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Ventotene

Ventotene is one of the Pontine Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Campania, Italy. It is just 3km long and a maximum of 800m wide.

Understand

Ventotene gets its name from the prevailing winds that blow over the island (wind in Italian is vento). It now has over 700 permanent inhabitants but for many centuries it was unoccupied as it proved defenseless against pirates. Under the name of Pandateria it was used as a prison island by the ancient Romans. People banished there were often eventually murdered or starved to death. During the Second World War Mussolini used the nearby small island of Santo Stefano as a prison camp.

Ventotene gets very crowded in the school holiday period of mid-June to early-September and in late September for the festival of Saint Candida, the patron saint of the island.

Get in
From Rome Ventotene can be reached by train or car to Formia followed by a two-hour ferry. There are frequent trains from Rome's Termini station. There are also ferries from Anzio. From Naples there are also ferries, but only in the summer.

Get around
On foot! Ventotene does have roads but vehicles are only allowed to circulate one hour before and one hour after the arrival of ferries.

Do
There is an overwhelming amount of things to do on the island of Ventotene! It is a place for relaxing, swimming and just generally chilling out.

Go next

 * Ponza is another inhabited island in the Pontine Group. In summer there are also trips to the other uninhabited islands of the Group.
 * Ischia is the largest island in the Bay of Naples.

title: Ventotene


text:
Ventspils

Ventspils is a city in Kurzeme on the western coast of Latvia and one of Europe's busiest ports.

Understand
Ventspils is the Latvian flower capital and is adorned with flowers from spring till autumn. Even the City Festival on the first weekend of August is a time when florists from the Baltic States cover Promenade of Ostas iela with carpets of flowers.

Ventspils is a modern summer and sea resort city, which has all the amenities to spend a summer week at the beach and exploring the surrounding places. Its roads and sidewalks are made up of various kinds of cobblestones. Ventspils is famous for its artistic spirit and its numerous cow statues all over the city from the 2002 Cow Parade.

Due to immigration of many workers from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in the past, about 1/3 of the population of Ventspils is from those countries.

Get in
There are bus connections from Riga, Liepāja and Kuldīga. The closest railway stations with passenger service are in Tukums and Liepāja, approximately 120 km east and south of Ventspils, respectively; Ventspils has no passenger services. There is a ferry from Nynäshamn in Sweden

By bus
There are regular bus services from Riga (2½–4 hr, €7.55), Liepāja (2 times a day, 3 hr, €5.50), Kuldīga (about €3) several times a day. All buses arrive at the central Bus Station on Kuldigas iela 4. Schedules can be found on 1188.lv.

By car
The most commonly used routes are from:
 * Riga, 190 km on main highway E22 (A10)
 * Kuldīga, 60 km on highway P108
 * Liepāja, 120 km on highways P111, P108, and P110

By boat
Stena Line ferries run between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils, an 11- to 12-hour journey. These are mainly used for transport of HGV's to Sweden but passengers and small vehicles can use the service. Tickets can be purchased from an office at Ventspils Ferry Terminal.

Get around
Within the city centre, most locations can be reached on foot within 15-20 minutes at most. But cars and bicycles can travel just as easily on the roads and bicycle paths around town.

Public transportation is run by the local bus company 'Ventspils Reiss' with modern blue coloured buses and minibuses. Most bus stops have a map of the routes and schedules for the lines that stop there.

Do not trust the signs. Since most streets in Ventspils intersect at 90° angles, all signposts marking the directions to interesting or important locations are at 90° angles as well. So often a sign will be pointing in the wrong direction (if your destination lies at a different angle) or onto impassable objects such as a wall (if your destination lies behind it). So be wary and carry a map - which you can get for free at the tourist office next to the ferry terminal.

See

 * Flower artwork. At various locations throughout Ventspils there are examples of flower artwork in the streets. The flowers are arranged not only in flower-beds, but also a flower-clock and vivid flower-sculptures: The Duck Family in the Children’s Town, Lady-Birds at the Promenade of Ostas Street, Underwater World next to the Beach Waterpark, Bobsleigh Team on the main street Lielais prospects, and the newcomers The Bunny Family at the end-station Kalns of the narrow-gauge train.
 * Cow Parade: in 2002 Ventspils hosted this international art event and several of the cow sculptures still reside throughout the city.
 * Latvijas melnā (Latvian Black Cow) dwells on the Promenade of Ostas iela;
 * Pretim gaismai (Towards the Light) that usually climbs the lamp post on Pils iela next to ‘Latvenergo’ JSC;
 * Ms. Moo-Dunk the basketball cow resides near the Basketball Hall of the Olimpiskais Centrs Ventspils;
 * Dzīve ir skaista (Life is Beautiful) is situated at the Children’s Town;
 * Jūras govs (Cow of the Sea) dwells next to the Livonian Order Castle facing the River Venta;
 * Nafta (Oil) lives next to the Children’s Home Selga;
 * Londonas govs (London Cow) welcomes the residents of the camping site Piejūras kempings.
 * Ceļojošā govs (Travelling Cow) is shaped like a huge suit-case and awaits the city guests on the Promenade of Ostas iela to take some pictures;
 * Govs-Matrozis (The Sailor Cow) is a giant blue-coloured cow dressed as a seafarer and situated at the Southern Pier of Ventspils;
 * Šūpojošā govs (Cow on the Swings) is a large, but cute and girly cow sitting on the swings not far from the excursion boat Hercogs Jēkabs.
 * Šūpojošā govs (Cow on the Swings) is a large, but cute and girly cow sitting on the swings not far from the excursion boat Hercogs Jēkabs.

Do
There are a lot of things to do in Ventspils – go grab a free booklet at the castle to find some of them. The city is very-well-prepared for families with kids.

Buy

 * Ventspils Regional Market at the Market Square

Sleep
Budget accommodation is scarce in Ventspils, so it is better to continue further to Liepāja or Kuldīga. Also, Rinda, just 30 km north and a little inland, has a cheap place to stay.

Go next

 * Cape Kolka – A beautiful wild cape inside Slīteres National Park. North.
 * Irbene – Visit the world’s eighth-largest radio telescope at the Irbene Radio Astronomy Centre, located between Cape Kolka and Ventspils. Irbene was a Soviet village that is now abandoned, leaving behind dull concrete buildings.
 * Kuldīga – The capital of Duchy of Courland, Venice of Latvia, with unique and wooden architecture, red-tile roofs, bridges, cobbled streets, the widest widest waterfall ledge in Europe, and nearby the longest underground (sand) cave labyrinth in the Baltics. In the centre of Kurzeme.
 * Pāvilosta – A small fishing village with nice beach, camping and museum. South.

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

title: Ventspils


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Ventura

Ventura is a city of 111,000 people (2020) in Ventura County, a region of California's Central Coast. Ventura mixes old charm with new modern facilities to blend a rich and wonderful background to living.

Understand
Ventura, still officially called San Buenaventura, was founded in 1782 by Fray Junipero Serra with the establishment of his mission.

Along Main Street you will find fabulous food, excellent shopping from thrift stores to upscale boutiques, a movie theater, coffee shops, and other attractions. Turn the corner at Main Street and head up Ventura Avenue and you are on the Westside. The Westside is an up-and-coming area of Ventura with a rich cultural history.

Note the iron bells every few miles on the 101 freeway. They are markers of El Camino Real, the route of Father Serra.

Get in
Ventura is 68 miles (110 km) north of Los Angeles International Airport on the US Highway 101. Nearby Oxnard sports both a cruise ship port and an airport with connecting flights to LAX. Santa Barbara Airport can be a good alternative to LAX or Oxnard with flights to LAX, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix as well as other destinations and it is only about 30-40 minutes away up the breathtaking 101. Camarillo Airport is a dominant general aviation hub, though Oxnard and Santa Barbara take their share as well.

Amtrak serves the city with its Pacific Surfliner, the train stops at  in downtown Ventura multiple times a day on its San Luis Obispo-Los Angeles-San Diego route. Additionally, Metrolink has a commuter service from Los Angeles to, located in the Montalvo neighbourhood.

Get around

California Highway 126, California Highway 33, and US Highway 101 also connect Ventura well, providing a good inner city freeway/motorway network for a city of its size.

Do

Being a beach town, Ventura has developed the downtown beach area into a wonderful promenade that makes its way along the beach, from "Surfer's Point" past the pier all the way down to the southern end of San Buenaventura State Beach. It makes for a nice jog, bike ride, roller-blading path or just a leisurely stroll to watch the sunset.

 * - located in Ventura
 * International Book City - in mid 2006, Ventura declared itself an International Book City. The city is home to more independent bookstores than any other city in Ventura County; two publishing houses; and Perry Mason, the famous fictional lawyer created in the 1930s by writer Erle Stanley Gardner, who lived and worked here.
 * International Book City - in mid 2006, Ventura declared itself an International Book City. The city is home to more independent bookstores than any other city in Ventura County; two publishing houses; and Perry Mason, the famous fictional lawyer created in the 1930s by writer Erle Stanley Gardner, who lived and worked here.
 * International Book City - in mid 2006, Ventura declared itself an International Book City. The city is home to more independent bookstores than any other city in Ventura County; two publishing houses; and Perry Mason, the famous fictional lawyer created in the 1930s by writer Erle Stanley Gardner, who lived and worked here.

Buy
The Pacific View Mall and surrounding area (located about 3–5 miles (5-8 km) southeast of old town Ventura, toward Oxnard) tends to be the shopping hub for the locals while tourists will appreciate the kitsch and variety of Old Town. Still, serious shopaholics are better off in Camarillo at the Camarillo Premium Outlets or in Thousand Oaks at The Oaks.

 * Ventura has a hidden gem in the music/alternative mecca known as Salzer's which is on Victoria near Oxnard and Montalvo. The store is split into two factions: Music and Video which oddly enough are located in separate buildings on either side of Victoria.
 * Thrift Stores! Main street (near California street intersection) has a great selection of thrift and antique stores. Many really great finds can be found if you are willing to look through some junk.

Drink
Overall, Ventura is a great place for easy-going party people. Many restaurants have terrific happy hour specials daily with both food and drinks at remarkably low prices. This makes it easy to grab an early meal or make plans with friends.

San Souci is the local dive where young and old alike go.

The local gay bar has the unlikely name of Paddy's, so don't be fooled into thinking it's an Irish pub. Friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices.

