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Freiburg

Freiburg im Breisgau is a major city in a secluded wine-rich corner of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, on the edge of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). Picturesquely located on the river Dreisam, in between green mountainsides, it enjoys one of the sunniest and warmest climates among German cities. Freiburg is a laid-back, beautiful university city of 230,000 people (2019).

Understand
Freiburg was founded in 1120 and has been a city of importance ever since, which is reflected in the rich medieval and renaissance architectural heritage of its Altstadt. Having been a university town for centuries, it also has a very forward-looking outlook, and is a centre of sustainable development. There are many solar-energy-related businesses headquartered there, and much of the city, especially the newer quarters, is arranged using cutting-edge sustainable development ideas.

Freiburg is close to a corner where the borders of Germany meet those of France and Switzerland. This is reflected by the city sharing its airport with Basel in Switzerland and Mulhouse in France - the unique EuroAirport whose grounds straddle national borders. While this is the Freiburg most probably referred to when the name is invoked, it is actually one of many places sharing that name. When ordering train tickets and similar items online, be careful not to confuse Freiburg (im Breisgau) with Freiburg (an der Elbe) in Lower Saxony or Fribourg in Switzerland or Freiberg in Saxony.

Known throughout Germany for Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, good weather, and vineyards, Freiburg is considered by Germans to be a desirable place to live.

Due to its secluded location in the "Dreiländereck" (Three-country corner) and being fairly removed from any other larger German cities, locals will frequently go shopping in France and Switzerland for their respective native products and go to museums and theaters in Basel or Zürich. One can find a strong local patriotism, which shows itself in the anthem of Baden (the former independent state), which can be heard more often than the national anthem.

Although Freiburg is not itself a major tourist destination or a large city, it can serve as a relatively inexpensive base from which to explore much of central Europe.

By plane
You will most likely arrive in Freiburg by traveling via Frankfurt Airport or Zurich Airport, both about a 2-hour train ride away from the city. Frankfurt Airport has frequent direct rail connections to Freiburg almost every hour from the Fernbahnhof. Follow the signs once you arrive and buy your ticket at the Deutsche Bahn Reisezentrum (DB Travel Center). Most trains travel directly through Freiburg, although a few require a train change. Booking ahead online can shave the train ticket from Frankfurt Airport considerably, although it requires use of the selected train. If your plane is late, you will have to buy a new ticket. A standard ticket from the DB office at the Fernbahnhof to Freiburg is €62. Most airlines serving Frankfurt will also offer rail&fly which gives you a highly flexible train ticket at rates usually not much higher than the cheapest discount tickets, but the airlines set the prices, so you might pay more or even get it for free.

The closest airport with a good selection of international destinations, though much less frequent than the major airports is the Euroairport Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg (, and ). Buses run frequently from the airport to Freiburg; see the schedule here.

Baden Airpark, situated between Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden, is another airport close to Freiburg, and it has some international flights from various cities operated mainly by Ryanair and Eurowings. It is a 40-minute train ride to the north of the city, but you will have to connect by bus at the train station, which will add extra time to your journey. You will need to plan ahead to make the trip easier, and Deutsche Bahn's website can give you approximate connection times with bus services. Another possible airport is Stuttgart (STR), which has less convenient train connections but is much closer than Frankfurt.

By train
The  is situated close to the inner city. Frequent connections run to the north towards Frankfurt and south to Basel, with fast ICE trains leaving in each direction each hour. Again, planning ahead can get cheap fares of €29 each way. From the Hauptbahnhof, you have direct access to the Tram (Straßenbahn) which runs directly overhead the main station and offers an easy route into the city. The Hauptbahnhof is also within easy walking distance of the inner city and several good hotels. Main direct destinations include:
 * Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and Airport (Flughafen), 2 hours
 * Zurich, 2 hours (Switzerland)
 * Basel, 40 minutes (express) 1 hr (local), (Switzerland)
 * Mannheim (close to Heidelberg), 1.5 hours
 * Berlin, 6.5 hours
 * Cologne, 3 hours 10 minutes
 * Hamburg, 5 hours 45 minutes
 * Munich, 4½ hours
 * Amsterdam, (The Netherlands), 6 hours
 * Paris, (France), 3 hours
 * Milan, (Italy), 5½ hours

A single change can bring you to:
 * Strasbourg, (France), 1½ hours (via Offenburg)
 * Vienna, (Austria), 9½ hours

Local and regional trains can be good for day trips or for traveling to nearby cities. In the main station ask for the Ländertickets or the Regio-tickets. Such tickets can be used by a group of up to 5 persons in the RB, RE an S-Bahn trains as well as for local transport. They are a much cheaper alternative for a group of travelers going to cities nearby or going for a day trip.

By car
Freiburg is connected to the German highway system via the A5, running along the Rhine Valley from south to north, starting at the Swiss border. It also is accessible through the Black Forest via the B31 (Ost). To France it takes about 30 minutes by car. To Switzerland it is about 40 minutes. Heidelberg is a 1½-hour car ride to the north, using the A5. Lake Constance is reachable in two hours via the B31.

By bus
Freiburg is served by Flixbus. You will find direct international connections from Italy (Milan), Switzerland (Zurich, Berne, Geneva, Basel), France (Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg), Belgium (Brussels), Croatia (Zagreb), Slovenia (Ljubljana, Hungary (Budapest) and Austria (Vienna).

Get around
The best way to get around Freiburg is by public transit and walking. Freiburg has an excellent, but slightly expensive, bus and tram (Straßenbahn) system. The tram system works all night on weekends and national holidays. There is also a suburban rail system that connects certain suburbs to the black forest.

The public transportation network is operated by several companies, but ticketing is unified among the local RVF transportation association. Tickets can be used on all buses, trams & local trains in the area. The RVF area is divided into three zones on which the ticket price depends. A single ride is €2.50 for Zone A (Freiburg city area), €4.20 for Zone A/B and €5.90 for Zones A, B, and C. You can buy a pack of 8 tickets for €18 valid within Zone A from the VAG Pluspunkt shop, located near the Martinstor downtown. In the shop you can also pick up tickets using a point system; 20 points costs €16 and in each direction you will use 3 points in Zone A, 5 points if you cross into Zone B, and 7 points if you cross into Zone C. You will most likely only use the tram and bus systems in Zone A for the majority of your stay. If you come for a short stay or a weekend, buy a Regio 24 which will give you 24-hour unlimited travel within Zone A for one person for €7 and up to five people for €14. The Regio 24 is also available for 2 or 3 zones. These cards will allow you to use all of the public transport within Freiburg, and also take the DB Regio trains that service the greater region free charge. Timetables and tickets can be found on the VAG Freiburg website.

Biking is another convenient way of getting around, and Freiburg's sidewalks and streets have dedicated bike lanes. Many of Freiburg's citizens use their bikes and you can easily get a real feel for the city this way. Bikes can be rented at various shops, the most convenient for tourists being the Mobile at the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof). In May 2019 the public bike-sharing scheme "Frelo" started with 400 bikes at around 50 stations. There are 3-day passes for €3 available which allows you to ride the first 30 min for free.

Most of Freiburg's important sights are situated close to each other in the inner city. You can cross the inner city by walking in about 10–15 minutes or by riding the tram. Although passengers are rarely controlled, riding without a valid ticket (Schwarzfahren or "Black riding") incurs a €60 fine! Passengers without tickets have been witnessed being forcibly restrained and removed from the train. The same applies for regional trains, which are controlled about 25% of the time. Those repeatedly caught without a valid ticket can face court orders, as it is considered a criminal offence.

If you have rented a car or drive to Freiburg, you will be able to quickly access most areas with your car. Be aware that parking is relatively expensive but there are many garages available where you can park and then walk to nearby destinations. The city of Freiburg is a Low emission zone (Umweltzone). This means all cars - and yes that includes electric cars - driving in the city need a badge (Feinstaubplakette) indicating their pollution category. In the pedestrian zone bike riders must walk their bikes during daytime on weekdays.

