text:
Hubei

Hubei (湖北, Húběi) is a province in the southern central region of China. Its capital and largest city is Wuhan.

Cities

 * – the capital, spread across the Han and Yangtze rivers

 * – city on the banks of the Yangtze river, famous for the Battle of Red Cliffs during the Three Kingdoms period
 * – the garden of Hubei province
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam
 * – location of the world's largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam

Other destinations

 * – birthplace of the tai chi martial art and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
 * Site of Tangya Tusi Domain – one of three Tusi sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * Hubei Shennongjia – a World Heritage-listed district featuring an eponymous mountain massif with virgin forests

Understand
Hubei is a Central China province. The name is derived from 'Hu' meaning lake and 'Bei' meaning North. So this is the province north of the Dongting Lake; the province south of the lake is Hunan.

Much of eastern Hubei is densely populated, heavily farmed flatland (the Jianghan Plain) along and between the Yangtze (a.k.a. Changjiang) and the Han River. This is where the province's main metropolis, Wuhan is. The Jianghan Plain is surrounded by low mountain, such as Dabie Shan in the northeast (along the border with Henan and Anhui) and Mufu Shan in the southeast (along the border with Jiangxi).

The west of the province is mountainous, the peaks of Wudangshan and Shennongjia giving you a "preview" of the great mountain systems found in the provinces farther west (Chongqing, Sichuan).

During the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods of the ancient Chinese history, the state of Chu (ca. 1030 BCE–223 BCE) included most of today's Hubei, and the word "Chu" (楚) still appears in the name of the local newspapers, companies, and the like. When China was first unified by the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, Chu was absorbed within the Qin, and late Han Empire.

As the Han Empire broke up in the 2nd century CE, the territory of today's Hubei became the area of contact of the Three Kingdoms (San Guo) into which the empire split. Many famous battles of the Three Kingdoms period took place within today's Hubei. Many cities still retain parts of the history of this time, such as Jingzhou which boasts a wonderfully intact city wall dating back to this time.

Located astride the Yangtze River in the very center of the traditional Chinese territory, Hubei was part of the core of both the Ming and Qing Empire. During some centuries it was united with Hunan into a super-province called Huguang. A cadet branch of the Ming Dynasty's ruling Zhu family was ensconced in Wuchang (part of today's Wuhan); three stone turtles (bixi) still stand guard over their tombs at Longquanshan.

In 1911, the Wuchang Uprising in the provincial capital Wuchang (part of today's Wuhan) started the Xinhai Revolution, which soon brought the 250-plus-year-old Qing Empire to the end and ushered the Republic of China.

Since the late 19th century, mineral-rich eastern Hubei became one the centers of China's new mining and metal-working industries. In 1927, the three cities at the confluence of the Yangtze and the Han River - the old provincial capital Wuchang, the industrial Hanyang, and the commercial Hankou, officially merged into the new city of Wuhan, whose name combined syllables from the names of the three old cities. However, it wasn't until several decades later that the first bridge across Yangtze finally established a fixed link between Wuchang and the two other boroughs of the provincial capital.

By the 1930s, communist guerillas started to be active along Hubei's mountainous edges, on the borders with Henan and Anhui. And in the late 1937, as the ROC's capital Nanjing fell to the Japanese invaders, Wuhan became China's temporary capital for a few months. By the fall of 1938, however, after the Battle of Wuhan, the eastern part of the province fell to the Japanese as well, the ROC government being evacuated further upstream to Chongqing. For the following seven years, the front line shifted to the western Hubei.

The lowland of Eastern Hubei had long suffered from the floods of the Yangtze, which often occurred during the late-summer monsoon season. To prevent the floods, and to generate electricity, two major dams were constructed in the west of the province. First, Gezhouba Dam was constructed between 1970 and 1988 in the city Yichang. The giant Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro-electric dam, spanned the river several tens of kilometers further upstream (1994-2003).

Wuchang is known as the educational capital of China boasting a myriad of different Universities and Colleges. Wuchang also has a high concentration of government offices and facilities.

Hankou is famous for its commercial and shopping districts with areas such as Jianghan Rd and Jiefang Rd being the most popular places to go for shopping.

Hanyang is the industrial heart of Wuhan boasting many heavy industries including car and steel manufacture.

Wuhan is one of the notorious '3 furnaces' of China, however it easily out-steams its rivals Nanjing and Chongqing. During a typical summer temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius and humidity rarely drops below 80%. It is because of this weather that the Chinese people believe the local population have gained their fiery reputation of being loud and easily riled up. In winter temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius and a few of inches of snow is not uncommon occurrence.

The locals are known as "Jiu Tou Nao" or "nine headed bird" due to their talent for bending the truth. The moniker is both a source of pride and embarrassment.

Wuhan is one of the largest cities in China, however it is still developing, quite slowly, in comparison with the major centres such as Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen.

Talk
The population of Hubei (like all of China) has been taught to speak standard Chinese "Putong Hua" for many years now and the ability to speak Mandarin will help you immensely.

However, like many places throughout China, many cities have developed their own particular dialect such as the capital city of Hubei's "Wuhan Hua". Many Chinese people do not like the accent of the Wuhan locals as they say it comes across as very unelegant and rude however this is purely a matter of opinion.

Hubei also has members of many minority groups, in particular the Uighers of Xinjiang, who speak a language known as Uigher that is distantly related to Turkish.

Wuhan has strong foreign investment from France and Germany, with corresponding expatriates from these countries living here.

Get in
You can fly into Wuhan Tianhe Airport from most major cities in China and from some international locations. There also smaller airports in a few other cities in central and western Hubei: Yichang, Shiyan , Xiangyang , Shennongjia, Enshi.

You can also catch a bus or a train from many of the cities in China quite easily thanks to Wuhan's central location.

One of the better ways to get into Hubei is to cruise along the Yangtse River, either from Chongqing further West (passing through the Three Gorges Dam and its massive 5-stage ship lock) or from the East.

Get around
Getting around in Hubei is fairly easy. Buses go to most cities or at least through them, just let the driver know where to stop. The same goes for getting on the bus, just put out your thumb and a bus will stop for you and tell you how much it costs to go where you want to go.

Hubei also has a decent train network, like the rest of China, however it won't go to quite so many places as the buses and often it is very busy.

Within Wuhan and many other cities in Hubei, bus is the best way to travel. The average fare is ¥1 for non-air conditioned/heated and ¥2 for air-conditioner/heater. Given the number of people on buses and the fact that someone will always have a window open, often it is best just to save the extra ¥1 and go the cheap option.

Taxis are also relatively inexpensive. Flagfall is ¥6 for the first 1.5 km

Traveling by bicycle throughout the province is possible, although the road quality and traffic levels vary tremendously. The levees that run along the Yangtze (see the See section, below), if they can be incorporated into your route, can be some of its most pleasant parts.

Few bridges allow bicyclists or pedestrians (those that do include the First and possibly Second Bridges in Wuhan, and the Badong bridge in Badong); ferries, still available at many locations, are a practical alternative.

See
The Yangtze River crosses through the region, offering beautiful cruise options, but the scenery past Wuhan is not as great as in the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing

The main tourist attractions and sights in Hubei are located along the Yangtse River.

You can see the famous Ghost City of Feng Du with its temples and statues, the Three Gorges Dam and its 5-Stage Ship Lock in Yichang, the impressive city wall of Jingzhou, and the famous Yellow Crane Tower "Huang He Lou" and East Lake "Dong Hu" of Wuhan.

Eat
Being in the center of China, Hubei boasts a variety of gourmet delights from every corner of the Chinese nation. Whether it is the delicious kebabs or hand-pulled noodles "la mian" of Xinjiang in the West, the addictive pork and spring onion dumplings "jiao zi" of the North, the farmed sweet and sour "tang su" of the South or the myriad of seafood dishes of the East there is something to please everyone.

Like most food to be found in Central/Western China, the food of Hubei is liberally laden with chilli, exciting the taste buds of more adventurous gourmands. All of the famous Chinese exotic foods can be found in Hubei, ranging from dog and cat, to snail and frog, to pig's blood and cow's stomach all the way through to BBQ scorpion kebabs.

Hubei is also famed for its lotus root "ou" dishes, which you can get in a variety of forms from soups to French fried. The capital city, Wuhan, also has a famous noodle dish by the name of Hot and Dry Noodles "re gan mian". This interesting dish combines the dryness of sesame paste with the heat of chillis and pickled vegetables. Generally a breakfast staple, hot and dry noodles can be found being cooked on every street of Wuhan and for around ¥1.70 it is an absolute bargain.

As has been the growing trend in China there has also been a growth in 'Western' style restaurants. You can go and eat at a Brazil BBQ restaurant, Italian, Portuguese and French restaurants, as well as the omnipresent American fast food outlets such as Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonalds.

Drink
Hubei generally consumes the same style of beverages as the rest of China. Tea and hot water being the most popular, followed by soft drinks, beer and "bai jiu".

One of the highlights of Hubei is the local beer, going by the name of 'Snow' which generally comes in 500mL bottles and can be chilled. The going rate for a bottle is ¥2.50 with a ¥0.5 refund when you return the bottle.

The most abundant by far are the famous Chinese 'discos' and 'KTV' bars which charge drinks at a minimum of a 500% markup and often times exceed 1000%. There are a small number of 'foreign bars', generally also expensive but with an environment which is catered more to foreign tastes.

In Wuhan itself there is the local institution 'Vox Bar' which is easily the cheapest and most diverse bar in the province, with beer starting from ¥5 and hosting a variety of different live bands ranging from Beijing heavy metal to Xinjiang folk music. The patrons of Vox come from every corner of the world as well as of course the local Chinese.