Go next
As with the route into this fine beach city, there are a number of options when it is time to leave. Southbound Highway 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway are both great options if you are headed south to another destination or to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Northbound Highway 101 will take you up to Santa Barbara and on through San Luis Obispo on the way to San Francisco. To head east, just jump on Highway 126 which leads through the citrus-rich Santa Clara Valley to the small towns of Santa Paula and Fillmore on the way to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

 * Ojai - 22 miles inland from Ventura, Ojai is a popular weekend getaway for Southern California residents, offering wine tasting, art galleries, hiking, horseback riding, spas, and a rustic environment for those looking to escape the big cities.
 * Santa Paula - 12 miles northeast of Ventura, Santa Paula advertises itself as the "Citrus Capital of the World" and was an early center of California's petroleum industry. It is home to the California Oil Museum, housed in the historic Union Oil Building.
 * Carpinteria - This small oceanside town is 23 miles northwest of Ventura and offers a salt marsh preserve, tide pools, and a seal and sea lion rookery that is active from December through May. During the first weekend in October Carpinteria plays host to nearly 100,000 visitors at its annual avocado festival, which features the world's largest vat of guacamole.
 * Channel Islands National Park - The Ventura harbor is the departure point for most excursions to the Channel Islands National Park, a series of islands that are home to incredible marine life, beautiful and remote scenery, and the wily Channel Islands fox.

title: Ventura


text:
Ventura County

Ventura County is a region of the Central Coast of California, though it is sometimes considered part of Southern California.

Other destinations

 * Channel Islands National Park - The Ventura harbor is the departure point for most excursions to the Channel Islands National Park, a series of islands that are home to incredible marine life, beautiful and remote scenery, and the wily Channel Islands fox.

Understand
For the first hundred years after California became a state, Ventura County was primarily agrarian, and was known for its fertile farmland and orange groves. The rise of Los Angeles, its eastern neighbor, into become a major metropolis has resulted in the south third of the county becoming increasingly suburban. Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, and Moorpark, in the southeast, are commonly considered the western extent of the Los Angeles exurbs.

The southwest of the county, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme, have grown into more urbanized communities in their own right, with modest commercial and retail development to complement the agricultural sector that has thrived in the fertile soil deposited by the Santa Clara River, and the now-largely-channelized Calleguas Creek.

The northern half of the county has been less affected by Southern California's immense appetite for development. The Santa Ynez and Santa Susana mountain ranges are sparsely populated, and a large percentage of the land has been federally designated as the Los Padres National Forest by the U.S. government. In the southern foothills of the mountains, the cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore make up the primary population centers of the north county.

Ventura County is bordered by Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley on the north, Santa Barbara County to the west, Los Angeles and Southern California to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

People
The two-fold nature of the development of Ventura County resulted in distinct demographic patterns. The suburban and exurban areas of the county have populations significantly older and whiter than average for the region, while communities with more agrarian roots have larger Latin American, and specifically Mexican-American, populations more typical of the San Joaquin Valley and Central California.

Climate
There are three distinct climate regions in Ventura County. The coastal regions and the Oxnard Plain have maritime climates that are cooler and wetter than the region as a whole. The Conejo and Simi Valleys have similar climates to the San Fernando Valley and other inland areas of neighboring Los Angeles County, with warmer temperatures and seasonal katabatic 'Santa Ana' winds in the canyon areas. The mountainous north half of the county is significantly cooler, and can receive moderate snowfall in the winter months.

Talk
English is the dominant language of interaction in Ventura County, but Spanish is also widely (but not universally) spoken and understood.

By plane
No airport within Ventura County operates commercial routes. Visitors to the region who arrive by plane will typically disembark at Los Angeles International Airport, or Hollywood Burbank Airport in neighboring Los Angeles and travel the last leg of their journey by land transport. Some visitors to the western half of the county may also opt to arrive via Santa Barbara Airport, which offers commuter connections to major cities in the western United States.

There are two public general aviation facilities available in Ventura County: Oxnard Airport, and Camarillo Airport. Santa Paula Airport is a privately owner airfield that is also open to public use.

By car
U.S. Highway 101 is the primary freeway serving the region. It connects west to Santa Barbara and east to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles, and directly serves the counties largest population centers: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks. Other highway connections include California Route 118 connects Simi Valley and Moorpark to Los Angeles; California Route 126 runs through the Santa Clara Valley, connecting the City of Ventura to Santa Clarita and northern Los Angeles County; and California Route 33, which connects Ventura County to Kern County in the north, passing through Ojai and the Santa Ynez mountains. These state routes are freeways for only portions of their length.

By train
Amtrak operates routes serving Ventura County, connecting Ventura County with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and points on the U.S. west coast. Metrolink commuter service, connecting to the Greater Los Angeles area, is also available. Train stations with both Metrolink and Amtrak service are located in Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Ventura.

Get around
Transportation within Ventura County is structured around the automobile. There are some limited public transportation options, such as the VISTA bus system that travel between cities in the county, and some cities operate modest municipal bus services, such as Gold Coast Transit and Thousand Oaks Transit

See
Visiting Ventura County is often more about getting away from it all than checking things off an itinerary. One can get a glimpse of what life was like in colonial-era California at Mission San Buenaventura, go hiking the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, or just spend a day relaxing on the beaches of Ventura or Port Hueneme.

Do
Outdoor enthusiasts will find Ventura County has much to offer them. There are excellent surfing spots, horseback and hiking trails are numerous, and the landscape is widely varied. Even in the largest city, the great outdoors in never more than an hour away, and there are numerous campgrounds for any visitors interested in roughing it a bit more. For those that prefer nature to be more tamed, there are several excellent resort hotels and golf courses throughout the county.

Eat
Ventura County may appear, at first, to suffer from the same homogenization of dining choices that plagues some Los Angeles suburbs, but a second look can unearth some authentic and unique choices that better reflect the areas multifaceted character. Though it does not yet have the ethnic diversity and density of options that can be found in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or San Diego, but proximity to both high-quality Pacific seafood and local produce, plus a local clientele that is rapidly becoming more discerning, means that a high quality meal is available for the adventurous. Authentic home-style Mexican cuisine like that at Taqueria El Tapatio in Oxnard, or Letty's in Newbury Park is also there waiting to be discovered for those willing to search a little harder.

Drink
Nightlife in Ventura County generally trends more toward neighborhood watering holes and dive bars than the full-blown club experience. There are still plenty of variety from gastropubs like Public School 805 in Thousand Oaks, to Barrel 33 wine bar in Ventura, to the archetypical beachfront dive bar, Beachcomber Tavern in Oxnard.

Stay safe
Cities in Ventura County have a relatively low crime rate, both violent and petty, roughly half that of neighboring metropolitan Los Angeles. The more urban areas in and around Oxnard and Ventura are grittier than the strictly suburban neighborhoods, but are still less than the regional averages. Visitors are unlikely to inadvertently experience any real trouble. Gang activity is minimal, but not non-existent.

Rural and mountainous areas in the county are home to some large predators, such as Mountain Lions and Coyotes. Attacks on people, especially in groups, are extremely rare, but pets should be kept on a leash or indoors in the back country. Rattlesnakes are also common in rural areas. They commonly sun themselves on rocks and trails during summer months, and visitors should watch their step when hiking. In case of snakebite, remain calm and seek medical attention immediately.

Go next

 * - Ventura County's neighbor to the northwest is most famous for the town of Santa Barbara and is sometimes considered the northern boundary of Southern California. While mountains run through the region, the county is well served by a network of highways, making road trips to the many beautiful wineries a popular activity. The Danish town of Solvang is a popular destination, and rocket launches can sometimes be viewed near Vandenberg Air Force base, America's west coast spaceport.
 * - San Luis Obispo County is to the northwest of Ventura County, and it marks a noticeable shift in landscape from areas to the south, with a dramatic and remote coastline that draws nature lovers. Hearst Castle is located here, the massive and historic former home of the newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. The town of San Luis Obispo is a college town that is the last large city for over 100 miles for those traveling north along the coast.
 * - Bordering Ventura County to the north, Kern County extends across a number of geographic regions: the western portion is in the San Joaquin Valley, the northeastern portion is in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the southeastern part is in the Desert. Visitors to the county are most likely to be heading to Bakersfield, one of California's largest cities, or traveling along Interstate 5 past oil fields and agricultural areas.
 * - While many places claim to have "something for everyone", Ventura County's southeastern neighbor actually does. There are movie studios to tour in Hollywood and its surrounding cities, shopping at luxury boutiques in Beverly Hills, the Ice Age fossils of the La Brea Tar Pits, the incredible museums of Exposition Park (including the Space Shuttle Endeavour), hiking and camping opportunities in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, some of the world's most impressive roller coasters at Magic Mountain, the famous beaches of Malibu, Santa Monica or Venice, and a million other options; just budget extra time to get to all of these places as you brave the infamous traffic with the county's ten million residents.

title: Ventura County


text:
Veracruz

Veracruz is a large city in the state of Veracruz in Central Mexico. The locals call their city "Puerto" (port) to differentiate the city from the state of Veracruz. The Port of Veracruz remains the core of its economy. It is also famous for its nightlife, and its spacious downtown area near the harbor (zocalo) comes alive with music and dancing with a strong Cuban influence. Highlights are the annual carnival celebrations around February when the party atmosphere is particularly raucous and hotel rooms become difficult to find.

Understand

Veracruz has a rich history. It has been the main gate of the country for sea travelers and products since its foundation. In this region, the Spanish first entered Mexico in the 16th century and remained for three centuries, forever changing the region. About 20 km northwest from Puerto Veracruz, in a town known as La Antigua Veracruz, Hernán Cortés first landed in Mexico. Veracruz would be one of the main ports of the Spanish treasure fleets during the colonial era. From its harbor, Mexican silver and the Asian silks, porcelain and spices of the Acapulco-Manila galleon trade were loaded onto galleons for transport to Spain. San Juan de Ulua fortress, located on an island off the city's coast, was built in the 16th century to guard against pirate attacks. It was the scene of the final stand of Spanish colonialism in the New Spain, being occupied by Spanish soldiers for four years after Mexico's War of Independence. Veracruz has witnessed four foreign invasions, earning the city the title 'Cuatro Veces Heroica' "Four times Heroic". Two of these attacks led to full-scale invasions of Mexico which retraced the route of Cortés, by the U.S. in 1847 and France in 1862.

Despite its status as the oldest European settlement on the American mainland, much of the colonial city was destroyed by invasions. The city walls were demolished during the era of Porfirio Diaz. However, there is some significant historic architecture, including two historic fortresses, several museums, and historical buildings in the Malecon.

A few beaches can be found north of Veracruz, but the beaches and water are not very clean; beach lovers might want to go north to Tecolutla or south to Los Tuxtlas.

The local language is Spanish. More than half of the hospitality workers speak English. Local people are known as jarochos. This denomination is not only for the people of the city but for the whole region of the State of Veracruz, known as "Llanuras de Sotavento." The jarochos are friendly people who love to be outdoors. The weather is mild, averaging between 25 and 32°C, but between January and March high winds from the north known as "nortes" can reach up to 120 km/h.