Do

 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:

Learn
The University of Freiburg is one of the most famous German universities. Founded in 1457, it attracts 22,000 students to Freiburg, giving it the flair of a student town. This is a good destination to study in Germany as an exchange student or for language classes. Additionally there are several other schools which contribute to the student image of the city. The biggest of these is the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, located in Littenweiler to the east of the city.

There is also a Goethe-Institut in Freiburg, where foreigners can learn German.

Buy

 * As in most other German cities, the inner city is the place to go shopping. There you will find everything from H&M to shops selling Armani.
 * Two department stores and several other stores are located on Kaiser-Joseph Straße, with smaller independent shops in the many back-streets and alleyways. Outside of the city centre one can find several large supermarkets, such as Real, E-Center and Kaufland.
 * The large Farmer's market in the
 * Grocery stores: Rewe is located at Fahnenbergplatz and in the basement of Karstadt at the north end of Kaiser-Josef-Straße. Aldi, in the basement of Schwarzwald City, is among the cheapest. Kaufland to the north of the city on Waldkircher Straße has an impressive range. Netto or Norma or Penny discount supermarkets are also excellent for the budget-conscious.
 * Due to the large city centre-based university, many large bookstores can also be found in the heart of Freiburg, selling both new books and second-hand.
 * The

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

 * For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.
 * For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.
 * For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.
 * For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.
 * For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.

Mid-range

Splurge

Other expensive restaurants include the Greifenegg Schlössle, situated next to the Kastaniengarten and offering an excellent view over the city to accompany dinner, as well as Hotel Zum Bären on Salzstraße and Enoteca near Schwabentor.

Drink

 * Grace is a stylish bar in the city center, also serving lunch and dinner. Maria is serving for a student clientele nearby.
 * The Feierling brewery in the heart of the Altstadt close to the Augustiner Kloster has excellent selfmade, organic beer and is famous for it among the locals. In summer it also has an enjoyable beer garden outside. However, for the experience of the beer garden, go to the Kastaniengarten. For good beer, Feierling is the best option.
 * Drifters is a nice location for House music. It is situated in the same building as the club Cräsh, a hang out for alternative people, which turned from a more punk into a metal place.
 * Waldsee is a nice location a bit out of the way. It features "Rootdown" once a month and "Montage", both nice clubs for electronic music. It is excellent during the summer months, as the location offers open space next to a lake. Wonderful menu for warm snacks too.
 * The Strandcafe is a cafe run by the on-profit association "Zusammen Leben e.V. ". From Tuesday till Thursday its open from 11:00 till 21:00. It's in the "Grether"-Area, an alternative living-and working project close to the inner city. Its much cheaper then other bars in Freiburg and there is no obligation to consume. Very calm.
 * The StuSie is the bar of the student village at tram stop "Am Bischofskreuz". Cheap and good Beer, Cocktails... Shot-night every Wednesday and decent breakfast on Sundays. Many international students. They have started checking IDs at the door, you must be a student with a valid student ID card (ISIC or Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet) to enter.
 * In the summer check out the Sternwaldwiese, an area in the Wiehre, where many people make campfires and party all night. Bring your own beer and watch your backpack. Another good place to meet local folk is the Augustinerplatz next to the Feierling-brewery. Bring your own beer or buy it from the pubs around.
 * The Atlantik is a bar everybody should see when visiting Freiburg for the food, beer, rock music and people that hang out in this place. It's behind the Schwabentor.
 * The Mu-dom Bar is a student-run bar in the neighbourhood of Stühlinger in the basement of a former hospital, the space once served as a morgue. Cheap prices and international folk. They have started checking IDs at the door, you must be a student with a valid student ID card (ISIC or Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet) to enter.
 * El Bolero and Cafehaus both have a lovely and secluded outdoor seating area which is popular in the summer, located just off of Martinstor at the Holzmarkt.
 * Cohibar, located next to the University Library (Stadttheater stop) has the best cocktails in town, with (limited) outdoor seating in the summer.
 * El Bolero and Cafehaus both have a lovely and secluded outdoor seating area which is popular in the summer, located just off of Martinstor at the Holzmarkt.
 * Cohibar, located next to the University Library (Stadttheater stop) has the best cocktails in town, with (limited) outdoor seating in the summer.
 * Cohibar, located next to the University Library (Stadttheater stop) has the best cocktails in town, with (limited) outdoor seating in the summer.

Stay safe
There is not much to worry about in Freiburg. However, always take the same precautions as you do travelling anywhere else. No need to provoke a pickpocket. However, one should avoid the banks of the Dreisam at night. One should also avoid at night the area near the tram stop Runzmattenweg which is between the main street train station and the Bissierstraße tram stop. It is locally known to be a common spot for muggings of international students.

Budget

Mid-range

Cope
Religious services

Holy Mass takes place in various Catholic churches in the city center:

 * Münster Unserer Lieben Frau, Münsterplatz (800 m from central station). Su 07:00, 08:30, 10:00, 11:45, 20:00; M-Sa 07:00, 08:00, 18:30; W Sa also 09:00
 * St. Martin, Rathausplatz (600 m from central station). Sat: 18:00; Su 07:30, 09:30, 11:15; Tu-Sa 07:00; M Tu F Sa 09:00
 * Herz Jesu, Stühlinger Kirchplatz (back-side of the Omnibusbahnhof). Sa 19:00; Su 09:30 (Croat.), 11:00; Tu 09:45; F 18:30

Tourist information

Freiburg's Tourist Information Office can provide maps and hotel booking information. Opening hours for the Tourist Information office are:
 * June - September: Monday-Friday 10:00-20:00, Saturday 10:00-17:30, Sunday and holidays 10:00-12:00
 * October - May: Monday-Friday 10:00-18:00, Saturday 10:00-14:30, Sunday and holidays 10:00-12:00

Go next

 * Nice daytrips include:
 * Staufen: With its castle ruin and nice old city, Staufen is a pretty, small German town. The devil took the real-life Faust (known from Goethe's Faust) in one of the local hotels. So watch out for any weird guys with horns. Staufen lies about 20 minutes by car or ~25 minutes by train south of Freiburg.
 * Vogtsbauernhof: By car (B33 trunk road from Offenburg in the direction of Villingen-Schwenningen or vice versa) or by rail (the Black-Forest route from Offenburg in the direction of Konstanz or vice versa to Hausach station, then 30 minutes on foot) a beautiful outdoor farm life museum, demonstrating 400 years of Black Forest domestic life.
 * Hike in the Kaiserstuhl, it's lovely. Go and check a so-called Straußenwirtschaft (a bar where the wine growers offer their wine & food).
 * Take a boat-tour in the Taubergießen a floodplain wetland close to the Rhine.
 * Colmar: Situated across the border in France, Colmar is a beautiful small city. Many locals from Freiburg like to take visitors there for a quick taste of France, as it is only about 1 hour by car. Information about public transport connections into the Alsace is available here. In the summer, take the back roads for glorious views of sunflower fields.
 * Alsatian villages: gorgeous, unspoilt villages in the Alsatian wine region: Riquewihr, Ribeauville, Haut Königsberg.
 * The Black Forest: Go hiking or skiing or biking. Just go.
 * Titisee, a touristy Black-Forest town, lying in the margins of the lake Titisee.
 * Schluchsee, a bigger and less-known lake in the Black Forest. To get there take a Regional Bahn Train from Freiburg Main Station (Hbf) towards Seebrugg. This train travels normally once an hour, and the trip takes around one hour.
 * Take one of the wonderful Black-Forest tracks like Feldberg or Schauinsland. The nearest train station to Feldberg is Hinterzarten. Schauinsland can be reached by local buses traveling from Freiburg in the direction of Günterstal.
 * Take the Aerial tramway of Schauinsland, which travels for 3.6 km over the Black Forest, reaching a place with a very nice panorama.
 * During the summer months there are 'Weinfeste' in many towns celebrating their wine.
 * Cross the Black Forest and head to Lake Constance. Ride a bike around it.
 * Head to Basel, Berne or Lucerne in Switzerland. From Berne, head on to Interlaken and Brienz. Instead of the train, take the boat across Lake Thun. Same ticket, twice the scenery. Thanks to the new fast train connection between Strasbourg and Paris a trip takes less than 3½ hours from Freiburg.
 * Go to Emmendingen.
 * Go to Heidelberg.
 * Go to Strasbourg.
 * Visit Europa Park. Europes biggest amusement park

title: Freiburg


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Freighter travel

Freighter travel is a less crowded and much slower alternative for crossing a sea or ocean, not using airplanes or commercial cruise ships or ferries. In some regions such as the Caspian Sea, they may be your only option for getting around.