Go next

 * Jiangxi
 * Hunan
 * Chongqing
 * Shaanxi
 * Henan
 * Anhui

title: Hubei


text:
Hubley

Hubley is a residential community of about 1,000 people (2006) in Halifax Region.

Understand
The area supports a variety of wildlife species including, moose, bear, deer, bobcat, fox, coyote, numerous trees, shrubs and herbs, lichens, songbirds, waterfowl and many more. Twenty lakes dot the landscape joined by forests, fens, raised bogs, and old fire barrens.

Get in
Chebucto Peninsula, south of Highway 103 at exit 4 (Hubley).

Get around
Halifax Transit provides service to Timberlea with the routes 21 and 23. Be sure to check the schedule as the 23 only operates at peak times. These routes stop at the intersection of Forestglen Drive and Fraser Road, approximately 2 km from the Bluffs Trail head using the Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea (BLT) trail.

Do
The Bluff Trail gives access to the Woodens River Watershed, a tract of provincial government land for hikers, paddlers, and winter sport enthusiasts.

Access

 * Parking: A parking lot for the Bluff Trail is available. To access the parking lot you go to exit 4 on Hwy 103, turn onto the Bay Road (Rt.3) heading back to Halifax, go 2 km to Bay Self-Storage on the right. The Bluff Trail parking lot is immediately afterward.
 * By bus: You can also take Halifax Transit bus #21 or #23 (the 23 only runs on weekdays during peak hours). Both buses will leave you in Timberlea, at the end of the line on Forestglen Drive (with the intersection of Fraser Road). The BLT Trail crosses Forestglen right at the bus stop. You can then walk on the BLT Rails to Trails to The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail trailhead about 2 km.

The trails
The trail, entirely on Crown Land, begins inside the Woodens River watershed and climbs onto the high ground between the Woodens River watershed and the Nine Mile River watershed to the east. The trail is in the form of four stacked loops that each eventually go around Upper Five Bridge Lake and join with canoe access at Paradise Cove. There is a single trailhead, on the Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea (BLT) trail at a point midway between the Hwy 103 overpass just south of Exit 4 and the northern tip of Cranberry Lake.

Three canoe-accessible trailheads will be constructed at the south ends of Cranberry Lake, Frederick Lake, and Hubley Big Lake.

The first two loops of the trail (the Pot Lake Loop and the Indian Hill Loop) were constructed in 2003 by 6 students employed for two months plus help from some 20 volunteers. Together, the first two loops are about 12 km and take a full seven hours to hike. The second two loops (called the Bluff Loop and the Hay Marsh Loop) were constructed in 2004. The four-loop system covers over 30 km. The signs at the trailhead emphasize that this trail is for experienced hikers; they warn hikers of some of the potential dangers of wilderness hiking. The trail runs through ecologically sensitive barrens. It is for hiking only. It is critical that hikers stay on the trail, given the sensitivity of the area. The trail has been carefully routed to avoid wet areas and especially vulnerable places. The trail is narrow without using human-made structures and not intended for all-terrain-vehicles or bikes.

Hikers are expected to pack out what they carry in and practice techniques of wilderness travel that leave no trace. For reasons of safety, hikers should carry a map and compass, first aid kit, adequate water and water purifiers, extra layers of warm, dry clothing, rain jacket and rain pants, a knife, emergency matches, and flashlight. Hikers should be alert since they will be traveling through bear and moose country. The trail is a wilderness trail, designed to challenge and delight the experienced hiker. Hikers should use caution at all times.

The trail passes through many different kinds of flora, including stretches of hardwoods, such as birch, oak, and beech, as well as large black spruce stands, mixed forests, fens, and many open granite barrens. The lichens covering the granite rocks are old and the uncommon Mountain Sandwort plant can be found here. The trail moves generally along high ground, affording frequent stunningly beautiful vistas of the surrounding wilderness and lakes. At one point it runs through a stand of large old growth red pine between Pot and Cranberry Lakes.

When completed, the trail will travel over the Bluff plateau, which is one of the highest points near Halifax, and wander through a large stand of jack pine, uncommon in these numbers in Nova Scotia. The purpose of the trail is to allow the Woodens River community and the public generally to become aware of these extraordinary natural assets, on the principle that awareness is the first step in protection.

Much of this land is barrens and unsuitable for harvesting wood and difficult to develop into residences. As a result, it has been left wild. It is wild not only in the sense of being undeveloped but in the sense of not being directly controlled by human needs and interests. Hunters visit the areas in hunting season, but for the most part these areas have remained undisturbed by frequent human travel. The bush in these areas is often extremely dense. Hiking in these areas is difficult without trails.

Buy
You'll find shops in Halifax and in Bedford.

Eat and drink
You'll find more restaurants and bars in Halifax and in Bedford.

Sleep
You'll find more accommodation in Halifax and in Bedford.

Camping
Camping is actively discouraged. The Bluff Trail is located within a Protected Wilderness Area and is governed by the Wilderness Protection Act. Except in certain circumstances the Act and prohibits the development of campsites, the cutting of trees, damaging or removing any plants, and the burning of campfires. Therefore, the only camping permitted on the Bluff Trail is Leave No Trace camping.

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

title: Hubley


text:
Hubli

Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in Northwestern Karnataka. The city is a bustling trading centre of little scenic beauty.

Understand
The twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad are unified by single Municipal Corporation. Hubli-Dharwad is the second biggest urban area of Karnataka after Bangalore. The name Hubballi literally means "flower creeper" in Kannada. Dharwad is a charming quaint town spread across seven little hills.

Hubli is commercial hub. Hubli is also a noted industrial town. This historic town was known as Raya Hubli and also as Elaya Puravada Halli during the ancient times. This city metamorphosed into an important commercial centre for trade in cotton and iron during the reign of the Vijaynagara empire. The city is noted for its handloom textile units and has many cotton ginning and processing mills. Cotton and groundnuts (peanuts for the Americans) are grown aplenty in the surrounding rural areas, and Hubli serves as a major trading centre for both commodities. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, being the headquarters for South Western Railway Zone and the Hubli Division. It also has a century-old railway wagon workshop.

By plane
Once you reach Hubli airport, taxi service is available 24 hours in Hubli. Hubli airport is 15 km from Dharwad.

By train
Hubli is well connected to all major parts of India.

By bus
Hubli is well connected to Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Mangalore, Mysore and Goa by bus, both by private carriers and the state owned NWKRTC (North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation). Some prominent private carriers are:

 * VRL: Offers Sleeper coaches and sitting to Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Mangalore
 * Kamat: Offers Sleeper coaches and sitting to Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai

VOLVO buses being operated by many of the private and state carriers are much faster and comfortable than normal deluxe buses.

Get around
There are various options available to travel within the city. There is a good suburban city bus service connecting various parts of Hubli and Dharwad. Local Rickshaws are also available, though you will have to bargain hard as they refuse to ply by the meter. The best option would be to hire a local taxi from any of the travel agents.

There are city buses running at the frequency of 2 minutes between Hubli and Dharwad. Also from Dharwad Central Bus Terminus (CBT) to various localities of Dharwad. One can hire autorickshaws to visit different places within city limits. Private taxis are also available.

See

 * Unkal Lake and the Bund Gardnen  - 4 km from Hubli on Dharwad Road.
 * Nrupatunga Betta - promising panoramic view of the expanse of Hubli City- with in city, 5 km from chennamma circle.
 * Venkateshwara temple behind Nrupatunga Betta (hill) for calm and serenity. 5 km from Chennamma Circle.
 * Gayatri Tapovan- near Tadasa, 21 km on Bangalore Road,
 * Siddharodh Math 3 km from Chennamma Circle on Karwar road,
 * Glass House Garden walking distance from Chennamma circle
 * Water Park 9 km from Chennamma Circle on Karwar Road.

Do
Nearby attractions:

 * Magoda Falls
 * Satoda Falls
 * Sogalla - Water Fall
 * Hebballi Math
 * Sai Mandir in Unkal
 * Sai Mandir in Unkal

Buy

 * "'Urban Oasis Mall"'
 * "'U Mall"'
 * "'Laxmi Mall"'
 * Dharwad Peda - a sweet cake made from milk and khoa. This sweet is world famous for its taste and purity. Definite no miss if you visit Dharwad or Hubballi
 * Big Bazaar - A shopping mall on Gokul Road.
 * MG Market a 1-km-long market & you can buy everything at very low price

 * Reliance Fresh -- Has its branch all over Hubli.......
 * More, A Aditya Birla group, has its retail outlets all overHubli & Dharwad
 * Other retail shops are Ambika Bazzar, Harsha, Pai, Giriyas, Pick N Pay, Smart.

Eat

 * Jowar Rotti
 * Badanikai Palya
 * Red Chilli Chutney
 * Ground Nut Powder etc.
 * New Bombay Hotel, Old Hubli
 * Chat
 * Smoking Joes Pizzas
 * Good North Indian and South Indian restaurants are in plenty
 * Do visit the local khanavalis (Kannada name of "hotel") which provide authentic North Karnataka food, they are plenty and aptly priced around ₹30 to ₹50 per meals.
 * Do visit the local khanavalis (Kannada name of "hotel") which provide authentic North Karnataka food, they are plenty and aptly priced around ₹30 to ₹50 per meals.

Seven Beans: a superb cafe located at Vidyanagar, Hubli. Visit to see the local youngsters congregating and for some great coffees! Also provides free unlimited WI-FI, a library, business solutions etc.