Get in
Veracruz has a small international airport,. The only direct US flights are from Houston, Texas. There are many options from other Mexican cities, including Mexico City. The airport is about 10 km west of downtown.

The ADO bus station is a short distance from the city centre. The bus trip from Mexico City TAPO terminal (located next to the San Lazaro metro station) takes 5½ hours. The bus trip from Puebla takes 3-4 hours.

Veracruz used to be a major railway hub, but passenger services were cancelled in 1995. However the historic railway station, offers the occasional tourist excursion and is a minor tourist sight in itself.

Get around
Arriving at the bus station, you can buy a voucher for a taxi. The station is located on Salvador Diaz Miron Street. The bus station is only about 10 blocks (1 km) from one of the main tourist attractions of the city, Villa del Mar. It is about a 40-minute walk from the Zocalo.

Taxis
Taxis are very inexpensive. A journey costs between US$2.50 and 5.00 according to the your zone destination. Passengers are advised to agree to the cost before entering a taxi.

Walking
The cheaper way to know the city is walking in the downtown and after that walk to the Malecon where several boats, historical buildings as well as tourist facilities and stores are located.

By bus
One very interesting possibility is to take the Bus "Boca del Rio", because it traverses the downtown area of the city to "Boca del Rio", a neighboring municipality with better hotels, modern infrastructure, and nicer beaches. The other public buses are not recommended for tourists, because they are old, in bad condition, and often very crowded and its paths are not easy understandable for new people in the city.

Veracruz often uses brightly painted US school buses for city buses. Fares are M$7.50 (pesos).

See

Eat
Meals depend on where you eat, you can eat great sea food in Boca del Rio and Mandinga and Alvarado (but for this last one you have to travel about 45 minutes). Look for the palapas (huts) and you can have a great meal for little money.

Jarocho cuisine is unique among Mexico's regional cuisines in its pronounced Spanish and Afro-Caribbean influences. The long coastlines make Veracruz a seafood paradise. Seafood dishes include octopus and red snapper (huachinango) prepared a la veracruzana (a tomato-olive based sauce), arroz a la tumbada (tumbled rice) and caldo de mariscos. Baked plantains are a ubiquitous side. Other foods of Afro-Caribbean origin are pollo encacahuatado (chicken in peanut sauce) and mondogo (tripe soup). Veracruz is famous for its café con leche. Visit the city's famous coffee houses, El Gran Cafe de la Parroquia and El Gran Cafe del  Portal.

Budget
In Veracruz, as in most Mexican cities, you won't notice much difference in taste between tacos from a fancy restaurant on the plaza and tacos from a street cart, it all more or less tastes fantastic. If you're on a budget, it's best to stay away from restaurants on the plaza, where you'll pay a premium for location. Street carts are definitely the cheapest option, but if you like to sit down and eat, a good compromise that's still dirt-cheap is any of lunch counters at the Mercado Hidalgo.

All these are in the city center:

Drink
Night clubs are the most expensive places. They will ask you to buy a bottle (whiskey, rum, vodka, whatever) in order to give you a table to seat. If you don't mind standing you can drink single drinks around US$13 for a Cosmopolitan, for example. Men have to pay at the entrance US$5-10, women enter for free.

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next
The picturesque lakeside town of Catemaco lies nearby. The bus takes around 4 hours and you'll find some nice beaches, water activities and more.

Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz with many traditional villages nearby and a world renowned anthropology museum with many Olmec artefacts.

title: Veracruz


text:
Veracruz (state)

Veracruz is a coastal state in Central Mexico. It has a developing tourism sector, with many ruins, colonial historical sites, natural features ranging from a towering Pico Orizaba — the highest point in Mexico — to low-lying lagoons and bio-reserves, and fairly decent beaches.

Regions
Veracruz has traditionally been less of a tourist destination than Pacific parts of Mexico due to its hot, humid weather. Yet the area incorporates a range of climates, from the damp jungle areas in the northwest to the cooler, mountainous heights of Xalapa. The northernmost region of Veracruz is referred to as La Hausteca Veracruzana, which means it was part of the territory historically occupied by the Huastec indigenous people, who were Mayan people who migrated north around 1200 BC. Today, Veracruz is one of only two states where Huastec people still live (the other is San Luis Potosi).

Cities

 * (or Jalapa) — state capital and a beautiful college town with its colonial architecture
 * — famous as the witchcraft center of Mexico
 * — known for its coffee production and orchids
 * — industrial port city that serves as transportation hub in southern Veracruz, Campeche, and southern Mexico
 * — where the Mexican Independence Treaty with Spain was signed
 * — a quiet town, crossed by many rivers, with many parks and beautiful churches
 * — this city near El Tajin ruins is known for its downtown square and its cathedral, where voladores (flyers) perform
 * — close to the Costa Esmeralda, the northern beaches of Veracruz, and El Tajin
 * — a 17th-century colonial settlement inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * — a beach town set in wetlands with estuaries, canals and mangroves
 * — laid-back beach town that played an important role in the Cuban revolution
 * — a rowdy city in the south famous for its nightlife, with a strong Cuban influence
 * — a charming small town with waterfalls and a smell of coffee in the air
 * — a small town that was the Totonoc capital city when Hernan Cortes became its first European visitor

Other destinations

 * — this UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the ruins of one of the largest and most important cities of the Classic era of Mesoamerica
 * —— a large national park surrounding Mexico's highest mountain
 * — a national park surrounding Mexico's 8th highest mountain
 * — (Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano) is an area of 23 coral reefs just offshore from the port city of Veracruz. The reef system is home for 84 different coral species, 339 mollusks, 47 sponges, and 140 crustaceans. It is a Ramsar wetland and is developing a reputation as a diving destination.
 * Cañon del Rio Blanco National Park (Parque Nacional Cañon del Rio Blanco, White River Canyon National Park), near Orizaba, deep river gorge, views of Pico de Orizaba. Park highlights include a 20-meter-high waterfall called Elephant Falls (Cascada de Elefante) and the 500 steps (500 escalones), a trail leading to 3 scenic overlooks. There are also two zip line routes here.
 * The Emerald Coast (la Costa Esmeralda) — a long stretch of coast north of the city of Veracruz (puerto) that is well known for its fine beaches and beach camping. Offers something of a Baja experience on the Gulf coast of the country.

Understand

Although the hot, humid summer weather can be unpleasant for many visitors, it creates a very lush, green landscape that can be beautiful along the southern half of the state.

Veracruz is where the Kingdom of Spain established its first town (called Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz) in what is now Mexico. The state is also where Hernán Cortés began his conquest of the Aztecs and where other forces have likewise made inroads to the center of the country, a fact reflected in how the city of Veracruz is designated the "Heroic City" for resisting Spanish, French, and American intrusions. Pre-Colombian civilizations included Huastecs to the north, the Totonacs to the north and center, and the Olmecs to the south, the latter of which are remembered by the notable stone heads they left behind. These groups were separate from the Aztecs, and, in the case of the Totonacs, even allied with the Spanish to seek revenge against their Aztec enemies and oppressors.

Since then, Veracruz has emerged to become an economic center for agriculture and fossil fuel extractions thanks to reserves found offshore.

Talk
Spanish, Nahuatl, and some English in tourist areas.

By plane
The largest airport is Veracruz International Airport (Heriberto Jara Corona) with international service to Houston and Dallas and domestic service to Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara and various regional destinations.

Two smaller regional airports serve domestic flights only:
 * Minatitlan/Coatzacoalcos  — Aeromexico flies one daily flight to Mexico City, serves southern Veracruz
 * Poza Rica/El Tajin — private planes may use this airport, no commercial flights

By bus
Buses can be used to reach almost any destination in Veracruz. Most buses are operated by ADO or Estrella Blanca.

From Mexico City, use the TAPO bus station for buses to Veracruz.

From Mexico City (TAPO) to Veracruz is 5 hours, M$500 to M$1000 (depends on class and schedule), on ADO or AU.

From Mexico City (TAPO) to Xalapa is 5 hours, M$520 (Jan 2023) on ADO or AU.

From Tuxtla Gutierrez to Coatzacoalcos (southern Veracruz) is 4 hours, M$500 (Jan 2023) on ADO.

By rideshare
Blablacar can be used in this region at prices close to those of the bus.

By train
Southern Veracruz has passenger train service on the Tren Interoceánico from Coatzacoalcos to the Pacific coast city of Salina Cruz in the state of Oaxaca. The line known as Linea FA between Coatzacoalcos and Palenque offers onward connections throughout the Yucatan Peninsula on the Tren Maya, which opened in 2024.

Get around
By bus, motorcycle, bike, horseback, or on foot.

See
Tourism is mostly centered on the port city of Veracruz but there are other destinations. Many of the state major historical and cultural monuments are in the port of Veracruz. They include the Aquarium, the Museum of the city (Museo de la Ciudad), the Agustín Lara Museum, the Santiago Fortress (Baluarte de Santiago) the "Las Atarazanas" Museum and the San Juan de Ulúa Fort.

To the north of the port city is the Sierra or Totonacalpan area of the state, home to the Totonac people. This is home to the important pre-Hispanic city of El Tajín and the present-day city of Papantla. The modern city is best known as the home of the Totonac version of the “danza de voladores”; there, the dancers spin from 80-ft-high (24.4 m) poles. The area is also the native habitat of the vanilla bean.

To the south of the port is on the coast, is Catemaco. This is in a tropical area. The area's two main features are Lake Catemaco, which is located in the crater of an extinct volcano and Isla Tanaxpillo just off the coast. This island is also called the island of the monkeys or baboons due to a group of feral monkeys that escaped and found refuge here.

Inland is the coffee-growing region in and around the cities of Coatepec and Xalapa. Orizaba is best known for the volcano nearby but also has a large waterfall called El Elefante and a Cañon (Canyon) de Río Blanco.

Archeological sites
The state has many remains of pre-Hispanic Olmec, Totonac, and Huastec cities. El Tajín, a ruined city that reached its apex between the 9th and 13th centuries AD, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.

El Zapotal is an archeological site which was discovered in 1971 in a region known at Mixtequlla (between the Blanco and Papaloapan Rivers). This site is noted for its clay figurines with smiling faces, part of an extremely large offering in honor of the god of death Mictlantecuhtli.

Cempoala is a site on the coast between the modern settlements of La Antigua and Ciudad Cardel. In the center of the site, there is a large plaza surrounded by temples and the palace of the Totonac chief. The site also has a small museum.

Quiahuiztlán is on the coast on a small mountain named Bernal. It is cut into the mountain as a series of terraces.

The Castillo de Teayo (Teayo Castle) is really a pyramid, whose original name was Zapotitlán. It is on the border between Huasctec and Totonac lands.

The Tres Zapotes site is located the community of the same name. Covering 1.5 hectares, the main building has a square base, which is surrounded by gardens and trees. The most important find from his is Stele “C” which is on display at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City.

