldkirch) cost less than a day pass.

From Feldkirch railway station in Austria, look for the distinctive off-yellow Liechtenstein Buses. Numbers 11 and 14 head straight to Vaduz and number 13 goes to Buchs railway station, by-passing Vaduz, so you'll have to change at the Schaan railway station interchange.

By car
You can also drive into the town - it's well signposted. There is plenty of parking.

Get around
Vaduz is very small and walking around the city and the areas around it will not take very long.

The municipal borders of Vaduz are a delight of European feudalism run amok, as it contains seven exclaves seemingly randomly spread across the national territory. This will have almost no practical importance for most visitors.

See

A short walk towards the river will offer visitors the chance to experience some great views of the mountains surrounding the city. The old covered bridge which spans the Rhine River provides an interesting way to cross the border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The unpainted, weathered wooden bridge is rustic in appearance. It accommodates foot or bicycle traffic only, cars are prevented from approaching. Drivers may find it tricky to pull off. Cars on this road are headed to the Swiss Autobahn, a few hundred metres across the river directly west of the bridge. Please use care. These motorists may not tolerate the casual traveller on a busy road. There is no means to access the bridge from the west by car. The road that would appear to lead to the western end of the bridge is the aforementioned Swiss Autobahn.

From the centre of Vaduz follow Zollstrasse (towards the football stadium) until you reach the river. There are no border checks.

Do

 * Watch football at

Buy
The main shops in Vaduz sell tourist trinkets all branded in Liechtensteinian and Swiss colours. There are plenty of flags, t-shirts and cuckoo clocks available. People who enjoy collecting passport stamps are able to get an official Liechtenstein Tourist Office stamp at the Tourist Information office. The cost was Fr. 3 in July 2018. This is unique as there are no border crossings at either of Liechtenstein's frontiers. Postage stamps and postcards can be bought at the post office opposite the tourist office as well as most other shops.

There is also a small retail village between Vaduz and Balzers. This is home to a McDonalds, and a sports clothes shop among other things.

Eat
The main square is behind the bus station in the middle of Vaduz. There are a number of cafes and restaurants offering hearty Liechtensteinian, Swiss, and Austrian fare at reasonable prices.

Budget
Liechtenstein isn't a cheap place to eat. More low-priced options are in Feldkirch just across the Austrian border. It's 15 km by car. The train departs from Schaan. And the more frequent city bus goes from Vaduz there.

Sleep
Frankly, you'd be mad to spend the night in Vaduz when you could ascend into the mountains and enjoy the breath-taking views from places such as Triesenberg or Malbun.

Go next

 * Links to the A13 motorway in Switzerland (which runs alongside the border) are clearly signposted.
 * The medieval town of Feldkirch in Austria is 15 minutes away, and has a lot of charm.

title: Vaduz


text:
Vagator

Vagator is a village in North Goa, India.

Understand
Adjoining the famous Anjuna beach, Vagator is a little more laid back, though still pretty much steeped in the rave culture. The tourist traffic is predominantly Western backpackers, however it has also become popular with Indian tourists, who particularly come to watch the sunset from the rocks.

Get in
Vagator is located approximately a one hour drive from the Dabolim Airport. A prepaid taxi to Vagator will be about ₹1,250.

The nearest railway station is at Thivim. Other railway stations are at Margao and Vasco da Gama.

Get around
Scooters can be rented for ₹250 a day. Anywhere and everywhere you will find people trying to rent you their scooter. If you like a bike, a 350 cc Enfield would cost you ₹500 a day (kick starting one of these can be an experience, learn how to do it from the owner if you want to rent one. The recoil from the kick can break your leg). This is the best way to see Goa, you can go where ever you want. And getting around is easy, locals are very helpful just pull over and ask someone.

In case of a taxi, going anyplace, the taxi drivers will start quoting from ₹250 to ₹400. You must bargain.

See

Vagator Beach has dramatic red cliffs looking down on the shore and two fresh water springs within a stone's throw of the sea. Vagator Beach is split into two main beaches by a seaside headland which holds the car park and lots of stalls selling trinkets, clothes, soft drinks and snacks. As you face the sea, on your right is Big Vagator Beach and on your left Ozran Beach, more commonly known as Little Vagator Beach.

Do

Every Wednesday a flea market is held at Anjuna beach. This market is very popular among the tourists.

The Saturday night flea market in Arpora, organised by a German since early 1990s, is by far the largest and most vibrant flea market in North Goa. There is also a sizeable performance area which promotes local talent.

Buy
Bargain on anything you buy at the street vendors and people on the beach (stuff on the streets, pay 50% of quoted price).

In Vagator, you can find a 24-hour restaurant/convenience store/chill out called Robert's place near Primrose. A flea market is organised here every Wednesday, though it is yet to make an impression like the ones in Anjuna or Arpora.

Mapusa is the nearest town for provisions and shopping. This is where the locals shop.

Open air clubs
There are a number of places playing to a dance & trance crowd during the tourist season.

Sleep
Vagator has little by way of seaside accommodation.

Go next
If you like the tranquil, 30 km north of Vagator is the beautiful pristine beach of Arambol.

Cope
Close to Vagator and Chapora is the Petrol Station, where you want to monitor what's happening if you don't want to be scammed.

title: Vagator


text:
Vaikom

Vaikom is a town of 23,000 people (2011) in Kerala in India.