Drink

 * Lassi
 * Butter milk
 * The juice shop opposite Janata Bazar sells delicious juices
 * The juice of sugar cane all season you can drink in all over hubli or dharwar,

Sleep

 * Hotel Naveen, Unkal Lake, P.B.Road.
 * Hotel Hans, Vidyanagar, P.B.Road.
 * Hotel Clarks Inn, Gokul Road.
 * Travel Inn, Sattur, Dharwad (Beside SDM Dental College)
 * Hotel Hoysala, P.B. Road, Dharwad
 * Mandar ResidencyCollege Road, Dharwad

Go next
Hubli has all the necessary infrastructure to emerge as an ideal base for exploring North Karnataka historical places. It can serve is the best pit stop for tourists visiting the world heritage monuments of Vijayanagar at Hampi, the Chalukyan temples at Aihole, Badami and Pattadkal and the Kadamba temples at Banavasi. Dandeli Wild Life sanctuary, which offers river rafting in Kalinadi and India's highest waterfall at Jog Falls are also located nearby. Also not to miss are the Tibetan Monasteries and temples in Mundgod. A little bit of state support and plenty of private initiative (which is yet to manifest)can pitchfork Hubli as an important base centre for tourism.

 * The city has an advantageous location being surrounded by a number of important historical and mythological places within a radius of about 200 km. There are important tourist and historical places such as Ghataprabha, Gokak Falls, Soundati Yellamma Temple, Kittur, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole, Kudalasangama, Bijapur, Bagewadi, Basavakallyan on northern side, on the western and southern sides there are Dandeli, Port-town of Karwar, Gokarn, Magod falls, Ulavi, Banavasi, Jog-falls, Shimoga and Bhadravathi, Laxmeshwar and Tungabhadra Dam and on eastern side Hampi, Lakkundi and Mantralaya.

title: Hubli


text:
Huddersfield

Huddersfield is in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire in England. This article covers the town of Huddersfield, and the district around it including the Colne and Holme valleys. Historically a textile town, the area is now re-inventing itself as a residential and tourist centre.

Understand
John Betjeman described Huddersfield Railway Station as having 'The finest façade of any such building in the country'. Make up your own mind when you visit as there is no better way to arrive than by train from Manchester or Leeds. Huddersfield has the third largest number of listed buildings in the country after Westminster and Bristol.

In the 1920s Huddersfield Town F.C. became the first football club to win the English League Championship three times in a row, a feat only matched by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Huddersfield can be considered a university town as the University of Huddersfield, formerly Huddersfield Polytechnic, is one of the town's largest employers and much of the local economy now depends upon it.

Famous connections include former Prime Minister Harold Wilson and actors James Mason and Gordon Kaye.

By plane

 * Leeds/Bradford International Airport is the nearest airport, by road. It can be reached by taking a train to Leeds and then a bus to the airport departing from the train station.
 * Manchester Airport is the easiest and quickest to access.  It is the UK's busiest airport, outside London, with many European and inter-continental flights. There is a rail station within the airport complex, with services running through Huddersfield to Newcastle, at least half hourly throughout the day (see by train below).
 * London Heathrow Airport or London Gatwick Airport . From there, frequent flights operate to Manchester, or you could travel from London to Huddersfield by train (see by train below).

By train

From London, you can travel from London King's Cross and change at either Wakefield Westgate or Leeds. Or you can use London Euston, and change at Manchester Piccadilly. Alternatively, there are less frequent services operated by Grand Central Rail from London King's Cross where you can change in Wakefield, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Bradford Interchange.

Train times for these and other journeys can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling 08457 484950 from anywhere in the UK.

By bus

 * National Express serves Huddersfield with express coach service from around the country. They serve the main Huddersfield bus station in the town centre.
 * Megabus Plus serves Huddersfield with London daily. It is quicker to get off the bus at East Midlands Parkway, as it shows in the timetable.
 * First West Yorkshire serves the West Yorkshire area.

Arriva Bus 229 runs from Leeds every 15 min, taking 90 min via Heckmondwike, Birstall Retail Park and Wortley.

Arriva Bus 232 runs hourly from Wakefield, taking 70 min via Lupset, Horbury, Netherton, Grange Moor and Lepton.

First Bus 503 runs every 15 min from Halifax, taking 45 min via Elland.

Get around
For the main shopping streets and everything inside the ring-road, it is best to explore on foot. Many of the shopping areas are pedestrianised anyway, and there is not much car parking space inside the ring-road.

Many bus routes run from the central bus station to the surrounding towns and villages. This is on the north side of the town centre off Westgate. Most buses operate on repeating hourly timetables up until 11PM. Taxi services are mainly available from outside the train station.

Do

 * What's on? Listen to Pulse of West Yorkshire on 102.5FM or Pulse Classic Gold on 1530AM.
 * Football: Huddersfield Town were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in League One, the third tier. They play at the 24,000-capacity John Smith's Stadium, about a mile northeast of town centre and shared with Giants rugby league team.
 * Football: Huddersfield Town were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in League One, the third tier. They play at the 24,000-capacity John Smith's Stadium, about a mile northeast of town centre and shared with Giants rugby league team.

Learn

 * University of Huddersfield. A former polytechnic which applied for and achieved university status in the early 1990s. Its main Queensgate campus is just outside the ring road. Follow the signs from main arrival points.

Buy

 * Huddersfield Open Market -offers a range of high quality goods from the continent - mainly France - and tours the area stopping in different towns each weekend.
 * Huddersfield Open Market -offers a range of high quality goods from the continent - mainly France - and tours the area stopping in different towns each weekend.

Eat
The Huddersfield area has many restaurants of different types and costs. The following small selection are restaurants which have been visited and recommended by Wikivoyagers:
 * Fenay Bridge, Penistone Road. This place can be excellent but sometimes awful. They have a 2-for-1 deal on all year which is a big serving. But sometimes the food can take a while and isn't up to scratch, but other times its top notch. Give this place a try you might like it. It is on Penistone Road going towards Kirkburton you can't miss is!

Drink
There are plenty of pubs in Huddersfield, many of which get packed with people on Friday and Saturday nights.

 * Coffeevolution, Church Street — great coffee can be found in this unpretentious, fiercely independent coffee shop which is licensed and open late at weekends. Light but pricey meals available.
 * Revolution, Cross Church Street - Vodka bar from very popular chain which attracts a large, diverse crowd most nights. Outdoor area & DJs at weekends.
 * Verve, Church Street — a slightly older crowd than Vox, with pre-club cheesey dance pumped out over the weekend. By day, it's a cafe selling reasonable paninis, coffee and smoothies.
 * Warehouse — Large pub. Charges entry on F Sa. Part of the scream chain. Young crowd.
 * Zephyr, King Street — Small, trendy. Good range of foreign beers.
 * Northern Tea House, 36 Kings Street — A small tea shop offering afternoon tea with gluten free and vegan options.
 * The Sair Inn — Take a 183, 184 or 185 bus about 4 miles out of the town centre, alighting at the bottom of Hoyle-Ing in Linthwaite on Manchester Road, after the "Royal Oak" pub. There's a sign advertising "The Sair Inn". After a five minute climb up the hill you'll find this gem of a hostelry, selling its own beers brewed on the premises that can be enjoyed in a uniquely authentic, old pub atmosphere. Popular among locals, students and real ale tourists, you may become a regular.
 * Have a drink in The Founders Bar of the George Hotel where the finer points of the game of Rugby League were hammered out. The bar is considered the birthplace of the game.
 * The Bridge at Longroyd Bridge. A few hundred yards out of the centre of Huddersfield. A great live music venue. Live bands Friday night and Sunday afternoon. A great DJ on Thursday and Saturday nights.
 * The Rat and Ratchet at the junction from Lockwood onto the ring road has a large selection of cask ales on tap and the staff are usually quite knowledgeable. Nice atmosphere.
 * The Parish, by the Parish church — Huddersfields finest alternative/metal bar and live music venue. Excellent food and drink and a great atmosphere. Well worth a visit.
 * Tokyo, Queen Street — 'The club to finish off the night' Tokyo opened in 2005 after a £2-million re-investment of a 19th-century, Grade II listed former courthouse.
 * The Rat and Ratchet at the junction from Lockwood onto the ring road has a large selection of cask ales on tap and the staff are usually quite knowledgeable. Nice atmosphere.
 * The Parish, by the Parish church — Huddersfields finest alternative/metal bar and live music venue. Excellent food and drink and a great atmosphere. Well worth a visit.
 * Tokyo, Queen Street — 'The club to finish off the night' Tokyo opened in 2005 after a £2-million re-investment of a 19th-century, Grade II listed former courthouse.
 * Tokyo, Queen Street — 'The club to finish off the night' Tokyo opened in 2005 after a £2-million re-investment of a 19th-century, Grade II listed former courthouse.

Stay safe
Huddersfield town centre is generally considered safe as it professes "24-hour total CCTV coverage inside the ring road". Walking by yourself, especially if you are female, through Fartown, Bradley, Thornton Lodge and Birkby during late at night can be quite dangerous so if you do wander out stay in groups or get a taxi home.

Connect
As of Dec 2022, Huddersfield and its approach roads have 5G from all UK carriers, though the signal from Vodafone is patchy. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next

 * Huddersfield has good connections to the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District.
 * York and Harrogate offer rewarding day excursions.
 * For shopaholics Meadowhall near Sheffield, the White Rose Centre near Leeds (bus numbers 202 and 203 from Huddersfield) and the Trafford Centre near Manchester are all easily accessible.

title: Huddersfield


text:
Hudiksvall

Hudiksvall, called Hudik by locals, is the largest town in Hälsingland, with a population of 14,850.