El Pital is a site in the municipality of Martínez de la Torre. It consists of a mound with a pyramid base and stairs on the east side.The site's culture is considered to be a link between the coastal and highland cultures of the region.

Los Idolos is a site in Misantla, and was an important ceremonial site for the Totonacapan region. It consists of four rectangular patios linked by platforms and flat-topped mounds. Many of the structures are decorated with smooth river stone, thought to have come from the Misantla River.

The Centro Ceremonial Cuajiloteon the Bobos River consists of a large plaza 400 meters long lined with structures. In the center of the plaza there are three shrines, one of which contains phallic figures.

Do
The whitewater rafting around Xalapa is some of the best in North America.

The state purs on festivals. The most important of these is Carnival in the city of Veracruz. This city's version of the event begins with the “burning of bad humor”, which is represented in effigy. A number of kings and queens are "crowned", including categories for children, but the most important is the Rey Feo (Ugly King) and the Reina del Carnaval (Queen of the Carnival). The latter is accompanies by cadets from the Naval Academy during the parade. This celebration is repeated all along the Veracruz coastline with other significant festivities taking place in Alvarado, Coatzacoalcos, San Rafael and Villa José Cardel. Minatitlán's celebration draws people from the nearby states of Oaxaca and Tabasco. Day of the Dead is celebrated in almost all of Mexico from 31 Oct to 2 November but there are local twists in the state. In some places, it is commemorated during the months of August and September. In Papantla, boards or tables are placed on rooftops, which have been adorned with flowers, plant matter and more. In Tantoyuca, it is commemorated with costumes and music, similar to Carnival.

The Christian celebration of Candlemas is fused with traditions associated with Chalchiuhtlicua, the goddess of water, rivers, lakes and ocean. She was replaced by the Virgin of Candlemas, the protector of fishermen, making this celebration particularly important on the coast, especially in Tlacotalpan, where it is celebrated with much pomp. In Jáltipan de Morelos, ethnic Nahuas and Popolucas dress in elaborate costumes and arrange their hair in intricate styles. In Santa María Magdalena, on 22 July, bulls are set free to roam the streets. Corn harvest festivals are prominent in the Huasteca region in municipalities such as Chontla, Chicontepec, and Ixhuatlán de Madero. These generally include native dances and foods based on corn.

Eat
Veracruz city is famous throughout Mexico for its seafood feasts. The Cuban and African influence is stronger here than on the Pacific coast and the plates bear some resemblance to Cuban dishes. Though not cheap, the seafood restaurants will likely be a highlight to any trip to Veracruz.

The most famous specialty of the region, huachinango a la veracruzana, is red snapper in a spicy tomato sauce, with olive oil, garlic, and capers.

Drink
Veracruz is a traditional coffee growing state. Boutique roasters and coffee shops can be found in several towns.

Good fresh fruit drinks are widely available.

Stay safe
The City of Veracruz has a bit of violent crime, elsewhere its mostly just petty theft.

Go next

 * Puebla
 * Tlaxcala
 * Hidalgo

title: Veracruz (state)


text:
Veraval

Veraval-Somnath is a city on the west coast of India in the Junagadh district in the state of Gujarat. The Somnath Temple in the Prabhas Kshetra, near Veraval, is the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlings (lingas of light) of the God Shiva.

Get in
Somnath is 465 km from Ahmedabad and is connected by rail and road. There is a night train from Ahmedabad to Veraval station. Somnath also has a railway station but has very few direct trains to major Indian cities. It is possible to fly to Rajkot from Delhi and possibly other cities, take a tempo to downtown Rajkot and take a train for 4-5 hours (see sunny countryside and the reality of poor encampments beside the tracks) from there to Veraval; some of the trains continue the remaining short distance to Somnath.

Get around
Somnath trust organises daily twice "Somnath tirth Darshan" local sight seeing. Bus starts near the gate of Somnath Temple 10AM and 3PM. ₹20 per seat. It covers Golokdham tirth, Sharada Peeth, Triveni Sangam and Bhalka teerth in 2-3 hours. Visit the Bhalka Theeth. This is the place where Lord Krishna was hit by a hunter named Jara and then Lord Krishna walked a few steps and took his journey to Nijdham from the banks of the river Hiran.

See

 * The Gitamandir and Laxminarayan mandir are located in Dehotsarg campus. The divine message of Bhagwan Shree Krishna in the form of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is carved here on eighteen marble pillars. Laxminarayan Mandir houses divine shreevigraha of Bhagwan Laxminarayan.
 * Shree Parshuram Temple. This is a sacred spot on the holy banks of Triveni where Bhagwan Parshuram conducted his long penance and he was relieved from the curse of Kshatriya killings by Bhagwan Somnath. Divine Leela Parshuram is perpetuated here by a beautiful Parshuram Temple and two ancient kunds.
 * Treeveni Sangam Snanghat. The holy confluence of the three rivers Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati and their sangam with the ocean is a very sacred moksha tirtha for Hindus. The bathing facilities are being renovated by Shree Somnath Trust with the assistance of the State Government.
 * Shree Shashibhushan Mahadev and Bhidbhanjan Ganapatiji. The holy temple of Shashibhushan is located at a distance of 4 km from the Somnath-Veraval highway with a beautiful sea-shore. The Jara poacher is said to have taken aim from this spot while shooting an arrow towards Bhagwan Shree Krishna. The ancient Somnath Poojacharya Shri Bhav Brihaspati is said to have built this temple. Bhagwan Shashibhushan with Bhidbhanjan (Saviour form of) Ganesh is worshipped here with traditional spiritual traditions.
 * Shree Veneshwar Mahadev Temple. The devotional episode of the princess “Veni” is depicted in the novel by Shri K.M.Munshi. The temple was outside of the fort wall of Prabhaspatan at the time of holy war with Gazani.The soldiers of Gazani attempted an abduction of “Veni” who regularly visited the temple to offer her services to Shiva. The traditions maintain that the Shivling was spontaneously divided and the princess buried in it. The Shiv temple here is knows as “Veneshwar” temple after the fond memory of divine episode of Veni.
 * Shree Veneshwar Mahadev Temple. The devotional episode of the princess “Veni” is depicted in the novel by Shri K.M.Munshi. The temple was outside of the fort wall of Prabhaspatan at the time of holy war with Gazani.The soldiers of Gazani attempted an abduction of “Veni” who regularly visited the temple to offer her services to Shiva. The traditions maintain that the Shivling was spontaneously divided and the princess buried in it. The Shiv temple here is knows as “Veneshwar” temple after the fond memory of divine episode of Veni.

Timing for Darshan at Somnath Temple : 6AM to 9PM Timing for Aarti : 7AM, noon and 7PM

 * Jay Somnath Sound and Light Show : 8PM to 9PM

Do
Visit the Somnath Temple

Watch the Sound and Light Show at the temple, truly an amazing experience. They charge ₹20 per head for adults and kids are charged ₹10.

Buy
Nothing much to buy here except for some photos of Lord Somnath which is available in the temple. There are a few people near the Bus Stand who sell some Handmade items like dolls, which are good.

Eat
There aren't many places to eat except the Somnath Trust Run Prasadam Hotel and Bhabha Hotel near the temple. Lilavathi Bhojanalya and Bhojanalaya near temple (both run by Trust) are good and maintained well.

You can find a couple of shops on the bylanes near the temple and a few in the Complex opposite to the temple which are very very basic.

There is an Amul Counter near the Shopping Complex where you can get Dairy Products of Amul ranging from Chacch (Buttermilk) to Choclates to Ice-Creams.

Drink
Alcoholic Drinks are banned here. So do not expect places which offer alcohol in Somnath.

Sleep
Pilgrims can avail the guest house facilities of Shree Somnath Trust. The trust maintains a VIP Guesthouse, eighteen other guest houses and an economical dormitory. The total number of rooms in the trust guest houses are in excess of 200.

Guest house prices start From ₹350 to ₹1200. For people travelling in groups, Dharmashala & Sanskritik Bhavan are available at nominal prices. No booking by telephone. First-come, first-served.

Go next

 * The ancient city of Junagadh is about to the north

title: Veraval


text:
Verbania

Verbania is a city on the promontory at the northern side of the entrance to the Borromean Bay, a western arm of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy. The city has several parts, as it was formed from the merger of several towns. Pallanza is in the south, on the end of the promontory. Suna is to the west along the bay. Intra is outside the bay, to the north of Pallanza, on the other side of a river, the Torrente San Bernardino. Verbania has a population of 30,000.

By train
Trains run from Milan, via Busto Arsizio and Gallarate (both near Milano Malpensa Airport) to Verbania Pallanza station. The station is several kilometres from the town – the half-hourly bus service run by VCO Trasporti between Omegna and Verbania stops at the station.

By bus
S.A.F. runs the Alibus from both terminals of Malpensa Airport, terminating at Verbania, seasonally Apr-Oct. Services are 2–3 hours apart. You must book by 11:00 the previous day (by 11:00 Sa for Monday trips). Buy tickets on board, cash only. €17.

By boat
Navigazione Laghi provides ferry services around Lake Maggiore. The most frequent passenger services are around the Borromean Bay, between Stresa, Baveno, the Borromean Islands and Verbania. There is a car ferry from Laveno-Mombello on the eastern side of Lake Maggiore to Intra.

Do
You can go climb the mountain and also swim at the lake.

Buy
Open-air market all of Saturday near the ferry dock at Intra. A variety of goods and food.

Eat
Try having fish or seafood cooked in the local style in trattorie.

Go next

 * Baveno
 * Stresa

title: Verbania


text:
Verbier

Verbier is a resort town in the eastern part of the Swiss canton of Valais near Martigny. It has cable car access to a huge network of ski trails which are perfectly suited for intermediate and advanced skiers. There are also a couple of bunny slopes in town, as well as a huge amount of infrastructure for skiing and after skiing.

In the summer Verbier, like many mountain villages, becomes a base for the true Swiss national sport of hiking.

By train
There is no direct train service to Verbier. Passengers coming from Geneva will need to take a train to Martigny and then change trains to take the "St. Bernard Express" to Le Châble, the Verbier base station. From there passengers can take the cable car or the Postal Bus to get up to Verbier.

By car
Verbier is just off the A9 Motorway and National Road 21 (European Road: E27), about 1.5 hours from Geneva. It is advised to have a car that can travel up steep gradients and that is equipped with snow tires, if visiting in the winter. There is also a regular bus service from Geneva Airport to Verbier offered by Alpybus. The journey takes 2 hours and runs only during the winter season from December through April. Private transfers are available in the summer.

Get around
Verbier village is small enough to get pretty much everywhere on foot, even in ski boots. A free bus runs around the village until early evening. There is a cable car service between Verbier and Le Chable which runs from 08:30 until 18:30, and a bus which runs later, so you will want to make note of the bus schedule if your hotel is in Le Chable.

