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Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is an extraordinary park in Rwanda, full of impressive tropical rainforest and volcanic scenery, trekking, and is perhaps the best place in the world to see the rare mountain gorillas.

Understand
"In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat," wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey, "are great, old volcanoes towering up almost, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest - the Virungas". Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Parc des Volcans protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range - home of the rare mountain gorilla - and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.

History
The Volcanoes National Park was part of the Albert National Park, the oldest protected area in Africa. Created by the Belgian Colonial government in 1925, Albert National Park (present day Virunga National Park)' primary purpose was to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. In 1929, the Albert National Park widened to include the Volcanoes of Rwanda and the gazetted area occupied 8090 km². In 1960, after Belgian Congo attaining its independence, Albert National Park was divided into two; Virunga National Park of Congo and Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda.

Get in
The park headquarters is accessible via paved road. However, to access the starting points to various treks within the park itself, you may require a 4WD vehicle. Your driver will need to either wait for you to complete your trek, or return to collect you once your trek is complete. You should arrange for transportation prior to arriving at the visitor center to begin your trek. Tour operators that offer an all-inclusive experience will take care of your transportation needs. Many guest house operators in Musanze may also offer transportation - be sure to confirm with your host in advance of your trip.

Fees and permits
Mountain Gorillas - Prices to obtain permit for Volcanoes National Park to view Mountain Gorillas (April 2017):
 * US$1500 per person for all.

Tickets can sell out several months in advance in peak season, but may be available last-minute in low season.

Mount Bisoke US$75 per person (foreigners), FRw15,000 (Rwandans)

Golden Monkeys $100

Dian Fossey Tomb $75

Muhabura $100

Gahinga $75

Buhanga Eco Park 1-day nature walk $40, 1-day picnic (including camping) $60

Muhabura-Gahinga (2 days including camping site) $200

Karisimbi (2 days trekking including camping site) $400 solo, $300 p/p group

Hiking the chain of volcanoes Gahinga, Muhabura, Bisoke and Karisimbi (5 days park visitation) $1,500 p/p

Volcano hiking
You will not be provided with a private guide, despite the high permit cost. Rather, everyone will be grouped together rather chaotically and left to divide into groups when on the mountain. Make sure that there are enough guides provided for the number of people hiking on the given day.

Before you arrive
As implied in the following sections, you need to have some way to get from the park headquarters to the trailheads where the trek starts. The national park does not provide transportation. It's most recommended to book transport with a reputable safari company: these outfitters will provide a driver and a large Land Cruiser 4WD vehicle that can handle the frequently poor roads at the edges of the park.

If you prefer to self-drive, a 4WD vehicle is strongly recommended. Most rental car companies operating in Rwanda will not allow non-4WD vehicles to be driven into the national parks, because of the risk of damage on poor roads. There are a few trailheads that are accessible on semi-improved gravel roads, but whether these will be useful depends on whether there is a gorilla group relatively close to that trailhead on the day of your trek.

If you arrive at the park headquarters without suitable transport - whether by moto or taxi, or by self-driving a non-4WD vehicle on a day when you wouldn't be able to drive it to a useful trailhead - you'll need to get lucky to get a place in someone else's vehicle. Most of the safari-company Land Cruisers will be much less than half full, but the tour companies are very reluctant to take random passengers who have not booked with them for liability reasons, even just between the HQ and the trailheads, and the park rangers are thus reluctant to push them to give you a seat. You'll generally have an easier time getting a seat with someone who is self-driving, but most visitors use a safari outfitter rather than driving themselves, so depending on the day, this may not be practical. To avoid unnecessary stress, make sure you know how you're getting to the trailheads before you arrive for your trek.

The morning of
Both trekking options start at the park headquarters at 7AM. You will need to register yourself (or your driver and guide may complete this on your behalf). There is tea and coffee served in the main shelter and some days there is a dance presentation given by the local cultural center (this typically starts around 6:45AM). The park guides will place individuals into trekking groups based on ability and your preference for which group to visit. This process takes 30-40 minutes during which you can walk around the grounds or relax in the main shelter. After the assignments are made your driver and guide will direct you to a location on the lawn where your trekking group will assemble. Once all members are assembled the park guide will go over some basic information and have you fill out a form with your name, nationality, etc. The form has a location for passport number and permit number but these are not required (the form is for information gathering only). The park guide will give you an introduction to the group you will be visiting along with showing you a diagram of the gorilla group's family tree. Once this initial introduction is complete (10-15 minutes) you will find your driver and proceed to the starting point for your trek.

The trek
Your driver will take you to the starting point of the trek (there are multiple entry points into the park) which can be a trip of 20-45 minutes sometimes on very poor roads. Once you have reached the entry point parking lot your trekking group will reassemble with your park guide and secondary guide. Additional instructions will be given and you will be offered a walking stick for the trek. In addition, this is when you can hire a porter. The porters are all wearing the same blue coveralls and there is a defined order in which porters are selected. Ask your driver or the park guide if you want to hire a porter and they will signal to a porter to give you a hand. It is recommended you use a porter if you have any bags or other equipment as the hike can be long, steep or through difficult terrain. Also, it is an important way to support the local economy and help incentivise anti-poaching efforts. You will pay/tip the porter at the end of the trek.

Your starting position will be outside the park and depending on the starting position you may have to hike up to an hour to actually get to the park boundary which is marked with a stone wall. The area before the park is typically made up of farming fields.

Once you reach the park boundary additional instructions will be given about how to behave around the primates such as restrictions on eating, drinking, smoking and bathroom breaks.

The trek inside the park boundary varies depending on the location of your group and may include steep climbs, movement through a bamboo forest or hacking through thick brush.

Viewing the primates
You will know you have reached the staging area when additional park trackers join your group. At this point you will need to leave all bags and walking sticks with the porters but will be allowed to take cameras with you. A final hike (around 200 m) and you should be in the presence of the primates. After the one hour visit you return to the staging area where you left your belongings and prepare to hike out to the starting point.

Return
Upon your return to the starting point you will pay your porters (consider giving tip) and can also tip the guides.

Finally, you can return to the park headquarters where you will be given a certificate indicating that you have completed a visit with your specific gorilla group.

Equipment
Trekking through the Virunga forests of Rwanda requires some basic equipment to ensure you can transport sufficient liquids, protect yourself from the flora and fauna and can safely navigate the terrain.

Required or highly recommended
 * Day pack or other wearable bag to carry water, snacks and camera
 * Long sleeve shirt
 * Long pants
 * Sturdy hiking shoes or boots (preferably waterproof)
 * Bug repellent with DEET
 * Socks that can allow you to tuck your pants into them or hiking gaters (to protect from red ants)
 * At least 1 - 2 liters of water

Optional
 * Utility gloves
 * Walking stick (one will be provided to you by the park guide)
 * Wide brimmed hat
 * Sunglasses (with optional neck strap)

See
The park headquarters exists mainly to facilitate the logistics of checking in for your trek. There is coffee available, along with clean bathrooms, but not much else in terms of facilities or attractions.

The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, while not officially part of the National Park, is a very good museum located a few minutes from the park headquarters. It presents information about the gorillas, the national park and the life of famous primatologist Dian Fossey, who extensively studied the gorillas prior to being murdered in the National Park. There are indoor and outdoor exhibits, gift shop, along with a very good cafe and an excellent view of the surrounding mountains. Recommended $20 USD donation.
 * Kinigi Cultural Center

Do

 * Gorilla trekking
 * Golden Monkey trekking
 * Hike to Dian Fossey grave
 * Hike to Volcano Creator Lake

Eat
No food is available for purchase within the park boundaries. For longer treks, you may wish to bring your own food. Your guides will direct you to leave backpacks containing food in a safe area prior to approaching the wildlife.

Drink
Bring plenty of water. In the morning before your gorilla tour or trek at the park HQ there is free tea and coffee provided.

Lodging

 * Kinigi Guest House, 300 m from the park HQ have a dorm for US$10 p/p as well as some private rooms. On-site restaurant.
 * A variety of higher-end accommodation, often offered as part of all-inclusive tour packages, are scattered around the outskirts of the national park. Many will take care of all of your transportation and meals, and may also offer excursions to some of the other museums and attractions in the area.
 * You can also choose to stay in Musanze where there are more accommodation options available, ranging from small guest houses to larger hotels, and take a taxi or moto taxi to the park HQ. Your accommodation may also be able to arrange transportation for you.

Camping
If doing an overnight hike you will need to bring your own tent.

Stay safe
Park guides (some of whom are armed) will accompany you on all treks into the park. As a result, there are effectively no safety concerns, provided you follow the instructions of the park guides, and come prepared with appropriate clothing and adequate drinking water.