Understand
This small picturesque town was founded in 1582 as a trading post. Despite losing out on trade to other coastal towns, ten devastating fires and ransacking by Russian troops in 1721 Hudiksvall have managed to remain an important regional town. During the 18th century it was labeled Glada Hudik (English: Happy Hudik) due to its friendliness and lively social life and the term has stuck since then.

Get in
Hudiksvall is just under 300 km from Stockholm and 85 km från Sundsvall along E4 highway.

All SJ express trains between Stockholm, Sundsvall and Umeå calls in Hudiksvall. There are services about every two hours. Also, there are slower, and often cheaper, local services run by X-trafik between Gävle and Sundsvall via Söderhamn.

There are plenty of regional bus routes, run by X-trafik, that connects with smaller cities across Hälsingland. Some of the more popular routes even sports WiFi. A few long distance buses stops in Hudiksvall, mostly run by Ybuss. Tapanis Buss has a route going from Stockholm to Tornio, Finland stopping at Hudiksvall.

See

 * Storbergsmasten
 * Hornslandet
 * Storbergsmasten
 * Hornslandet
 * Hornslandet

title: Hudiksvall


text:
Hudson

There's more than one place called Hudson:

Australia

 * Hudson (Queensland) - a locality in the Far North of Queensland

Canada

 * Hudson (Quebec) - a town in Quebec

also:

 * Hudson's Hope - in British Columbia

United States of America

 * Hudson (Colorado) - a town in Colorado
 * Hudson (Florida) - a town in Florida
 * Hudson (Illinois) - a town in Illinois
 * Hudson (Indiana) - a town in Indiana
 * Hudson (Iowa) - a town in Iowa
 * Hudson (Kansas) - a town in Kansas
 * Hudson (Maine) - a town in Maine
 * Hudson (Massachusetts) - a town in Middlesex County, Central Massachusetts
 * Hudson (Michigan) - a town in Michigan
 * Hudson (New Hampshire) - a town in New Hampshire
 * Hudson (New York) - a city in New York (state) - a popular weekend destination from NYC, full of art galleries and restaurants.
 * Hudson (North Carolina) - a town in North Carolina
 * Hudson (Ohio) - a town in Ohio
 * Hudson (Texas) - a town in Texas
 * Hudson (Wisconsin) - a town in Wisconsin
 * Hudson (Wyoming) - a town in Wyoming

see also:

 * Hudson County - in Gateway (New Jersey), New Jersey
 * Hudson Falls - a town in Washington County, New York (state)
 * Hudson Valley - a region in New York (state)
 * Hudsonville - a town in Ottawa County, Michigan
 * New Hudson - a town in Allegany County, New York (state)
 * North Hudson (New York) - a town in Essex County, New York (state)
 * North Hudson (Wisconsin) - a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin
 * Port Hudson - a small town in Louisiana

title: Hudson


text:
Hudson (Massachusetts)

Hudson is a town in Middlesex County, MetroWest with a population of 20,000 (2020).

By car
I-290 West ends in Hudson, intersecting with route 85. You can also take exit 25A off of I-495. Route 62 and route 85 intersect at the center of town, so these are also good ways in.

Drink
For a small suburb, Hudson offers an impressive, if small range of drinking options. Rail Trail Flatbread is regarded as one of the best beer bars in the region, possibly the best between Worcester and Boston.

title: Hudson (Massachusetts)


text:
Hudson (New York)

Hudson is a city in Columbia County, New York.

Understand
Hudson is an important city in the Hudson Valley that is known for its art galleries, antique shops, and boutiques, and also for blocks upon blocks of beautiful historic buildings. These center on Warren St. but are also present in large numbers on the parallel Columbia St. and some side streets. Hudson is worth at least a detour if not more.

By plane

 * Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor,.
 * Albany International Airport, 737 Albany-Shaker Rd, Albany.

By train

 * Operator:
 * Routes stopping in Hudson:
 * Adirondack operating daily between Montreal and New York City including stops along the way in Saint-Lambert, Rouses Point, Plattsburgh, Westport, Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
 * Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
 * Empire Service operating twice day between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Additional daily trips operate between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City.
 * Maple Leaf operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States.

By car
US Route 9 is the main road for access to Hudson. State Routes 9G and 23B, which constitute Columbia St. and S. 3rd St. within city limits, are major streets in the center of town. Columbia St. actually forms one end of 7th St. Park, which is the city green. Watch out for traffic along these streets, as they are also truck routes.

A bit south of Hudson, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge traverses the Hudson River and enables access to and from the town of Catskill, on the west side of the river, and the Catskills, further afield.

Get around
The center of town is walkable. To get further, you will need a vehicle.

Do
Walk the length of Warren Street, from the river to the park, admiring the beautifully preserved turn-of-the-20th-century architecture.

Satisfy your aesthetic eye at the many galleries.

Watch the boats sail up and down the Hudson River from the riverside park.

Buy
Hudson has a huge number of art galleries and antique stores for a town of its size as well as fashion, fabric, and other craft studios.

Budget

 * Organic Market Breakfast and lunch.

Drink

 * Taproom (located in the St. Charles Hotel). 10 beers on tap. Happy hour specials. 25 cent wings & 2 dollar pints on Wednesdays.
 * Taproom (located in the St. Charles Hotel). 10 beers on tap. Happy hour specials. 25 cent wings & 2 dollar pints on Wednesdays.

Go next

 * Rhinebeck, a charming town with pretty historic buildings though perhaps less spectacular than the stretch along Warren St., is about 35-40 minutes to the south via Route 9G
 * Kingston, the state's first capital, has three historic zones and would take more than a day to fully explore. 35- to 50-minute drive to the south and on the other side of the river from Hudson and Rhinebeck.
 * The Catskills are to the east, across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge
 * Albany, the state capital, is about a 45- to 60-minute drive north
 * Troy, about 45-60 minutes to the north, has an impressive ensemble of 19th- and early 20th-century urban buildings; as it was more built-up in its heyday than Hudson, the style of the buildings is considerably different and worth seeing by contrast
 * The Berkshires of Massachusetts are about a 40- to 60-minute drive to the east

title: Hudson (New York)


text:
Hudson (Ohio)

Hudson is an affluent commuter city in northern Summit County with about 23,000 people as of 2020.

By Car

 * I-80, the Ohio Turnpike, runs through the middle of Hudson, with an exit at State Route 8.
 * State Route 8 begins in Cleveland and ends at the Interstate 76 and 77 interchange in Akron. SR 8 is a freeway south of the Ohio Turnpike, with an exit at SR 303. SR 8 provides freeway access to Akron and Canton via Interstate 77.
 * State Route 303, named Streetsboro Street, runs west-east through central Hudson. SR 303 does not connect to the Turnpike but has intersections with SR 8 west of Hudson and SR 14 east of town; the latter provides access to Interstate 480 and Cleveland. Truck SR 303 by-passes the central business district to the south.
 * State Route 91, named Main Street in the north part of town and Darrow Road starting a few blocks south of SR 303. SR 91 separates Hudson into east and west sections and intersects Interstate 480 a few miles north of town.

By Plane

 * Both Akron Canton Regional Airport and Cleveland Hopkins Regional Airport  are about thirty minutes from Hudson.

Get around

 * Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 4942-B Darrow Road, +1 330 342-0725
 * METRO, Akron's public bus system, has several stops in Hudson. Call +1 330 762-0341 for information.

Sleep

 * Econo Lodge, 9789 State Route 14, Streetsboro. +1 330 626-5511. Free breakfast and WiFi.
 * Econo Lodge, 9789 State Route 14, Streetsboro. +1 330 626-5511. Free breakfast and WiFi.
 * Econo Lodge, 9789 State Route 14, Streetsboro. +1 330 626-5511. Free breakfast and WiFi.
 * Econo Lodge, 9789 State Route 14, Streetsboro. +1 330 626-5511. Free breakfast and WiFi.

Go next

 * Cleveland
 * Akron
 * Cuyahoga Valley National Park

title: Hudson (Ohio)


text:
Hudson (Quebec)

Hudson is a town of 5,411 people (2021) in the Suroît peninsula, in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, in Montérégie région of Quebec, about 60 km west of Montreal. It sits on the southern shore of the Lake of Two Mountains, near the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers.

Two important stopovers on the road between Montreal and Ottawa (via Quebec highway 40 and Ontario highway 417, are located near the limit of Hudson (however, one is in the territory of Vaudreuil-Dorion and the other in Rigaud); these service areas offer food, lodging, convenience stores, gas and other services to motorists. In addition, Hudson offers a range of infrastructure and recreational tourism activities.

Understand
Although it's now an easy 45-minute highway drive from Montreal, it used to be an isolated village of mainly Scottish and English farmers. It was briefly a lakeside cottage getaway. Most residents of Hudson get out of town by spending the day in Montreal or the West Island, with occasional trips to Ottawa.

Much of its past can still be seen today, with a largely anglophone population, turn-of-the-century homes, pretty lakeside views, tree-lined streets and the English-inspired architecture of the town centre. These features make it a popular daytrip for Montrealers, particularly in the summer.

Travellers can benefit from waterfront infrastructure and services for nautical activities on the Ottawa River, downstream from the Carillon dam, on Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes. There is a scenic mountain there, as well as sucreries, i.e., maple syrup farms where tourists can go for a hayride and try a traditional Quebec meal.

Geography
The village of Oka is across the Lake of Two Mountains by ferry. In winter, an ice path is built to connect the two shores. The Viviry River (a tributary of Lac des Deux-Montagnes) separates the municipal territory in two.

