text:
Vardø

Vardø is a town in Finnmark. It is the easternmost point of Norway; as strange as it may seem, it lies east of Istanbul! Vardø is one of the few towns with an Arctic climate within Norway. Annual average temperature is, while monthly average for July is. Because of the rough climate there are no natural trees in Vardø.

By car
Vardø is the endpoint for E75. It is the only road from other regions, but it is possible to transport a car (not a motorhome) and yourself on Hurtigruten.

By bus
Search 177.no for bus connections. There are buses from Vadsø, Kirkenes and Tana. From Tana there are buses to Finland.

By boat
Vardø is a port on Hurtigruten, and a quick visit to the fort can just be managed on the southbound voyage.

See

 * The Lutheran Church.
 * Steilneset Memorial by Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeois to the victims of being accused of witchcraft.
 * Steilneset Memorial by Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeois to the victims of being accused of witchcraft.

Do
Visit Vardo church – it is even possible to walk there and back from the Hurtigruten! Interesting church in the vestibule of which is a model of the previous building which was destroyed. Warm welcome from the local guide who explained both the history of the building and the symbolism of the architecture depicting the Trinity and the relevance for today.

Go next

 * Varangerhalvøya National Park is nearby.

title: Vardø


text:
Varde

Varde is a town in West Jutland. The municipality is the largest coastal tourism municipality in Denmark and especially attracts tourists to the coastal destinations of Blåvand, Vejers Strand and Henne Strand. The tourists who stay in Varde Municipality primarily stay in seaside cottages.

Understand
Varde is an old town of uncertain age, but the town's history can be traced back to the early middle ages, when the town was named in written sources as early as around 1100. Varde gained its municipal charter in 1442.

Although Varde has suffered a number of major fires over the ages, including in 1821, there are many attractive well-preserved buildings, among them Sct. Jacobi Kirke (St. James’s church) from 1150 on the town square, and the merchant houses Den Kampmannske Gaard from 1781, Den Palludanske Gaard from 1821, Den Schultz’ske Gaard from 1795, and Sillasens Hus on the town square from 1797. Many of the street layouts in the inner town are still as they were in the Middle Ages, and houses which have preserved their original character can be seen here.

In 2020, it was home to 14,000 people.

By car
Most traffic from and to Varde goes via primary route 11, which starts in Tønder, and goes via Varde all the way to Aalborg in northern Jutland. Primary route 11 crosses the E20 (the Esbjerg highway) near Korskro, from where there is approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) to Varde via primary route 11.

By train
It is possible to reach Varde via Esbjerg or Skjern. Apart from that the "Vestbanen" connects Varde with Oksbøl in the western and Nørre Nebel in the north-western part of the municipality.

By bicycle

 * 20 km (12 mi) of bicycle road from Nørre Nebel
 * 10 km (6.2 mi) from Næsbjerg
 * 25 km (16 mi) of bicycle road from Blåvand via Oksbøl
 * 20 km of bicycle road from Esbjerg.

See

 * Varde Minitown in the Arnbjergparken in Varde is a miniature of Varde anno 1866 in the scale 1:10, which is maintained and built by 12 voluntary "mini-masons," whose work, making the miniature houses, you can observe from May to October at their workshop in Varde.
 * The beaches along the shores of Varde are among the top crowd pullers/attractions in Varde. Among these are the broad white beaches of Blåvand, Vejers Strand and Henne Strand.
 * (Wadden Sea National Park, UNESCO world heritage). Mud flats from Varde in the north to the Netherlands in the south.
 * Skallingen – the demining of the Westcoast – Skallingen is a relatively newly formed landmass, which was created by/after a storm surge in 1634, by sediment left behind by the retracting ocean. It was home to the last minefield in Denmark. Post 2000 the area was demined and opened to the public.
 * (Wadden Sea National Park, UNESCO world heritage). Mud flats from Varde in the north to the Netherlands in the south.
 * Skallingen – the demining of the Westcoast – Skallingen is a relatively newly formed landmass, which was created by/after a storm surge in 1634, by sediment left behind by the retracting ocean. It was home to the last minefield in Denmark. Post 2000 the area was demined and opened to the public.
 * Skallingen – the demining of the Westcoast – Skallingen is a relatively newly formed landmass, which was created by/after a storm surge in 1634, by sediment left behind by the retracting ocean. It was home to the last minefield in Denmark. Post 2000 the area was demined and opened to the public.