The park is immediately adjacent to the border with the DR Congo and Uganda. Provided you follow the directions of the guides, you will not accidentally cross the international border!

title: Volcanoes National Park


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Volcano Village

Volcano Village is a city in Puna at the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Get in
Volcano Village is on Hwy 11 on the Big Island of Hawaii, between Hilo (26 miles) and Kona (97 miles).

See
The nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Sleep
There are several options for lodging while visiting Volcano Village and the National Park.

Go next
You might prefer to stay in Hilo or the Hamakua Coast after a day/early night trip in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Volcano Village.

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

title: Volcano Village


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Volendam

Volendam is a fishing village in North Holland, 20 km north of Amsterdam. Sometimes called "the pearl of the Zuiderzee", this place is a highly popular tourist destination. Here, you'll find many Dutch clichés, including the traditional costumes and wooden shoes. Most of them, however, have a lot of historic truth to them.

Understand
Its rather isolated location and the character of its inhabitants, have given Volendam a very specific atmosphere. It's a fishermen's village, and the bustling harbour area with the many boats are still a major attraction today. From the 1880s it was a popular dwelling place for artists, who found that the town seemed hardly touched by time and captured its characteristics in lots of different paintings and other works of art. Volendam's traditional costume is one of the best known examples of ancient clothing in the country. Only a handful of people wear it in their daily lives today, but as the locals have recognized its value for tourism you will probably still run into it here or there.

In the Netherlands, Volendam is famous for its singers. There's an extensive Dutch music scene here and several of the most popular Dutch singers originate from this village. This music is known as the palingsound, literally "eel sound", a reference to the village's heritage as a fishing village. In the 1960s, the Cats was a popular group and in the 1970s BZN took over as the new flagship group. In 1995, BZN performed a duet with the ten year old Jan Smit, who quickly became a celebrity in his own right and is now the leading singer of the village. You can find posters and merchandise of him across town.

Get in
By road, the N247 will take you to the municipality of Edam-Volendam from Amsterdam or Monnickendam. To get to Volendam centre, exit the N247 where it connects to the N517, which will lead you there. The N247 connects to the A7 just before Hoorn. Alternatively, the N244 connects Volendam to Purmerend and connects to the A7 there.

Bus lines 110, 112, 118 and 373 connect Volendam to Amsterdam. Lines 113 and 213 run to and from Purmerend.

In summer, a ferry connection between Volendam and the peninsula of Marken every 30 to 45 minutes.

A great way to get to Volendam is by bike. There are many cycle routes that will take you there:
 * From Purmerend train station - Volendam Cycle Route (45 or 37 km).

Get around
The village is best explored on foot or by bike. If you're travelling with two or more people, renting a "freemover", a Segway, is a good alternative. Short boat rides are another excellent way to see region around Volendam. There are different types of boats for rent or you can get on an organized trip.

See
What draws most travellers to Volendam is the typical village centre with its old houses, the bustling harbour area and fishermen's town atmosphere. Just walking around the old centre will quickly make you get the vibe. The oldest part of the centre is sometimes called "the labyrinth", for its narrow streets and seemingly random plan. There are a few specific sights of interest:

Do
Have your picture taken, dressed in an original Volendam costume. It's a popular thing to do and, although not very authentic, it does provide a fun souvenir. There are a few places that offer this service, all in the harbour:

Buy
The dike is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. You'll find an ample collection of typical souvenirs, including clogs and local costumes.

Eat
There are many restaurants in this town, most of them close to the waterfront. Unfortunately, the tourist crowds, who will usually not eat more than once at the same place, seem to have had a bad influence on the quality of food and service. Some of the better restaurants are connected to the larger hotels and bed&breakfasts, so check the Sleep section too.

Drink
In the evenings, the lively dike and seaside area is the place to be. In summer, the bars and restaurants there all have outdoor terraces and make a great place to have a beer.

Go next
Hop on a boat to visit the nearby village of Marken. The ferry leaves every 30 to 45 minutes from the harbour. Or take a cycling tour across the region taking in Monnickendam, Broek in Waterland and the windmills of the Zaanse Schans. The adjoining village of Edam is so close that it can be reached on foot.

title: Volendam


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Volga Region

The Volga Region, (Russian: Поволжье pah-VOHL'-zh'yeh) is the large region of Russia in the Volga Basin, centered along the Volga River.

Cities

 * - the administrative centre of the region
 * - the capital of Udmurtia
 * - the capital of Tatarstan and the largest city in the region with rich history.
 * - the fur capital in Kirov Oblast
 * - the centre of Penza Oblast
 * - the auto-producing capital
 * - the capital of Saratov Oblast
 * — a large city more famously known as Stalingrad, which houses a gargantuan monument/museum on the site of the battle
 * - the birthplace of Lenin, pseudonym of Ulyanov.
 * - a southern city located on the shore of the Caspian sea at the Volga estuary.

Get in
River cruises down the Volga operate during the summer months (early May to end of September). Dozens of boats operated by different companies run from Moscow to Astrakhan. One way or return cruises may be reserved to/from practically any city along the Volga. Turflot.ru and infoflot.ru are several sites that offer tours.

Sample price for cruise: Moscow to Astrakhan (one-way) with three daily meals is RUR 15,000 (approximately 500USD). Without meals, approximately RUR 8-9,000.

See

 * Mamaev Kurgan — just above Volgograd, the site of the Battle of Stalingrad now is a massive complex of monuments to the 20th century's most important battle

title: Volga Region


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Volgograd

Volgograd (Russian: Волгогра́д vuhl-gah-GRAHD) is a large city along the west bank of the Volga River in Southern Russia. It used to be known as Stalingrad, a name which the city is still known as on several war-related dates each year (according to local legislation). It was the scene of one of the most important and bloodiest battles of the Second World War.

Understand
Volgograd is near the Volga's estuary into the Caspian sea. The city is more than 60 km long, on the right bank. It used to be divided by gullies heading to the Volga. The majority of these have been filled, but some paths have substantial drops.

The southern part of the city includes the start of the Caspian Depression, and so is a large plain, broken only by the Ergeni mountain range. The construction of railways between the Ergeni and the Volga led to the creation of swampland in the area. Consequently, chunks of southern regions are full of reeds.

History
The changing names of Volgograd reflect the changing historical eras. The fort Tsaritsyn was founded on site in 1589 Volga crossing on many trade routes. Between 1925 and 1961, the city was called Stalingrad. After the siege, it become a Hero City.

The ground of Volgograd is full of the remains of fallen soldiers, while its air is full of factory smoke and exhaust.

People
There is an absence of citywide traditions in Volgograd, because much of its population left the city during the war, and were replaced by citizens from various regions. This does mean, however, that the Russian spoken in Volgograd is very close to the Moscow standard dialect.

The proximity of Tsaritsyn to Cossack lands has, however, resulted in some cultural influence. A memorial to the Cossacks was installed some time ago to a mixed reception; the Cossack influence isn't as pronounced as in other places, such as Krasnodar Krai.

Finally, one more cultural peculiarity of the city is the number of migrants from the Caucasus.

Many youths are considering moving to Moscow, due to a perceived lack of economic prospects in the region.

Climate
Many travelers to Volgograd note the unsuitability of the city's housing to its climate. Summer in the city is hot, and in times of rain the streets run with dirt from parked cars. After it dries, it becomes a dust that can turn into a dust storm given enough wind.

During the Soviet era and its period of associated development, these concerns were raised, and officials planned a systematic "airing out" of the streets by Volga breezes, as well as massive environmental development to halt the spread of dust. Gradually, this system is falling into decline, the "green ring" around Volgograd is being ruined, and forests are being cut down for housing.

Therefore, between the snowfall and appearance of leaves (in the first half of April), the city is very dusty. From the end of May, it can also be hot. Comfortable weather ceases around the end of August, but extreme temperatures are less assured starting mid-October. From sometime around November to March, pleasant weather for a stroll becomes altogether rare in Volgograd.

By train
Volgograd is a major railway junction with good connections from Moscow (20 hr), Saint Petersburg (34 hr) and most other large cities in western Russia, tickets cost between ₽3000-5000 for a second class sleeper. In the other direction, trains come all the way from Irkutsk (92 hr) in Siberia. International connections are limited but several central Asian cities such as Bishkek (77 hr), Baku (30 hr) Dushanbe (72 hr), Tashkent (60 hr) as well as the two major cities in Kazakhstan, Almaty (68 hr) and Astana (52 hr) have departures at least once a week. Directs routes from European countries is scarce, the usual route involves a change of trains in Moscow however there is a few trains from Brest (45 hr) via Minsk (40 hr), Kyiv (29 hr) and from Sofia (61 hr) via Bucharest (49 hr) and Chișinău (36 hr) that does not require a change. These trains usually departs 3-4 times a week.

By car
European route, the longest European route connecting Calais, France with Ridder, Kazakhstan, passes through Volgograd.