By car
Carillon-Pointe-Fortune and Hudson-Oka ferries cross the Ottawa River to the Outaouais and Montagnes Laurentiennes regions on the Quebec side. In winter, ice bridges are maintained at Carillon-Pointe-Fortune and Hudson-Oka to connect the two shores.

 * From the island of Montreal, take Autoroute 40 westbound. The most scenic route is to get off at Exit 35, turn right at Avenue Saint-Charles, and turn right at Chemin-de-l'Anse. This will take you along the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains (Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes) until you get to Hudson, at which point the name of the street will change to "Main". Drive another 4 km along Main road to get to the centre of town. The trip from downtown Montreal takes about 45 minutes (except during Montreal's rush hour, when it will often take 90 min).

Between Montreal and Ottawa, Highway 417 and Autoroute 40 are part of the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway.
 * From Ottawa, take Highway 417 eastbound. At the Quebec border, the highway changes its name to Autoroute 40. Get off at exit 22, turn left on Côte-St-Charles. At the end of Côte-St-Charles, turn right on Main. Drive 1 km to get to the town centre. The trip takes about 90 minutes.

By train or bus
The Exo Vaudreuil-Hudson Line provides commuter service from Montreal. Most trains end at Vaudreuil, requiring a bus transfer.

You can also get to Hudson by taking Montreal's public transit to:
 * John Abbott College in Montreal's suburb of Ste-Anne de Bellevue, and connecting with a CIT La Presqu'Ile bus to Hudson at 15:29, 16:29 and 17:47.
 * Vaudreuil train station on the AMT Montreal-Vaudreuil line, and connect with a CIT La Presqu'Ile bus at 16:54, 18:12, and 19:03.
 * Cote Vertu Metro station and take a CIT La Prequ'Ile express bus to Vaudreuil. Expresses leave Cote Vertu every half hour from 15:00 to 19:00. You can then connect with the Vaudreuil-Hudson bus discussed above.

By ferry
A ferry operates during most of the spring, all of summer, and most of autumn taking cars, people and bikes from Oka to Hudson across the Lake of Two Mountains. It leaves from Main Road, just east of Bellevue Street. In the winter, the lake freezes over, and it is sometimes possible to drive over the ice across the lake from the ferry terminal to Oka (depending on weather conditions and ice thickness).

By car
The town centre is concentrated on Main Road. The centre of town can be traversed by car in two minutes. Driving the whole 20-km route of Main Road (which continues as Chemin de l'Anse in neighbouring towns) can be quite scenic, with views of large country houses, farms, trees, and the Lake of Two Mountains.

By taxi
For convenient and efficient transportation in and around Hudson, consider utilizing the local taxi services available. The taxi companies provide a reliable and comfortable option for getting around town, whether you're heading to a specific destination or exploring the scenic surroundings. With experienced drivers who are knowledgeable about the area, taxis offer a stress-free way to travel.

By bicycle
Although Main Road/Chemin de l'Anse is quite narrow, one can often find groups of cyclists riding along this scenic route on summer weekends. Be aware that the north-south streets off of Main Road (Bellevue, Cameron, and Côte-Saint-Charles Streets) have very steep inclines at some parts.

By foot
Hudson is a small town; the town centre can be crossed by foot in 20 min. Summertime is the best time to do this; in the winter, the cold and the wind make walking unpleasant.

See
The town's architecture is quite distinct from most towns in the greater Montreal area. Some buildings date back to the beginning of the 1900s, while the new buildings have tried to copy some of the older building's features.

Most people who come to Hudson take a drive down Main Road to see the old houses, foliage and lakeviews. This is popular in the summer but perhaps best done in October, when the leaves turn fall colours.

Do

 * Have a lakeside picnic. The town has two public accesses to the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains: Sandy Beach (in the centre of town) and Thompson Park (near Finnegan's market). Bring mosquito repellant. The best time to do this is Labour Day weekend, when the lake fills with sailboats for an annual regatta.

Buy
For such a small town, Hudson has a large number of antiques and arts and crafts shops. Almost half of the town's businesses are devoted to this. Aside from Finnegan's market, you can find many of these shops as you stroll down Main Road.

Drink
There are three bars in town:

title: Hudson (Quebec)


text:
Hudson (Wisconsin)

Hudson is a city in the St. Croix Valley of northwestern Wisconsin. It sits along the St. Croix River, which is also the Minnesota border, and is adjacent to and sometimes considered a part of that state's Twin Cities region.

Understand
Hudson, the county seat of St. Croix County, is a scenic river town. The historic downtown with its small boutiques, bars, and restaurants, stretches along the east bank of the St. Croix river, while more recent city development has taken place above the river bluffs, where big-box retailers and fast-food joints have set up shop.

Get in
Interstate 94 runs through Hudson, south of downtown. There is a pedestrian/bike path on the I-94 St. Croix River Bridge, making it possible to walk or bike from Lakeland, Minnesota. The path leads directly to 2nd Street on the Wisconsin side.

Get around
The historic business district along 2nd Street is compact and walkable, making it easy to see on foot. Otherwise, as with most smaller towns and cities, there is no public transit so a car is necessary.

See
Third street features many blocks of well-preserved Victorian homes.

title: Hudson (Wisconsin)


text:
Hudson County

Hudson County is the smallest and most urban county in northeastern New Jersey on two peninsulas between the Hudson, Hackensack, and Passaic rivers. It has, while being in the midst of the New York City metropolitan area, a distinct history and character from either the city across from which it sits and the rest of the state on the other side of the New Jersey Meadowlands, and is often overlooked by both.

Cities

 * — a typical working class town
 * — Close-knit community, fourth smallest town in Hudson County in terms of area and population density. Includes Kearny.
 * — Tree-lined streets with well-preserved brownstones typify this former dockworkers' town overlooking the Hudson. Yuppies are taking over Hoboken's old Italian and Irish neighborhoods, but the city still has the highest number of bars per square mile in the country! Birthplace of Frank Sinatra and the location of the world's first baseball game.
 * — Directly across the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan, New Jersey's second largest city is undergoing a large-scale urban renaissance attracting a large yuppie population. The development of commercial skyscrapers in the Newport and Paulus Hook areas earned the city the nickname of "Wall Street West."  Known for its ethnic diversity, Jersey City is becoming an increasingly cosmopolitan area.
 * - The most suburban area of Hudson County by far. Located in the Meadowlands and home to a major transit station and lodging across the Hackensack River from MetLife Stadium.
 * — The most densely populated city in the United States. A Hispanic district of Hudson county that has wonderful parks and food. Including North Bergen.
 * — A hamlet atop the Hudson Palisades offering stunning views of the Hudson River and NY skyline.
 * — Second smallest town in Hudson County. Named after General Philip Kearny, who died in the Battle of Chantilly. Most of Kearny is industrialized by the two drawbridges at exit 15e on the NJ Turnpike

Understand
The county is the sixth most densely populated in the United States. The cities that comprise Hudson County often share borders that are city streets where the demarcation is barely, if at all noted. Since its beginnings in the 17th century the region has been home to waves of immigrants, making it one of ethnically diverse in America.

By car
Most people enter Hudson County either through the Bayonne Bridge from Staten Island. The New Jersey Turnpike is another option, as the county is accessible through its Newark Bay Extension (exits 14-14c) from Manhattan, and the Eastern Spur (exits 15e, 15x, 16e, & 18e) from elsewhere across New Jersey. Alternatively, you can arrive via U.S. Route 1 from the Pulaski Skyway in Newark or Tonelle Ave in nearby Bergen County, or NJ-495 from the Meadowlands or the Lincoln Tunnel.

By plane
The closest airport without question is Newark Liberty International Airport. From here, you can either buy a rental and follow the driving directions, or take a PATH train to Jersey City (stop at either Journal Square or Exchange Place).

By transit
The busiest bus terminals in Hudson County, and the one's you most likely will arrive by are Jersey City's Journal Square terminal, Secaucus' Frank Lautenberg Terminal, and Hoboken's Lackawanna Terminal. The Secaucus and Hoboken terminals are serviced by NJ Transit while the Journal Square terminal is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PATH/PAYNJ). Two of the Journal Square terminal's train routes, along with a bus route go to the Lackawanna Terminal. It's important to remember although some of the train routes for Secaucus' terminal go to Hoboken, not all of them will.

Get around
Traversed north and south by both the Eastern and Western spurs of the New Jersey Turnpike (I95), and US routes 1 and 9; and east and west by State Rt 3/ I495 in the North and State Rt 7 and Rt 78 to the south, It is split between adjoined towns east and west of the Meadowlands and Hackensack River. To the east of the Hackensack, Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken and several other towns that border the Hudson and connect via tunnels to New York City Lincoln Tunnel on I495, Holland Tunnel feeding from the NJ Turnpike Extension exit 14C and Routes 1 and 9. In the middle, centered in the Meadowlands area is Secaucus, the site of the Meadowlands Entertainment complex including the MetLife Stadium which is home to the New York NFL Giants and Jets teams. To the west of the Hackensack in West Hudson are (from South to North), Harrison, East Newark and Kearny, bordering the Passaic River to the West. Extensive commuter train service via NJ Transit and the PATH system serve most of the county.

Jersey City, Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken and Harrison are among the most "walking" and public transport friendly municipalities in New Jersey, and a wide choice of hotels, motels and other accommodations exist throughout the area.

See
Jersey City has several places to visit. Lincoln Park offers historic monuments and a lot of nature trails. Liberty Science Center is home to the largest planetarium in the Americas. Liberty State Park is famous for its panoramic vistas of most of the New York City boroughs, and the historic CRRNJ Terminal which houses the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Loews Jersey Theater is the only Loews theater built outside of New York. Skyway Memorial Park commemorating COVID-19 victms of New Jersey will open in 2023.