Understand
Vaikom is the second major tourist spot of Kerala State as per the People's participation for participatory planning and empowerment through responsible tourism scheme.

By car
38 min from Cochin. However during peak hours (8-10AM and 3-6PM) it may take an hour to reach Vaikom town from Cochin.

By bus
Buses and taxis are easily available at all times of the day from Kottayam and Cochin.

By train
Vaikom Road via Kottayam (15 km).

By plane
Via Cochin International Airport (60 km).

By bus
Vaikom has an excellent local bus service system and it is cheap.

By autorickshaw
This is cheap way of transportation between attractions.

By taxi
Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self-drive. Rates are around ₹7 per km but there are all sorts of extras.

By boat
When you are visiting places like Kumarakom, it is better to opt for boats, as many places in Kuttanad are inaccessible by road.

There are also good ferry services between places that are widely used by the locals, a cheap and scenic way of getting around.

By walk
Many attractions are near by one another so you could walk between them.

Do
Another fun thing to do in Vaikom is to wander through Mahadeva Temple, the central area of the town. By the year end, the yearly Vaikom Temple Festival, Vaikothashtamy, there are a large crowd and the roads are flooded with people.

Buy
It is worth checking out the local gold and silver stores there. The silver anklets with bells are very pretty and cheap. There are also road side spice shops.

Eat
Karikku / ilaneer (tender coconut).

Sambhaaram (buttermilk), especially on hot summer days.

Fresh toddy from the coconut tree, especially around the Kumarakom area. Take caution as adulteration of the brew is very common. Your best bet would be to get it from a local who has given over his coconut trees for extraction

Drink
So many toddy parlours in Vaikom with excellent naadan food.

The KTDC Restaurant near Boat Jetty Offer excellent Beer and Food, and it is nicely located near the shore of Vembanad Lake

Sleep

 * Karithanam Ayur Farms, www.karithanam.com
 * Devaswom Guest House
 * Vaikothappan Tourist Home
 * Kalakkal Tourist Home
 * Kailas Lodge

Go next

 * Alappuzha — famous for House Boats, is 30 km away.
 * Munnar — a hill resort in Idukki District, is 130 km east. And on the way to Munnar are
 * Kallil Temple — an old Jain temple but now a Hindu temple is 53 km from Perumbavoor.
 * Kodanadu — elephant training centre.
 * Bhoothathankettu — dam, 8 km northeast of Kothamangalam.
 * Thattekkad — bird sanctuary near Bhoothathankettu.
 * Idukki District — a hilly region with lots of hill resorts, on the way to Idukki are Thommankutthu waterfalls in Idukki District via Muvattupuzha.
 * Athirappilly Waterfalls — near Chalakudy, Thrissur
 * Thekkady
 * Kumarakom in Kottayam
 * Guruvayoor and Thrissur
 * Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud in Tamil Nadu
 * Lakshadweep — is a 5-day (seasonal) cruise from the Cochin port.
 * Cherai Beach — some 25 km away from Cochin city near North Paravur and its beautiful with a nice beach and local cuisine.

title: Vaikom


text:
Vail

Vail is a U.S. ski resort town set in the Rocky Mountains. Vail is located in the Northwestern region of the state of Colorado. It is 100 miles west of Denver and 35 miles (56 km) east of Eagle.

Understand
Roughly Vail is divided into four zones; West Vail, Vail Village, Lionshead, and East Vail.

By car
I-70 is a direct route into Vail. It's exactly 100 miles from Denver, and about 130 miles from Denver International Airport.

During peak times, I-70 can get very congested and it is not unheard-of for a trip from Vail to Denver to take 3 hours or more. Peak times are weekend afternoons (2-6PM) both in the summer and winter. Plan accordingly and either leave in the morning, or leave Vail after 5PM in the winter. If you do leave after dusk, however, be warned that road conditions can get icy. If you are from a major metropolitan area, the drive may also seem very dark to you with virtually no highway lighting and no reflectors on the roadway. Due to the darkness, high beam laws are often ignored. You can get a snapshot of travel conditions on the Colorado Highway Patrol web site.

If you are not experienced with winter driving conditions, you may want to think twice about travelling to Vail by rental car. Although most of the time you'll find the highway dry and perfectly fine, when it snows the road can get nasty. The ride from Denver takes you from to the Eisenhower pass/tunnel at over 11,000 ft. After a steep drop to Silverthorne at 8,750 ft, I-70 winds through Officer's Gulch which is notorious for black ice conditions, high winds and white out conditions when the weather is severe. I-70 then climbs over Vail Pass at 10,650 ft before the drop to the Vail Valley floor at 8,120 ft. If you are uncomfortable driving in the severe conditions that may occur on this drive, it is recommended that you spend a little extra money and employ one of the private charter services available in the Vail Valley. Although some Denver-based companies also offered chartered service to Vail, their drivers often have limited experience in severe weather. Many Denver charter companies also use all season tires in the winter. If you do a little research, you should be able to find a reputable Vail based company that uses studded snow tires during the winter.

Scheduled and chartered services are available from Denver International Airport and Eagle County Regional Airport.