A trip from Moscow by car is a bit under 1,000 km and takes around 13 hours with short stops. The roads are generally in good condition, although roadworks are plenty.

By boat
The city stands at the east end of the Volga-Don Canal, opened in 1952 to link the two great rivers of Southern Russia. River cruises down the Volga operate during the summer months (early May to late September). Dozens of boats operated by different companies run from Moscow to Astrakhan passing by Volgograd. One way or return cruises may be reserved to/from practically any city along the Volga. Turflot and Infoflot offer tours.

Get around
Volgograd's public transport system includes a light rail service known as the Volgograd Metrotram.

Volgograd is divided into 8 regions. From north to south:
 * Traktorozavodsky and Krasnooktyabrsky Regions – The furthest north and most industrial regions of the city. There, you can find factories, notably: the Volgograd Tractor Factory (which kept working during the Siege of Stalingrad, despite the vast number of nearby Germans), "Red October," and "Barricades."
 * Dzerzhinskiy District – The airport is here.
 * Central District — A historic center of the city.
 * Voroshilovskiy District — Another historic center of the city. There is a children's railway here.
 * Sovetsky, Kirovsky, and Krasnoarmeysky Districts — The Volga-Don canal begins and has its first locks in the Krasnoarmeysky District.

The city received its contemporary urban planning after the war, and so lacks the alleys of the old city. If you wish, you can find hidden corners of the past. However, when navigating the city, it is best to keep in mind the four parallels:
 * Nulevaya (Zeroth) - Goes almost completely through the Volga, a little past the new stadium.
 * Pervaya (First) - Goes from the hydroelectric plant in the very north, through the center of the city, where it is called Lenin Avenue and acts as the central street of the city; through the infamous tunnel to Tulak, which was under construction for 20 years; to a junction with the Vtoraya parallel, near the state university.
 * Vtoraya (Second) - From a junction with the Pervaya parallel near the tractor factory, to the south. This parallel goes through every region of the city.
 * Tret'aya (Third) - In the north, becomes the route to Saratov, goes around the city to the west, and connects with the route to Rostov-on-Don. It is planned to expand this to the southern areas of the city.

Google Map Public Transportation directions cannot be trusted for Volgograd. It will often reference obscure, or non-existent, Marshrutka schedules. To travel between the city center and Mamayev Kurgan, you can take buses 12, 35, or 95. All of them run frequently throughout the day. During peak hours (08:00-20:00) you will not wait more than 10 minutes for one of those buses (October 2018).

If you wish to reach the airport by public transportation, catch bus 6 in the city center at the Komsomolskaya stop (in front of Central Market). Bus ride to airport from the city center takes approximately one hour.

See

Do

 * Watch football at Volgograd Arena, opened in 2018 to host matches of the FIFA World Cup. The home team are FC Rotor, who play in the Russian National League, the second tier of Russian football. The Arena replaces the Central Stadium on this site; its capacity will be 35,000. It's on the west bank of the Volga, 3 km north of Volgograd-1 main railway station, take metro to Tspkio.

title: Volgograd


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Volgograd Oblast

Volgograd Oblast (Russian: Волгогра́дская о́бласть vuhl-guh-GRAHT-skee OH-bluhst') is a region in the Lower Volga, bordering Rostov Oblast to the southwest, Voronezh Oblast to the northwest, Saratov Oblast to the north, Kazakhstan to the east, Astrakhan Oblast to the southeast, and Kalmykia to the south.

Cities

 * — the Hero City of Stalingrad
 * — a nation-wide joke as the quintessential inconspicuous backwater town following its use as the location for Mikhail Sholokhov's The Fate of a Man, which was later made into a popular Soviet movie
 * — a big heavy industry city built in the 1950s for the construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Station (the largest in Europe and responsible for an ecological disaster that threatened the Caspian Beluga sturgeon, the source of the world's finest caviar)
 * — a big heavy industry city built in the 1950s for the construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Station (the largest in Europe and responsible for an ecological disaster that threatened the Caspian Beluga sturgeon, the source of the world's finest caviar)

Other destinations

 * — just above Volgograd, the site of the Battle of Stalingrad now is a massive complex of monuments to the 20th century's most important battle

Understand
The one big tourist attraction in Volgograd Oblast is without a doubt Volgograd and Mamaev Kurgan; the rest of the region has little in the way of a developed tourist industry and is well off the beaten path.

Volgograd Oblast is largely agricultural and steppe, save the major industrial areas along the Volga and the Don Rivers.

Talk
Expect to only hear Russian

Get in
Flights come to Volgograd airport from all over Russia — the flight from Moscow takes about an hour and a half. Volgograd is also a major rail hub, serving as one of the two principal rail gateways to Southern Russia.

Go next
Volgograd is the primary rail junction for travelers heading south to historic Astrakhan Oblast and strange Kalmykia.

title: Volgograd Oblast


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Vologda

Vologda (Во́логда, VOH-log-dah) is a city in Northwestern Russia. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.

Understand
While Vologda is becoming increasingly popular among Russian local tourists, it is still remaining undeservedly undiscovered by international visitors.

During the Orthodox Christmas and the New Year holidays Vologda acts as the major transit point for crowds going to Veliky Ustyug, Russian Ded Moroz (Farther Frost) residence.

History
Vologda was firstmentioned under year 1147. It was major transit city before St.Petersburg was founded (1703). 1565-1571 Ivan the Terrible proposed Vologda as the new capital of his domain (instead of Moscow).

By plane
is not busy at all. There are only three flights a week from Vnukovo (Moscow) and two flights a week from St. Petersburg. Flight time is about 90 minutes from both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Airport is situated 8 km north from city centre, easily reachable by bus or taxi.

By train
With more than 120 pairs of train passing through each day, Vologda gets more rail service than most other cities of this size. It is the largest sorting and transiting for the Northern Railway because it is the only railway that heads north towards the Arctic Ocean to Arkhangelsk. Multiple daily overnight trains to/from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk are available.

By car
Vologda is 470 km to the north by the road from Moscow. It takes 5-7 hours drive to reach the city depending on traffic. Road conditions are generally good for Russia, excluding the total mess with street navigation when passing Yaroslavl. So, using GPS navigator is recommended.

Budget
There's a nice coffee shop near the Tourist Information centre.

On Mira street (улица Мира), fast food and restaurants are not hard to find.

title: Vologda


text:
Vologda Oblast

Vologda Oblast is a region in Northwestern Russia, which borders Tver Oblast and Novgorod Oblast to the southwest, Leningrad Oblast to the west, Karelia to the northwest, Arkhangelsk Oblast to the north, Kirov Oblast to the east, Kostroma Oblast to the southeast, and Yaroslavl Oblast to the south.

Cities

 * — the capital has its own kremlin, an important monastery, and lots of other sights to see
 * — a small, pretty, medieval town near both the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and the Ferapontov Convent
 * — the largest city in the region has a long history, several important architectural monuments, and is a major center of the Russian steel industry
 * — a village between Vologda and Kirillov, home to a monastery with XV century wall paintings included into UNESCO World Heritage list.
 * — a small town around the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
 * — a large medieval town with stunning cathedrals
 * — a small town in the west of the region with a real diesel submarine fully converted into museum.
 * — a small town on Suhona river with many museums in a picturesque place

Other destinations

 * (Russky Sever)
 * (Russky Sever)

Understand
Vologda Oblast is spread out, but offers some pretty magnificent sights for the visitor. Sights you won't want to miss include the capital city of Vologda, the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Russian North National Park, and of course, the Ferapontov Convent.

Get in
The daily overnight train from Moscow takes 8 hours to get to Vologda and an additional 3 hours to get to Cherepovets. The overnight train from Saint Petersburg to Vologda leaves Ladozhsky Train Station at around 20:00 and arrives 12.5 hours later, around 08:30.

Eat
Vologda's butter is reportedly Russia's best.

Go next
Trains head north from Vologda to Arkhangelsk and southeast to Kostroma.

title: Vologda Oblast


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Volokolamsk

Volokolamsk is a small town in the west part of Moscow Oblast.

Understand

Volokolamsk is considered the oldest town in the Moscow Region. First mentions of Volokolamsk date back to 1135 making it 12 years older than Moscow. The town emerged near important portage (volok) from Lama River to Voloshnya River and further to Oka on one of the north-south trade routes. During the 12th-17th centuries, Volokolamsk came under different Russian and Lithunian knyazes, Tatars and Polyaks, and was destroyed several times. With the rise of Moscow after the Mongol invasion, Volokolamsk was absorbed by the Moscow Principality and lost its own significance becoming a small manufacturing town.

It is famous for its several centuries-old landmarks in the center of the town, and a couple of glorious sights in its vicinity.

By train

Suburban trains reach Volokolamsk from Rizhskiy train station (trains at 09:31 and 18:24 start from Rzhevskaya station and pass Rishskiy train station, Dmitrovskaya and Tushino stations can be more convenient to change from metro).