Hiking

 * The North Sea Trail goes through the municipality of Varde.
 * The bicoastal "kyst til kyst stien" goes from Blåvand in the west to Vejle in the east
 * There is a variety of local hiking trails.

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

title: Varde


text:
Vardenis

Vardenis is a city in Lake Sevan Region.

Understand
Vardenis is tucked away in the southeast corner of the lake, and is not on the shore. Far from the touristy glitz of the northwest shore, and even cut off by terrible roads from the quietly popular eastern shores near Shorjha, visitors to Vardenis are those adventurers trying to see every corner of Armenia. There are a few small monasteries and chapels, mountains and valleys that only those making it this far will have a chance to see. Visitors also get to experience a town which few foreigners tread, and see some of the genuine hospitality Armenia has to offer.

Get in
Marshutnis depart from Yerevan a few times a day. Taxis are an alternative, at 100 dram/km. If you are in Southern Armenia wanting to get to Lake Sevan, you should take the shortcut from Yeghegnadzor to Martuni - saving yourself a huge and unnecessary loop via Yerevan.

Get around
In town, walking and taxis are the way to go.

See
There is a nice church in the center of the city. In the hills, there are a couple of chapels and fun khachkars by Ayrk.

Do
Hike, camp, swim.

Sleep
There are small hotels in Vardenis and the surrounding area. Many locals would also welcome you into their homes if you talked to them.

Go next
Vardenis is the last city on this road, so you have the same options of getting back, as you did getting in. Since the Azerbaijani took control of the area in 2020, the mountain road leading to Northern Karabakh has been closed (it was never open to those not holding Armenian passports to begin with).

title: Vardenis


text:
Varela

Varela is a beach village in Guinea-Bissau. It is a little paradise, with a superb Italian-owned hotel, beautiful beaches, pine forests and a relaxed atmosphere with almost no other tourists.

Get in
There is public transport from São Domingos, but if you're a group of 4-6 persons, it will be more comfortable to rent a seven-seat Peugeot with a driver for some days. The trip São Domingos-Varela is some 50 km on a very bad road with many potholes. The trip will take at least two hours.

Do
Chill out on the best beaches of mainland Guinea-Bissau

title: Varela


text:
Varenna

Varenna is a fairly sedate, attractive lakeside village in the central part of Lake Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. Varenna is the fifth richest municipality in all of Italy for income paid by taxpayers. It is traditionally a fishing village and has colorful houses and villas built close to each other on a little piece of land just below a mountain. With staircases and steep paths, the historical centre of Varenna is nicely cozy and has bars with terraces and a pedestrian walk along the lake shore. The village has some nice hotels and restaurants (some of the best on the eastern shore of Lake Como), a conference centre for physics (Villa Monastero regularly hosts the national Italian research conference) and two botanical gardens worth a visit in Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.

By train
Varenna is on the line that runs from Milan to Lecco, up the eastern side of the lake through Varenna and on to Colico, then to Morbegno, Sondrio and Tirano. Express trains leave from Milano Centrale station, stop at few stations, and reach Varenna in approx. 1 hr. Regional trains leave from Milan Porta Garibaldi, stop at all stations (including Fiumelatte, a southern subdivision of Varenna), and reach Varenna in 1½-2 hr. The trains are a convenient way to move along the eastern shore of Lake Como, but the service finishes quite early in the evening (the last train leaves Milan at 21:20).

By plane
The nearest airport is Orio al Serio International Airport (sometimes referred to as Milan Bergamo) in Bergamo, which is served by several low-cost airlines. Driving distance is around (1 hr 10 min); by public transport the easiest way is to take a bus from the airport to Bergamo railway station where you can catch a train to Lecco and then change to a train to Varenna.

Milan Linate Airport and Milano Malpensa Airport are relatively close, although the latter is further away, being on the west side of Milan. Drive time from either of these is around 1 hr 40 min. Public transport is more comfortable than from Orio al Serio; from Milano Malpensa you can get to Milan central station with a bus or train and from there you can take the train to Varenna; from Milano Malpensa there is a public bus (the ATM shuttle takes you directly to Milan central station) and from there you have the train to Varenna.

By boat
Boat trips across Lake Como are an essential part of any holiday in this region. Varenna is directly served by the lake's ferry network which provides connections from several towns and villages on the lake shore.

Get around
Varenna is a small, compact village best visited on foot. It's on a steep hill with lots of steps, but there is a fairly level and very attractive waterside path along most of the shoreline. The village has one frazione (subdistrict), Fiumelatte, which is south of the main village, past the Villa Monastero garden.