By plane
Fly into Eagle County Airport or Denver International Airport. Vail/Eagle County Airport is about 35 miles from Vail; a shared ride in a van from there to Vail will cost you about $70 per person. If you are traveling with your family or in a group, there are a number of private charter services that are also available. These are often more convenient than a shared ride service since they transport you door to door. Although you might think about renting a car, parking is expensive in Vail and most everything is in walking distance or a short ride away on the town's extensive free bus system. If you fly into Denver, you might think about renting a car, but you should be warned that the more than 100 mile trip from Denver takes you over 2 mountain passes at elevations of 11,000 and 10,600 feet. An option to get from Denver Airport to Vail is to take a private chartered service that is familiar with the drive and road conditions.

Another option from Eagle Airport is to use the county bus system (ECO). This is difficult to find: exit the airport out the front door, make a right and walk about 100 feet to the bus stop. The bus takes about 80 minutes. The bus runs from Eagle Airport through most of the towns and goes to the Vail Transportation Center. The cost in 2018 was $4 each way.

Most private transport companies quote prices of $120 to $180 each way for a trip into Vail.

By bus or shuttle
The at 241 S Frontage Road E (between Vail Road and Vail Valley Drive) acts as the local bus station.

Several carriers offer limo, van, or bus service to and from Aspen, Denver, and other cities in Colorado ($300 one-way), or the Eagle Vail airport ($100 one-way). Greyhound will be the cheapest at $12-30 one-way with advance purchase.

 * Bustang links Vail with Glenwood Springs and Eagle to the west and Denver and Frisco to the east.

Get around
If you are staying in Vail or Lionshead, having a car will be more hindrance (parking fees) than a value. The town is set up so you can walk between most places and the slopes. There is also a free shuttle that will take you to the immediate surroundings and up to Beaver Creek.

By car
If you are coming from somewhere else and skiing, you can park on site. It will cost about $25 (2010) per day. Best advice arrive early (before 9AM) on busy days and you won't have problems. There are two parking garages, one in Vail and one in Lionshead. The Lionshead garage is the shortest walk to the slopes.

If the garages do fill up, you may to park on the road. The problem being that they don't let you park on the road until both garages are filled. So say you drop your friends off at Golden Peak (so they can put their kids in child care) then go back to the Vail parking lot, its full, so you then have to go park in Lionshead and take a bus back to catch your friends.

For those doing child care there is also a ($25/day) valet parking at Golden Peak, cheaper to park at the main Vail garage and walk (5 mins). Most Hotels in Vail, (see: upscale) will provide you with a free shuttle, just ask before you arrive.

Most major car-rental firms are located at Denver International Airport and some in Eagle Regional Airport. Once you arrive in Vail, there is a free in-town bus system.

Winter sports
Ski/snowboard Lift Tickets $199 (2018 prices) a day too steep? Want to save some money? Well there are a couple of ways, but they are not easy:
 * Use of the snow.com or vail.com website has seven day advance internet purchases with highly discounted rates.
 * Colorado Pass - The Colorado Pass provides unlimited slope access at Breckenridge, Keystone and A-Basin, as well as 10 days' access to the lifts at Vail or Beaver Creek. The Colorado Pass costs $449 (2008). It is blocked out on certain dates.
 * eBay - Typically for $10 you can buy a 2 for 1 coupon that was issued somewhere in the country. There have been counterfeits so your mileage may vary.
 * Grocery stores - Discounted tickets for Vail are no longer available at grocery stores on Denver as they once were.
 * Locals - If you have friends in Vail, and they have a season pass, they get 5 "Buddy Passes" that allow you to ski for $35 a day, so make some friends, and ski for less.

Avoid the lines If you can get on the mountain a little earlier (before 9:30AM) than everyone else you can stay ahead of the crowds and never wait in a line more than 5 minutes. Here are some suggested starting routes: Lionshead - Don't wait for the gondola, take the quad chair. Ski over to the far side (the far side can be much shorter) of lift 2 and up.
 * Favorite: Start at golden peak, and take the lift past the first drop off to the top. Get off and take lift 11 (Northwoods) to the very top of the Mt.  From there drop into China Bowl or go off to Blue Sky basin.  Come back to the front after noon and you'll see a lot of the mountain.
 * Starting at Vail Village. If the Vista-Bahn is really full, take the little two seater chair up.
 * They do not run the two seater chair, except for races.
 * Ski over to Golden Peak and follow along above.

Avoid: Chair 4 from mid-vail. Always crowded. Chair 11 can get crowded. Check the status boards for the back bowl lift and game creek bowl lifts before going into each as they can fill up and there is only one chair in each bowl.

Ski & snowboard equipment rental: Vail resort has a huge range of ski and snowboard rental options. Vail's village is spread over a huge area from Lionshead, Vail Village and Golden Peak, so it is best to source your ski or snowboard rental close to your hotel or even better close to the lifts. Here are just a few of the many ski rental stores found in Vail.

You can also book your Vail ski or snowboard rental online before you leave possibly saving you time in the rental store and even some money as most offer discounts for pre-booking. Here are the main ski rentals stores that offer online booking service;

Child care: Vail has an excellent child-care center for all ages of kids. For babies to toddlers, the nursery provides great, on mountain, care. As young as 3 years old the Ski School can really teach your kids to ski and give them a fun day too (and free you up to ski with your spouse). All this does not come cheap, but you get a good quality product and don't have to worry about your kids.

Book early (like a month before you get there) for the nursery. They do fill up.

Summer
Mountain bike: In the off season, Mountain Bike rentals and lift tickets are available for a reasonable cost. Ride the lift up to the top and bike your way down, taking in thrills, scenery, and encounters with wildlife. Trails are rated by difficulty and are well-maintained. It is certainly easy and fun to ride the gondola up and ride the bike down.