Trains to Velikie Luki and Riga also stop in Volokolamsk (both daily in the evening). There is also a weekend express train in the morning and daily in the evening. Tickets are 200 rubles from Tushino, and 240 rubles from Rizhskiy train station.

Volokolamsk train station is in the south part of the city, 7 km south from historical centre. You must change to buses 5,28,31 or 50 to the stop "Gorod" (or look for the Volokolamsk Kremlin, which is easily spotted as it is high on the hill to the right of bus route).

By bus
Direct bus from Moscow to Volokolamsk center is 963 from Tushino to Starica (4 buses a day), the two others - to Volokolamsk and to Rzhev - reach only Volokolamsk bus station, which is still 2 km to the south from the Kremlin. You can use local buses (above and 48 and 71) or walk from there.

By car
The car route from Moscow is along the New Riga highway (M9). It was the first in the Moscow region built to satisfy contemporary standards all the way to Volokolamsk (2 lines on each side, wide divider and multilevel crossings). As of March 2012, renovation of highway was planned and jams in the first part of it are possible. The highway passes away from all the towns in the Moscow Region and crosses Volokolamsk at the bus station place. The other route, the old Volokolamsk highway, passes through towns in the Moscow region (including highly jam-prone Krasnogorsk) and more packed with cars and turns.

Volokolamsk can be reached by M9 from the west. Mind the extremely poor state of the road between Shahovskaya and Velikie Luki though. An alternate route through M1 and then R90 might be better.

Go next

 * Yaropolets, dubbed "Russian Versailles", is a home to estates of two Russian noble families, Goncharovs (who gave birth to Pushkin's wife) and Chernyshovs (who were generals of Russian army in 18th century, and later, dekabrists). Both estates suffered greatly in 1941 under the fascists, but while the Goncharovs' estate was restored and is now a resort house for Moscow Aviation Institute (access to territory is free), the Chernyshovs' estate still mostly remains in state of disrepair, which only deepens impression it gives, because the sight is still great even in spite. Buses 28 and 963 from Volokolamsk to "Yaropolets-1" stop, by car use R108 (north exit from town), then to the left on R107.
 * Teryaevo is a site of a glorious Joseph-Volotsky Orthodox Monastery. Founded in 1479, it has several churches and monastery walls preserved from 16-17th centuries, surviving both church demolitions of the Soviet period and fascist occupation. The site is worth visiting if you have time. From Volokolamsk go by buses 23 or 31; both take almost an hour. By car use R108, then to the right on R107.
 * Rzhev is about 100 km further west by M9; there are two Moscow trains in the evening and one suburb train in the morning in that direction. Mind the poor state of highway in the Tver Oblast.

title: Volokolamsk


text:
Volos

Volos (Greek: Βόλος) is a city of 86,000 people (2021) in Thessaly, almost midway between Athens (326 km) and Thessaloniki (219 km). Volos is an industrial city with a large port, but there are a few hidden gems here that you might find as you pass through to islands or Pelion.

History
Modern Volos is built on the area of the ancient cities of Demetrias, Pagasae and Iolkos. Iolkos was the homeland of ancient Greek hero Jason who boarded the ship Argo accompanied by the Argonauts and sailed in the quest for the Golden Fleece to Colchis. Demetrias was established by Demetrius Poliorcetes, King of Macedonia, in 293/92 BC. In 197 BC Romans annexed Demetrias.

To the west of Volos there are the Neolithic settlements of Dimini with a ruined acropolis, walls and two beehive tombs dated between 4000-1200 BC and Sesklo with the remains of the oldest acropolis in Greece (6000 BC), as well as the foundations of a palace and mansions, among the most typical examples of Neolithic civilisation.

During the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Justinian I in 551 fortified Palea hill. In 1423 Ottomans annexed Volos. Volos during the Ottoman Empire was a hamlet, build on the hill in Palea district. The hill was fortified with walls. Today just a few parts of the walls can be seen near the Tsalapata building.

After its annexation to Greece from the Ottoman Empire in 1881, it had a population of only 4,900 but rapidly grew within the next 4 decades. Houses were built outside the walls and the main area of Volos by the sea was built up. Merchants, businessmen, craftsmen and sailors moved to Volos from the surrounding area. In the 1920s there was a large influx of refugees in Volos, especially from Ionia, but also from Pontus, Cappadocia and Eastern Thrace. In the 1920 census, Volos had 30,046 inhabitants but according to the 1928 census, its population had grown to 47,892.

Climate
Volos, unlike other towns of the Thessalian plain, enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate with can-be-hot-but-bearable summers (though a little bit humid) and mild winters. Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit the city itself, Winter is the time to be on the Pelion mountain villages, and Summer should definitely be dedicated to the numerous beaches of the region on the Pagasetic gulf and the Aegean Sea.

Being privileged to be situated on the foothills of Mount Pelion, the mythical mountain of the centaurs, and bounded by Goritsa Hill to the Southeast, Volos sports nice weather all year long, with the sea and mountain breezes dominant in all city areas.

Tourist information
Volos tourist office has plenty of useful information about Volos, including a free town map and a free Volos travel guide. Volos tourist office is located opposite the bus station in Palea district.

By plane
Volos Airport is in Nea Anchialos, about 30 km SW from the city.

The Volos Airport Official Page has a full updated timeline.

It also operates weekly charter flights during the summer, directly from Amsterdam, the UK and Germany.

There is a bus connecting airport and Volos Bus Station. Buses are waiting to pick up travelers after a plane lands. The cost from the airport to Volos Bus Station is €5. Travellers of charter flights are transferred to their accommodation by their tour agency.

If you have a car, the airport parking area charge is free.

By international bus
There are buses that originate in Serbia or Hungary and go to Volos, and also buses that start from Athens and stop on the highway close to Volos (at Velestino exit). This exit is far away from both the airport and Volos, so it is not recommended.

By regional bus
Generally, intercity coaches ("KTEL" buses) (KTEL Volou) are by far the most convenient way to travel around Greece, as well as for intra-regional travelling. This is doubly true for travelling to Volos from Athens, where the train takes four to five and you have to change in Larissa, as opposed to the bus that needs 4 hours to connect directly from Athens. However, the train station in Athens is better accessible by the metro than Liosion Bus Terminal.

There is frequent bus service from Athens Liossion Station to Volos about 15 times a day (cost is about €20), as well as from Thessaloniki bus terminal "Macedonia" to Volos about 10 times a day (about €12). Volos is also connected with daily direct routes frm Patras, Ioannina, Larissa, Trikala, Karditsa and from many more places in continental Greece via Larissa. Interurban Bus Terminal is opposite the Volos Info Center near the City Hall, the Railway Station and the Port, on a major hub. If you buy the return ticket, it is cheaper than buying two separate tickets, though the return leg must be completed within one month.

By train

Trains (OSE) connect Volos from other cities in Greece via Larisa. Travelling with ordinary trains can be cheaper, although a little bit slower, whereas choosing a faster Intercity train will cost the same amount of money, or even more than a KTEL bus. The train from Athens, takes approximately four hours and involves a change at Larissa. Most locals travel from Athens by intercity coaches. If you are travelling from Thessaloniki or elsewhere in the northern parts of Greece then trains are often quicker then a bus. The historic, built in the 1880s, is located just west of the city centre.

By ferry
There are ferry services to Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos.

By bus
There are twelve bus lines going around the city (tickets cost €1.10 for inner city routes, whilst using inner city buses for close destinations outside Volos costs €1.20 Zone A, €1.50 Zone B), detailed info in the regional bus terminal (called "Astiko KTEL"), next to the Interurban Bus Terminal ("Yperastiko KTEL"). Details on buses, can be found online here

For going further away around Volos, you can use the Interurban Bus Terminal ("Yperastiko KTEL"). Details on buses, can be found online here

By taxi
Taxis in Volos, as everywhere in Greece are comparably cheap. You should not pay more than €7 if you hail a cab (silver colour) on the road to take you anywhere in the city. Note that taxi meters have two rates - rate 1 applies from 05:00 till 00:00, and rate 2, the double rate, from 00:00 to 05:00. Taxi fare fraud is rather rare but it could still happen, so make sure the rate is correct. If you feel you have been overcharged, ask for a receipt (they are obliged to give one) and take the plate number, then phone the tourist police to report the driver on 171. Expect to pay €1 or €2 extra if you take a taxi from the bus station, the train station or the port, and a surcharge if you call for a taxi service on demand. Note, also that the minimum charge is €3.39. Groups of three or four could consider using a taxi to go sightseeing around Volos, Pelion [for example. It's more expensive but more comfortable, and in some cases quite cost-effective.