If you want a taxi, you can probably find one at the Varenna-Esino railway station.

Do

 * Hiking itinerary: Historic mule tracks between Varenna and Esino Lario
 * Hiking itinerary: Historic mule tracks between Varenna and Esino Lario
 * Hiking itinerary: Historic mule tracks between Varenna and Esino Lario
 * Hiking itinerary: Historic mule tracks between Varenna and Esino Lario
 * Hiking itinerary: Historic mule tracks between Varenna and Esino Lario

Drink
There are a few bars around, especially on the lakeside. L'Orso is last one to close (at 02:00).

Go next

 * Bellagio – take a day trip by ferry across the lake to visit the gardens of Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni
 * Menaggio – a town across the lake, on the western shore
 * Esino Lario – a mountain village
 * Perledo – a village very close to Varenna
 * Tremezzo – take a day trip by ferry to the western side of the lake to visit Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello

title: Varenna


text:
Varese

Varese (Lombard: Varés) is a pleasant hillside city in Lombardy, a few kilometres from the Swiss border, with a cosy historic centre, stunning views of the namesake lake and the Alps and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities.

Understand
Varese is the capital of its province. Its strong tourist vocation developed by the beginning of the twentieth century when the completion of quick connections to Milan, recreational and guest facilities.

Not far away from Milan, Como, Lake Maggiore and Swiss cities such as Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona, Varese is a perfect base for visiting other centres and sites in Northern Italy and Switzerland.

By plane
The nearest airport is Milano-Malpensa that can be reached in 20 minutes by car. There's a well served railway connection to Varese via Milan.

By car
Autostrada dei Laghi A8 from Milan. Coming from Switzerland exit in Mendrisio and drive to Varese going through the customs of Stabio-Gaggiolo

By train
The "Servizio Ferroviario Regionale" connects Varese by train to other major cities in Lombardy and Switzerland (Canton Tessin). Services are provided by Trenitalia and Trenord railway network.

Get around
Varese is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only. Nevertheless if you want to reach and visit towns and villages spread over the area, such as Sacro Monte and S. Ambrogio Olona, we would advise you to use the public transport network, that comprises several lines. Some are mostly within city limits (Urbani) and some are Extraurbani (crossing city limits). Buying a ticket at newstands and bars before boarding is better, otherwise you can buy it on board at the same price of €1.40 for 90 minutes.

Taxis can be found on the main roads or reserve at.

Prior to or during your visit to Varese, you can look at the local Convention & Visitor's Bureau site, which has all the local news and events that are happening around the city.

See

 * Residence of Francis III of Este during his Signoria, granded him by the lordship of Maria Teresa of Austria. The palace was built by the architect Giuseppe Bianchi between 1766 and 1771. The parterre of the gardens (Italian style, French influence) is spectacular. The park hosts Villa Mirabello, a Tudor style building, today the seat of the Archeological Museum.
 * Residence of Francis III of Este during his Signoria, granded him by the lordship of Maria Teresa of Austria. The palace was built by the architect Giuseppe Bianchi between 1766 and 1771. The parterre of the gardens (Italian style, French influence) is spectacular. The park hosts Villa Mirabello, a Tudor style building, today the seat of the Archeological Museum.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.
 * One of the nine "sacri monti" in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont which were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003, the Sacro Monte of Varese is a devotional complex located in "Parco del Campo dei Fiori", a natural reserve 6 km north of the city. It consists of fourteen chapels that were constructed between 1604 and 1623. The devotional path ends at the shrine of Santa Maria del Monte, a 16th-century complex whose origins go back to the 5th-6th century AD, as attested by the archaeological excavations in the crypt which are open to the public.

Do

Swimming & ice-skating

Racing

Hiking, alpinism and skiing

Rowing

Events
Varese offers quite different events from music to cultural festivals, religious feasts, white nights, cinemas open air and exhibitions throughout the year.
 * "Stagione Musicale Comunale"
 * "Tra Sacro e Sacro Monte"
 * "Varese Estense Festival"
 * "Festival dell'Utopia"
 * "Di terra e di cielo"
 * "Nature Urbane"
 * "Terra & Laghi"
 * "Cortisonici"

Buy
Many major labels and designer boutiques (Versace, Hermes, Stefanel, Swarowsky, etc.) can be found in Corso Matteotti, the city centre pedestrian main road. High street brands can be found in the adjacent streets and squares, such as piazza Monte Grappa, piazza Carducci and piazza Giovine Italia.