Understand

A well-kept secret in these days of airport anxiety and worry about aircraft emissions is that it is still possible to book a regularly scheduled sea passage to most parts of the world. While the world-famous ocean liner Queen Mary 2 offers sometimes two departures in a month between Southampton and New York, many cargo-passenger services offer sailings every week of the year.

Freighter travel is different from using ropax ferries, which often live on the cargo, but follow passenger ship regulations to be able to ship the truck drivers as well and have other passengers as a supplemental income. These are much more like cruise ferries, although sometimes quite spartan.

It is a common myth that freighter travel is cheaper than other forms of transportation, but save for a select number of regional freighters, this is essentially never the case. The overhead of carrying supplies and setting aside rooms is quite significant, compared to a long-haul flight. Comparing is difficult of course: are you paying for transport, or for food, accommodation and the experience?

A tour of ports tells you what’s going on. From Southampton, for example, there are four weekly sailings, two each to the Far East and the Mediterranean, from Long Beach, there is a sailing nearly every week to the Far East, from Le Havre a weekly sailing to Martinique and Guadeloupe and so on. In all, there are now about seven or eight regularly-scheduled weekly services accepting passengers. In addition, there are frequent sailings to Australia and New Zealand, South America, the Far East and West and South Africa. Freighter travel is also possible in some smaller and/or third world countries. Freighter travel is virtually the only way to travel across the Caspian Sea and is a very common way to travel across the Black Sea. In these regions, ships may have to wait for days to be given access to the final port, facilities are bad, you likely have to bring your own food, and service is sporadic and unreliable (you will have to check every morning for departing ships).

Essentially, you are paying a cargo vessel to transport you along with whatever they are ferrying across the sea, usually containers these days, although some multi-purpose ships still survive and you can sail from the USA and Europe to China and Japan in a heavy-lift ship or from the Great Lakes to Europe in a grain carrier. Imagine having your own 100,000-tonner for just five passengers instead of the 5,000 that a similar-sized cruise ship might carry – many of the new container ships that serve the Far East from Europe and from California are now in this category.

Passengers on freighters are mainly retired and early retired people who can afford the time (it takes about a day of sea travel to cover the same distance as an hour of air travel). There are also many returning students, relocating executives and their families, and people who are simply tired of air travel. The vessels usually take no more than 12 passengers along, as taking more (infants not counted) will make them a passenger ship, with significant extra requirements.

Transatlantic passages vary between 8 and 12 days each way, while a voyage can be made around the world in between 80 and 120 days. A trip from Marseille to Cape Town could take up to 25 days.

The freighters sometimes call in ports on the way, to load or unload cargo, which can take from 12 to 36 hours. You will need to have all visas for these stops in your passport to be allowed to travel. It does mean though that you are able to spend some time on land.

You will probably need someone to introduce you into the freighter world, because it is a bit of a fuss for a company to take a passenger when they also take a multi million dollar cargo. However the crews seem to enjoy the company of passengers since the work is very monotonous.

There are some agents arranging trips, who charge around US$75–100 (€100–120) a day. With an introduction it might be as cheap as US$50 (€85), but don't count on it as many freighter trips, especially tramp trips that were cheaper, have been withdrawn since 2001.

Bear in mind though that you can take as much luggage as you can stow in your cabin so for people moving to a new place this might save a lot on shipping your things out there by air.

A cheaper alternative is becoming part of the crew. This is only available to credentialed mariners. It can take quite some time to gain sufficient experience, and the regulations are becoming onerous.

Eat and sleep
Typically, you will have a small cabin and access to crew facilities, such as lounge, mess hall and common areas. Dinner is usually served to you with the ship's crew. On some German ships, there are cabins that include a day room, a bedroom, and en suite facilities. All freighter cabins are usually outside rooms; on Grimaldi Lines, there are also inside cabins. With most travel agencies, passengers receive cabins which have both shower and toilet.

Single travellers really benefit as single supplements are usually limited to between 10% and 25% (compared to 50 to 100% on cruise ships) and some ships have single cabins that are sold at the same fares as the double cabins.

Wine, beer and spirits are available at duty free prices (cruise ships now charge shore prices), and on French and Italian ships table wine is included with lunch and dinner.

While many travel books mention ferries across the Caspian Sea, these are actually cargo ships. What is more, in contrast with such in some other areas, you will be required to bring your own food and it is best to bring some bottled water too. On these ships, plan to bring more than you would need for the time specified, as ships can wait up to a week to enter ports.

See and do
There are no major activities, restaurants (besides the mess hall), or other diversions aboard. At sea there will likely be no TV but shortwave radio may be available, and there may be a video and book library. Some ships have a (sea-water) pool and sauna, a gym and table tennis on board. The main activities are enjoying the sea, the weather, the birds and dolphins and the landscape while near port or close to land or even transiting canals if that is the voyage you have chosen. Other important preoccupations are exploring the ship and interacting with the crew.

Stay safe and healthy
Because of international regulations, unless the ship has a doctor aboard, the ship can only carry up to 12 passengers (infants not counted). For the company not to get trouble from health issues there are also age limits, usually up to somewhere between 70 and 79, depending on the line, and a medical certificate provided by the line normally has to be completed by your doctor before travel. Also small children are often not allowed on board.

A freighter is, above all, an industrial workplace, and must be treated as one. Be aware of hazards like high thresholds, oily decks, severe pitching and rolling, and extreme heat or cold. You must bring sturdy, non-skid shoes, and warm hats and jackets may be worth their weight in gold during cold weather. Many mariners keep a small flashlight with them at all times, for good reason – unless you're near an exterior window, a loss of power means complete darkness. Also, those with periods be warned: flushing tampons down a ship's delicate toilet system is very likely to produce a clog as well as a furious crew member knowing exactly whose trash ruined their day.

Because there are not many passengers, there is a lot of time that one has to oneself. Passengers are likely to receive a basic instruction on boat safety, weather and pirate danger.

Travel agencies
A few travel agencies specialise in freighter travel. It is believed that Grimaldi will take passengers up to 85 years of age whereas most companies will not take those over 79. There may be age limit for children as well.

Shipping companies
Some shipping companies offer freighter travel directly.

Shipping companies providing passenger transport in the Netherlands/Belgium on cargo vessels include:

Books

 * Travel by cargo ship by H. Verlomme ISBN 1860110355
 * Vleugels van de brug, reizen per vrachtschip by A. Zuidhoek
 * Enkele reis realiteit by W. Hulselmans ISBN 9789022337431

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

title: Freighter travel


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Freistadt

Freistadt is a small town in Upper Austria.

Get in
Freistadt is well connected to the public transport system. There are good coach connections to get to other villages and cities around Freistadt. Moreover there is a train station a little out-of-town with direct connections to Linz and Budweis.

Get around

Freistadt with its beautiful historic city center and the colourful nature all around invites everybody to explore the city on foot. For people who want to go to the shops out of town, the train station, the leisure center or to the cemetery there are two so called "city buses" which take you to nearly every place in and around Freistadt. They start their round trips in the morning and drive until 7 o'cock in the evening. The buses reach every stop on the round trip once an hour. There are two lines, one for the inner city and one for the surrounding stops. Here you can find the road-maps of the two lines: http://www.ooevv.at/uploads/pics/Kursbuch/390.pdf http://www.ooevv.at/uploads/pics/Kursbuch/391.pdf

Stifterplatz is the biggest bus terminal in Freistadt. There are a lot of coaches leaving for every other city in the region for example Linz (capital of Upper Austria), Pregarten, Hagenberg or others. The trains give you another and sometimes more comfortable opportunity to reach the cities near Freistadt or even go to cities farther away like Vienna, Austria's beautiful capital. If there's no direct connection to a city you can take the train to the central station of Linz from where you can go to nearly every city in Austria and Central Europe.