In Bayonne, see the Tear Drop Memorial to the struggle against world terrorism, and the Bayonne Bridge, which is the third largest suspension bridge in the world.

In Hoboken, see the Erie-Lackawanna Terminal one of the USA's busiest terminals. The Hoboken Historical Museum has exhibits about the history of Hoboken from Dutch colonization to now.

Union City's Bergenline Ave is known for its predominantly Cuban population.

In Weehawken, you can see the Hamilton-Burr Monument where Secretary of State Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel.

Go next
Hudson County has several connections to New York City and is a short drive from Newark Liberty International Airport.

title: Hudson County


text:
Mid-Hudson and Catskills

Between New York City's suburbs and the larger Upstate region is a transitional area, a place where many New Yorkers get away from it all to relax. West of the Hudson River lie the Catskills, a largely rural and wild area of mountains and valleys; along the river, on the other hand lie a number of Hudson Valley communities with rolling hills, an area that resembles New England in many respects.

Cities

 * - A funky, rebuilding riverfront town that has gradually gotten more popular with visitors from the city due to its easy access via Metro-North. Most are headed for the Dia art museum, but they've started spilling over to cafés and shops on nearby Main Street.
 * - Another old industrial river city revitalized by expatriate Brooklynites, it has become one of the most popular destinations for antiquing in the region.
 * - The Ulster County seat and former state capitol has many facets, from its colonial uptown with sheltered sidewalks to its downtown on Rondout Creek, easily accessible by boats from the nearby river.
 * - Centrally located in the Borscht Belt, the Sullivan County seat retains that small-town feel
 * - The valley's second-largest city has had to face many challenges in the decades since it lost its industrial base. It has managed nevertheless to rebuild its waterfront and preserve the many stately Victorian-era homes of its East End.
 * - The largest city between New York and Albany, Dutchess County's seat has recovered in many ways, buffered by IBM and Vassar College, two of its main employers.
 * - Easy access from the nearby Rhinecliff train station has made this upscale village as popular a spot with New York City weekenders as it was in the late 19th century.
 * - A ski town at the north end of the mountains with the New England charm of its namesakes in that region.
 * - The festival wasn't held anywhere near here, but this town nevertheless lives up to the hippie reputation evoked by its name.

Understand
Henry Hudson and his crew were the first Europeans to sail up the river, on the Halve Maen in 1609. They thought they might have discovered the beginnings of the Northwest Passage, and traveled as far as the feature that gives present-day Glens Falls its name before they realized they had only found a tidal estuary 150 miles (240 km) into the interior. But the find was nevertheless useful for the Dutch, who established the colony of New Netherland along the river, with its capital, Fort Orange (today Albany) near the upper limit of his voyage, and the port city of New Amsterdam (New York City) at the river's mouth. Other settlements, like Kingston and Schenectady, were established later. Many other Dutch placenames in the region reflect this era, which ended when the colony became English in 1669. Under both colonial powers, the river became a major trade route, with sloops plying it regularly and putting it at other riverside ports like Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Hudson.

During the Revolutionary War the river became a key strategic asset. The British sought to take control of it, in order to divide New England from the rest of the colonies. To prevent this, the Patriots forged a giant chain to block the river below the Hudson Highlands, and established the fort has since become the United States Military Academy at West Point. Benedict Arnold made his getaway down the river after his plan to sell out the fort to the British was exposed.

After the war ended with American independence, the new nation found in the river and its surrounding valley its earliest cultural inspiration. Washington Irving lived on the river's banks and wrote his most famous story, Rip Van Winkle, about the Dutch inhabitants of the upper valley. Thomas Cole, Frederick Church and other painters of the Hudson River School found inspiration in the landscapes of the Highlands and the Catskills. Wealthy landowners like Robert Livingston built palatial estates on the east bank overlooking some of the most scenic vistas.

The Hudson was also important to the economy. In combination with the Mohawk, it offered a largely level route through the Appalachian Mountains. Thomas Jefferson is said to have coined New York's nickname, the Empire State, in recognition of the potential of this asset. New York did not wait long to exploit it. The Erie Canal was opened between Albany and Buffalo in 1825, and a quarter-century later the first railroads along the river were in place.

Soon the cities of the valley industrialized, and those who had become rich from that development, like the Vanderbilts and Jay Gould, moved into their own riverfront mansions. At the southern end of the valley the country towns of Westchester and Rockland counties gradually became commuter suburbs, growing explosively after World War II. That growth came with a price, however, as the pollution from the industrialization taxed the river's ability to cleanse itself, making it almost an open sewer. But the region responded by helping to launch the modern American environmental movement. A power plant project that would have carved a dam out of Storm King Mountain south of Cornwall and strung transmission lines across the river was halted in 1965, when the Scenic Hudson Preservation Committee persuaded a federal court to allow consideration of the aesthetic impact the project would have on the landscape, a landmark ruling. Other environmental groups, such as Clearwater and Hudson Riverkeeper, were launched to protect the river, aided greatly by the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s.

The upper stretches of the river still have signs warning against eating fish caught there due to the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remaining in the riverbed. Most came from a former General Electric plant in Hudson Falls, and remediation efforts have long been a political sore point in the region.

Along with the river, the region suffered from the decline of manufacturing jobs in late 20th-century America. Cities like Newburgh, Peekskill and Poughkeepsie became poorer as jobs left, compounded by ill-advised urban renewal projects such as Poughkeepsie's Main Mall Row. Many who stayed wondered if the region had seen its best days.

The depressed regional housing market, however, created opportunities. Manhattan- and Brooklynites looking for that urban vibe at a cheaper price began buying up the old houses and restoring them. The state's Hudson River Greenway helped communities like Peekskill and Newburgh clean up and revitalize their riverfronts. Outside the valley's cities, some old farms became subdivisions, occupied by the middle-class families who found themselves priced out of closer suburbs. Today exurbanization reaches into Dutchess and Orange counties, and is slowly creeping into Greene and Columbia counties at the north end, where the metropolitan area centers on Albany. In between, the valley remains a mixture of old and new.

Community after community along the river continues to revive its waterfront. Visitors from New York City come to their shops on the weekend and sometimes decide to settle in towns like Cold Spring, Beacon, Saugerties, and Hudson, where they restore old houses and take in the fantastic scenery.

Climate
The valley is generally cooler than New York City, both in summer and winter. In the former season this effect is positive, as it blunts any heat waves that hit the city (temperatures have broken 100°F (38°C) on occasion, but not by much). In the winter this means, however, that storms are likely to be more severe (when TV weather forecasters from the city say something like "north and west, this will all be snow", they're usually pointing at the lower or central Hudson Valley).

These effects are more pronounced as one gets further from the river and higher into the mountainous and hilly terrain, like the Catskills or Taconics, on either side. The Catskills and Shawangunks can also create "rain shadows" near their bases on some days, due to the prevailing winds blowing from the west across them. At the same time they also tend to buffer the region from some of the storm systems that come down from Canada to menace the rest of upstate New York in early winter. The most serious weather events are thus usually the nor'easters that follow the coasts. The wind that sometimes comes along with them regardless of season can sometimes be strong enough to blow down trees or branches and cause widespread power failures. Tropical cyclones severely affect the region. Tropical Storm Floyd, in 1999, caused some of the longest blackouts; and Irene and Lee in 2011 brought extensive flooding, washing out roads and isolating some communities.

Read

 * Hudson Valley Faces and Places (2006) and Hudson Valley Tales & Trails (2010), both by Patricia Edwards Clyne, are excellent compendia of regional lore. The former focuses on some of the many famous people who have connections to the region; the latter on places of historical interest, with short hikes or walks outlined.
 * Chronicles of the Hudson: Three Centuries of Travel and Adventure (Roland van Zandt, 1971). Good broad history of the region built visits or residence in the region by notable people. Organized by the dominant means of transportation at the time, it takes the reader from the river's earliest explorations by Europeans to the early 20th century. Its viewpoint predates the modern renaissance of the river, but still worth the read.
 * The Mightier Hudson: The Spirited Revival of a Treasured Landscape (Roger D. Stone, 2012). Picks up where van Zandt left off and tells the story of the renewal of the river and valley, both environmentally and culturally.
 * Crossing the Hudson: Historic Bridges and Tunnels of the River (Donald Wolf, 2010). The same feature that makes the Hudson navigable all the way to Troy, its width, also makes it a major geographic barrier whose effect is still felt today (freight trains must go all the way to Castleton, south of Albany, to cross the river). Bridging the river has been key to making the region come together. Wolf's book looks at all aspects of this history, from the technical issues to the social, economic and political effects.

By boat
Probably the best, most beautiful and historic view of traveling to and within the Hudson Valley is by boat up the Hudson River. There are a few tourist cruises you can do, but unless you have or use a private boat, the Hudson River won't be your primary method of travel in the Hudson Valley. One exception is NY Waterway, an operator of commuter ferries, that offers full day and weekend sightseeing cruises from New York City to several locations including Tarrytown and the United States Military Academy at West Point. A different, but memorable, way to experience the Hudson Valley from the river is to go on one of the public sails run by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Beacon-based environmental organization that works to protect the river. Between April and October, Clearwater, a National Register-listed replica of the 17th- and 18th-century Dutch sloops, and Mystic Whaler, a replica of a 19th-century whaling schooner, take on passengers at docks up and down the river between New York and Albany. During the excursions, passengers can take turns helping steer and operate the boat while the crew offers lessons on the history and environment. It's a popular family outing. Tickets are $50 for adults, $35 for Clearwater members and $15 for children 12 and under. +1 845 265-8080 x7107.