There are some large undercover shopping centres. "Le Corti" in piazza della Repubblica host sports, shoes, clothes, make-up and electrical stores, as well as the "Centro Commerciale Belforte", a vast supermarket discount with cafés and restaurants in the outskirts towards Como and the Swiss border.

Eat
You will be spoiled for choice when eating out in Varese. From small pizzerie to top-end restaurants, you can be sure to find a place that suits your budget and taste.

Most places to eat are open daily. Some may close one day a week, but this varies. Times may be susceptible to change depending on the season.

Drink
A multitude of bars and cafes are situated in the city centre. In the summer your best bet is just to wander in and  otherwise, if you want to get away from the busy tourist spots, you can find quaint little bars towards the lake and in the district area of, close to Villa Panza and Villa Ponti. At you'll find different bars and very elegant restaurants, from whose terraces you can admire a spectacular view that embrace Alps, lakes and pianura Padana. A stop even just for a coffee is recommended for example at Hotel al Borducan and Ristorante Albergo Colonne. Tasty dishes can be enjoyed even at Ristorante Milano or Ristorante Montorfano at the end of via Sacra and, in piazzale Pogliaghi, a few minutes on foot from the centre of Sacro Monte, at Trattoria Il Ceppo.

In summer enjoy gelato, an excellent Italian ice cream. The quality mark "gelato artigianale" indicates gelaterie that produce their own ice creams, without industrial processing. Bakeries are open every day, you can enjoy great and inexpensive bread-related food, such as pizza and focaccia. You can find a bakery almost everywhere in Varese, and is a good alternative to bars for a fast lunch.

Go next

 * Luino and Lake Maggiore
 * Orta San Giulio
 * Milan
 * Como and Lake Como
 * Lecco
 * Bergamo
 * Lugano (CH)
 * Bellinzona (CH)
 * Locarno (CH)

title: Varese


text:
Varese (province)

Varese is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Talk
Italian and Lombard

Get in
Milano Malpensa Airport, the international airport that serves Milan and the area, is in the south of Varese.

Do
The geographical location offers various opportunities for leisure activities ranging from skiing in the Italian and Swiss Alps in the winter, to sunbathing, rafting, canoeing, surfing and sailing at the lake in the summer. Mountain hiking and cycling are very popular sports.

title: Varese (province)


text:
Varhaug

Varhaug is a village and the administrative centre of Hå municipality in Rogaland in Norway, situated north of Vigrestad and south of Nærbø. Varhaug is part of the flat geographical area Jæren that goes from Brusand in the south to Randaberg in the North.

It was founded in the late 19th century and expanded around the local train station in the 20th century.

Varhaug had as of January 1, 2008 a population of 2,520.

Get in
By Train

Local train between Stavanger and Egersund stops at Varhaug approx. every hour, a bit more frequent in 'rush' hours. A ride from Stavanger takes nearly 40 minutes.

Sleep
Varhaug has no hotels nor inns.

title: Varhaug


text:
Varkala

Varkala is a town in the Indian state of Kerala, about 50 km north of Thiruvananthapuram and is home of the popular Papanasam Beach. Also, the Samadhi of Kerala's saint Sree Narayana Guru is situated in this town and hence has become a place of pilgrimage.

Understand
If you're looking for beaches and are fed up with the crowds and prices at Kovalam, then it's well worth checking out Varkala. The best times to go, are of course in the season, when the beach extends out all around the cliff face for 500 m.

The beaches around this area are excellent and if you're looking for a cheap holiday Varkala should definitely be on your list. In the off season its really mellow and relaxed, swim and sleep and chill out. Only in December does it get really busy and prices start rocketing till January/February, when it starts to quieten down.

The main season runs from Dec 1st- March 31st, with December & early January experiencing the biggest rush. If you want to go out of season, then you can stay very cheaply and of course avoid the crowd. Varkala is quite a new place to hang out in India and has only been developed as a tourist destination in the last years. Slowly even the north of Varkala Beach gets developed for tourists. There is a promenade built from the Department of Tourism, which allows a scenic walk for about 1.5h towards north, passing Odayam and Edava until Kappil.

Climate
Average temperature in Varkala in Celsius.
 * Summer (Humid): Mar - May: 25°C-33°C / Summer Max: 35°C.
 * Monsoon (Cloudy): Jun-mid - Sep: 21°C-27°C / Winter Min: 15°C.
 * Winter (Pleasant): Sep - Feb: 22°C-28°C.
 * Rainfall: 310 cm.

By car

 * Varkala is linked by state and national highways to all the major cities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

By plane

 * The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport (50 km, 1 hr 15 min drive).