See
The Main Square (Hauptplatz) is a rectangular place in the middle of the old town inside the city walls. It was built during the founding of the city in the 13th century. Around the Main Square there are 24 protected buildings as a historic monument, including the parish church and the town hall. St. Mary's Fountain in the middle of the Main Square is a baroque style fountain which was built here in 1704.

Do
In your free time you can do a lot of things in Freistadt. The in- and outdoor swimming pool called „Moby Dick“ which has a great chute is near the bus stop „Stifterplatz“ and next to the sports field where you can also play beach volleyball. On the sports field you can watch some football and fistball matches. If you want to relax you can go to the beautiful big park near the Schlosshof, where there are a lot of benches to sit down, a beautiful stream and a lot of flowers and trees.

Outside of the city centre you can go skiing or skating. You can go shopping in different shops or go sightseeing.

Buy
Although Freistadt is a very small city you can find a lot of different shops, where you can buy books, clothes, food etc. In the city centre there are most food and other shops like Bipa (Industriestraße 3 4240 Freistadt) which is a perfume shop where you get make-up, creams for your body, jewellery and so on. It’s very practical that the pastry shop Poißl is near Bipa. So you can buy lots of different things nearly at the same time because you don’t have to go a long way to buy things.

On the Main Square there are a lot of shops like café Lubinger which is an ice cream parlour too.

Drink
If you want to go for a drink, you find some bars, discos and cafes in Freistadt. First we start at the Main Square.

Budget
There’s one youth hostel and a few private rooms:

Mid-range
In Freistadt there are four types of accommodation you can choose from, The most comfortable opportunity is staying at hotels - here are some suggestions:

Another type of accommodation is farmhouses:

Go next
Freistadt is well connected to the public transport system.

There are good coach connections to get to other villages and cities around Freistadt.

Moreover there is a train station a little out-of-town with direct connections to Linz and Budweis.

title: Freistadt


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Freital

Freital is a town in the Elbe Valley region of Saxony. One of the major centers of coal-mining, Freital preserves late 19th-century buildings and some technical landmarks, including the historical narrow-gauge railway Weißeritztalbahn.

Location and orientation
Freital lies a few kilometers south-west from Dresden in the valley of the Weißeritz river, the left tributary of the Elbe. The elevation is about 160 m near the river and up to 350 m on top of the neighboring hills. The Weißeritz valley is rather narrow. Upon arriving from Dresden, you will certainly feel the approach to the Erzgebirge mountains that lie south and south-west from Freital. Outside Freital, the northern part of the valley narrows to a ravine that leads to the Plauen district of Dresden. South of the town, the Weißeritz splits into (or, actually, merges from) two smaller rivers that flow in separate narrow valleys.

Freital is separated into several districts with easily-recognized borders. Until the beginning of the 20th century, each district constituted a separate town or village, and these individual settlements are still not fully merged into the unified town. The railroad and the main street (Dresdner Str.) run through the whole valley. As you come from Dresden, you first enter the Postchappel district. Then follow Döhlen and Burgk (west and east from the railroad, respectively). Further south, one finds Deuben, Hainsberg, and Coßmannsdorf.

History
The first settlements in the Weißeritz valley date back to the 13th century. Since the Middle Ages, the valley was known as a coal reserve. The coal mining began in the 16th century and rapidly increased at the end of the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century, the Weißeritz valley was a leader of coal-mining in Germany. The latest technical inventions were introduced here: for example, the first German steam engine was installed in the Burgk village and is now on display in the local museum. The Freital valley was also pioneering in coke production and street gas lighting. Finally, the first mine railway with electrical locomotives also appeared in the Freital valley in 1882.

In 1921, small towns and villages of the Weißeritz valley merged into the town of Freital (Frei Tal means 'free valley'). In the middle of the 20th century, coal mining was gradually ceased. However, after World War II some of the mines were used again, this time for the mining of uranium. In the next forty years (until the re-unification of Germany in 1989), the region produced more than 3000 tons of uranium. Mining has now been abandoned. The population of Freital is about 39,000 (2017).

By train
There are railway stations in Potschappel, Deuben, and Hainsberg (two stations – Hainsberg and Hainsberg West) districts. All the stations are served by S3 S-bahn line Dresden – Tharandt and by RB trains running to Chemnitz or Zwickau. These trains operate every half an hour between 04:30 and 00:00. RE trains make a stop at Freital Deuben, IRE trains do not stop at Freital. The trip from Dresden Hbf takes 7–15 minutes.

All the stations within Freital are regular German railway platforms with ticket machines and without any human service. There are no lounges as well.

The historical narrow-gauge railway Weißeritztalbahn starts from Freital Hainsberg station and has one more stop at Coßmannsdorf. This railway continues to Dippoldiswalde.

By bus
Bus station is near the Freital Deuben train station. Buses from Wilsdruff and Dippoldiswalde (#348) and the long-distance regional bus T-400 that runs from Freiberg and other towns of the Erzebirge region arrive here.

The bus station also serves as a hub for local buses A–F. Bus A starts from Dresden (Löbtau district, connection to trams at Tharandter Str.) and passes through all of the Freital districts. This bus runs every 20–30 minutes between 04:30 and 01:00.

By car
From Dresden, follow the S194 road (Tharandter Str.) It is also possible to come to Freital from Tharandt and Freiberg (the same S194 road), Dippoldiswalde (B170, then S193), and Wilsdruff (S36). While arriving from other directions, drive via Dresden. The A17 motorway is just few kilometers north from Freital, but there is no direct exit to the town. The best option is to use exit #2 and follow the S36 road.

Get around
Districts of Freital are distant from each other. If you are going to visit several districts, the public transport may be necessary. Trains will bring you from one district to another (see above). Yet buses provide more convenient transfers. There are 6 local buses, labeled A to F. Bus A has regular weekend service and a convenient route spanning the whole town (Potschappel – Deuben – Hainsberg – Coßmannsdorf).

See
Each of the Freital districts has its own landmarks.

title: Freital


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Fremont

Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont.

Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work. Fremont, however, is growing again and attracting more and larger businesses; for example, Tesla Motors has taken over the former NUMMI factory owned by Toyota and General Motors.

The city is home to one of California's original "Hollywoods", the Niles district where many of Charlie Chaplin and other silent movie era stars established their careers. It is also home to one of California's missions, and many other interesting destinations.

The City of Fremont is named after Civil War general John C. Fremont, who prior to the war in the mid-1840s had mapped a trail through Mission Pass to provide access for American settlers into the southeastern San Francisco Bay Area. John Fremont was one of California's first senators and went on to be the first U.S. presidential candidate for the Republican Party.

Understand

Unlike most sprawling suburbs, Fremont was planned and designed to be the way it is. In the 1950s, fearing that they would be annexed by the growing city of Hayward to the north, eight very small towns decided to unite to avoid annexation. Two towns (Alvarado and Decoto) closest to Hayward quickly incorporated into Union City. The six remaining towns got together and extensively planned how things would be. Space was allocated for industry and for homes. Space for roads large enough to support the massive traffic flows was set aside. One of the small towns (Newark) dropped out of the coalition because it was slated to become an industrial zone. The five remaining towns -- Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs, from north to south -- annexed all the surrounding land to form the City of Fremont in 1956.

The oldest of the small towns was Mission San José, named for a Spanish mission founded in 1797. When this Mission was founded it was named "La Mision del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San José" in honor of St. Joseph. It is sometimes incorrectly called the Mission San José de Guadalupe, after "El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe" founded (1777) 20 miles south near the Guadalupe River, which became the present day city of San Jose.

Fremont has been multicultural since its inception, and is home to dozens of immigrant communities and a broad range of ethnicities. Today's visitor is likely to hear half a dozen languages spoken even during a fleeting trip through the city. It is said that the largest population of Afghanis outside Afghanistan live in Fremont, and it also has a large and growing south Asian community as well. Fremont also has a large Deaf community, due to the California School for the Deaf being located there.

Because of their entangled history and their present sprawl that makes them blend into one another, the three cities—Fremont, Newark, and Union City—are sometimes called the Tri-Cities.