Rafting
Vail is a great location to plan some rafting adventures. The Eagle River runs through the Vail Valley -- it offers outstanding rafting during its short season (typically May & June, sometimes into July). The Colorado River is just downvalley and offers ample opportunity, especially during summer months, because it has such a reliable water source. The stretch above and through Glenwood Springs is a favorite hot-weather summer family ride. The Arkansas River is about an hour away, and offers several famous whitewater stretches as well.

Golf
The Vail Valley has half a dozen nice golf courses.

Disc golf
The Vail Valley has several disc golf courses.

Dude ranches
The Vail area has many places to ride a horse.

Buy

Vail has all your typical resort shops.

Budget
There are many options to eat in both Vail Village and Lionshead. Another good idea is to pack a lunch, or grill your own burgers or hot dogs at the free public bbq at Blue Sky Basin.

Near Vail
If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the town of Vail (well sort of, you'll still have to wait but at least you see something a little more local) then try some of these spots:

Go next

 * See above in the Eat section for some towns near Vail.
 * Beaver Creek Beaver Creek is right down the valley.
 * Glenwood Springs - A beautiful 1 hour drive from Vail and you can enjoy their famous Hot Springs when you arrive.
 * Aspen - A 1 hr 15 min-hour drive away.
 * Colorado's Wine Country - Colorado is home to over 70 wineries and its own indigenous vineyards. Wine lovers can enjoy several scenic day trips from Vail to many of the small towns that grow their own grapes. These lovely little communities include Montrose, Palisade, Paonia and Hotchkiss, as well as the city of Grand Junction.

title: Vail


text:
Valaam

Valaam is an island and archipelago in Ladoga, Russian Karelia. It has a special nature and is famous for the monastery from the 14th century. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.

Understand

Valaam (Russian: Валаам or Валаамский архипелаг), Finnish and Swedish: Valamo) is an archipelago in the northern part of Europe's biggest lake, Ladoga. It consists of 50-some islands with a combined area of . Valaam is also the name of the largest island. The name of the island is from the Finno-Ugric word valamo, which means the high, mountain, ground.

The archipelago is best known for the orthodox monastery, dating back to the 14th century.

The island is permanently inhabited by monks and families. There is a kindergarten, an arts and sports venue, a school, a small museum and a medical centre. The community on Valaam has no official administrative status.

History
In the 12th century, the archipelago was part of the Republic of Novgorod, later merged into Russia. In the 17th century, it was captured by Sweden, but reconquered a century later.

It is not known how old the monastery is. Tradition has it was founded by a 10th-century Greek monk, Sergius of Valaam, and his Karelian companion, Herman of Valaam. Nowadays historians tend to think it was founded in the 14th century. The first known documents that mention the cloister, including the "Tale of the Valaamo Monastery", are from the 16th century.

The Valaam monastery was the first Orthodox monastery in Karelia, a northern outpost of the Eastern Orthodox Church against pagans and soon a western outpost against the Catholic, and later Lutheran, Sweden. In 1578 the monastery was attacked and numerous monks and novices were killed by the Swedes. The monastery was desolate between 1611 and 1715 after another attack, the buildings being burnt to the ground and the Karelian border between Russia and Sweden being drawn through Lake Ladoga. In the 18th century, under Russian rule, the monastery was magnificently restored.

When the Grand Duchy of Finland was set up in the early 19th century as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire, Alexander I of Russia made Valaam part of the grand duchy and thus, in 1917, part of newly independent Finland. There were some schisms between the government, the orthodox church of Finland and the monastery, with many monks not Finnish citizens, the monastery not changing to the Gregorian calendar, and other issues. The monastery however became an important destination for pilgrimage and tourism, and a centre for spiritual meetings, at most with some 30,000 annual visitors.

The monastery was gradually evacuated during the Winter War. The monastery was repeatedly bombed, but the books in the library, built to withstand fire, and the main church were unhurt. When the area was annexed by the Soviet Union after the Winter War, the monastery was moved to Heinävesi in the Finnish Lakeland as the "New Valamo".

Some of the things left in the monastery were destroyed while it was in Soviet hands. It was in other use until the fall of the Soviet Union, when it was returned to the church and allowed to continue its work. Much of the damage from the war and the Soviet times has been repaired.

The islands have been visited by famous persons, including members of the Russian imperial family and the composer Tchaikovsky. Putin has a dacha on one of the islands.

Landscape, flora and fauna

The landscape is mostly rugged, but there are also gardens tended by the monks. More than 480 species of plants grow on the island, many of which have been cultivated by them. The island is covered by coniferous woods, about 65% of which are pine. Ten species of mammals and more than 120 avian species call the archipelago home.

Climate
The climate is influenced by the vast surrounding Ladoga. Spring begins at the end of March and a typical summer on Valaam has 30–35 sunny days, which is more than on the mainland. The average temperature in July is. The winter and snow arrive in early December. The average temperature of February is −8 °C.

Get in

There is a ferry from Sortavala to Valaam. During the summer, there are also tour boats from Saint Petersburg, leaving at night and arriving the following morning, and from Moscow, as well as ferries from Lakhdenpokhya (Karelian: Lahdenpohju) and Pitkyaranta (Karelian: Pitkyrandu). It is even possible to come by helicopter from Petrozavodsk. In winter there is a ice road from Sortavala to the islands.