By bus

 * State Transport Buses are available from Trivandrum. Bus service available from Varkala to many parts of South Kerala and Kanyakumari

By train

 * Varkala is also connected by the rail network. If coming from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, the better option will be coming by train. Almost all trains passing by stops at Varkala. From Varkala Railway Station, taxis and auto rickshaws can be hired. Papanasam Beach is around 5 km from Varkala Railway Station ₹40/₹50 by Auto Rickshaw).

Get around
The town of Varkala is about 5 km inland, centered around the train station, and can be reached via autorickshaw for ₹80

The resort area lies along two cliffs, north and south, overlooking the beach areas. The main Papanasam beach is between these, while less crowded Black Beach is to the north. This entire area is easily accessible by walking the fine sidewalk along the cliff edges.

See
The Sivagiri Pilgrimage is usually conducted between 30th December and 1st January every year. The Sivagiri Mutt - a religious retreat was founded by Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) the renowned philosopher and social reformer of modern Kerala. Even decades after the Guru breathed his last here in 1928, his Samadhi (resting place) continues to be thronged by thousands of pilgrims. The Sivagiri Mutt is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham, a religious organization established by the Guru to propagate his concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'
 * Coir Processing Centres. In the Backwaters of Akathumuri, Kadakkavur.
 * East West University of Brahmavidya. Established by Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati, Disciple of Nataraja Guru.
 * Edava Beach . Beautiful and serene beaches where you can bask in the sun and salubrious climate. In fact Edava beaches are yet to be explored by the tourists. If you go further towards Kappil you will find blue lagoon, where sea and backwaters running parallel divided by a more-than-one km of straight road. There is also an estuary that connect the sea with the backwaters here.
 * Fishing Hamlets of Anjengo and its British Fort.
 * Narayana Gurukula. Established by Nataraja Guru.
 * Nature Care Centre. Papanasam.
 * Shree Janardhana Swamy temple. It is 2000 years old. Varkala has been a Hindu pilgrimage site since the 12th Century. The Janardhana Temple was built during this period and many Hindu's still visit Varkala to this day, for this very reason. The Varkala sands has become an ideal spot for confluence of cultures exotic and alien. Varkala also houses a leading pilgrim centre in Kerala. The temple, dedicated to Vishnu and Hanuman, atop the hill has brought a sobriquet for the region, Southern Kasi (Benares). Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the inner sanctum but can hang around the temple.
 * Sivagiri. Sree Narayana Guru (1855-1928), saint, social reformer, philosopher and leader of Ezhava community, made Varkala his headquarters. Sivagiri mutt, instituted by Sree Narayana Guru, is another major pilgrim centre here.
 * Varkala Tunnel. Built by the British in 1880.

Do
Also they have spin and neck therapy, weight loss, detoxification, stress release programs. Reasonable prices. Usually fee is told after consultation an average ₹700 to ₹2500 per day. As a bonus for the clients they offer yoga training for free.
 * Play cricket, volleyball or football on the black beach most days from 4PM. See who's about and ask for a game. Watch out for the Indian Bureaucracy! But it is also said, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
 * Daily Evening shows of the traditional Temple Dance Drama of Kerala - Kathakali. (north Cliff near Clafouti and Thanal Beach Resort in the Varkala Culture Centre) Entrance fee ₹250 which includes the Make-up from 5-6:45PM and the show from 6:45-8:15PM
 * Get an ayurvedic massage at the numerous ayurvedic spas. Look out for fraudsters.
 * "Ayurveda" Go for the detox therapies to cleanse yourself, visit centers who have registered ayurvedic practitioners.
 * Get panchakarma treatment at S.M.Ayurveda, Panchakarma Therapy Centre at the end of the cliff next to Black Beach Resort. Open from 8AM to 6:30PM.
 * Yoga. Varkala has a few quality yoga places, which sometimes also offer rooms for rent and include the classes in the price. If you're serious about your yoga, a few places off in depth retreats. Try Savasana Yoga Center, just off the cliff.  savasanahome.sharepoint.com
 * Saji's Savasana Nature Tours give a chance to see some of the beauty and diversity just outside Varkala. Day trips weekly. Contact savasanahomes@live.com.

Buy

 * Numerous small shops line the cliff-top, selling both local and touristy attire.

Eat
The only fancy restaurant available at Papanasam/Varkala is in the Taj Garden Retreat.