By bicycle
Most of Volos is quite flat, that makes it very easy for cycling, and a lot of locals do cycle. Especially the waterfront is the best area for cycling. Generally, cycling is a recommended way to move around. Volos has a network of bicycle lanes, however the lines are often blocked with parked cars and hardly anybody use them.

On foot
Several streets at the center of the town have been pedestrianized, mainly around Ermou Street and St. Nicolas church. Along the pedestrianized streets there are a lot of cafe places. The waterfront is also an excellent area for walking. When the weather is good it's packed with people walking around and enjoying the sun.

See

 * At first glance, Volos City Center doesn't seem particularly interesting for the traveller, but a walk in the town streets might change your first idea. Ermou street is a long paved road parallel to the promenade, Argonafton str, offering a wide variety of shops for any taste, plus a selection of "hidden" bars and cafes, especially around St.Nikolaos Square, the city cathedral, dedicated to patron saint of the sailors, St. Nicholas. There is a seaside park between the university "Papastratos building" and "Agios Konstantinos" church on the promenade. Anavros Park starts directly behind Agios Konstantinos and extends to the east all the way till Anavros beach, an open municipal strand, offering clearwater to the swimmer during the summer (and winter for the brave).
 * At first glance, Volos City Center doesn't seem particularly interesting for the traveller, but a walk in the town streets might change your first idea. Ermou street is a long paved road parallel to the promenade, Argonafton str, offering a wide variety of shops for any taste, plus a selection of "hidden" bars and cafes, especially around St.Nikolaos Square, the city cathedral, dedicated to patron saint of the sailors, St. Nicholas. There is a seaside park between the university "Papastratos building" and "Agios Konstantinos" church on the promenade. Anavros Park starts directly behind Agios Konstantinos and extends to the east all the way till Anavros beach, an open municipal strand, offering clearwater to the swimmer during the summer (and winter for the brave).
 * At first glance, Volos City Center doesn't seem particularly interesting for the traveller, but a walk in the town streets might change your first idea. Ermou street is a long paved road parallel to the promenade, Argonafton str, offering a wide variety of shops for any taste, plus a selection of "hidden" bars and cafes, especially around St.Nikolaos Square, the city cathedral, dedicated to patron saint of the sailors, St. Nicholas. There is a seaside park between the university "Papastratos building" and "Agios Konstantinos" church on the promenade. Anavros Park starts directly behind Agios Konstantinos and extends to the east all the way till Anavros beach, an open municipal strand, offering clearwater to the swimmer during the summer (and winter for the brave).

Swim
There are acceptable beaches towards the southern end of the city at Anavros. To get there, follow the coastal promenade south from Argonafton St or park in the roads behind the city hospital.

There is also Alykes municipal beach, a 5-minute-drive from the center to the southwest, in the more easygoing Alykes district of Volos, having cafes and bars offering sunbeds on the sand during late at night, where you can enjoy your cocktail and take a swim as well. The municipal beach in Alykes has an entrance fee of €1 during the day, offering a lifeguard, showering facilities, clothes-changing chambers and a beach bar. You can easily go to Alykes with city bus (blue bus) number 6 from the city hall.

Most locals, however, head to beaches outside of the city on the other side of the giant cement works, to beaches at Agria (20 min by bus), or Platanidia. You can easily go to Agria and Platanidia with city bus (blue bus) number 5 which starts from the Bus Station and passes through Iasonos and Polymeri str. Generally, the water is clearer and cleaner the further away from Volos' port.

If you do have a car and you want to go to a beach, it is well worth getting out of the city limits and beyond; some of the best beaches on the Greek mainland can be found on Pelion.

Cinema
There are several cinemas in Volos. Films are shown in original language with Greek subtitles, whereas cartoons are dubbed. In the summer make sure you get to one of the open air cinemas (Θερινό σινεμά).

Other

 * Football: Volos FC play soccer in Superleague, the Greek top tier. Their home ground is Panthessaliko Stadium (capacity 22,700) by the ring road 3 km north of town centre.

Buy
The main shopping district is along and around Ermou St.

English books can be bought at main bookstores:

Foreign papers and magazines:

There is a good food market every Friday.

For washing your clothes:

Other interesting local shops:

Eat
As with the rest of Greece, the restaurants in Volos are far more varied than appears at first glance. In Greece, the so-called restaurants (eστιατόριο) usually serve hot food that has been prepared earlier in the day and kept warm in large dishes (better than it sounds!) Beyond that there's the local specialities, the tsipouradika restaurants (Τσιπουράδικα or Ουζερί) where seafood is served, and the tavernas (Ταβέρνα) where mostly meat dishes are served.

There are also psistaries (Ψησταριά) (Grill houses) where the main dish is grilled meat, and also souvlatzidika (Οβελιστήριο or Σουβλατζίδικο) where souvlaki are served. Psistaries serve mostly meat, salads and french fries. The meat usually is ordered by weight, and the price is per kilo also. One portion is 330gr of grilled meat. You'll be able to pick up a pitta gyros (Greek kebab) from any souvlatzidika, which are by far the cheapest option if you are on a budget, and don't mind gaining a few extra pounds (starts from €1.50).

People in Greece usually eats late in the evening (21:00 - 00:00), and so, during the day, most taverns, psistaries and restaurants are closed. However, tsipouradika and the ubiquitous Greek fast food restaurants are open all day long.

Drink
Winter bars, pubs and clubs, usually close down during summer. Most of them have a different facility for the summer, usually by the sea. The most popular Coffee places are in Koumoundourou (Κουμουνδούρου) Str. and at the seafront. Another place which gathers a lot of people in the evening, mostly during the summer, is Palaia, near Krokiou (Κροκιού) Str.

Sleep
There are many hotels in Volos. Most are in centre near the sea. Car parking could be hard to find in the centre of Volos.

Internet
There are many internet cafes, mostly used for playing online games. Most cafes have free WiFi access, as does Public (on Ogl).

Post

There are also courier services in Volos.

Consulates
Volos is home to a few consulates:
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands

Go next
Volos Suburbs are covered by Astiko (innercity) bus.
 * Agria, east of Volos centre, separated by Goritza hill, with a lot of fish taverns and summer cafe. Approximately 20 min bus journey from the centre (board a blue and white astiko bus on Iasonas street in the centre.) Approximately €1.50 for a single ticket.
 * Nees Pagases South of Volos centre. Has some cafes and a beach for swimming.
 * Ano Volos and Alli Meria, Anakasia, Agios Onoufrios North of Volos centre.

You'll most definitely want to take the opportunity to visit the close mountain villages of Portaria and Makrinitsa, offering you a splendid specimen of the renowned traditional architecture of the Pelion mansions. The city view from Makrinitsa is magnificent.

One of the greatest secrets that the Greeks have kept from the world, Mount Pelion, is close to Volos. It can easily be reached by bus or car. Pelion has wonderful beaches, fantastic hiking routes, and pretty villages. There are far fewer tourists than there should be, simply because it is a peninsula and not an island. Of particular interest in the region are skiing in nearby Chania or taking the steam train from nearby Ano Lechonia to Milies.

The nearby Sporades Islands are great during the summer. Ferries and hydrofoils connect Volos with the islands.

There are nice, close(ish) beaches at
 * Kala Nera, approximately 45 min bus journey from the centre (board a green Iperastiko coach on Iasonas street in the centre.) Approximately €1.70 for a single ticket.

title: Volos


text:
Volta Basin

The Volta Basin is a region of Ghana dominated by Lake Volta, the world's largest man-made lake.

Cities

 * — one of the ancient towns of the Dagbon kingdom
 * — home of Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, where you can feed monkeys bananas. The friendly staff can lead to into the forest any time of day to interact with some of the over 300 Mona Monkeys living nearby.
 * Wli Todzi — 400 years ago, Wli Todzi's founders climbed to the peak of Agumatsa Mountain to settle, attracted by the fertility of the land and its abundance of plentiful game, clean water, and natural beauty.
 * — the seat of the King of the Dagombas kingdom
 * Wli Todzi — 400 years ago, Wli Todzi's founders climbed to the peak of Agumatsa Mountain to settle, attracted by the fertility of the land and its abundance of plentiful game, clean water, and natural beauty.
 * — the seat of the King of the Dagombas kingdom
 * — the seat of the King of the Dagombas kingdom

Understand
Of Ghana's ten administrative regions, Volta has the most tourism potential but only an estimated 5% of visitors to Ghana go there. This combined with the lush vegetation, mountains, and coastal plain makes it a great spot for active independent travelers. The cities are cleaner and traffic is nonexistent compared to the streets of Accra and Kumasi. Volta's attractions revolve around community-based ecotourism such as waterfalls, monkey sanctuaries, nature reserves and kente villages (such as Kpetoe).

Talk
Most people of the Volta region speak Ewe.

Get in
There is a daily flight from Accra to Tamale (~US$90).