The trip by boat from Sortavala costs ₽750 one way. The journey takes 40 minutes. A boat leaves at 09:00. You get an excursion for ₽1500 (the boat leaves at 09:30), which includes visits to other sketes. There is a marshrutka on Valaam, which charges ₽70 for the between the Monastirskaja landing and Nikolovskaja landing. Walks on Valaam, visiting the sketes and crossing the bridges to some islets are pleasant. There is a small fjord north of the Nikolovskaja landing.

Go next

 * The New Valamo Monastery and the Lintula Holy Trinity Convent in Heinävesi
 * The Orthodox Church Museum in Kuopio, Finland

title: Valaam


text:
Valais

The Valais (German: Wallis) is exactly that: a long, narrow, L-shaped valley in the Swiss Alps. The main cities in this region are along the river Rhone which cuts through the bottom of the valley, between its source at the Rhone glacier in the east and its temporary destination of Lake Geneva in the west. The main tourist destinations lie in the lesser populated side valleys to the north or the south or on plateaus above the main valley.

Valais offers an amazing diversity of landscapes. Within a few kilometres there are the highest glaciers and mountains of the Alps and almost subtropical places where even almond and pomegranate trees grow.

Some of the best spring skiing in the world is available in the Valais, at prices which although high beat the equivalent offerings in Colorado.

Other destinations

 * — an important route to Italy. This is where the St. Bernard breed originates and also where the legendary live-saving dog Barry is from.
 * Probably Switzerland's most famous mountain.
 * — a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared between the Valais and the Bernese Highlands
 * — a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared between the Valais and the Bernese Highlands
 * — a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared between the Valais and the Bernese Highlands

Understand
The Valais has historically been quite an isolated place. Nowadays the Valais is very easily accessible through to an extensive road network including roads over all the major passes as well as rail links to the rest of Switzerland and the surrounding countries through rail tunnels. In the past however, its location in the middle of the Alps made it very hard to access and travelling to some of the deeper valleys involved either a big detour all the way down to Lake Geneva or traversing one of the many mountain passes. Some villages have only gotten access by road in the middle of the last century and the region (especially the villages located at higher altitudes) were underdeveloped and mostly agricultural until a few decades ago. While those days are long gone now, this isolation still shows in the mentality and language of the people.

Nevertheless, tourism has a long tradition in the Valais. The wealthy British started travelling to the mountains from 1850 onwards which led to the development of some of the mountain resorts, such as Zermatt. Many of the peaks in the region, including the famous Matterhorn, were first climbed by British alpinists accompanied by their local guides. Some of the mountain railways, such as those leading to Crans Montana and Zermatt as well as the big railway tunnels through the Lötschberg and the Simplon come from this early age of tourism. The bigger mass tourism only came up in the second half of the 20th century with the development of ski lifts and access roads. Today the Valais has more than 120 winter and summer destinations.

While shops in the mountain resorts have extended opening hours for shops, this is only possible thanks to special rules for touristic areas. Shops in most other towns tend to close one to two hours over lunch and close at 18.30 every day except Saturday, when they close at 16:00 and Sunday when they are closed the whole day. From this arises the rather amusing situation where opening hours in some remote small mountain towns are much longer than those in the urban centres like Sion or Brig.

Climate
The Valais is blessed with overall very nice weather. Some of the sunniest and also driest places in Switzerland lie here. While the western part of the Valais tends to be rainier, the eastern part is generally sunny and dry. Summers can get fairly hot in the Rhone valley with temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius, and prolonged periods without rain lead to forest fires every few years. Winter is probably the most popular season, as this is when hordes of tourists flock in from Germany, France, the Netherlands and other parts of Switzerland for skiing. While Christmas, Sports holidays (February) and Easter are quite busy, there is usually a quieter season during January when ski resorts are almost empty. Due to the relatively dry weather, it doesn't snow that often, but given the high altitude of most ski resorts, the snow conditions are usually still quite good. Spring and autumn make an interesting alternative for travellers who want to avoid the busy season. Relatively mild temperatures and a landscape in beautiful autumn colours make September and October a good time for a visit. In fact, it is said that the poet Rainer Maria Rilke was so mesmerised by the beauty of the Valais in autumn, that he not only wrote several poems about it but also chose to be buried in Raron near Visp.

Public Holidays
Because of widespread Catholic tradition, public holidays in the Valais are quite different from those in other parts of Switzerland. Most notably Good Friday, Easter Monday and Whit Monday are not public holidays unlike in the rest of Switzerland. For the latter two however, most government services and many shops will still be closed. The same applies to the week from Christmas Eve (24 December) to 2 January. In the towns down in the valley, shops are closed on Sundays and holidays with the exception of convenience stores at railway stations and bakeries. However, there are special rules on opening hours in tourist resorts and so you might still find shops open in some of the bigger mountain resorts on Sundays and public holidays during the high season.

These are the public holidays in addition to those observed in the whole of Switzerland:

 * St Joseph's Day (19 March)
 * Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter)
 * Assumption (15 August)
 * All Saints Day (1 November)
 * Immaculate Conception (8 December)

Talk
The language divide between French and German speaking Switzerland runs through the Valais. German is spoken in the upper (eastern) part of the Rhone valley down to Salgesch. French is spoken in the lower (western) part from Sierre down to Lake Geneva. English is widely spoken and understood in towns and touristy areas, but by no means universal.