Almost all hotels and resorts have room service. There are lots of restaurants at the cliff. Most of them and places-to-eat in the cliff are seasonal and spring up during the tourist season (beginning in late November). Try the fresh fish or seafood from any number of the cliff-top restaurants. Seafood is caught by local fishermen and displayed in front of many restaurants. Select your food, have it prepared in the tandoor and enjoy the sunset while you dine.

 * Little Tibet serves amazing Tibetan food. Try the momos (Tibetan dumplings, served with a soup to sip in) and the Chapati Roll, veg coast ₹80 and ₹90. Another must is the fresh pineapple/grape juice. Plus the most generous fruit salad.
 * Shiva Garden Kerala Restaurant - Traditional Kerala food. "Traditional Kerala Thali everyday". Vegetarian and non-veg restaurant.
 * Hotel Suprabhatham offers vegetarian food, and is the only 100% veg restaurant in Varkala.
 * Varkala Park Hotel is situated near Varkala railway station offers restaurant, room Service and a bar.
 * Cafe del Mar situated on top of the cliff. Unlike many other cafes in Varkala, it has fast service and first class food, and serves Indian, Mexican and Italian. It serves buffet breakfast as well. Their waffles and panini sandwiches are great. Best salads and char grilled steak.
 * Ootapura Vegetarian Restaurant is almost the first restaurant you come to from the helipad. It is very good but does not serve beer.
 * Reena Bakers situated almost opposite the railway station serves very good pastries and cakes.
 * Trattoria's on north end of the cliffs, with a second story view, fast, cheap, and good.
 * Rock n Roll Cafe situated on the cliff towards the black beach. Open all day and night, with regular live music they offer great breakfasts that will set you up for the day (try the stack of fluffy American pancakes with caramelised banana or the eggs benedict), espresso coffee, the largest selection and cheapest cocktails for watching the sunset over the Arabian sea, a varied dinner menu with local specialities including fresh fish, crab curry, biriyani and western favourites. Very easy to relax here with board games, free reliable wifi, water refills and plastic recycling, always something interesting to read and great music all day and night.
 * Rock n Roll Cafe situated on the cliff towards the black beach. Open all day and night, with regular live music they offer great breakfasts that will set you up for the day (try the stack of fluffy American pancakes with caramelised banana or the eggs benedict), espresso coffee, the largest selection and cheapest cocktails for watching the sunset over the Arabian sea, a varied dinner menu with local specialities including fresh fish, crab curry, biriyani and western favourites. Very easy to relax here with board games, free reliable wifi, water refills and plastic recycling, always something interesting to read and great music all day and night.
 * Rock n Roll Cafe situated on the cliff towards the black beach. Open all day and night, with regular live music they offer great breakfasts that will set you up for the day (try the stack of fluffy American pancakes with caramelised banana or the eggs benedict), espresso coffee, the largest selection and cheapest cocktails for watching the sunset over the Arabian sea, a varied dinner menu with local specialities including fresh fish, crab curry, biriyani and western favourites. Very easy to relax here with board games, free reliable wifi, water refills and plastic recycling, always something interesting to read and great music all day and night.
 * Rock n Roll Cafe situated on the cliff towards the black beach. Open all day and night, with regular live music they offer great breakfasts that will set you up for the day (try the stack of fluffy American pancakes with caramelised banana or the eggs benedict), espresso coffee, the largest selection and cheapest cocktails for watching the sunset over the Arabian sea, a varied dinner menu with local specialities including fresh fish, crab curry, biriyani and western favourites. Very easy to relax here with board games, free reliable wifi, water refills and plastic recycling, always something interesting to read and great music all day and night.

Drink
There are several bars:
 * KTDC's Beer Parlour. Located at Puthanchanda, 6 km from Papanasam.
 * The Restaurants at Cliff also serve beer.
 * Varkala Park near Railway Station.
 * KR Bar near Railway Station
 * Babuji Bar, Maidanam
 * Karthika Bar, Maidanam

Hospitals

 * Government Ayurvedic Hospital
 * J.R.Hospital
 * Mangala Medical Mission hospital
 * Sree Narayana Medical Mission Hospital
 * Varkala Government Hospital

Go next

 * Alleppey - houseboats, backwaters, snake boat races, and more via a two-hour train ride
 * Edava and Kappil - next villages north of Varkala, scenic walk towards north on a path made by Kerala Tourime along the seashore and cliffs; about 40 minutes to Edava, and 90 minutes to Kappil.
 * Kollam - about an hour north by taxi, an easy half-day trip to take a boat ride on the backwaters.
 * Kottayam - about two hours by frequent train, with backwaters and Kumarakom bird sanctuary.

title: Varkala


text:
Varna

Varna (Варна) is a large city on the Black Sea coast in the northeast of Bulgaria. It's the larger of the country's two major sea ports (the other one is Burgas), and a gateway to the seaside resorts on the northern part of the coast. With a population of nearly 350,000, Varna is the third-largest city in Bulgaria (after Sofia and Plovdiv) and it is often called "the sea capital" (morska stolitsa) of Bulgaria. It also holds the headquarters of the Bulgarian Navy and merchant marine, and several institutions of higher education.