See
Verbier and the region around it has a lot to offer when it comes to nice views. Take the cable car all the way to the top for the most spectacular views:

Do
The principal activity in Verbier during winter is skiing. The ski area Les 4 Vallées is one of the largest in Switzerland, extending as far as Thyon and up to the Mont Fort glacier. Much of the best skiing is off-piste (off-trail), making the resort best suited to experienced, or at least enthusiastic skiers. The best sector for beginners is Savoleyres. There is less infrastructure for snowboarding, but advanced boarders should consider a trip to Verbier for the magnificent off-piste possibilities

Drink
The après-ski nightlife is pretty happening at Verbier. In early evening the pubs and bars are jammed with skiers - many have a happy hour between 4PM and 5PM. Later on, most people return home or eat at one of the many restaurants, before hitting one of Verbier's nightclubs, which stay open until 3 or 4AM in peak season. None of this is cheap!

Go next

 * Martigny, at the end of the valley leading down to Verbier, is known for its extensive Roman ruins including an amphitheatre.
 * If a supplement is paid, one can ski in one of Switzerland's largest skiing domains — the Quatre Vallées offers over 450km of piste and 92 lifts
 * Guides offer the possibility to "hike" on skis from Verbier to Zermatt as part of the "Haute Route", a journey of several days

title: Verbier


text:
Vercors

Vercors is a massif of mountains and plateaus east of the Rhône Valley, between the valleys of the rivers Drôme and Isère, in the Rhône alpes region of France.

The Vercors massif and surrounding areas are protected as a regional park (Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors in French). Some especially wild and remote places of south eastern Vercors are in a more protected area named Réserve intégrale des hauts plateaux du Vercors (Vercors high plateaus reservation).

Understand
The mountains are a good destination for people interested in nature sports such as hiking, Nordic skiing, alpinism, and caving. It is also a good place for sight seeing, as it offers various and beautiful landscapes visible from some of the most vertiginous roads in the world. Around these mountains are more lowland regions, with sharply different climates, from the almost alpine Trièves to the rather Mediterranean Diois.

Of course, as in anywhere in France, there are local food specialities, local wines, and local cheeses.

Geology
Vercors massif (dark greens and blue on the map) is a group of limestone plateaus surrounded by 300-m (1000-ft) vertical cliffs of limestone. The transitions between the different plateaus can be of different nature: east-west oriented canyons, cliffs, or more gentle slopes. The plateaus are higher in the south eastern part of the park, with the highest point of the massif (Grand Veymont) culminating at 2341 m. in this part of the park, the massif is bordered on the east by an almost continuous cliff along tens of kilometers.

These landscapes can be explained by a three step geologic history.
 * During the secondary era, the area corresponding to today's Vercors was a tropical sea, with a bottom that went deeper or shallower over time. When the bottom was deeper, clay and fine material were deposed, and became soft, easily eroded shales. When this bottom was shallow, coral reefs developed, and formed almost white, hard limestone. The two most important shallow water periods are responsible for most of today limestone cliffs: "Titonic" (Titonique) limestones date from mid-Jurassic and are found in the periphery of the massif. They make small cliffs and crests mainly visible in Trièves and Diois areas. "Urgonian" (Urgonien) limestones are the backbone of the massif, responsible for its high cliffs and plateaus, the deep and narrow canyons, and the mesa-like, even tepui-like Mont Aiguille.
 * During the tertiary era, the Alps surrected, and the Vercors did with them. The compression forces in here were east–west oriented, and not very strong, creating ample north–south oriented folds with a square section, and some faulting. These folds and faults are responsible for the general east–west alternance of plateaus altitudes, especially in the southern parts of the massif.
 * At last, the erosion that occurred since the Vercors emerged is responsible for the cliffs and canyons we see today. All the cirques and canyons are due to water erosion, as almost no glacier developed in these mountains during the quaternary glaciations. A lot of karstic erosion, that is chemical erosion of the limestone by water, is visible in Vercors. This form of erosion not only engendered cliffs, cirques and canyons, but also a lot of caves, sinkholes (local name:scialet, pronounce "see-ah-leh"), closed depressions (French: doline, pronounce "dolin"), and dry valleys. In some places, the limestone outcrops take strange forms named lappiaz (pronounce: lah-pee-ah).

Landscapes, regions in the park
Before the end of nineteen century, the different parts of the Vercors massif where isolated from each other, and only communicated with the surrounding plains. The canyons that cut the massif, which are today some of the main communication axes, where impassable obstacles. Thus, today's Vercors was divided in at least three units: the part of the massif that communicated with Grenoble through the Furon valley (Quatre montagnes), the part that communicated with Royan (Coulmes), and what was called the Vercors, which was linked with the Drôme valley. This last part, the largest, is split in two halves, the western plateaus, more humanized, and the high plateaus, more high and wild.

 * The Coulmes area, in the north west of the massif, always was and still is the most forested area of the massif. The forest was exploited for coal making in the 19th century, especially by people coming from Italy, thus giving to Vercors one of its culinary speciality the ravioles which are some kind of ravioli (See the section "eat"). It also is an area where the Vercors looks more like a mountain and less like a series of plateaus, the urgonian folds being more rounded compared with western, northern and high plateaus. The coulmes can be reached through several quite impressive roads, especially the Nant gorges road, and the Ecouges road, both directly dug in the cliffs.

 * The Northern Plateaus of Vercors are also named the "Quatre Montagnes" that can be literally translated in "the four mountains" but rather means something like "the four villages/communities/cultivated areas in the mountains". This area is today the most developed area of Vercors for tourism, especially Nordic and alpine skiing. It is a nice weekend sport destination for the Grenoble citizens. Nevertheless, traditional activities still exists there, mainly based on cattle breeding and cheese making. The four main villages of the area are reparted on two plateaus separated by a north–south forested mountain. Autrans, Méaudre, Lans and Villard de Lans both are ski resorts and host farms. This website (In French...) presents some very nice pictures of the northern Vercors massif, and the area surrounding Grenoble.

 * The Western plateaus (Vercors Drômois) are more numerous but smaller. Together with the high plateaus, they are what was first named "Vercors", before it became the name of the whole massif. Some of these plateaus are self evident (Plateau d’Ambel, Font d’Urle), but other where dismounted by erosion (Glandasse, l'Echarasson...). From these areas, spectacular vistas can be seen of the surrounding plains and other mountains. In the north of this area, several deep canyons are present. These canyon are traversed by very impressive roads, directly dug in the cliffs.
 * Traditionally, the meadows of the west plateaus and the high plateaus are used as pasture in summer, according to the millennia-old practice of estive (pronounced "ess-teev") or transumance (pronounced "tranz-humans"). The sheep are moved from the mountains to the plains and back every year: In winter, they graze in the plains where the temperatures are warm and the grass still green (while in mountains it is buried under heavy snow), and in summer, they are brought to the mountains where the grass and the air are fresher than in the plains.

 * The high plateaus natural reservation is the highest, wildest and most protected area of the park. It contains no human permanent presence, no paved road, and no vehicle is authorized. The only economic activities are logging and sheep breeding (see "estive"). These traditional activities continue to exist because they are essential for the delicate ecological equilibrium of the high plateaus. Logging especially is not made by blank cuts of whole areas, but using the old method of the futaie jardinée (gardened forest) where a few trees are cut each few year, preventing the forest from invading the pastures and from degenerating by overaging.

The surrounding areas around the massif that are part of the natural park (light and yellowish green on the map) can be cut in four main parts:

 * The Royans, in the northwest, is an area of hills dedicated to cattle breeding and walnut growing. Three of the impressive vercors gorges converge toward this area: Combe Laval, the Grand Goulets and the Bourne gorge.
 * The Gervanne, in the south west, is an area of Piedmont slopes with nice villages.
 * The Diois, in the south, corresponds to a part of the Drôme valley centered on the town of Die. This area has a clear Mediterranean accent, with lavender fields and vineyards producing a sparkling wine, the Clairette.
 * The Trièves, in the east, is a low hilly plateau below the high summits of Veymont and the gorges of the Drac river. On the west of this area is one of the rare mesas existing in France, the Mont Aiguille ("needle mountain")

As everywhere in Europe, humans have greatly influenced the landscape. Today, Vercors Regional Park is inhabited by 32,000 permanent residents living in either lonely farms or in one of the more than 20 towns and villages that exist within the park.

History
The name "Vercors" given to this massif comes from the "Vertacomicorii" a celtinc tribe living in this area when it was invaded by the Romans. During the roman rule, human occupation of this massif was limited to the surrounding slopes, principally in the Diois area. The plateaus where used only seasonally, for examples as a source of building stones (quarries in the high plateaus)

During the Middle Ages, permanent dwelling and villages progressively appeared, starting in the 11th century. Middle Ages settlements started in the villages of la Chapelle, Saint Julien, Saint Martin and Saint Agnan, in what was called the "Vercors valley".

During the 18th century, the forest started to be exploited as one of the most valuable assets of the plateaus. One of the traces of those times is the name of the vertiginous pass at the bottom of the Combe Laval gorge, le col de la machine, i.e. the pass of the machine. That "machine" was a kind of crane used to lower the logs from the Vercors plateau down the then impassable 300-m high cliffs.

Wood production from the thick forests of the Vercors was also very important in the 19th century. By the end of that century, several roads, among the most vertiginous in the world, were dug in the cliffs of the Vercors primarily for wood transportation. Although intensive, and perhaps sometimes excessive, wood exploitation was not destructive, since the most important forest of those times (Lente, Coulmes) are still prosperous today. This is partly due to the long term management plans used in state forests (Foret domaniales) in France since the 17th century.

During the 20th century, these mountains were used as a natural fort by the French Resistance during World War II. These resistant camps housed 400 combatants by the beginning of 1944, provisioned by locals who were mostly friendly. On June 6, 1944, the roads entering the mountain were closed, and the Vercors was declared a republic (République du Vercors). On July 21, 1944, the mountain was attacked by 15,000 German soldiers by the roads, the small passes in the cliffs, and from the air. There are only 3,500 Resistance fighters. 600 Resistance fighters and 200 civilians including women, children and infants, were killed, most in gruesome ways. The killing of civilians was especially horrible in the village of Vassieux, where SS troops killed all the inhabitants and destroyed the houses.

A lot of competitions of the Winter Olympic games of 1968 (Grenoble) took place in the northern part of the park, especially in the villages of Villars de Lans, Saint Nizier du Moucherotte and Autrans.

Flora and fauna
Vercors is populated by both hills animals like stag (cerf), roe deer (chevreuil), common hare (lièvre), and wild boar (sanglier); and mountains animals like ibex (bouquetin), chamois (same spelling), marmots (marmotte) and variable hare (lièvre variable). Some Corsican mouflons (mouflon) have been introduced. Nevertheless, American visitors have to expect animals, and especially large mammals to be much shyer than in the American continent.