The dialect spoken in the German speaking part of the Valais is classified as Highest Alemannic and is vastly different from standard German. It is different also from the other variants of Swiss German to the point where it can be hard for even Swiss people to understand the locals. The language is highly localised and it is generally possible to identify someone's home village or valley by their dialect. The most rustic (and interesting) variations are usually found in the side valleys such as Lötschental, the Goms, the Mattertal or the Saastal. Most locals will prefer to speak to outsiders in High German, which is universally understood and spoken (albeit with a heavy accent).

People in the lower part of Valais speak standard French with sometimes a heavy local accent. There is however a dialect still spoken in some areas in the central areas of the Valais. Called Arpitan or simply Patois, this language seems to be slowly disappearing and as a traveller you are unlikely to ever encounter it. Virtually all its speakers also speak French and will usually use French when talking to outsiders.

Get in
The nearest international airport is either Geneva for the western part of Valais or Zurich for the eastern part. Direct trains depart from both airports for Brig. It is also possible to fly into Milano Malpensa Airport instead. The journey is not much longer; however, there are fewer connections available and there are no direct trains from the airport. There is a small airport in Sion, but it is served by very few seasonal routes.

The train from Geneva airport runs twice an hour along the main Rhone valley through most of the canton, stopping at stations including Saint-Maurice (1:40hr, not all trains stop), Martigny (1:51hr), Sion (2:05hr), Leuk (2:21 hr, not all trains stop), Visp (2:32 hr) and finally Brig (2:41hr). The train from Zurich Airport runs hourly and stops at Visp (2:22hr) and Brig (2:33hr) passing through the 34-km-long Lötschberg base tunnel. For a more scenic journey, the route through the old Lötschberg tunnel still runs. It requires a change of train in Bern, Thun or Spiez and takes around an hour longer to reach Brig. It offers a nice view on the Rhone valley as it slowly descends the side of the mountain. This train is popular among hikers, as it has a supplementary stop at Goppenstein, giving access to the Lötschental, as well as a couple stops on demand along the way to Brig passing through a popular hiking area.

Get around
The Valais is quite a big region; the drive from Gletsch at the Eastern edge, to Saint-Gingolph at the shore of Lake Geneva is more than 170 kilometres. For longer distances, take one of the Swiss railways (SBB-CFF) long-distance trains which go through the main valley. The slower regional trains down in the valley, as well as the trains around Martigny, are run by RegionAlps and there is a couple of other private train companies, such as the train to Zermatt, which tend to be more expensive. Yellow postal buses span out from the train stations and go to most of the towns without train stations and side valleys. The main interchange station for the region is Visp, where trains from the north (Basel, Berne, Zurich) meet trains from the west (Geneva, Lausanne, Sion) and Italy (Milan).

While the trains and buses are operated by different companies, all timetables and tickets can be found on the website of the Swiss railways.

See

The Valais is best known for its mountains, so great panoramas are everywhere: There are also less known but not any less interesting cultural and historical sights:
 * The stunning views at the UNESCO Natural Heritage Area of Jungfrau-Aletsch from Riederalp-Bettmeralp, especially the Aletsch glacier, the largest in the Alps.
 * Take the cable car/metro up to either Klein Matterhorn (3.833 m) or Mittelallalin (3.445m) to experience the high altitude with a view of a big part of the Alps and the possibility to walk inside a glacier cave.
 * Visit the Pissevache cascade (literally cow piss) and the Gorges du Trient in Vernayaz near Martigny.
 * Visit the Giannadda fondation in Martigny. Next to its famous art gallery, there are also exhibits on the long history of Martigny as a city in the Roman empire. Go and walk through the ruins of this city afterwards.
 * Visit the basilica of Valère on top of a hill with the oldest organ in Europe in the capital Sion. On the opposite hill, the ruins of the Castle of Tourbillon, offers a very nice view on the city and the valley.

Sports and activities
The Valais is known as a mountain destination both in Winter and Summer. Some of the activities you can do are:
 * Easily accessible in the summer, the Great St. Bernard Hospice is a monastery situated on top of the St Bernard Pass. It is possible to eat with the monks and even stay the night. The monastery is open in the winter, but only accessible by helicopter or skis.
 * Skiing or Snowboarding are the two more obvious winter sports and there are plenty of ski resorts in this area. There are however many more options, such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice-skating or ice climbing. If you have the budget for it, Heli-skiing is available in the winter, and you don't have to be an advanced skier to experience back-country terrain via helicopter.

Events and cultural activities

 * Attend one of the cow fights which take place during the summer all along the Valais. This is not as violent as it sounds as the cows merely lock horns until one of them gives up and usually don't get injured.
 * If you happen to be in Valais during Carnival, don't miss the carnivals of Sion and Monthey.
 * In May or June the feast of Corpus Christi takes place. This is a Catholic festival which is celebrated with processions through the town and outdoor church service. In most places a local bands in old fashioned uniforms and people dressed up in traditional clothes will participate. While watching it in a smaller village will give you a more personal insight into the local culture, there is an easily accessible celebration taking place in the town of Sion.