Organized tours from Accra or other major destinations can be a convenient and popular way to include some of the Volta Basin highlights in a trip. For independent travellers (and for locals) however, tro-tros (minibuses) cover all main destinations and chartered private cars are affordable and readily available. Although the road network still comes with challenges, roads connecting the towns and communities are being improved and expanded.

See

 * Cedi Bead Factory: Mr. Cedi will show you his secrets of handmade glass and stone beads. Beads are available for sale for very reasonable prices at the factory and in the annex along the main road to Akasombo.
 * Cedi Bead Factory: Mr. Cedi will show you his secrets of handmade glass and stone beads. Beads are available for sale for very reasonable prices at the factory and in the annex along the main road to Akasombo.
 * Cedi Bead Factory: Mr. Cedi will show you his secrets of handmade glass and stone beads. Beads are available for sale for very reasonable prices at the factory and in the annex along the main road to Akasombo.

Do
You can move about on the River Volta by sitting in a boat or canon with life jacket.

Eat
A sweet popsicle-like treat, bisap is made from the hissop flower and is a delicious cool-off.

Local foods are also around such as "Apkle with ademe" soup.

Drink
Mineral drinks are sold there such as malt, Coca Cola and Fanta. African drinks such as palm wine are also sold there.

Stay safe
There are houses and hotels around there where you can spend the night there with safe security who guide the hotels.

title: Volta Basin


text:
Volta Delta

The Volta Delta is the central region of Burkina Faso.

Cities

 * — the nation's cultural, political and economic centre has several museums, and a major annual film festival
 * — the region's second largest city is where you'll find the Royal Palace of Issouka, an example of earthen architecture
 * — a town of 52,000 people (2019) at the crossroads of national road 6, national road 13 and national road 20
 * — the gateway to access the Kaboré-Tambi national park, the Nazinga ranch and the Gourounsi country

Other destinations

 * — an important birding area in Burkina Faso which bird species like Senegal Parrot, Violet Turaco, yellow billed shrike, Blue Blair roller, yellow Penduline, pipes, bearded Barbet, Pied winged swallow, Senegal Eremonela, Blackcap Babbler, sun lark, Purple glossy starling, lavender Waxbill. Chestnut crowned sparrow weaver, Brown romped bunting and many other birds

Get in
Ouagadougou is the main transportation hub for the country, with an airport, a train from the Ivorian capital Abidjan via Bobo-Dioulasso, and many bus connections.

See
In Ouagadougou, the National Museum has exhibits about the many local cultures, and the Moro Naaba ceremony held every Friday morning commemorates an important historical event.

Do
The NAK: Nuits Attypique de Koudougou cultural week takes place every year in Koudougou.

The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) is a film festival in Burkina Faso to celebrate films by African filmmakers and chiefly produced in Africa. FESPACO is scheduled in March every second year (odd-numbered years).

title: Volta Delta


text:
Volterra

Volterra is a beautiful walled city in Tuscany, Italy built on the top of a hill. The town is built over one of the Twelve Cities of the ancient Etruscan civilisation and has some of the original gates from that era still standing along with a dedicated museum packed with Etruscan and Roman relics.

The town was used as a location in Twilight: New Moon, though these scenes were filmed in neighboring Montepulciano.

Get in
Buses leave San Gimignano for Volterra (4/day 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa). Buses arrive in Piazza Martiri della Libertà.

For drivers, the town is ringed with easy & free parking lots. The most central & only underground one is at Piazza Martiri della Libertà (€1.40/hour or €10/1 day)

Get around
The town is compact and great for walking.

See

 * Porta all'Arco The town's best site is this gate built of massive volcanic stones in the 4th century B.C. It's part of the town walls that were 4 miles around, twice as big as it is now.
 * Duomo Great pulpit & altar. Notice how the entrance is through the baptistry, you couldn't enter until you were baptized, as the layout is here & in Pisa. Free & open daily 8:00-12:30 & 3:00-5:00.
 * Sacred Art Museum A small 3-room museum of church art. €8 combo ticket includes Etruscan Museum & Pinacoteca, like it or not. Open daily 9:00-1:00 & 3:00-6:00, morning only in winter, well explained in English, next to Duomo.
 * Etruscan Museum (Museo Etrusco Guarnacci) One of the best places in Europe for Etruscan art, it is filled top to bottom with it, though there are few English explanations. €8 combo ticket with Sacred Art & Pinacoteca Museums, open daily 9:00-7:00, November to March it closes at 1:45. €3 Audioguides, on Via Minzoni. Telephone: +39 0588-86-347.
 * Pinacoteca This is a 14th century palace filled with great paintings, the highlights are the Annunciation & the Deposition of the Cross. €8 combo ticket includes Sacred Art & Etruscan Museums, open daily April to October 9:00-7:00, November to March closes at 1:45, on Via dei Sarti. Telephone: +39 0588-87580.
 * Roman Theater Built in 10 B.C. and has great acoustics, plus a great view, but a just as good view can be found at the city wall promenade for free. €2, but the theater can be viewed for free from Via Lungo de Mere, open April to October daily 10:30-5:30, November to March it closes at 4:00.
 * Palazzo dei Priori Volterra's city hall is probably the oldest in Tuscany, at nearly 800 years, and inspired the design for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The lavishly painted city council chambers are open to the public when not being used for official meetings. Open daily April to October 10:30-5:30, November to March on Saturday & Sunday only, 10:00-5:00.
 * Via Matteotti is the main street of the town, named for a socialist leader killed by the fascists. It's lined with wonderfully decorated palaces & houses.
 * Alabaster Workshop The Alab'Arte is a great place to see the beautiful stone displayed. A showroom is across the street from the Etruscan Museum at Via Don Minzoni, with the workshop at Via Orti Sant'Agostino. Both open Monday to Saturday 9:00-1:00 & 3:00-7:00, closed Sunday.
 * Wine Tasting La Vena di Vino is a great wine bar across the street from the Etruscan Museum, on Via Don Minzoni. They serve samples of a number of bottles a day, with food & music, and an unusual, bra-decorated interior. Open Wednesday to Monday 12:00-midnight, closed Tuesday. Telephone: +39 0588-81491
 * Medici Fortress This unusual fortress is actually a prison for mob figures from Sicily. The park nearby was the Acropolis of Volterra for 3000 years until Florence burned it down & turned it into a park.

Do

 * Market Day is Saturday
 * Market Day is Saturday

Eat

 * Ombra della Sera has the town's best pizza Open Tuesday to Sunday 12:00-3:00 & 7:00-10:00, closed Monday, on Via Guarnacci. Tele: +39 0588-85274
 * For sandwiches and wine, try Enoteca Scali, open daily 9AM-10PM, on Via Guarnacci. Tel: +39 0588-81170
 * For picnics, try Spar Market at Via Gramsci
 * For sandwiches and wine, try Enoteca Scali, open daily 9AM-10PM, on Via Guarnacci. Tel: +39 0588-81170
 * For picnics, try Spar Market at Via Gramsci
 * For sandwiches and wine, try Enoteca Scali, open daily 9AM-10PM, on Via Guarnacci. Tel: +39 0588-81170
 * For picnics, try Spar Market at Via Gramsci

Sleep

 * Albergo Villa Nencini just outside of town, is big & modern with 36 rooms, a large pool, & free parking. Single w/bathroom €62, Double w/bathroom €81, Triple w/bathroom €112, on Borgo San Stefano, a 10 minute walk to the main square. Tel: +39 0588-86386 Fax: +39 0588-80601
 * Seminario Vescovile San Andrea A priest's school that rents 30 rooms. Single €14, Single w/bathroom €18, Double €28, Double w/bathroom €36, Triple €42, Triple w/bathroom €54. Breakfast €3, closed at midnight, groups welcome, on Via Vittorio Veneto. Tel: +39 0588-86028
 * Seminario Vescovile San Andrea A priest's school that rents 30 rooms. Single €14, Single w/bathroom €18, Double €28, Double w/bathroom €36, Triple €42, Triple w/bathroom €54. Breakfast €3, closed at midnight, groups welcome, on Via Vittorio Veneto. Tel: +39 0588-86028
 * Seminario Vescovile San Andrea A priest's school that rents 30 rooms. Single €14, Single w/bathroom €18, Double €28, Double w/bathroom €36, Triple €42, Triple w/bathroom €54. Breakfast €3, closed at midnight, groups welcome, on Via Vittorio Veneto. Tel: +39 0588-86028

Go next
Bus connections go to Florence, Siena, & San Gimignano (4/day 2 hours, change in Colle Val d'Elsa, all same). There are also buses to Pisa (9/day 2 hours, change in Pontedera). Practically there are no buses in or out on Sundays and holidays. All buses leave and arrive at Piazza Martiri della Libertà, buy tickets at a Tabacchi shop. Tra-In bus tickets only get you to Colle di Val d'Elsa, you'll need to buy tickets for another bus company at the newsstand near the bus stop there.

title: Volterra


text:
Volunteer travel

Volunteer travel, also called voluntourism, mixes recreational travel with humanitarian work. In addition to connecting the traveller more closely with the culture they've chosen to visit, volunteer travel is also intended to provide a benefit to that culture that outlasts the trip.