Geography and orientation
Varna is roughly in the middle of the northern Bulgarian coast, at the bottom of the wide Gulf of Varna. An artificial shipping channel splits the gulf's coastline in two and connects the sea to the long and narrow Varna-Beloslav lake, which in turn is fed by the small Provadiya River. The city of Varna lies on the northern side of the gulf, on a stretch of relatively flat land under the steeper slopes of the southern edges of a low limestone plateau. The tall Asparuh(ov) Bridge connects Varna to the outlaying neighborhoods on the southern side, Asparuhovo and Galata. The only other way to cross the lake is the free ferry at Beloslav, west of the city centre.

The oldest parts of Varna, including the so-called Greek Quarter, spread fan-like from the north-east to the north-west from the point of the modern port. Further away is a layer of 19th and early 20th century expansions, including the main pedestrian street and the Cathedral. After them follow in another wide arc the concrete panel block neighborhoods of the Communist era. The sea resorts start immediately north-east of the city, almost seamlessly melding with it in a built-up strip stretching along the coast - Sts. Constantine and Helena (in the Communist era: Druzhba, "friendship"), Chayka ("seagull"), and Golden Sands (Zlatni Pyasatsi). Further along the coast to the north are the village of Kranevo, the Albena resort, and the town of Balchik. South of the Gulf of Varna, notable along the coast are the resort and protected area around the mouth of the Kamchia river, as well as the resorts at Shkorpilovtsi and Byala.

History
Due to its favorable natural conditions, including hot springs and a harbor, the area has been inhabited since pre-history. In classical Antiquity, the seafaring Greeks established here the colony of Odessos, and like many Greek settlements, it later became a part of the Roman Empire.

In 1443-1444, not long after medieval Bulgaria's fall to the Ottoman Empire, the city saw the final battle of the failed Varna Crusade, an attempt to liberate the Balkans from Ottoman rule by combined Polish, Hungarian and Burgundian forces. The crusaders lost the decisive battle and the young Polish king Władysław III Jagiełło was killed, earning him the epithet "of Varna" (Varnenchik in Bulgarian).

Under Ottoman rule, Varna continued to develop as an important economic and military center. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was fortified and formed one corner of the "quadrilateral of fortresses" (Ruse, Silistra, Varna, Shumen) that guarded this corner of the Empire and repeatedly played a part in the series of Russo-Turkish wars, including the Crimean War, but none of those fortifications have survived to this day. Between 1881 and 1866, a British company built a railway that connected Varna to the river port Ruse, making it the first railway on what would later be Bulgarian territory. The railway allowed freight transported on the Danube river to be shipped faster to Istanbul by avoiding the lengthy detour north through the Danube's delta, and this led to the further development of Varna as a commercial port town.

After the Liberation of Bulgaria (1878), the 1880s saw a rapid modernization and expansion of the city, with streets laid in a modern, rectangular layout. The main landmark and symbol of Varna, the Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral, was built in that period, and the summer palace of Bulgarian monarchs (later named Euxinograd) was established just north of the city as well. One of the foreigners who settled in Varna at the time was the Czech archeologist Karel Škorpil, the "founding father" of Bulgarian archeology. In the 1890s, Škorpil invited to the city the Czech landscape architect Anton Novak, who was put in charge of designing and overseeing the creation of a large landscaped park by the sea - the Sea Garden.

Like a number of other Bulgarian cities, Varna was renamed by the Communist regime - between 1949 and 1956, it was called Stalin in honor of the Soviet leader ("Stalingrad" was already taken by a much more famous city in the USSR). In 1962, the city hosted the 15th international Chess Olympiad. A distinctive style of chess pieces was created for the Olympiad, which served as the base for mass-produced chess sets that can make a nice souvenir today, if you can find one in vintage stores or online.