By plane

 * Oakland Airport is about 20–40 minutes away by car via I-880 depending on the time of day. Rush hour traffic will almost certainly take 30–40 minutes, but most other times it is a very quick 15-20 minute drive. You can also take BART—the Bay Area's rapid transit system—which runs directly to Fremont.
 * San Jose Airport is about half an hour away via I-880 or I-680. During commute hours the traffic can be horrific along 880, but 680 is often faster. You can also take a bus directly to the Milpitas BART station, and then go from there to Fremont.
 * San Francisco International Airport is about 45–60 minutes away via US101 and SR84 (the Dumbarton Bridge; $7 as of 2022), or via 101 to 84 to US92 (the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge; $7 as of 2022) to 880.  This is the most difficult airport to get to and is also has more flight delays than other airports in the area. However, it is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, so there are likely to be more airlines and more flight options going into and out of SFO. Avoid SFO if you can get a flight direct to Oakland or San Jose instead.  There is a BART station in SFO which can take you to Fremont in about an hour and a half.

By car

 * From Oakland and Berkeley, take I-880 south
 * From San Jose, take I-880 or I-680 north
 * From San Francisco and Palo Alto, take US-101 to either US-92 or SR-84 (the Dumbarton Bridge; preferred)
 * From more eastern parts of the region or the central valley, get to I-680 and head south

Get around
The geography of city of Fremont and its street system is defined by the bay to the west and the hills to the east. Mission Blvd runs along the hills and most streets more or less perpendicular to it have address numbers increasing as you move away from Mission Blvd. Most streets running more or less parallel to the hills have address numbers in the five digits in Fremont, increasing as you move further south (e.g., 40000 is near Stevenson Blvd and represents roughly the 400th block from Lake Merritt, Oakland). Locals call streets running parallel to I-880 north-south streets, although they are more like northwest-southeast.

Fremont Blvd is the main street running more of less parallel to the hills, cutting straight through the middle of the city of Fremont, making a turn at Irvington. In the middle part of city of Fremont, the major streets are on a grid, with Fremont Blvd and Blacow Rd one mile apart. Perpendicular to them, Central Ave, Mowry Ave, and Stevenson Blvd are also one mile apart, on the bay side of Fremont Blvd.

By car
Driving is the preferred method for getting around. Fremont streets are usually easy to navigate as difficult intersections were re-engineered for efficiency several decades ago, though some corridors such as Mission Blvd remain moderately congested.

The major freeways through Fremont are the bayside Nimitz (I-880) and the inland I-680. Although the two freeways are only a mile apart in Fremont-Warm Springs, they do not intersect. Motorists will find travel to be very slow during commute hours in the unfavorable direction; especially so on I-880.

Mission Blvd crosses I-680 twice at Exits 16 and 12. Locals sometimes refer to Exit 16 as "North Mission" and Exit 12 as "South Mission." Fremont Blvd crosses I-880 twice at Exit 22 and Exit 13. The locals call Exit 22 "North Fremont" and Exit 13 "South Fremont." So if someone tells you to take the "Fremont Blvd" exit or the "Mission Blvd" exit, make sure you know which one they're talking about. The exit number increases as you move north.

By bike
Bike lanes are present on many major roads in Fremont. Many of Fremont's bike lanes are protected with barrier posts, so they should be very safe. For maximum safety, avoid the large roads that lead to the freeway since they are the most congested, and your bike isn't going to go on the freeway anyway, is it?

The city of Fremont publishes information for bicyclists including a detailed map. Print copies of the map are available at various bicycle shops.

By bus
The AC Transit bus system serves the city of Fremont as well as other cities in the East Bay. Bus routes and schedules are designed for the daily commuter, not the casual traveler. In the middle of the day, buses may run as infrequently as once per hour, with more frequent service on the 99 route, so be sure you have an up-to-date bus schedule and know when your bus is coming. The Fremont BART station serves as a bus terminal for transferring between the various bus routes.

By taxi
Taxis are not common in Fremont, and you will not be able to 'flag one down' while making your way about town. The only taxi stand of note is the one at the Fremont BART Station, where typically several taxis are lined up in a queue. There are many taxi companies that service the area, however you will not find many driving the streets all day. If you need to travel by taxi, plan ahead of time and schedule a taxi with one of the companies serving the area.

Attractions

Buy
Strip malls are ubiquitous in pretty much every part of Fremont.

Eat
Many restaurants cater to Fremont's large immigrant community. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Afghani food are very common.

The local blog: Fremont foodie reports on the city's gastronomic offerings.

Drink
Bars are few and far between in Fremont, and nightlife is practically nonexistent. However, there is a large number of coffee and bubble tea shops in Fremont.

Stay safe
Fremont has a very low crime rate, and the crime that does happen is pretty much spread evenly throughout the city. Theft of valuables from cars is the most common crime in Fremont, and the incidence of this is highest at shopping centers like the Hub and Pacific Commons, so make sure that your car is always locked whenever you're not in it.

Day trips

 * Get touristy by going to San Francisco via BART. Ride the cable cars from the Powell Street BART Station to Fisherman's Wharf, thereby accomplishing two of the most touristy things on the West Coast.
 * The Oakland Museum of California in Oakland is the best museum about California history. Take BART to the Lake Merritt station in Oakland. Exit the station to 9th Street and walk down Oak Street with the one-way flow of traffic.  The entrance to the museum will be on the right side of Oak Street midway between 10th and 12th Streets.
 * Ride the Rails to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Take Amtrak's  Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento.  From the Sacramento station, walk across the parking lot (under the overpasses) west about a block.  The museum has one of the largest collections of antique trains in the United States.  On summer weekends you can also catch a short steam-train ride. The museum is in Old Sacramento which provides touristy shops and food. Be careful when reading the train schedule: buses are used for some segments at certain hours, so make sure the schedule says you get a train and not a bus.
 * See the ocean by going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey. It's about one and a half hours by car.  A great place to both see and learn about the local ocean.  After the museum, grab a seafood dinner at the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf or Cannery Row.  If you have an uncontrollable desire to swim in the freezing Pacific water, the beach in Carmel (just south of Monterey) is the place to try it.

Moving on

 * Yosemite or the Sierra Nevada in general.
 * Los Angeles
 * The Shasta Cascades region is on the way to Portland and Seattle, and includes several volcanic parks.
 * Route 50 past the Sierras to Great Basin National Park and Utah's famous collection of national parks..

title: Fremont


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Fremont (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Fremont:

United States of America

 * Fremont - A city in California.
 * Fremont (Ohio) - A town in Ohio.
 * Seattle/Fremont - A district in Seattle, Washington (state).
 * Fremont (Nebraska) - A city near Omaha
 * Fremont (Michigan) - A city near Muskegon

title: Fremont (disambiguation)


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Fremont (Ohio)

Fremont is a city in Ohio Erie shore west. It is the county seat of Sandusky County. Although Fremont has a rich, historic history, today many visitors come to Fremont to wade in and fish the Sandusky River. This is especially true at spawning time, when the river and banks are loaded with fishermen and State Wildlife Inspectors. Fremont is a beautiful city, with well maintained residential neighborhoods. Due to the location, it is a destination for those who enjoy Lake Erie and would prefer to be a bit away from the lake front and the little bit faster pace of life.

By car
Freemont can be reached through SR 20 NW/SE or SR 53 N/S

By car
Roads are well maintained, driving is easy by car or motorcycle.

By boat
If you are trying to access the Sandusky River, the only marina between here and Lake Erie can be accessed by the 1st road south of the turnpike on the east side of the road. There are also three public boat ramps to the north along the river before Sandusky Bay.

Do
The Hayes Presidential Center has numerous events throughout the year, including History Mystery and the Hayes Civil War Encampment on the grounds, in early October of each year.

Produce stands
Outside the city, many farmers sell their own fresh produce at their farms.