Understand

Volunteering while travelling is a great way to make a difference, but it's not just about giving. Living and volunteering in a foreign country is a great way to get to know a different culture, meet new people, learn about yourself, get a sense of perspective, and gain new skills. It can also be a good way to stretch a budget to allow a longer stay somewhere, since many volunteer jobs provide room and board, and a few pay a small salary. Some employers offer "volunteer time" benefits, days that may be taken as paid vacation for the purpose of volunteering, and a volunteer trip may be a way to make more effective use of one's paid time off.

Many volunteer programs are oriented toward youth since good health, a desire to explore, enthusiasm, and flexibility are all assets in volunteer work. Some programs involve gap year travel for secondary school leavers, and others are mainly designed for recent university graduates or for young people in general.

However, those are by no means the only opportunities; there are also programs like CESO which mainly take retirees, and organisations like Doctors Without Borders or International Senior Lawyers Project who mainly recruit volunteers with specialized skills.

Volunteering is not the only way to travel conscientiously; see our articles on Ecotourism and Leave-no-trace camping for some of the others.

Be wary
While there are lots of entirely legitimate volunteer projects, there are also numerous scams specifically targeting volunteer travellers, and many volunteer placements come with a catch. Some people will make profits any way they can, including exploiting their country's poverty and your good intentions for their own gain.

Young naive Westerners who feel the need to give value to their life are the perfect target for such scams. Especially if they are uninformed and believe volunteering is the way to save the world, as they have learnt from celebrities and various media. Volunteering can make a difference, but many pitfalls exist.

There is a campaign to End Humanitarian Douchery, run by ex-volunteers, with a toolkit to help prospective volunteers find good opportunities.

The best defences against scams, disadvantages and other negative effects are:
 * Take the opinions of other travellers (not paid by the volunteer organisation) into account.
 * Compare the prices of a volunteer tour to other commercial tours or to independent travel, if you just want to see the country. If you can find a less expensive commercial tour, you can donate to a reputable organisation in the country.
 * In case of teaching, look at our English teaching article and sites linked there for information on the going rates for teachers and on available jobs.
 * Look at several sources of volunteer opportunities, including the cheap or free — see below.
 * If possible, check the legal status of orphanages and other sponsoring organisations in the receiving countries as well. Check whether organizations arranging placements are registered as non-profit entities in the sending countries.

Marketing ploys
Sometimes, volunteer work is just a ploy; the company is basically selling tours, but including some volunteer work both attracts customers and makes them more amenable to 'roughing it' with conditions that they would not accept if they were just paying for a tour.

While some volunteering tours are quite reasonable deals, others are seriously overpriced for what they provide. In the worst cases you could be paying as much as for a high-priced tour with good hotels and professional guides, but getting services (transport, accommodation and food) that a low-budget backpacker would not have to put up with. Compare a volunteering tour's price with the prices of traditional package tours to your chosen destination.

Companies offering volunteer placement have to cover their costs and some legitimately want to make a profit, but others charge outrageous fees. If a company wants a large sum to register for their service or to sign up for a trip, then it is worth asking some hard questions.

Cheap labour
Some volunteering is basically just cheap labour. This is especially true for teaching jobs that need foreign staff. In particular, gap year volunteering teachers often work for much lower salaries and with fewer benefits than other foreign teachers. Since the students pay the same fees in both cases, this can be very profitable for the companies involved.

However, also house- and kid-sitting and regular businesses take advantage of volunteering, often through unsuspicious website like Workaway.

Businesses, companies and people offering such jobs fairly often try other tricks and mask their non-volunteering properties:
 * Many emphasise the good nature of their work, such as sustainability, green farming, or animal care. However, in the end, the organiser still makes money from it and treats a volunteer similarly to a regular worker they would have employed locally.
 * Some declare volunteering opportunities as cultural exchange, that allows you to stay for free and to learn the language. While it is true that language can be an obstacle, it is by no means justified to exploit such a situation. Note, many businesses will happily pay even if your language is not the best.
 * Some companies misclassify workers as volunteers to circumvent employment standards laws. If paying someone little more than a token "honorarium" or travel expenses to work fourteen-hour days would be unlawful were these people correctly labelled "employees", mislabelling them as "volunteers" and imposing one-sided contracts which prohibit them from openly discussing their plight is really no better.
 * In particular, some provide no proper visa, claiming that as a volunteer you need only a tourist visa rather than a working visa. This is true for some countries, though usually only with some conditions. However, in many cases the host government allows no such claim; in those places, using tourist visas saves the employer money or trouble, but the hapless volunteer might be deported or even jailed for working illegally. If you encounter such a claim, check it carefully using government sources as much as possible.

Local workforce competition
Whether or not they realize it, volunteers may displace local workers who would otherwise be hired to do the same work. This deprives local people of paid work and it may also produce inferior results for the project. Often, local carpenters, bricklayers and other craftsmen can do a far better job than inexperienced foreigners.

Are you skilled enough to do the job? Will you receive sufficient training and instructions? Will your involvement jeopardize another person's health or safety? If your volunteer role is to assist in the operating room of a local hospital but you don't have the medical knowledge to perform the task, then you are not qualified for the role and do the job properly even if you're not taking the job away from the local community. If you are planning to take a role that normally requires more than a couple of hours' instruction, such as healthcare, building construction, or teaching, you should not take those trips unless you already have substantial experience and training. It may be fun to go build a school, but it's embarrassing to discover that it had to be knocked down after your group left.

When you are considering a volunteer trip, ask yourself whether you are competing with the local workforce. If local professionals are available and could do a better job, consider instead donating money to a charity who can hire them.

Community needs
Some projects do not meet the needs of the community; instead, they optimise for optics, prioritising projects that appeal to prospective donors. For example, it sounds great to tell donors that an NGO plans to build a school. The community to be served might not, in fact, need a new building; it may already have a suitable building but it cannot afford salaries to hire instructors.

Orphanages, which have humanitarian goals, sometimes present a very different picture of child welfare in their local area to prospective donors. Some have even been accused of trafficking children as a means of enriching their owners. Save the Children estimated in 2009 that at least 80% of the at least 8 million children in orphanages had at least one living parent.

When considering a volunteer trip to an orphanage, two factors may reduce its value for children affected.
 * 1) Frequent cycling of travellers (to keep the money flowing) creates a very unstable home environment for the child. A two-week or one-month volunteer trip allows for just enough time to build a relationship, which is then quickly abandoned as the trip ends.
 * 2) Many orphanages that allow tourist visits are bogus orphanages, where non-orphaned children are kept in deliberately wretched conditions to solicit donations or volunteers. Families in poor countries are persuaded to give up their children to institutions on the pretext that they will be provided with an education or a way out of poverty. These children are then misrepresented to the traveller as orphans and are not allowed to leave. Take precautions associated with the use of children for begging.

Types of volunteering
Many organizations send both qualified and non-qualified workers abroad as volunteers, with low salary, just compensation for expenses or even having you pay for participating in their programs. Although you are working, the main reason for sending you instead of recruiting locals may be to further international understanding.

Government-run programs
Various agencies of Western governments send volunteers abroad. Many also send employees or contractors abroad, see Working_abroad, but several have separate agencies for volunteers. Most volunteers are recent university graduates and most destinations are relatively poor countries.

These positions can be hard to get; they generally require citizenship in the sponsoring country and a university degree just to apply, and the process after application may be quite competitive. Most also require a heavier commitment than other volunteer schemes, typically two years. These are among the best volunteer jobs. All the major expenses (immunizations, travel, etc.) are normally covered and there is support (training, medical insurance, emergency evacuation if needed, etc.) and some sort of salary, though this is generally quite small by home country standards. Typically these volunteers get the same medical care and some of the training that the country provides for military or diplomatic staff; this is generally very good, and often includes topnotch language training.

When you come back, these organizations look good on a résumé, especially for jobs where your knowledge of the country and language will be of use. Both governments and international companies quite often recruit among former volunteers; any significant overseas volunteer experience may help, but the government-sponsored programs are the most credible by far. In particular, various international development agencies often recruit ex-volunteers.

Many governments also run organizations to teach languages abroad, and of course they hire teachers. These are not purely volunteer jobs. Typically they cover travel expenses and provide a salary—but salaries are often lower than they would be at home, and sometimes the working or living conditions are difficult. We have lists of such organizations for English and for other languages.

There are also programs sponsored by host governments in various places. Many involve teaching English and mainly want native speakers who are new university graduates. Typically they use one-year (renewable) contracts, pay a salary and cover expenses such as airfare. See Teaching English for details.