By air

 * Westchester County Airport, 240 Airport Road, White Plains, +1 914 995-4860 (airlines). The largest airport of the lower Hudson Valley, other than the three New York City/New Jersey international airports.
 * Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100. Serves the middle of the valley.
 * Hudson Valley Regional Airport, 263 New Hackensack Road, Wappingers Falls, +1 845 463-6000. An option for private pilots and jets near Poughkeepsie.
 * Albany International Airport, 737 Albany-Shaker Rd, Albany. Serves the upper portions of the valley.
 * Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport: The three major international airports in the New York City area offer service to just about anywhere.

By train
As a scenic introduction to the region, the train trip up the east side of the Hudson is worth the ride in itself on a nice day. Much of the track runs immediately adjacent or very close to the river; sights include the Palisades, Haverstraw Bay (the river's widest point), Hudson Highlands, West Point, Newburgh Bay, and the Catskills. All but the latter can be viewed from either Amtrak's Empire Service trains (the intercity service) or Metro-North's Hudson Line (commuter service). The former entails going to Albany–Rensselaer and returning; the latter, Poughkeepsie. There are more amenities on Amtrak, but less time between train turnarounds at Poughkeepsie.

 * Amtrak. For rail service north of Poughkeepsie, to Rhinecliff and Hudson, departing from Penn Station in Manhattan. Service is also available to Yonkers and Croton-on-Hudson, but as these are within Metro-North's service area tickets to those destinations are sold only to passengers embarking from outside that service area.
 * Metro-North. The Hudson Line, marked in green on maps, is the line that travels north along the Hudson River, from New York City to Poughkeepsie. Intermediate stops include Yonkers (and three other stations in that city), Tarrytown, Peekskill, Cold Spring and Beacon. Not all trains stop at each station, so check the schedule closely, and mind the type of train—if you board an electric train and want to go north of Croton-Harmon, you'll have to get off there and change to one with a diesel locomotive. Fares are higher for travel during peak hours; at that time the trains, particularly those that serve the lower portion of the line, are very crowded and you may have to stand for a while.

For destinations further inland on the east side of the Valley, the Harlem Line, marked in blue on the map, is an option. It goes as far as rural Wassaic, 90 miles (144 km) north of the city in Dutchess County. Intermediate stops include Bronxville, White Plains, Scarsdale, and Brewster. Electric trains go as far as Southeast; passengers going beyond that station will have to change to a diesel train there, except if catching an express from Grand Central during evening rush hour.
 * New Jersey Transit. On the west side of the valley, passenger rail service is much more limited. Two of NJ Transit's lines serve stations operated by Metro-North in Orange and Rockland counties. The Pascack Valley line (purple on the map), goes as far as Spring Valley, and the Port Jervis Line (thin black line) goes to that city, passing stops at Suffern, Tuxedo and Middletown along the way. While a long round trip, that route does offer some outstanding scenery, especially where it crosses the Moodna Viaduct, longest actively used rail trestle in the East, near Salisbury Mills.

By bus

 * Greyhound. Stops in most of the major cities as well as some small towns.
 * Adirondack Trailways, . Stops in most of the major cities on the west side of the river, and Poughkeepsie.

By car
The most commonly used route to the Hudson Valley is the north-south New York State Thruway (Interstate 87). From New York City, it can be reached by following the Major Deegan Expressway, which becomes the Thruway when it reaches the city line. It continues through lower Westchester County, with a $1.25 toll collected at a barrier near Ardsley, then turns west where I-287 joins it at White Plains to cross the Hudson at one of its widest and most scenic points via the Tappan Zee Bridge (a $4.75 toll is collected going eastbound). After crossing heavily suburban and busy Rockland County, it turns north and continues up the valley to Albany, with every exit roughly corresponding to a bridge. Some of the valley's scenery, such as the Catskills, is visible in the middle of this section. The toll from that point is collected at the exits; to Albany it is $5.25. On the east side of the river the only divided highway that runs the valley's full length is the Taconic State Parkway, beginning at the end of the Bronx River Parkway south of Valhalla and continuing north to the Thruway's Berkshire extension (Interstate 90) near the Columbia County village of Chatham. While less convenient to the river cities, it is worth the drive as the automotive counterpart to the train ride up the river, designed to take advantage of the region's staggering views and rolling, bucolic scenery. Franklin D. Roosevelt personally oversaw the design before he became president, and author William Kennedy has described the result as a "110-mile postcard." The entire highway and most of its picturesque stone bridges have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From the east or the west, the best route to the valley is Interstate 84. Crossing the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New York at Port Jervis, it makes a scenic crossing of the lower Shawangunk Ridge, then bends north past Middletown to Newburgh, where it intersects with the Thruway and then crosses the Hudson via the Newburgh–Beacon Bridge ($1.50 toll eastbound), with a scenic view of Storm King and the Hudson Highlands to the south. After Beacon and Fishkill on the east side, it continues east to the Taconic Parkway interchange in East Fishkill, then climbs through the Taconics to I-684 at Brewster just before crossing into Danbury, Connecticut.

On the north end of the valley, the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) becomes the Thruway's Berkshire Section when it crosses the state line. At Schodack I-90 splits to the northwest for Albany-bound traffic; the Berkshire Section continues to the Thruway's Main Line at Exit 21B and is probably the better route into the Hudson Valley for traffic from central New England despite the 85-cent toll.

Travelers coming from New York's Southern Tier will likely be using the New York State Route 17 expressway. Known formerly as the Quickway, it is slowly being upgraded into Interstate 86. At Middletown there is a full interchange with I-84; Route 17 continues from there to the Thruway at Harriman. There are several north-south surface roads for those wishing to take their time. U.S. Route 9 follows the east side of the river closely; it becomes an expressway in northern Westchester County and a divided commercial strip between Fishkill and Poughkeepsie. Otherwise it's a leisurely two-lane drive, offering beautiful scenery in many sections. U.S. Route 9W parallels it on the other side of the river, with its scenic highlight coming along the divided section in the Hudson Highlands around West Point. Further away from the river, New York State Route 32 begins at the Woodbury Commons outlet mall and connects many of the major communities on the west side of the valley—Newburgh, New Paltz, Kingston, Saugerties and Catskill. The most scenic portion is between the latter two, affording an excellent view of the Catskill Escarpment. On the eastern edge of the region, New York State Route 22 closely parallels the state line as it links the small towns amid the beautiful scenery of Dutchess and Columbia counties.

There aren't many surface through roads that run east-west across the entire valley. In the south, U.S. Route 6 closely parallels I-84 at first when the two cross the Delaware at Port Jervis, then bends bends south to Middletown, where it joins NY 17, then makes a scenic crossing of Harriman State Park on its way to the Bear Mountain Bridge and the road around the mountain to Peekskill. From there it goes through several smaller communities in Westchester County, then to Mahopac, Carmel and Brewster in Putnam County before returning to the side of I-84 as it enters Connecticut.

U.S. Route 44 and New York State Route 55 combine from the Shawangunk Ridge and its stunning views to Poughkeepsie, then split, with 44 going northeast toward Millbrook and Millerton and 55 more due east to Pawling and Connecticut. Further north, New York State Route 23 crosses the Greene County Catskills, dropping scenically through the north end of the Escarpment, then crosses the river at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on its way across bucolic Columbia County to Hillsdale and Massachusetts.

Bridges
The Hudson River can be both means of and impediment to travel. Historically it was wide enough that only ferries crossed it, but then a few rail bridges crossed the river in the late 19th century, followed by vehicle bridges in the 20th. Tolls are charged for all south of Albany. E-Z Pass electronic payment, common in the northeast United States, is accepted at all of the following Hudson River crossings, usually with a discount: The New York State Bridge Authority operates:
 * NY-23.svg Rip Van Winkle (NY 23) - Catskill, Green County to Hudson, Columbia County
 * NY-199.svg Kingston-Rhinecliff (NY 199) - Kingston, Ulster County to Rhinecliff, Dutchess County
 * US 44.svg & NY-55.svg-Hudson (US 44/NY 55) - Highland, Ulster County to Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County
 * I-84.svg & NY-52.svg Newburgh-Beacon (I-84/NY 52) - Newburgh, Orange County and Beacon, Dutchess County
 * US 6.svg & US 202.svg Bear Mountain (US 6/US 202) - Bear Mountain, Orange County to Peekskill, Westchester County

All NYSBA bridges charge a toll of $1.50 ($1.25 with EZPass) eastbound

The New York State Thruway Authority operates:
 * Castleton — Selkirk, Albany County to Castleton-on-Hudson, Rensselaer County ($1.05 ($1 with EZPass) both ways; included in Thruway toll collected at exits).
 * Tappan Zee (I-87/I-287) - Nyack, Rockland County to Tarrytown, Westchester County ($5 eastbound; $4.75 with EZPass)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates:
 * George Washington - Fort Lee, New Jersey to New York City ($13 eastbound; $10.25 with EZPass reduced to $8.25 off-peak and $4.25 with three or more people in vehicle).

Ferries
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates two ferry routes across the river in its service area, primarily for the benefit of commuters using Metro-North's Hudson Line; both operate only during rush hour. Service may be suspended in wintertime if the river has too much ice for crossings to be safe, particularly on the Newburgh–Beacon route.

 * Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry from St. Girling Drive in Haverstraw, Rockland County, to the Metro-North station at Ossining, Westchester County. Fare is $3.50 ($1.75 for seniors and children 6–11) for a 15-minute ride across the river at its widest point.
 * Newburgh–Beacon Ferry from Front Street in Newburgh, Orange County, to the Metro-North station at Beacon, Dutchess County. Fare is $1.50 per person; the crossing is shorter but affords excellent views of the Hudson Highlands to the south.