Go next

 * Cedar Point
 * Port Clinton
 * Sandusky
 * Toledo
 * Green Springs is a small village with mineral springs, one of the largest sulfur springs in the world.

title: Fremont (Ohio)


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French Alps

The French Alps are part of the large European chain of mountains known as the Alps. They are primarily attractive for outdoor activities, such as Alpine Skiing and mountaineering. Less famous but still popular sports, in the region, include mountain bike (cross-country, Downhill), white water rafting and paragliding. The region is also noted for its stunning beauty, including many alpine lakes, the largest being Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), Lac d'Annecy and Lac de Bourget; these lakes are year-round attractions for their beauty and access to numerous water sports.

The French portion of the Alps are also home to famous resorts towns Chamonix, St. Gervais, Albertville (1992 Olympic Winter Games), Grenoble (1968 Olympic Winter Games), and Annecy with its old city and lake.

Regions

 * Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
 * Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Mountains

 * Mont Blanc
 * Vanoise
 * Écrins
 * Chartreuse
 * Vercors
 * Belledonne

Get in
The French Alps are well connected to the rest of the country. The nearest international airport is Grenoble Isère Airport. Lyon and other cities have a direct TGV (fast train) to Paris. Many towns are also connected by TGV or ordinary trains. There are also highways in many valleys. There is also the international airport of Geneva (Switzerland) nearby.

Cities

 * (Winter Olympic Games in 1992)
 * (Winter Olympic Games in 1968)
 * (Winter Olympic Games in 1968)
 * (Winter Olympic Games in 1968)

Ski resorts

 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (Winter Olympic Games in 1924)
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (Winter Olympic Games 1992)
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of La Forêt Blanche)
 * /Val d'Isère
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of La Forêt Blanche)
 * (Winter Olympic Games 1992)
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of La Forêt Blanche)
 * /Val d'Isère
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of La Forêt Blanche)
 * (part of Les Trois Vallées)
 * (part of La Forêt Blanche)

Water sports

 * - the Societe Nautique de Geneve and the mercenary team of Alinghi hold the America's Cup.
 * - the Societe Nautique de Geneve and the mercenary team of Alinghi hold the America's Cup.
 * - the Societe Nautique de Geneve and the mercenary team of Alinghi hold the America's Cup.
 * - the Societe Nautique de Geneve and the mercenary team of Alinghi hold the America's Cup.

Talk
The primary language in the French Alps is French, although as with any other tourism hotspot, don't be surprised if your broken French is met with well spoken English.

Get in
Due to the mountains, you can't fly directly into the French Alps, however, you can fly to surrounding airports and arrange transfer from there. There are many companies that specialise in airport transfers from local airports to all the major ski resorts. The major local airports are in Grenoble and Chambéry.

Get around
One of the best ways to get around the Alps is renting a car. It gives you the freedom to go wherever you please while you're there and take in all the wonderful scenery. As a major tourist location, there are plenty of car rental agencies to help you do this.

See
The tallest mountain in the Alps and in Europe (outside the Caucasus) is Mont Blanc in Haute-Savoie, which stands at 4,807 m (15,767 ft), so it's definitely worth a look if travelling to the Alps. Lake Geneva is another natural landmark that can be seen in this area.

Do
The beautiful terrain around the French Alps means that there is plenty to do all year round and that people can try a range of diverse and exciting activities. The area is of course most famous for its skiing however visitors flock to the area for a variety of other activities including mountain biking, hiking and mountaineering.

Eat
The French Alps have also great many restaurants and are especially famous for its numerous varieties of cheese.

Drink
The popularity of the Alps, particularly for skiing, has led to very high prices, especially for drinks. It is not unusual to pay more than €4 for a small glass of beer in a mountain bar.

title: French Alps


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Frenchboro

Frenchboro has a population of 38 and is located on 14 small islands in Blue Hill Bay in the Down East region of Maine. Less than a hundred people live here year round and they keep things much as they have been for decades. The island is a favorite stop of yachts and boats.

Get in
Frenchboro is about an 8-mile (12.6 km) (35 minute) ferry ride south from Bass Harbor. Moorings are available for boaters.

Do
The island is a simple place. A 900-acre land parcel has been put into conservation. One can walk the beaches and trails, probably see one of the nearly tame deer that are protected on the island.

title: Frenchboro


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French Guiana

French Guiana (French: Guyane or Guyane française) is an overseas French department and region in the Amazonia region of South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname. It is governed as an overseas department of France with the same rights and privileges granted to all other French departments, and it benefits financially from the arrangement.

Cities

 * , the administrative capital of French Guiana
 * , the city which hosts the space centre and Arianespace
 * , on the Maroni River, which forms the natural border between Suriname and French Guyana.
 * , on the Oyapock River, which is the natural border between Brazil and French Guyana.

Other destinations

 * — the ruins of the infamous offshore penal colony
 * – the largest national park in the European Union making up for 41 per cent of French Guiana's land area

Understand
Originally inhabited by various indigenous peoples (Kalina, Arawak, Galibi, Palikur, Teko, Wayampi and Wayana), French Guiana was colonised by the French during the seventeenth century in the face of opposition from the indigenous Amerindians as well as the Portuguese and English. French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements (collectively known as Devil's Island) until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. It is the only portion of mainland South America still governed by an overseas nation.

Climate
Tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation and heavy rainfall throughout most of the year.

Landscape
Low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains, mostly an unsettled wilderness. It also consists of hill plateaus and the Tumuc-humac mountains.

Visitor information

 * official tourism website (in French)

Talk
French is the official language of French Guiana (as it's a part of France), although Creole is widely spoken. The majority of the population speaks French while few understand English. However, some officials, police, and gendarmes may speak English. Because of the presence of many Brazilians and Dominicans, lots of people understand basic Portuguese and basic Spanish. On the Maroni River, Sranan Tongo (Taki-taki) is often used.

Get in
Concerning immigration, French Guiana has different laws. French Guiana is not part of the Schengen Area, and your passport or ID-card is checked upon arrival even if you're arriving from mainland or Caribbean France. However, the department is covered by the directive for Freedom of Movement, so EU citizens have the right to stay indefinitely. For some neighboring countries (e.g. Brazil, Suriname) it is easier to go to Paris than it is to reach Cayenne.

In addition, holding a yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory, regardless of citizenship or where you've recently been. Be prepared to show this certificate before boarding a plane to French Guiana, or at the border if you are arriving overland.

By plane
Félix Eboué Airport just outside Cayenne is the only international airport and the main point of entry to the territory. Air France and Air Caraibes each have a daily flight from Paris Orly Airport, so it's relatively easy to get in from Europe. Air France and Air Guyane Express also have flights to two major French outposts in the Caribbean, namely Martinique and Guadeloupe and this is probably the best way to get in from North America and the Caribbean. Suriname Airways connects to Paramaribo and Belém (in Brazil) with connections to other parts of South America. In addition there are a couple of seasonal charter flights from Miami Airport and various Brazilian cities. From other parts of the world, expect a complicated journey with three or four transfers.

By boat
From Brazil and Suriname, getting into French Guiana overland includes a 15-minute crossing by boat across Oiapoque (from Brazil) or Le Maroni (from Suriname). It's not very expensive, unless you want to take a car across, but you have to haggle.

French Guiana's main seaport is the port of Dégrad des Cannes, located on the estuary of the Mahury River, in the commune of Remire-Montjoly, a south-eastern suburb of Cayenne. However these days, freighter travel is the only possibility to get into French Guyana from further away by boat.

By car
From Brazil you can take a private barge across the Oiapoque River. Its owner can be contacted in St Georges or in Oiapoque. From Suriname, there is a ferry to cross the Maroni River.

Oyapock River Bridge
The Oyapock River Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge. It spans the Oyapock River to link the cities of Oiapoque in Brazil and Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock in French Guiana. The two towers rise to a height of 83 meters, it's 378 meters long and it has two lanes of 3.50 m wide. The vertical clearance under the bridge is 15 metres. Construction was completed in August 2011, it didn't open to traffic until March 2017.

On the French side, access is through a border checkpoint (FCP) which will present three government control: the Border Police, the Customs and the Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Forestry.

The bridge over the Oyapock is toll-free (the booths are control booths, not toll booths), and it's accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians.

By bus
From Macapá (Brazil) and Paramaribo (Suriname) you can get to the border by minibus, but in both cases you need to cross the river by boat and take another bus after the crossing.