There also are a lot of bird species, due to the large diversity of biotopes in Vercors. The French chocard.com website presents the 140 bird species found in the Vercors Regional Park, with a description and a repartition map for each species.

Flora is also a mix between the alpine flora and what is found down in the plains. Among the alpine species, 28 rare or endangered species are visible, including the wild tulips, lady slippers orchids and edelweiss. More common species adorn the woodlands and meadows, such as great gentian (grande gentianne), alpine gentian (Gentiane des alpes), alpine linaria (linaire des alpes), saxifrage (same spelling) and narcissus (narcisse).

By car
Vercors Regional Park is accessible by car from main surrounding cities for day trips or longer vacations. Park entrance is within a 10-minute drive of these four cities:

 * From Grenoble the main route is through the Furon gorge (D531 south, direction Lans-en-Vercors).
 * From Romans, take the N532 to the northeast, in the Isere valley, to the town of Saint Nazaire en Royans. From there, take either the D76 or D531 to the east.
 * From Valence, reach Romans first, using the N532, or directly enter the park taking the D68 east through the passes of Col des Limouches, or the D171 east to Alixan and then D101 through the perhaps more picturesque Tourniol pass.
 * Die (pronounce “Dee”) is inside the regional park. It can be reached from Valence through the D93. From Die, the Vercors plateaus themselves can be reached by climbing the Rousset (pronounce “roo-say”) Pass (Col du Rousset) on the D518 heading north.
 * Be aware that, because of the cliffs surrounding the high plateaus, there is no road access to Vercors mountains from the east between Grenoble and the Rousset pass. The Trièves area of the park is traversed by the N75 and the beginning of A51. To link this area with other parts of the park by car, one has to reach either Grenoble through the N75 (north) and the A51 or Die through the Grimone pass (D539, west).

Here is how to reach Vercors from farther away:

 * From Nice, the French Riviera and Liguria, two ways are possible
 * Through the interstates system: go to A8 (A10 in Italy) heading west, until Aix-en-Provence, and then the A7 heading north toward Valence. this is a 3- to 4-hr trip.
 * If you have more time (at least 5 hr), go to Canne, and from there reach Sisteron through the very nice N85 (Route Napoléon) heading north. After Sisteron, take the N75 north until you reach the small town of Aspres. You then can either reach Die using the D993 heading west through the Col de Cabre pass, or Grenoble staying on the N75 heading north. If you do so, you will enter the Trièves area of the regional park before arriving in Grenoble.
 * From Paris (and Lyon): From Paris, take the A6 heading south-southeast until you reach the city of Lyon (6 hr driving). Then, take the A46 that goes around Lyon to the south east, then the A43 until Bourgoin-Jallieu, then the A48 from there to Grenoble. (45 minutes).
 * From Spain: Leave Spain through the Col du Pertus pass, the large interstate through the frontier at the east of the pyreneans (AP7 in Spain, A9 in France). Stay on the A9 until you reach Orange. There, change interstate to take the A7 north until you reach Valence. This is a 4-hour trip from the Spain border to Valence.
 * From Italy:
 * Except for the Aosta valley and the Liguria, the shortest way to Vercors is through the Col de Montgenevre pass (SS24 in Italy, N94 in France) near the Fréjus tunnel (A32 in Italy). Go east along the N94 until Briancon, then take the N91 west through the Galibier pass until you reach Vizille. In this city, take the N85 north west to Grenoble.
 * If you do not want to leave the highway system, go through the Fréjus tunnel (A32 in Italy, A43 in France), then continue north west on the A43 until you reach Montmelian, a little distance before the larger city of Chambéry. In there, take the A41 south west to Grenoble.
 * From the Aosta valley, the shortest way is through the Col du Petit Saint Bernard pass. (S26 in Italy, N90 in France). Stay on the N90 until you reach the A430 in Alberville. Continue until the end of the interstate, and then take the A43 to the south west. The route is then the same as from the rest of Italy through highway.
 * From Swizerland (and Annecy): Leave Genève on the N201 heading south to Annecy. In Annecy, Go on the A41 heading south to Aix Les Bains, Chambéry, and then Grenoble.

By train or plane
The largest train stations around Vercors are Valence TGV, Downtown Valence (Valence Ville) and Grenoble.
 * In Valence TGV comes from Lyon, Lille, Paris, Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille everyday. In certain periods, there are Thalys trains coming from Amsterdam, Anvers and Brussels.
 * In Valence Ville arrive trains from Nice and the Riviera, Briançon, Gap, Lausane, Geneva, and buses from Privas and Aubenas in Ardèche.
 * In Grenoble arrive TGV trains from Paris, Geneva, Lausanne, Chambéry, and trains from Gap, Dignes, and Italy (Torino, Milan, Venice)

Some small train stations are w in the park:

 * The station of Die receives 3 trains daily in each direction on the line Valence-Gap.
 * The stations of Clelles and Saint Michel des Portes receive 6 trains daily on the line Grenoble-Gap.

The nearest international airport is Grenoble Isère International Airport, about 40 km from Grenoble, or about 35 minutes by coach. This is a small airport although flights are more frequent in the ski season.

Also, about 100 km from Grenoble, the Saint Exupery (Satolas) Airport in Lyon. From this airport, it is possible to commute to Grenoble and Valence by TGV (30 minutes). airlines link Satolas airport with the other French international airport (Orly, Roissy, Toulouse, Nice), most of EU countries, middle east (Turkey, Israel), northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt), Canada, and the French territories oversea (Réunion, Guadeloupe). The Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, although farther away, can be convenient, as it is directly linked with Valence (2½ hours) and Grenoble by TGV (3 hours), and has connections worldwide.

By bus
Vercors can be reached by bus from the three largest surrounding cities, Grenoble, Valence and Die.
 * From Grenoble, three regular bus lines exist:
 * From Grenoble to the ski resorts of northern vercors (Autrans, Corrençon, Lans en Vercos, Méaudre, Saint Nizier, Villars de Lans)
 * From Grenoble to the villages of Royans: Saint Jean, Saint Laurent, Sainte Eulalie and Pont en Royans.
 * From Grenoble to the Trievre: Gresse, Clelles.

These lines are operated by the VFD company. Telephone (From France) 0820 833 833, e-mail: allo.VFD@VFD.fr, Website in French
 * From Valence, four regular bus lines exist:
 * To Die (Line 28) (it also is possible to reach this city from Valence by train)
 * To Combovin (line 7, 2 busses per day)
 * To Beaufort sur Gervanne and Plan de Baix (Line 25, 1 round trip per day)
 * To The Royans villages (the same ones than from Grenoble, Line 5, 7 round trips per day). Some busses from this line (one or two per week) continue to the villages of the western plateaus: La Chapelle, Vassieux, Saint Agnan and Saint Martin en Vercors.
 * From Die, one bus line (Line 29, one bus every two hours) leads to several villages of the Diois area of Vercors Regional Park, including Châtillon en Diois.

Lines from Valence and Die are operated by the authority of the Drôme département (Conseil Général de la Drôme or CG26). Telephone: +33 4 75 81 72 62, Website in French. It is also possible to benefit from personal transportation services (services de rabatement), that is transportation from one place in the western Vercors to the nearest bus station in the surrounding plains. Reservation has to be made in advance for such services, generally in the local chamber of commerce (Office du tourisme).

Fees and permits
As always with National or Regional Parks in France, there are no entrance fees, and in fact the entrance itself will not be easily located along the road. Only a small signpost generally marks it.

Get around
Common modes of transportation are scarce inside the park, and it is wise to have an independent mode of transportation such as a car or a motorbike. Bicycle can also be used, but the long slopes of the different passes in the park are only accessible to trained people. Roads in and around Vercors are sloping, curvy and narrow mountain roads. Nevertheless, almost all roads are paved, and they are well maintained.

Four main roads cross the plateau, in a general north–south direction: The D531 highway, starting from Grenoble, enters the Vercors Regional Park through the Furon gorges heading south. It reaches Lans en Vercors and Villards de Lans, and then turns west, entering the Bourne valley. Progressively, this valley become a deeper and narrower gorge. Eventually, after very impressive narrows, the road reaches out of the gorge, and arrives at Pont en royans. Heading a south-west direction, the roads leaves the Park a little bit before Saint Nazaire en royans, where it reaches the main highway to Romans.

The D76 highway starts from Saint Nazaire en Royans, and heads south east until Saint Jean en Royan, inside the park. From there, the road climbs on the plateau through the very impressive road of Combe Laval. After the Col de la Machine pass, the road heads south east to Vassieux en Vercors, and then the Rousset Pass. There is a link between the D531 and the Rousset pass that do not climb down the plateau. It starts in the bourne gorges with the name D101, changes its name into D518 in Les Barraques en Vercors, and then heads south through La chapelle en Vercors and Saint Agnan en Vercors until it reaches the Rousset pass. After it, the road continue southward and downwards until it reaches Die.

The D199 highway heads west from the Col de la Machine to the col de la bataille and Léoncel. It then changes its name in D68 and continues westward to the plains surrounding Valence through the Col des Limouches pass.

The Gervane area is crossed by the small (but paved) D70 road that links the col des limouches with the Drome valley through the Col de Bacchus.

The Diois area is crossed by the large D93 highway. This highway and the D518 from the Rousset pass meet inside Die.

The Trièves is crossed by the N75. It is not possible to go by car from this region to the Vercors plateaus without living the park first.

There are many other roads in the park that links all the small villages with the surrounding plains, including Col de la Croix (Pass of the Cross), Gorges du Nant, Col du mont noir (Pass of the Black Mount), and Col de Romeyere. The road of the Grand Goulets (D518) is closed because of a major landslide. Roadwork is ongoing to reopen the road through a tunnel. The gorge road is planned to be reopened for pedestrian and bicycles only.

A road reform is ongoing in France and road numbers are changing. Generally speaking, it is better to follow directions from village to village rather than trying to stick to road number that are written small and more difficult to follow. Impressive parts of the Vercors roads (Combe laval, Nant gorges, etc.) are generally well indicated and easy to find.