Eat
While you can get the more common Swiss dishes such as Fondue and Rösti, there are also some regional dishes specific to the Valais which you should try:
 * Raclette — Is a specific type of cheese dish. Half a cheese is held under a heating element until the top melts. The molten part is then scraped off. It is then served either with potatoes or a piece of bread and accompanied with gherkins and pearl onions. A special kind of cheese is used for this (called Raclette cheese) which is available at all Swiss supermarkets, even outside of the Valais.
 * Croûte au fromage / Käseschnitte — A slice of bread dipped into Fendant wine, then baked with a lot of cheese on top. Often the cheese used for this is Raclette cheese and the dish is usually also garnished with gherkins and pearl onions. Common variations come with ham or an egg on top.
 * Cholera — A covered pie made of potatoes, leek, apples and cheese. The origin of the rather curious name is not entirely known: some say that it was a staple during a cholera epidemic in the 19th century, but it might just as well be derived from the word "chola" for coal in the local German dialect depicting how it was cooked in the past.
 * Assiette valaisanne / Walliserteller — A cold platter usually including local sour dough rye bread, dried meat, raw preserved ham, local cheeses and local sausages. Similarly Brisolée is cold cuts served with hot chestnuts and dried fruits. A very simple alternative consisting of rye bread, butter and cheese shavings is usually served for the traditional Apéro, which is a meal consisting of wine and some finger food served before food, for events or celebrations or whenever else an opportunity arises.
 * Apricots — The region is known for its apricots. During the season (around July), local apricots are sold in both supermarkets and along major roads. Make sure that you are buying those labelled with 'Wallis' or 'Valais', as vendors will try to sell cheaper imported apricots. Other local fruits can be found when in season, such as pears and of course grapes.

Drink
The Valais is a wine growing region and in the main Rhone valley the hillsides are largely covered in terraced vineyards. It comes at no surprise then that the Valaisans are known in Switzerland as hard-drinking people.

Wines come in a lot of varieties. Common white ones grown are: Fendant (Chasselas), Petite Arvine and Johanissberg (Sylvaner), but a multitude of others are grown. Red wines include Pinot Noir, Cornalin and Syrah. There are also some blends made, such as Dole, which consists of 85% Pinot Noir and Gamay mixed with other red grapes. Whatever your taste in wine is, most restaurants offer a selection and also sell wine by the glass. Some wineries offer tastings and some towns hold a wine trail once a year, a one day event consisting of a hike with a lot of pit stops for wine tasting. Tickets for those sell out very fast, so if you are interested, you have to book your tickets well in advance.

If wine is not your thing, liquors are made from apricots (called Apricotine) and from William pears (Williamine) grown in the region. There is one brewery in Sion which produces the Blonde 25 and Valaisanne brands of beer, which are quite popular in the region.

Stay safe
Just like the rest of Switzerland, the Valais is mostly a very safe place. As this is a mountain area, there are however some additional risks:
 * Avalanches are a real danger in winter and spring. Marked slopes in ski resorts are usually safe. When skiing outside of those or when going on alpine tours, the official avalanche bulletin should be consulted. (This is usually also available at the local tourist office and cable car.) If you don't have any experience in off-slope skiing or mountaineering, you should hire a mountain guide. Note that if you have to be saved after putting yourself in a dangerous situation, you will have to foot the bill for the helicopter rescue yourself. This is billed by the flight minute and easily amounts to several thousand francs.
 * You might encounter warning signs, not to enter the bed of a river. They are usually placed along rivers below hydroelectric power plants and should be taken seriously. The rivers usually have very little flowing water (due to most of it being held back by the dam), but can swell to fill much of the space between their banks within a very short time when water is released. Water release can happen independently of time of the day or weather conditions. This leads to accidents every now and then, which usually end fatally due to the very strong current.

Go next

 * Domodossola in the Italian Piedmont, a half-hour train ride from Brig. This used to be a popular and cheap shopping destination for the Swiss, but prices have gone up significantly since the arrival of the Euro. From here you can take a train through the picturesque Centovalli valley to Locarno. While this route passes through Italy, it is run by the Swiss railways and included in the Swiss travel passes.
 * Take a train from Visp to Berne via the Bernese Highlands.
 * Leave the Valais toward the west, and go on to Lausanne, Montreux or Geneva on the shores of Lake Geneva.

title: Valais


text:
Valapad

Valapad is a small town in Central Kerala on the way to Ernakulam from Guruvayoor via NH 17. It is the birth place of Kunjunni Mash.

See
Kothakulam Beach, Meenchantha ...

Eat

Many home food centres are also available

title: Valapad


text:
Valbonne and Biot

Between the towns of Valbonne and Biot lies the Sophia Antipolis technology park, the French Riviera's answer to California's Silicon Valley, which employs many expatriates. As a result both these towns and (others nearby such as Mougins and Opio) tend to have a large proportion of foreigners all the year round. This can make things easier for visitors who are nervous about their (lack of) French. Biot and Valbonne are extremely pleasant towns and nice to stroll through with stops of coffee or food - particularly on days when the coast is full of frantic sunseekers.

Understand
Biot is famous for its pottery and glass-blowing, something that has been done in Biot for hundreds of years. The walled town itself, like so many others, is full of quaint streets and interesting nooks. For reasons which are unclear Biot seems to have cats the way most towns have mice, they are everywhere and make for nice pictures.

Valbonne is a curiosity in that the old town is laid out on a rectangular grid around the main square. It was founded as part of an abbey and the church, at the bottom of the town, is the original abbey church.