Get around
Population and therefore transportation is mostly concentrated along a rather narrow sliver of land along the coast. Heading inland from there can be complicated. There are no passenger railways nor have there ever been serious plans for any.

By boat
3,400 km of French Guiana's waterways are navigable by native craft; 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers.

By bus
There is limited public transportation throughout the territory. Transport Interurbain de la Guyane operates bus routes between major towns.

Minibuses go between major towns but there may only be a few per day. They leave when they are full. Fares are fixed per route; if only going partial distance to Cayenne you may have to pay the full fare. E.g. St. Laurent du Maroni to Kourou you may have to pay the full fare to Cayenne. Fare for St. Laurent to Cayenne is €25.

By taxi
It's quite easy to find a taxi, but this is a very expensive way of getting around. The 15-minute ride from the airport to central Cayenne will cost €35, and to travel one way from Cayenne to Kourou, you'll have to fork out €85.

By car
As the public transportation is limited, renting a car is also an option for getting around. Hitchhiking is a good and free alternative. A lot of locals do it as well.

An asphalted road from Régina to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock (a town by the Brazilian border) was opened in 2004, completing the road from Cayenne to the Brazilian border. It is now possible to drive on a fully paved road from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni on the Surinamese border to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock on the Brazilian border.

By plane
There aren't really any roads in the inner parts of the country. If you don't want to travel by boat, Air Guyane Express has flights from Cayenne to major inland settlements.

See

 * Guiana Space Centre close to Kourou. There is a free tour twice a day. And for a few euros you can visit a museum. Check the rocket launch schedule for a special experience.
 * Cayenne, the capital, has some museums and colonial architecture.
 * The Îles du salut and Kourou used to form a penal colony, colloquially known as the Devil's Island (although in reality that's the name of just one of the islands). From Kourou you can visit the islands by boat, however the Devil's Island proper isn't open for visitors.
 * Plage les Hattes at Awala-Yalimapo in the northwest is the most important nesting site in the world for giant leatherback turtles.
 * The Zoo Guyane, deep in the jungle near Macouria, is a wildlife sanctuary where animals native to French Guiana wander the grounds.
 * Ilet la Mère is an uninhabited island a 30-minute boat trip from the marina at Dégrad des Cannes, just outside Cayenne, that is home to the gentle and gregarious squirrel monkeys.
 * Shop Cayenne's main market in Place Victor Schoelcher for locally made handicrafts and souvenirs, tropical fruits, perfumes, fragrant spices, and Asian foods such as Vietnamese noodle soup, tropical juices.

Do

 * Take a guided tour to the inland rainforest.
 * Take a river trip in a pirougue.
 * The Tresór Nature Reserve encompasses a huge area of the Kaw ecosystem a 2-hour drive from Cayenne. Its marshes are home to black caimans, a smaller relative of the American alligator, and the scarlet ibis.
 * Enjoy the beach at Remire-Montjoly near Cayenne.
 * Like in many other Catholic countries, the carnival is celebrated early in the year. In French Guiana the festivities take place between the first Sunday in January and Ash Wednesday. During the carnival people put on masks and traditional dresses and go out dancing along the streets every Sunday in Cayenne, Kourou and St.Laurent. Visitors are also welcome to dress up and participate in the parades. During the carnival the festivities continue through the night in bars and nightclubs.

Buy
The official currency is the euro just like in mainland France. Most purchases will be more expensive than you expect, as a lot of stuff has to be imported - even food and drinks are flown from metropolitan France. Things like electronics are really expensive. However the local rum and objects carved out of wood are great souvenirs and relatively affordable.

For daily purchases, there is a shopping centre outside Cayenne similar to the "hypermarkets" of metropolitan France. Smaller grocery and convenience stores are in the city selling not just food but other small things you might need like insect repellent, toothpaste and other hygiene articles.

GDP per capita is around half that of mainland France and unemployment hovers around 20% which makes the economic situation pretty bad. The local economy largely depends on tourism and the spaceport but gold mining is another important factor. Sadly gold mining is often done illegally and in ways harmful to the environment.

Eat
A typical local dish includes fish and other seafood or game meat served with rice, red beans or couac (flour made out of dried cassava) and can be rather fierce, as they often use liberal amounts of spices. What else would you expect from a region whose capital has given name to the cayenne pepper? You can of course always ask the chef to make your dish less spicy. Guyanese specialties include:
 * Bouillon d'Awara - broth of awara fruit (Astrocaryum vulgare)
 * Colombo - a Creole dish with pork or chicken
 * Red beans - served with game or fish
 * Lentils - served with game or fish
 * Kalou/Kalalou - a fish dish with spinach and okra
 * Pimentade - peppered and lemon-seasoned fish in tomato sauce
 * Blaf de poisson - fish prepared with court-bouillon
 * Roti couniad - fish barbecued with its scale

In some restaurants you may find meat of threatened species (such as caiman and certain turtles) on the menu. Think twice before ordering any of those exotic dishes.

Drink
Tafia is a local hard liquor that is widely drunk and used for medical purposes. One can drink it with lime juice or with salt and it's used in a drink called Planter, excellent. Rum and ti-punch are also common.

Wassaï juice (also known as acaï) is a drink consumed cold. The pulp of the fruit which comes from the Wassaï palm is first soaked, then kneaded and finally filtered. Its pulp gives a creamy drink that can be drunk by mixing it with sweetened milk.

Wassaï juice can also be enjoyed with meat, fish or even served with couac (traditional cassava flour from French Guyana). This drink is very popular in French Guiana for its anti-oxidants, energy content and for its protein and fatty acid contributions.

Sleep
Hotels are rather expensive in French Guiana: at many of them, you'll need to spend well over €100 for a night. For cheaper accommodation, there are also a couple of hostels; they don't have web pages.

The cheapest accommodation is also the most adventurous one. For a few euros you can sleep in a hammock in a traditional carbet, a shelter without walls. This is the only type of accommodation available in the rainforest.

Learn
There are two higher education institutions in the departement: L'Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG) and Le Pôle Universitaire Guyanais (PUG).

Work
For European people coming from an EU country, working in French Guiana is allowed without a problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget though that the unemployment rate is high. But if you work in the health sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier. French proficiency is essential.

Voluntary service: Volontariat Civil à l'Aide Technique (VCAT) or French Civic Service. Conditions: you must be French or from another EU-member state or a country belonging to the European Economic Area. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences.

Stay safe
It is advisable to pay extreme attention not to lose your passport: there are very few consulates in French Guiana as such services are provided by consulates in Paris, so you will be required to go to Paris in case you need your passport to be reissued if you are not an EU citizen.

Some parts of the department are patrolled by the French Foreign Legion, including the Kourou Space Centre and areas where illegal gold mining have occurred.

Stay healthy

Vaccination against yellow fever is necessary; without a yellow fever vaccination certificate you are not allowed into French Guiana. Also two other tropical mosquito-borne diseases, namely malaria and dengue fever are endemic to the region. In other words, do protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks - long sleeved clothing and insect repellent are recommended. The risk is lower in the cities and towns. Swimming in still-standing water is not a good idea as it often contains parasites. This is less of a problem in rivers. However water in nature is not safe for drinking.

Poisonous snakes and spiders also pose a risk, and you should definitely wear boots in the rainforest and not "explore" hollow trees where these creatures often lurk. Remember that it can take a very long time to get to a hospital if you get bitten.

Other health risks include cholera, typhoid fever and rabies.

Healthcare is almost up to the same standards as in mainland France, although slightly more expensive. There are hospitals in Cayenne and Kourou. Concerning tropical diseases, they are better equipped and more experienced than mainland hospitals.

As in the rest of France, French and EU residents get most of their health care costs covered by the compulsory health insurance plan (sécurité sociale). This plan does not cover nonresidents, who will be expected to pay full price. Travel health insurance is thus advised.

Visitors from the European Union should bring an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) - obtained in their own country before departure. The E111 form is no longer valid. Ask for details at your local health care organisation.