Natural features

 * The vertigo roads (Les routes du vertige) of the Vercors gorges, especially Combe laval (D76), Les Grands goulets (The Great Gullies) (D518), the Nant Gorges (Gorges du Nant) (D22), and the Ecouges gorge (gorges des Ecouges).
 * The Bronzed Fir (Sapin Bronzé), an exceptionally large and old fir tree in the Lente forest.
 * Caves (Grottes, pronounced "grot"): The Vercors massif is crossed by a large number of caves. Some of them are equipped and can be visited without any training.
 * Grotte du Thaïs (pronounce "tice") near Saint Nazaire en Royans. Nice concretions are visible together with prehistoric paintings. Full price €6.5, Tel.: +33 4 75 48 45 76
 * Grotte de la Draille Blanche near La Chapelle en Vercors. The cave shows rare fossils of animals of the ice age, and zoo can be visited after the cave. Full price €6. Tel.: +33 4 75 48 24 96
 * Grotte de la Luire near Saint Agnan en Vercors shows large volumes, and an impressive pit. Full price €5 tel: +33 4 75 48 25 93
 * Grotte de la Luire near Saint Agnan en Vercors shows large volumes, and an impressive pit. Full price €5 tel: +33 4 75 48 25 93

Artifacts, history

 * The 13th-century chapel in the village of La Chapelle en Vercors
 * The 13th-century abbey in Léoncel
 * The village of Pont-en-Royans and its impressive houses overhanging the Bourne river.
 * The picturesque village of Saint Nazaire en Royans under its 35-m high 19th-century acqueduct. The acqueduct is still used to carry water, but can also be visited.
 * The old city of Die, its romanesque church and city walls were made in the middle age with blocks from Roman monuments.
 * The village of Chichiliane in the Trièves area is a nice old village, and offers splendid views of the Mont Aiguille.
 * The village of Archianne in the same named cirque (eastern Diois area).
 * The village of Sainte Croix and its old monastery, the church split into two parts a catholic and a Protestant part and its vineyards.(website in French)
 * The village of Sainte Croix and its old monastery, the church split into two parts a catholic and a Protestant part and its vineyards.(website in French)

Hiking
Hiking paths are clearly marked and well maintained. For more information visit the local tourist information offices. They can help you with selecting the hikes suited for your condition, experience or group composition. They also sell detailed hiking maps (€7) and have an up to date weather forecast.

Here is a small selection among the thousand possible hikes in and around the Vercors massif.
 * From the surrounding areas:
 * The Archiane cirque is a nice place for those who do not fear vertigo. There are two hikes: One climbs in the bottom of the cirque to the "plaine du roi" in the high plateau, another stays inside the cirque. In fact, this is the vertiginous one, as most of the hike is on a small flat balcony in the middle of the cliff!
 * The Mont Aiguille (“Needle Mountain”) is a very small plateau surrounded by sheer cliffs. It is possible to hike around it in one day from the village of Chichiliane in the Trièves.
 * The Pas de l'aiguille (needle pass, pas being often used in toponimy instead of col for a pass with no road) is a pass through the cliffs from the Trièves to the High Plateaus, with beautiful views of the Mont Aiguille.
 * In the western plateau:
 * Plateau d'Ambel, from the Col de la Bataille Pass (1340m) a nice day hike around the cliffs bordering the plateau.
 * Plateau de Font d'Urle From the ski resort of Font d'Urle, a view to the porte d'hurle, one of the small entries in Vercors through the cliffs, and a nice walk along the top of the cliffs bordering the plateau. A lot of wild flowers in spring, and a large variety of karst formations.
 * The northern plateaus (Quatre montagnes) are more economically developed, especially with larger ski resorts. Nevertheless, there are still nice wild place to visit... by feet:
 * Bec de l’orient, 1554m. A nice view of the Isere valley after 1h of climbing.
 * The High Plateaus Reserve (Réserve naturelle des Hauts Plateaux du Vercors) is only accessible by feet. It is a rare landscape of almost true wilderness in the heart of Europe. Several hikes are possible in this area:
 * The  Grand Veymont, 2 341 m (highest point of Vercors) the hike needs a full day.
 * The High Plateaus Reserve (Réserve naturelle des Hauts Plateaux du Vercors) is only accessible by feet. It is a rare landscape of almost true wilderness in the heart of Europe. Several hikes are possible in this area:
 * The  Grand Veymont, 2 341 m (highest point of Vercors) the hike needs a full day.

Nordic skiing
One of the largest Nordic skiing system of Europe is available in Vercors. In the core of the winter season, it is possible to link Saint Nizier, at the northern tip of the plateaus, to the Rousset pass that mark the southern limit of the massif.

The largest Nordic skiing stations of Villard de lans-Corrençon and Autrans have an international reputation as several hundred of kilometers tracks are accessible from each of these stations. Other Nordic skiing stations include:
 * Les Coulmes
 * Saint Nizier
 * Fond D'Urle

Every year, two Nordic skiing races are organized:
 * In January, the Foulée Blanche around Autrans, gather a lot of local Nordic skiers. Several races of several length are proposed, allowing everybody, including children, to participate. The longest race, of 40 km, must be in good physical condition.
 * In March, the Grande Traversée du Vercors (GTV, for Great Vercors Crossing) is organized between Vassieux and Villard de Lans. Unlike the "Foulée Blanche", this race is reserved to highly trained peoples.

Alpine skiing
Several ski resorts exist in Vercors Regional Park.
 * Villard de Lans (the largest - Website in English )
 * Autrans (website in English)
 * Gresse en Vercors (Website in English)
 * Le col du Rousset
 * Font d'Urle / Chaud Clapier
 * Lans en Vercors (Website in French)
 * Autrans/Méaudre (Website in French )

Paragliding
The Vercors mountains, with their plateaus surrounded by cliffs, are especially conductive for Paragliding (Parapente). Several launching areas are available around Lans and Villard de Lans. (Website in French of a commercial paragliding school)

Canyoning and caving
Being a karst mountain, Vercors is rich in caves (grottes) and deep, narrow canyons. The best known caves for speleologist in Vercors are:

Some of the canyons of Vercors:

Locals generally do caving (spéléologie or spéléo) and canyoning (descente de canyon) outside of structures, or in small not-for-profit club structures that are not easily accessible for foreigners visiting the place for a short time. Nevertheless, it is possible to practice this activity at any level for anybody.

Trained caver or canyoners who want to share their passion with locals can contact local clubs for conjoint explorations. Members of local clubs will generally propose guiding, or participation in upcoming explorations, and can lend spelunking gear. The cost will be limited to a yearly inscription fee that includes specific insurance coverage. In this kind of structure, be aware that people will not provide you a service for a fixed price, but will share with you some of their leisure time. The fee you pay is not for them (and in fact, they also paid it), but for the insurance and the non-profit structure.

People interested in initiation in caving or canyoning can contact the “bureau des moniteurs” (guides association). A personal guided initiation or exploration of a cave or a canyon will be proposed to them. In this structure, you can expect a more classic customer/salesman relationship. The “bureau des moniteurs” can also organize for you other sporting activities such as escalating and via ferrata.

Bureau des Moniteurs du Vercors: 15 av. des Francs-Tireurs BP 25, C38250 Villard de Lans, CFrance Tel.: +33 4 76 94 14 50 (Website in English )

Events
Vercors Massif is not only a place of nature and traditions. The village of Autrans, in the northern plateaus, hosts every year a national festival of the Internet, the Autrans Meetings (Rencontres d'Autrans, website in French) and the mountain film festival, website in French.

Calendar & events: Have a look on Agenda on Initiatives-Vercors.fr (in french)

Local specialities

 * Ravioles, a kind of very small cheese and herbs ravioli. You will easily find them as a side dish in the local restaurants, but they can also be bought, and then are very easy to cook (one minute in simmering water)
 * Noix de Grenoble: Walnuts produced in the vicinity of Grenoble, including Royans, are reputed in France.
 * Caillette is a finely grounded mix of green vegetable and porc offals enveloped in caul eaten cold or warm on bread. It tastes far better than it sounds. You will find caillette all over the park and also in most of the Drôme Valley, in and around Grenoble, east of Rhône around Valence, in the Isère valley and the hills surrounding it from Grenoble to Valence
 * Gratin dauphinois is a typical side dish of the Rhône-Alpes region. It is made from sweat cream, milk and finely sliced potatoes. These ingredients are cooked together slowly in the oven and finally broiled on the surface.

Cheeses

 * The Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is an appellation cheese produced only from cow milk produced in the Vercors plateaus. This blue cheese is sweeter and smoother than Roquefort cheese, and can be melted.
 * Saint Marcelin and Saint Félicien cheeses are produced in the Isère valley between Romans and Grenoble from raw cow milk.
 * Picodon is an appellation cheese made from pure raw goat milk produced in the Drôme or Ardeche départements. It is a strongly aromatic (even sometimes peppery) dry cheese with an exterior color ranging from white to blue or dark greenish grey. This chese is excellent eaten the French way, that is raw on a slice of bread after the main dish and before the dessert.
 * Although handcrafted cheeses are generally the best ones, some small companies, such as L'Etoile du Vercors (Website in French ) are able to produce excellent ones.

Restaurants

 * Northern plateaus:
 * Restaurant Barnier in Autrans
 * In Royans
 * Les Tracols in St Laurent en Royans.
 * Les Tracols in St Laurent en Royans.
 * Les Tracols in St Laurent en Royans.

Drink

 * Local liquors
 * The gentian (gentianne). Gentian liquor is a bitter digestive drink obtained by macerating roots of the great yellow gentian in a mix of water, fruit alcohol and sugar. This liquor is produced in several mountainous areas of France, including Vercors. Most of the production is made at home and not sold, but now some of this liquor is available to visitors in some speciality shops specialized in local products (produits du terroir).
 * The same story can be told about Walnut wine (Vin de noix) made from walnut stain (not the nut itself), alcohol, sugar and wine. Some professional producers now exist in the Royans, and this drink can be found in local shops.
 * Châtillon en Diois is the only wine produced inside the natural park. The small (65 ha) area of production corresponds to the south eastern tip of the park, around the village of Châtillon. This wine is a still wine that is made in red, blush and white versions. The red and blush wines are made mainly from Gamay grapes with additions of Pinot and Syrah. The white wine comes from a mix of Aligoté and Chardonay grapes. These cultivars are generally found on northern parts of France, but here, they are well adapted to the altitude (700 m).
 * Clairette and Crémant de Die are two sparkling white wines made from grapes growing around Die in the Drôme valley. Clairette is issued from a mix of "Muscat a petit grains" and "Clairette" grapes, while Crémand is only made from "Clairette" grapes.
 * A bit farther from the park is the Rhône valley, with all its renowned wines, the nearest of Vercors being Cornas, Tain l'Hermitage, Croze Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.

Sleep
In Trièves (South-East of Vercors)

In Autrans (Northern plateaus):

In Royans:

In western plateaus:

In Villard de Lans:

Camping
There are various campgrounds in the Vercors. Most of them are only open in high season from 15 June till 15 September. If you are not a confident driver you also might want to check the accessibility of some campgrounds when using a mobile home or a caravan.

Stay safe
The main dangers in Vercors are in its topography. The risks of falling from cliffs must not be underestimated, and the swallow-holes are a hazard that exists everywhere in the plateau. Use extra caution if fog weather occurs, if for any reason the visibility is reduced, or if you walk away from designated path.