Some international groups also run volunteer programs: There are also programs that involve volunteer work on archaeological digs; see here.

Other overseas volunteering
Many of the major NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) involved in international aid also recruit volunteers and/or paid workers for various tasks. Examples include: Many of their jobs are high-risk, involving work in war zones or epidemic areas. Many also require specialised training such as medicine or nursing. On the other hand, almost all cover things like immunisations and travel cost, and some also pay reasonably well.
 * Médecins Sans Frontières – Doctors without Borders
 * Oxfam – Originally an anti-poverty campaign, now with broader goals
 * UNICEF – UN International Children's Emergency Fund
 * UNHCR – UN High Commission for Refugees
 * Red Cross

A gap year is a year (or other chunk of time) taken off, most typically between high school and university but also perhaps at various other times in life. Volunteering overseas is a common way to spend such a break. Typically there will be a fee to participate in these programs, and participants are not paid. For more, see our gap year article.

Some countries have jobs for live-in caregivers which require specific skills, training or experience. In Canada, for example, it is fairly common for families with a disabled person in the house — most often, an Alzheimer's victim — to bring in a foreign nurse as a live-in caregiver. It is quite difficult for a foreign nurse to become licensed to work in Canada; they must have excellent (IELTS 7) English or a comparable level in French, and pass a stiff nursing exam, and some are required to take additional training as well. However, work as a live-in caregiver does not require the Canadian nursing license. It will typically also pay much less, but the visa may be easier to get since many countries including Canada have special provisions for domestic staff.

Many churches or other religious organizations also send volunteers abroad, mainly either religious specialists (preachers, monks, nuns, ..) or people with important practical skills (doctors, nurses, teachers, ...). If you are a member of a religious congregation, then it is probably worth inquiring about their programs.

Israel offers the opportunity for kibbutz volunteering.

There are also various other organizations that recruit volunteers. These generally do not cover the major expenses such as airfares and travel insurance, and some charge a fee for placement. Web search for "volunteer" or "gap year" will turn up an enormous number of examples. But you can narrow it down by adding a country or region name or using combinations like "youth volunteer" or "retired volunteer". Of course many of them will be scams, businesses or marketing ploys rather than solid volunteering opportunities, see above.

Cultural exchange and volunteer jobs
Jobs with low salary may be offered, sometimes without the charity aspect. Here you are working to get the opportunity to get in touch with the foreign culture, more deeply and more cheaply than on a course or vacation. A typical example is working as au pair, i.e. doing household and child care work for food, bed and pocket money. Some of these jobs do pay reasonably well, but many do not. Often language is a factor in hiring; an English Canadian couple might want a French nanny so their kids learn French, and English-speaking Filipinas are in demand in most countries from Korea to Egypt.

Several sites provide online indexes of volunteer opportunities:

Nearly all these posts cover at least room and board while you are working, but few cover anything beyond that. Typically there is no salary and you are responsible for your own travel expenses. Some of the index sites may impose some requirements on the terms, but in many cases your contract is up to you and the organisation or individuals you are going to work for. Make sure you know what you are signing.

Please always remember, many use these platforms to circumvent labour laws and minimum wage regulation. You should really only take a job that cannot get regular workers, is sustainable in a certain sense, does not make money, or helps others when money is lacking. Working in a hostel 4–5 hr/day for just a dorm bed really is not the kind of work you should be seeking, see.

Stay-at-home volunteering
There are numerous opportunities to contribute to the world while at home. For one thing, many worthwhile international organizations need donations, and some may need volunteers in your area. Also, working for a local political party or advocacy group may have effects on the rest of the world.

Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many traditional voluntourism travel programs developed programs that let their supporters be involved in distant projects while staying home. For example, a program to build schools might have volunteers raise the money needed, hire local professionals to build the school, and let the volunteers follow the project online. This can result in work being done faster, at lower cost, and in a more environmentally sustainable way.

The Virtual Volunteer wiki covers a range of opportunities for volunteering without travelling and provides links to many.

Some governments have volunteer programs within their own country: There are also more specialized programs like the US Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service and Medical Reserve Corps.
 * US CNCS
 * Canadian Katimavik
 * French Service Civique.

Other projects to consider include:
 * The Humanitarian OSM Team, applying OpenStreetMap data to problems like the Haitian earthquake or the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
 * Focal Local have a variety of projects
 * The Tor Project, an Internet anonymity service often used by people at risk from oppressive governments, such as human rights workers or dissidents
 * For Canadians, CUSO's e-volunteering program.

You can also contribute information or copy edits here on Wikivoyage, on other Wikimedia Foundation projects such as Wikipedia, or on independent projects such as the appropriate technology wiki Appropedia.

Cope
Many volunteer jobs are in the 'third world'; see Working abroad.

Health can become a major issue when you are exposed to conditions and germs not found at home; see Stay healthy and Infectious diseases. At a minimum you need to see a doctor, preferably one who specialises in travel medicine, about vaccinations and other precautions well before your departure date, and to consider travel insurance.

In some countries, corrupt officials may interfere with entry of volunteers or vital supplies in an attempt to extract payments or bribes. In some recent conflict zones, governments may wilfully obstruct aid to civilians in rebel-held areas. And then there's crime and theft as risks.

If you pay income taxes in your home country and work as a volunteer abroad, then you may be able to take a charitable deduction for some or all of your trip expenses. The tax agencies are very strict on which organizations' trips qualify, and if you combine volunteer work with vacation, you will have to prorate the deduction on your airfare.

More generally, tax rules get complicated when you live abroad. If you have income other than the volunteer salary then parts of the discussion at Retiring abroad may apply.

Visas
Visa requirements vary significantly between countries, so make sure you check the regulations before you agree. Even if you are not getting paid for your efforts, you may have trouble if entering a foreign country without a work visa.

In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, all work (paid or otherwise) explicitly requires you to obtain a work visa, meaning that you will be breaking the law by volunteering on a tourist visa.

In other countries, volunteer work is allowed on a tourist visa as long as you don't overstay and the task is a legitimate volunteer position normally taken up by locals as an unpaid effort. In theory, the United States claims to fall into this category, if the host organization follows a specific procedure which requires it issue a letter in advance explaining their plans and "paroling" the volunteer into the country. In practice, it's not so simple. Border control officials have wide latitude to claim any arbitrary part of the task description falls into what is normally paid work. In one instance "cleanup" of hurricane damage was arbitrarily considered "construction work" to be protected for domestic workers, causing a church group to be delayed at the border and turned away. Likewise, one mention of WWOOF may get an unsuspecting, well-meaning volunteer strip-searched and turned back if the task could have been done by a paid employee. Australia also officially falls into this category, but with the additional restriction that volunteer work must be incidental to the trip (i.e. not the main purpose of the trip). However, Australian immigration law considers any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, to be payment. This means that even if you are only receiving room and board but no monetary payments for your services, that counts as paid work and would be illegal on a tourist visa.

For some travellers, a working holiday visa is another alternative; these are bilateral arrangements between various pairs of countries that allow young travellers from either country to work in the other for a year or so.

Other ways to help
Volunteer work is one way to do something helpful while travelling. See Working abroad and Teaching English for some of the others. Our article on begging also has a discussion of other ways to help.

The non-profit organisation or non-governmental organisation (NGO) model is intended to be more efficient than direct aid models, where volunteers offer cash or labour directly to people in need. Non-profits tend to be structured like corporations, with highly-paid executives disconnected from on-the-ground work and with entire departments dedicated to marketing and fundraising. If you intend to donate to a non-profit, research it as best as you can to be confident that your donation will go to the people who need it. You may be able to schedule an appointment to meet with a representative of such an organisation or to visit its facilities. If you would like to donate, cash does more good than donating specific items (also known as an in-kind donation). A donation of money allows the organization to pay for whatever they need most, and they may be able to arrange bulk discounts with suppliers. If you do want to donate in kind, ask the organization what they need first, to avoid burdening them with items they don't need and can't use. Examples of in-kind donations that you can bring on vacation include books and surplus medical supplies.

The mutual aid model, originating in a series of essays published in the 1890s, shuns the top-down non-profit organization model in favor of a minimal-overhead model where a group of participants decide by consensus how to help a population in need. The mutual aid group then raises money from among the group's members, not typically from external sources, and collaborates to purchase needed items and to distribute money, goods, and services. If you are traveling and interested in helping people directly, a mutual aid group might make it easier for you to find like-minded people who you can support with money and labour.

To ensure that you're supporting the communities you've chosen to visit, spend your money at local enterprises and businesses instead of at global chains and outlets. At the end of your trip, instead of bringing all your clothes, medical supplies, and equipment home with you, leave what you can with locals. This also frees up space in your luggage for bringing back other stuff.

title: Volunteer travel