Sophia Antipolis is not really anything special to visit although those familiar with Silicon Valley may find its pretensions to be the French equivalent rather amusing. However it is undoubtedly a far prettier place to work than the average anonymous Santa Clara office block. Sophia is built in and around an extremely pleasant series of nature parks which have many well marked hiking trails.

By car
From the A8 exit for Antibes (junction 44), go inland (away from the Carrefour Hypermarket) and follow signs. Due to some fairly steep winding valleys roads in this area do not go straight. There is no really direct way to go here so just enjoy the bends.

By bus
There are buses from Antibes and Cannes, and frequent buses from Nice Airport.

Get around
Biot and Valbonne have extensive free parking near their respective town centres which are closed to traffic. Use this parking rather than attempt to park on the streets. The hiking trails in Sophia all have parking places at the start of the trails.

Biot

 * The Verrerie de Biot - glassmaker
 * The ceramic museum
 * The old town - near Christmas this has very pleasant illuminations at night
 * The Fernand Léger museum - full of works by this artist and magnificent ceramic facade

Valbonne

 * Old Town

Do
Near the coast past the Fernand Léger museum - but still in Biot - is the Marineland amusement park. Wet splashy fun!

Hike in the Park Departmental de la Brague. The trails down by the River Brague are particularly nice in summer as they remain cool and shaded at all times. Near the A8 the park contains the remains of the Roman aqueduct that fed Antibes. This is completely unmarked and unsigned, you just stumble across if it you are lucky.

Buy
Ceramics and glassware from Biot. Vabonne has an antiques fair most weekends. Although much of what is on offer is trash, good stuff can be found too.

Since Valbonne is so full of expats, the Champion supermarket between Valbonne and Biot has English speaking staff and English and American foods that are hard to get elsewhere in France. If you come over with a craving Marmite or oeanut butter then this is where you can satisfy it.

Eat

 * Out from the centre of Valbonne, the Blue Lavande restaurant, on the D3/D103 corner between Sophia and Valbonne but actually in Mouans Sartoux - does very pleasant local cuisine.
 * La Pierre A Four, 15, Route de Valbonne 06410 BIOT 04 93 65 60 00, in Biot. One of the best restaurants in the area, it has wonderful food and homemade cheeses served just before your desert.
 * Le Bistro de Valbonne, 11, Rue de la Fontaine F-06560 Valbonne +33(0) 4 93 12 05 59. It's not really a bistro but a small restaurant in the old village. Offers high-quality local cuisine. You can sit outdoors (except in winter)

Drink
Have a drink in the Valbonne square. Its a great place to sit, nurse a drink and watch the world go by. The Inn is run by expats but all the restaurants are used to English.

title: Valbonne and Biot


text:
Val-d'Isère

Val d'Isere is a resort in the French Alps. It is linked to Tignes.

By train
The nearest train station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, which is served by TGV and local services. In the winter months, additional services operate; Eurostars direct from London, Thalys trains from Europe, and the ski train sleeper from Paris. This is some 35 km away however, so coach services provide the onward connection; the journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes in good weather.

By car
If you are driving to Val D'Isere be aware that you may be required to equip your car with snowchains. During winter it is not possible to access Val D'Isere from south, coming from Susa or Modane, since the Iserian alpine pass is then closed.

By plane

 * Geneva Cointrin Airport, 180 km from Val d'Isère, Transfer by bus is 4 hr 30 min
 * Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport, 220 km from Val d'Isère, Transfer by bus is 3 hr 30 min
 * Chambéry airport, 130 km from Val d'Isère, Transfer by bus is 3 hr 30 min
 * Grenoble airport, 210 km from Val d'Isère

Get around
A completely free bus services runs in the village to transport skiiers and residents around. In the winter season buses run every 5 minutes from 08:00; in the summer they run every half an hour. The village centre is pedestrian only.

See
The town centre is very attractive and lively; the architecture in the town is very pleasing. Of course, the resort's natural assets are its best - the views of the Alps are always stunning.

Winter sports
The resort is world-renowned for the amount of lift-served off-piste it offers; in particular, intermediates and experts are well served. For beginners, there are several schools and guides. There is a common pass for the Espace Killy area providing access to slopes in Tignes and Val D'Isere.

The resort has 300 km of piste, of which 26 km is served by snowmaking equipment. 15% of pistes are green, 46% blue, 27% red and 12% black.

In addition, Val d'Isere is one of the highest resorts in Europe (1850 m), which means that there is a greater chance of better snow. It is also connected to Tignes (2100 m), which is even higher.

Summer sports
During the summer, the resort is open for mountain biking and hiking.

Buy
Ski equipment and rental is available.

Eat
Loads of different restaurants - most feature the local specialities of fondue, raclette and braserade.

Drink
As one of the apres ski capitals of the Alps - Val has plenty of establishments to keep you occupied!

Sleep
There are several quaint hotels, apartment rentals and chalets available up to 4-star. The night life in the resort is very good.

There are many accommodation choices. Perhaps the best known hotel is the Hotel Christiana, which is very close to the lifts and the ski schools.

 * Le Chardon Mountain Lodges.
 * Le Chardon Mountain Lodges.
 * Le Chardon Mountain Lodges.

Go next
For major shopping, Geneva is about 2 hours away in car, 4 by train. Lyon is about 4 hours by car, 4 hours by train. For lesser needs, Bourg-Saint-Maurice has a cinema and outdoor and indoor swimming pool.

title: Val-d'Isère