Some of the more scenic roads are literally dug in cliffs, in gorges, etc. These roads are narrow, with sharp bends. Exercise caution, especially in bad weather.

The Vercors plateau is at a higher altitude than neighbouring cities such as Grenoble. As such, areas in Vercors may receive snow while there is none in these surrounding cities and valleys. Main roads get snowploughed, but secondary roads might not; some secondary roads may be closed in winter, and some roads may be accessible only with tire chains. Snow tires are strongly advisable in winter, but most rental agencies do not provide them by default.

Because of the Karstic nature of this mountain, water is scarce. If hiking, always carry more water than you think you need.

If snowshoeing, especially in slopy or isolated places, carry a shovel and an ARVA apparatus, in case of an avalanche.

Although wolves have been noticed in the park, large mammals do not generally represent a risk. Do not feed them, even in the extraordinary case you are in the situation to do so. Vercors Regional Park is rabies free.

It is advised to lock cars and to avoid leaving money or valuables in them when going for a hike. Although infrequent, thefts can occur.

Go next

 * Grenoble
 * Valence
 * Die
 * Lyon

title: Vercors


text:
Verden an der Aller

Verden an der Aller is in Lower Saxony.

Understand
Verden an der Aller, also called Verden (Aller) or simply Verden, is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the river Aller. It is the administrative centre of the district of Verden. Verden is famous for the massacre of Saxons in 782, committed on the orders of Charlemagne (the Massacre of Verden), for its cathedral, and for its horse breeding. For many years, it was also the headquarters of the British 1st Armoured Division.

Get in

 * A7 Take exit 48-Dreieck Walsrode to merge onto A27 toward Bremen/Walsrode. Take exit 26-Verden-Ost toward Verden/Kirchlinteln. Turn right onto Osterkrug/L171 (signs for Verden).
 * A27 Take exit 53-Bremer Kreuz on the left to merge onto A27 toward Hanover/Achim. Take exit 25-Verden-Nord for B215 toward Verden/Nienburg/Rotenburg. Turn right onto Hamburger Str./B215 (signs for Nienburg/Verden). Turn left onto Johanniswall/L171.

Get around

 * Taxi There are a number of different taxi firms that will be quite happy to take you to your destination.
 * Walk If you are feeling energetic, why not walk around the town.
 * There is a regular bus service around the town if you don't wish to walk.

Connect
Within Germany you may dial the national prefix 0 instead of country code 49.

Go next

 * Bremen
 * Hannover
 * Soltau

title: Verden an der Aller


text:
Verdon Gorge

The Verdon Gorge (French: Les Gorges du Verdon) is an awe-inspiring gorge in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of France. The gorge varies from between 6 and 100m at the bottom, and at its rim.

History
The canyon was formed in the Quaternary Era as a result of earth movements while the Alpes were moving upwards, and also from erosion of Jurassic era limestone by the Verdon river.

Throughout the 19th century, the deepest gorges were thought to be impenetrable. Only a few local woodcutters went down into the gorges on ropes, looking for box wood (buis) stumps that they used for making boules.

The canyon remained unexplored until the early 20th century. Armand Janet attempted a canoe exploration in 1896, but gave up because of the violent currents. In August of 1905, the speleologist Edouard Alfred Martel did the first complete exploration of the gorges on a 3-day expedition. Part of the Martel trail is still used, between Point Sublime to La Maline.

Landscape
Les Gorges du Verdon is chiefly made up of extremely rugged terrain.

Get around
The best way to see this spectacular region in France is by car. The twisting, turning switchbacks would be no fun in a bus anyway. Beware, however, that gas stations are few and far between. Fill up well before approaching the gorge as the towns close to it do not have supplies. Also, while very enjoyable, this is a slow journey on winding roads, both going through the gorge and to reach it. So allow plenty of time.

Do
Take a drive along the north rim of the gorge (D952) and check out the numerous vantage points in the gorges along the way. Hiking - La Grande Randonnee passes near the northern rim of the gorge and can be used to link up with a few smaller local tracks down into the gorges.

Rafting is also a possibility, but unless you are an expert, should only be attempted in an organised group.

Sleep
Most tourists choose La Pallud-sur-Verdon as their base to discover the region. It has plenty of accommodation options to choose from.

Stay safe
Although the area is rich in natural beauty, do take care when leaning over guard rails to take photographs. The terrain is steep and the loose rocks can be dangerous if you are not careful. There would be quite a lengthy wait for a rescue, particularly out of season.

Go next
Grasse on the eastern edges of the gorges and Aix-en-Provence to the west, are the two cities nearby offering most services.

title: Verdon Gorge


text:
Verdun

Verdun is a town in Lorraine, France.

Understand
Verdun has seen a lot of fighting, most famously during World War I, when it represented the bloody line of attrition between the Allies and Central Powers (but primarily, the French and Germans) for 11 months. Its history is reflected in its monuments and memorial plaques.

By train
Verdun's famous (Gare de Verdun) was built by Eiffel in 1868 and was turned into a military hospital from 1914-1916. It is a functioning train station today, with service by SNCF.

Go next

 * Metz
 * Reims

title: Verdun


text:
Verdun (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Verdun:

Lebanon

 * Beirut/Verdun - A neighborhood in Beirut.

France

 * Verdun - A city in France.

Canada

 * Montreal/Verdun - A borough in Montreal

title: Verdun (disambiguation)


text:
Vereeniging

Vereeniging is a city in southern part of Gauteng province on the banks of the Vaal river. The city is one of the most important industrial manufacturing centres in South Africa, with its chief products being iron, steel, pipes, bricks, tiles and processed lime.

Understand
The name Vereeniging is derived from the Dutch word meaning "union".

The predominant language in Vereeniging is Afrikaans, followed closely by English and Sesotho.

History
The area around Vereeniging has seen many conflicts, from the Anglo-Boer wars to the anti-Apartheid uprisings.

The Sharpeville Massacre occurred in a suburb of Vereenging on 21 March 1960, when 69 people were killed and more than 300 wounded during a confrontation between the police forces and 12 000 protesters against the Apartheid laws. The 21st of March is today a public holiday (Human Rights Day) in South Africa in recognition of this event.

By car
Vereeniging is located between the Vaal river and the N1. From Johannesburg, follow either the R59 south for around 69 km and take the Voortrekker Road exit. One can also reach Vereeniging using the N1, but the R59 is a lot more direct and simpler.

By train
Commuter trains from central Johannesburg departs at least every hour. Operated by Metrorail, these have a reputation for being somewhat grubby and often overcrowded. Additionally, Shosholoza Meyl long distance trains connecting Johannesburg with East London and Port Elizabeth also calls here. However, these trains only run a few times per week.

By car
Public transport is limited and it is best to travel by hired car.

See

Sleep

title: Vereeniging


text:
Vereya

Vereya is a city in Moscow Oblast.

Understand
Vereya is a small historical village in the south-west of Moscow Oblast with rich and interesting history since 1371. The life became quiet here since the middle of 19th century, after Vereya was left far from newly built railways. There are still some nice architectural buildings dating several centuries ago, many are in state of disrepair now.

Get in
By car: From Moscow either by M1 until the crossing with Mozhaisk - Vereya road, then turn to the south, or by M3 until Naro-Fominsk, then cross the town in the direction of Kubinka (look for both Kubinka and Vereya direction roadsigns), but don't miss left turn to Vereya some time after you'll cross the town. By train: Nearest stations are Dorokhovo and Mozhaisk from Belorusskiy train station and Nara from Kievskii train station. See below for how to get further. By bus: Vereya is rather remote and sparsely connected comparing to most towns in Moscow Region. One of the most stable routes is via Dorokhovo station by 32 bus (10-12 per day, 55 minutes). Keep in mind, that in Dorokhovo bus starts not from the bus station, but from the ring to south of railway near the head of electrichka, if you go from Moscow. Other bus connections are: bus 35 from Mozhaisk train station (about 6 per day, 50 minutes, mostly in the morning), bus 23 from Nara train station (10 per days, 1:30 hours) and bus 301 from Tushinskaya metro station in Moscow (6 per day, 2:30 hours, this one may be prone to jams on M1). Amount of buses may depend on day of week and season, dropping in frequency after 4pm, so check beforehand, unless you're ready for taxi or hitchhiking back.

Get around
Vereya's places of interest are reachable by foot, within 20 minutes walk.

title: Vereya


text:
Vermilion

There's more than one place called Vermilion or Vermillion:

Canada

 * Vermilion (Alberta) - a city in East Central Alberta.

United States of America

 * Vermilion (Ohio) - a city in Ohio Erie shore west
 * Vermilion Parish - in the Acadiana section of Louisiana
 * Vermillion (South Dakota) - a city in Southeast (South Dakota)

title: Vermilion


text:
Vermilion (Ohio)

Vermilion is a city in Ohio. It is in both Erie County and Lorain County. Located on the banks of the Vermilion River and Ohio's North Shore.

Understand
The Vermilion Harbor dates to about 1840, today it is still a favorite port with over 8,000 pleasure craft at the public docks and marinas.

Visitor information

 * Main Street Vermilion 685 Main St., ,
 * Vermilion Chamber of Commerce 5495 Liberty Ave., ,
 * Friends of Harbour Town 5741 Liberty Ave., +1 440-967-4262
 * Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center ,

Get in
Vermilion is located on US-6 on the southern shores of Lake Erie. It is easily accessible via the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/90) and St. Rt. 2.

By boat
Vermilion is accessible by private boat.

Boat launch ramps:
 * Vermilion Municipal Docks Launch Ramp W. River Rd., +1 440-967-7087 Ramp fee is $6, operating Apr-Nov
 * Bulan's Boatyard Launch Ramp 710 Vermilion Rd., +1 440-967-5785 Ramp fee is $5, rest rooms and winter storage available
 * Maple Grove Mairna Launch Ramp 1120 Vermilion Rd., +1 440-967-4525  http://www.maplegrovemarina.com

Marinas:
 * Bulan's Boatyard, 710 Vermilion Rd. +1 440-967-5785
 * Romp's Water Port & Dairy Dock, 5055 Liberty Ave. +1 440-967-4342
 * Valley Harbor Marina, 1295 River Rd. +1 440-967-5225

By car
Vermilion is easily accessible by car.

By plane
There is no public airport nearby.

Get around
The business district is walkable. One can also rent a golf cart to get around.

Buy
There are several gift shops, antique and specialty stores in Vermilion. Most are located within close proximity of each other, making shopping a very walkable activity.

Eat
The city has over a dozen restaurants and eateries.

Go next

 * Huron
 * Lorain
 * Milan Birthplace of Thomas A. Edison, inventor.
 * Port Clinton
 * Sandusky

title: Vermilion (Ohio)