Public transportation
The counties in the valley run bus networks of varying extents.

 * Beeline Bus System. Westchester county's bus system also connects to nearby lines, such as Rockland County and Fairfield County, Connecticut.
 * Transit Orange, has some routes serving the vicinities of Middletown and Newburgh, but nothing countywide.
 * Putnam Transit (PART), has bus routes serving the eastern portion of the county with a connection to Westchester's Bee-Line at the Jefferson Valley Mall, and a summertime trolley-style bus connecting Cold Spring and Garrison.
 * Dutchess County LOOP buses serve primarily the eastern portion of the county from Poughkeepsie and Beacon, with one route out to Pawling. There is no service on Sundays.
 * Mirroring LOOP, Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) serves primarily the more populous eastern half of the county, with lines to Ellenville and Belleayre. One line crosses the river to connect to Metro-North and LOOP at Poughkeepsie.
 * Greene County Transit mainly connects outlying areas with Catskill, the county seat. Service is limited.
 * In Columbia County, Coxsackie Transport runs buses from Hudson to Albany with stops along Route 9, and a loop route in the southern half of the county.

Roads
In addition to the regional through routes mentioned above, there are some roads which connect wide areas within the region:
 * US 209.svg U.S. Route 209, from the Delaware River at Port Jervis to U.S. 9W north of Kingston. If you come into the valley from the west via I-84, and are headed for its central region, you'll probably take this to Kingston and the bridge to Rhinecliff. For most of its length it's a lightly trafficked two-lane road, with some excellent scenery south of Ellenville where it runs in the valley between the Shawangunks and the Catskills.
 * NY-9D.svg New York State Route 9D. The main route along the river from Bear Mountain Bridge north to Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County. Lower stretches offer a mix of environments from scenic views of the Highlands (particularly in northern Putnam County) to the quaint village of Cold Spring and funky downtown Beacon.
 * NY-52.svg New York State Route 52. After crossing the Shawangunks, with some sweeping views of the valley, between Ellenville and Pine Bush, Route 52 begins to parallel I-84 to Newburgh until it merges with it to cross the Hudson, splitting at Fishkill but still paralleling the interstate until it ends at US 6 in downtown Carmel.
 * NY-82.svg New York State Route 82. Beginning at NY 52 near Fishkill in Dutchess County, and going all the way to a roundabout along US 9 near Sand Lake in Columbia County, Route 82 serves as a more leisurely, and sometimes quite scenic, alternative to the Taconic State Parkway in those two counties.
 * NY-199.svg New York State Route 199 begins where US 209 ends and continues across the bridge to become northern Dutchess County's main east-west route, going through Red Hook, Pine Plains and some increasingly beautiful countryside on its way to US 44/NY 22 just south of Millerton.
 * NY-208.svg New York State Route 208, from Monroe in Orange County to New Paltz in Ulster County. Connects several inland communities in both counties. Most scenic section is north of Wallkill, with views of the Shawangunk Ridge across the Wallkill River valley.
 * NY-300.svg New York State Route 300. From Vails Gate this goes northwest to become Newburgh's main suburban shopping strip, then heads northwest to Wallkill as a lightly-trafficked two-lane road.

See
Many sights are listed under their individual counties. If you have a limited amount of time in the region, here are the most popular and/or most important to understanding the Hudson Valley:
 * The Hudson River Historic District. An unheralded 32-square mile (90 km²) National Historic Landmark District located roughly along the riverside from Staatsburg in Dutchess County to Clermont in Columbia County, this strip preserves much of the original agricultural landscape of the river, often with stunning views of the Catskills that, under the right conditions, evoke Hudson River School paintings. Within its boundaries are small communities like Barrytown, Rhinecliff and Tivoli, as well as Bard College. The estates of Clermont Manor and Montgomery Place, both National Historic Landmarks themselves, are worth touring as well if you have the time.
 * The Hudson River Historic District. An unheralded 32-square mile (90 km²) National Historic Landmark District located roughly along the riverside from Staatsburg in Dutchess County to Clermont in Columbia County, this strip preserves much of the original agricultural landscape of the river, often with stunning views of the Catskills that, under the right conditions, evoke Hudson River School paintings. Within its boundaries are small communities like Barrytown, Rhinecliff and Tivoli, as well as Bard College. The estates of Clermont Manor and Montgomery Place, both National Historic Landmarks themselves, are worth touring as well if you have the time.
 * The Hudson River Historic District. An unheralded 32-square mile (90 km²) National Historic Landmark District located roughly along the riverside from Staatsburg in Dutchess County to Clermont in Columbia County, this strip preserves much of the original agricultural landscape of the river, often with stunning views of the Catskills that, under the right conditions, evoke Hudson River School paintings. Within its boundaries are small communities like Barrytown, Rhinecliff and Tivoli, as well as Bard College. The estates of Clermont Manor and Montgomery Place, both National Historic Landmarks themselves, are worth touring as well if you have the time.
 * The Hudson River Historic District. An unheralded 32-square mile (90 km²) National Historic Landmark District located roughly along the riverside from Staatsburg in Dutchess County to Clermont in Columbia County, this strip preserves much of the original agricultural landscape of the river, often with stunning views of the Catskills that, under the right conditions, evoke Hudson River School paintings. Within its boundaries are small communities like Barrytown, Rhinecliff and Tivoli, as well as Bard College. The estates of Clermont Manor and Montgomery Place, both National Historic Landmarks themselves, are worth touring as well if you have the time.

Do

 * Hike around Bear Mountain Start the hike from Bear Mountain Inn, cross the road and wind through a wild animal preserve, Cross the Hudson River via the Bear Mountain Bridge, join up with the Appalachian Trail, then split off to "Anthony's Nose," a scenic overhang where the entire valley can be viewed. If you do this hike at the end of Sep or beginning of Oct you may be lucky enough to catch the Oktoberfest near the Bear Mountain Inn afterward.
 * Visit a farmer's market or farmstand. The upper reaches of the Hudson Valley are still largely agricultural, so keep an eye out for fresh, local products sold right off the farm. Apple cider, produced fresh from the many orchards in the region, is a particular favorite in the fall.
 * Take a cruise on the river aboard one of many boats:
 * Take a paddle the entire tidal portion of the river via the Hudson River Water Trail.
 * Watch bald eagles. In winter, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recommends the following viewing points: Riverfront Park, Peekskill; Charles Point's China Pier, Peekskill; George's Island Park, Verplanck, town of Cortlandt; Constitution Island from the North Dock at West Point; Norrie Point State Park, Hyde Park; Iona Island, viewable from the turn-out off Route 6 just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge on the east side of the Hudson River.
 * Take a paddle the entire tidal portion of the river via the Hudson River Water Trail.
 * Watch bald eagles. In winter, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recommends the following viewing points: Riverfront Park, Peekskill; Charles Point's China Pier, Peekskill; George's Island Park, Verplanck, town of Cortlandt; Constitution Island from the North Dock at West Point; Norrie Point State Park, Hyde Park; Iona Island, viewable from the turn-out off Route 6 just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge on the east side of the Hudson River.
 * Watch bald eagles. In winter, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recommends the following viewing points: Riverfront Park, Peekskill; Charles Point's China Pier, Peekskill; George's Island Park, Verplanck, town of Cortlandt; Constitution Island from the North Dock at West Point; Norrie Point State Park, Hyde Park; Iona Island, viewable from the turn-out off Route 6 just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge on the east side of the Hudson River.

Eat
As home to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, the area is blessed with the services of many of its graduate chefs. See local pages for specific restaurants.

Many of the local farmstands mentioned above sell delicious homemade or locally made ice cream, and other products from local dairy farms that are worth buying and eating.

Brownies, cookies, muffins and other baked goods from Poughkeepsie-based Nilda's Desserts are sold at many convenience stores throughout the region. They're a couple of steps above their mass-market national-brand competitors.

Drink

 * Locally produced apple cider, in season (mid-September-Thanksgiving) at one of the many small local producers
 * Though overshadowed even within the state by the Finger Lakes and the North Fork of eastern Long Island, the valley has a thriving wine industry—the oldest in the country, in fact, as demonstrated by these two wineries.

Stay safe

 * There are many "Deer Crossing" signs on roads throughout this region. Take them very seriously, and try your best to avoid hitting a deer. Deer frequently cross without warning or heed for oncoming traffic.
 * If you are going to be hiking through areas which might be infested with deer ticks, take sensible precautions against ticks, and go to the doctor right away if you should subsequently contract a flu-like illness; Lyme disease is usually easily treatable, but only if caught early.
 * Mosquitoes can be unpleasant in this area in the summer, but usually don't carry diseases (West Nile virus is quite rare in this area to date). Consider using or at least carrying a repellent, especially in rural areas late in the day or at night.

Go next
A natural extension to your trip in the Hudson Valley is to head south to Westchester County, whose Hudson River coast is part of the Hudson Valley but also part of the New York Metropolitan Area and listed on Wikivoyage as such, and then to New York City (presuming you didn't start there), which is easily accessible by public transportation and by private automobile. But also consider heading north into the Adirondacks, a mountain range in northeastern New York and the location of the Adirondack State Park, the largest state park in the continental United States. Amtrak's Adirondack route cuts through these mountains en route to Montreal. New England is also easily accessible from the Hudson Valley, particularly the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and the Litchfield Hills in northwestern Connecticut.

title: Mid-Hudson and Catskills