Respect
The Creole culture is deeply rooted in French Guyana, but the population is still proud of being French. Hence insinuating they aren't really French is likely to cause offense. For example mainland France should be referred to as metropolitan/mainland France ("métropole"), not "France". The locals are happy to answer any questions about their culture, history and religion. However, slavery is a sensitive subject that should be avoided.

Connect
For cheaper local calls and calls to mainland France it's advisable to buy a local prepaid SIM card. The Alizé cards by France Telecom offer 13 hours of communication for €15.

There are three GSM operators: Orange Caraïbe, Digicel and Only.

title: French Guiana


text:
French Gulch

French Gulch is a community of 350 people (2010) in Shasta County in the Shasta Cascades region of California. The French Gulch Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Get in
The optimal way to go to French Gulch is by car. Be sure to bring chains for your tires in winter.

Directions from Redding: Go west on CA 299 W until you reach it.

Get around
The town of French Gulch is small enough that you can get around by car.

French Gulch Historic District
The historic district listing included nine contributing buildings and two contributing sites on 180 acres (0.73 km²). It runs along both sides of Main St. (which has also been referred to as French Gulch Rd.) through a historic mining town.

It includes:
 * Feeny Hotel (1887), still in operation in 1970, as "French Gulch Hotel".
 * Franck's Store (1867), stone building of store founded 1854; owner's descendants still operated store in 1970.
 * Franck Residence (c.1860s), west side of Main St. One-story wood frame house.
 * Gartland Cabin (c.1856). Oldest surviving building in French Gulch.
 * Commercial buildings and residences within a large north-south oriented rectangle 1,750 by 4,000 feet (530 m × 1,220 m) encompassing both sides of Main St.

Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskeytown Lake is one of two major lakes within 50 miles of Redding, CA. It is smaller, so it is by far the least crowded. It is best to visit in the fall.

Park headquarters
This place offers rangers to ask for help and information, and a gift shop. It shares a parking lot with the trailhead of the Shasta Divide Nature Trail. For visitor information, call.

Do
The closest outdoor recreation areas are Whiskeytown Lake (see above), Whiskeytown Falls, and the Carr Powerhouse area.

Whiskeytown Falls
These falls are odd in that they flow a bit at a more horizontal slope than most others. It is a strenuous hike there, but you'll be glad you did. If you can muster enough energy, there is also a trail at the Falls that takes you eventually to Shasta Bally.

Carr Powerhouse Area
Best known for its gold panning and nice picnicking areas, this goes from a creek and an old house to the Mill Creek Trail, the El Dorado Mine Loop Trail, and the Tower Gravesite trail. The latter has many fruit trees, and is the least strenuous. Along the creek in the summer, there are many monarch butterflies.

Buy
Shopping is not a major industry in French Gulch.

title: French Gulch


text:
Frenchman Coulee

Frenchman Coulee is a gorge located in the Columbia River Plateau region of central Washington state that is popular with rock climbers.

History
Frenchman Coulee is one of the most beautiful features left behind by the great Ice-Age floods. Frenchman Coulee is a dual coulee and cataract system. Like its neighbor to the north, Potholes Coulee, Scabland floods created Frenchman Coulee. During the first stages of flooding, the water levels between the flood-filled Quincy Basin and the Columbia River immediately west of Evergreen Ridge approached 700 feet over just a few miles. This incredible difference in water levels caused floodwaters to relentlessly eat away the underlying rock layers. Erosion continued for at least as long as it took for the water level in the Columbia Valley to rise to about 1200 feet, or until the floodwater supply was exhausted.

Landscape
Sandy land surrounded by steep cliff walls. The Coulee exhibits a waterfall near the North Alcove as well as a small stream that flows into the dry bed of the Coulee. The waterfall has been called Frenchman Waterfall, Frenchman's Coulee Waterfall, and Stolp Falls among other names, though consistent record of the actual name is difficult to find. There is a set of basalt columns commonly frequented by climbers located between the north and middle alcove of the Coulee. Frenchman Coulee terminates near the edge of the Colombia River Gorge and is located directly north of Echo Basin.

Flora and fauna
Desert brush and small species of cactus exist in the canyon. Some reeds and more lush growth can be found along the small stream leading into the canyon and around the falls.

Climate
Frenchman Coulee receives very little rain at any time of the year. The summers are typically hot and windy making spring and fall the best time to visit the area. Fog has been known to roll through the Coulee. High Winds are also present at times in the area, sometimes arriving quickly and with little to no warning.

Get in
Frenchman Coulee is located one mile off of I-90, take the Silica Road exit (#143). On Silica Road, turn left On Vantage Highway. From there on, you will see the beautiful sites of Frencman Coulee.

Fees and permits
To park your vehicle in the area, you'll need a Vehicle Use Permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. These permits are available at most outdoor equipment and hardware stores and cost $10.95 for the year. A $79 fine is charged if you are caught parking without one.

Get around
Foot is the best option once off the main road, though off-road vehicles have been used in the Coulee. A few campsites are difficult to access without off-road vehicles, though most are accessible with normal cars and trucks. The Coulee is about 3 miles from end to end and is good for a day-hike.

See
By Frenchman Coulee, there’s the North cataract. On the other side of Vantage highway, there’s a middle cataract which is a small cataract. South of the cataract, there's Echo Cove that stand tall in front of Echo Basin. From up there, there is a beautiful view of Echo Basin. You can also see the depression that the floods left behind at the bottom of the cataract. South of Echo Basin, there is another cataract that has a pile of sand dunes at the bottom. At the top of that cataract, you can see the diatom which is white powder used for mining. If you keep going down Vantage Highway, you will eventually come to an end where the road and the Columbia River meet each other.

Frenchman Coulee has a waterfall in the eastern section of the Coulee that is accessible by foot. Across the basin of the Coulee is the base of a cliff where people have discarded full automobiles, bikes, tires, and other large bits of refuse all illegally dumped from the cliffs above.

Do
Rock climbing is the primary draw for people to Frenchman Coulee. There are hundreds of routes, sport and traditional, on a variety of rock ranging from 30-m basalt column column cracks to sporty 5.12 jug-fests. An excellent guidebook is available for the area. For sport climbing, you'll need a 60m rope and sixteen draws plus some slings and carabiners for anchors. Hiking and camping are also popular in the Coulee as is general sight-seeing from the road. Due to the fragile ecosystem and environmental hazards in and around Echo Canyon, careful attention should be paid to stay on the established trails, respect raptor nesting closures and use a "leave-no-trace" environmental ethic.

Buy
With no facilities, there is nothing to buy in Frenchman Coulee. Vantage, to the west, and Quincy, to the northeast, are your nearest towns. Also, less than 10 miles on I-90, a bit closer than Quincy, is the small town of George (Washington), that has several convenience stores, a gas station, and a small restaurant.

Camping
There are camping location to choose from.

 * The free camp sites - There is a designated areas located near the main parking area. There are no designated sites but you can drive in on rough dirt trail. Portable toilets are nearby but there is no running water, no picnic tables and no fires are allowed. The area can become quite busy during long weekends or when there are big concerts held at the nearby amphitheater in George.
 * Wanapum State Park - Approximately ten miles from Frenchman Coulee is Wanapum State Park. There are 50 camp sites that are quite nice, situated along the Columbia River (Wanapum Lake) and lined with trees. Tent and RV sites are available and all cost $22/night. Reservations can be made online for an additional $7 fee. The sites are almost completely booked up during the weekends over the summer.
 * There are also several campgrounds located in and around the Vantage, George, and Quincy townships.

The wind in this area is notorious for picking up from nothing into gale force winds. Tie your tent down and inspect the trees in your vicinity for rot and the potential for them to blow over.

Backcountry
There is no backcountry camping in the area. Camping is restricted to designated locations.

Stay safe
Be aware there are rattlesnakes in the area. While they are not aggressive or too numerous they are there. Rocks do sometimes fall on the road, so be aware. In the bottom of the coulee, on the south side near the cliffs, watch your step as the entire area there has been used as a dumping ground for automobiles, so broken glass, rusted wires, and other things may be lurking in the sand or among the brush. A barbed wire fence also runs north to south across the coulee and is not always easy to spot. It does not obstruct the dirt road at the bottom of the coulee.

title: Frenchman Coulee