By plane

Getting there and away:
 * By bus – Bus line 409 (see below) connects the airport to the city center and the outlaying resorts (Saints Constantine and Helena, Golden Sands); make sure to have some small-denomination cash for the ticket machine (10 лв note at most). For more details, see below.
 * By taxi – There's a taxi stand in front of Terminal 2. The airport has a contract with Triumf Taxi (see the warning about taxi scams below).
 * By rental car – At least half a dozen car rental services have offices at the airport.

By train
Varna is well connected in Bulgaria's railway network. It's the last stop of two major lines: Sofia-Varna runs along almost the whole length of the country through North Bulgaria, and Ruse-Varna allows a connection to Romania and merges into the other one at the small town of Kaspichan.

From Bucharest in Romania, you can take an international train to Ruse and then change to a national train to Varna (the shorter option), or you can buy a "direct" ticket that will send you on the same train, but the train car will be hitched to a national train at Gorna Oryahovitsa (if you are lucky - if not, you'll have to change trains by yourself again) and it will take longer with more than an hour.

There are multiple daily direct trains from the cities along the main lines: Sofia (7½ to 8½ hours, depending on train; the line passes through the picturesque Iskar Gorge), Pleven (4½ hr), Ruse (4 hr), Razgrad (2¾ hr), Dobrich (2 hr), Targovishte (2 hr), and Shumen (90-130 min, depending on train). Other cities in Northern Bulgaria are less frequent and/or convenient: Vidin (10½ to 11½ hr) and Vratsa (6½ to 8 hours) require changing trains at Mezdra, Veliko Tarnovo can be done by changing at Gorna Oryahovitsa (just outside of Tarnovo; 4 hr to Varna) or a roundabout route through Southern Bulgaria; Silistra requires changing at Samuil (5¼ hr). South of the Balkan Mountains, from Plovdiv there's a once-daily direct train (6 hr) or changing at Karnobat (9 to 10 hr); from Burgas there's also a once-daily direct, but slow train (4¾ hr) or changing at Karnobat (3½ or 4¾ hr); there are two daily direct trains from Stara Zagora (3 hr 40 min) and Yambol (3hr) and various changing options.

It's within walking distance of the city centre and the Sea Garden, but far from the airport and the central bus station. Getting there and away:
 * By foot - To the central street, less than 10 min: leave the station via the exit under the clock tower, then use the pedestrian underpass to cross the street (Primorski Boulevard) and follow the street that leads immediately north/uphill (ulitsa Tsar Simeon I) - it should lead you to the New Yorker store on Independence Square (see below). The station is also about 10 minutes to the port (passenger terminal, yacht marina, amusement park), the beach alley and the southern end of the Sea Garden: leave the station via the exit under the clock tower, but then follow the boulevard east until you reach a crossroads with a street leading south that separates the beach from the harbour.
 * By bus - confusingly, there are two pairs of bus stops in the vicinity of the station that serve different lines. One of the stops is right in front of the entrance of the ticket office hall with its counterpart on the opposite side of the boulevard (50 m/yd to the east), and the other one is at a small turnaround and a crossroads 50 m/yd west of the same entrance, with its counterpart 20 m/yds further west on the opposite side. The turnaround stop is more convenient for toursits - buses 9 and 109 go to the resorts, buses 22 and 41 go the Cathedral and the central bus station (see below for public transport details).

By car
Varna is the end point of the eastern segment of the unfinished Hemus Motorway (A2) to Sofia that runs in the northern part of the country - the segments are connected by route E772 which passes through Veliko Tarnovo and Shumen. The Bulgarian part of route E70 runs from Ruse and merges into the A2 west of Varna (around Shumen), providing a connection to Romania (Giurgiu, Bucharest) and Western Europe.

Route E87 runs in a north-south direction, and the Bulgarian part mostly follows the sea coast. To the north, it connects Varna to Mangalia, Constanta and Tulcea in Romania, and Odesa in Ukraine. In the southern direction, it passes through a number of resorts before reaching Burgas and goes inland to cross the border into Turkey at Malko Tarnovo/Dereköy, continuing towards Izmir and Antalya, with a connection via E80 to Istanbul.

On foot
Most sights and attractions are concentrated in the compact old part of Varna and the Sea Garden, where you can easily get around by foot. A pedestrian zone connects the Cathedral square to the main entrance of the Sea Garden, and both are within walking distance of the railway station. There are several beaches immediately below the Sea Garden, and the alley that runs along them starts in the same place as the street leading to public part of the port, 10 min east of the railway station. Even the bus station is doable—25 min to the Cathedral, along a commercial boulevard. Distances do add up, so plan accordingly.

By bus
Varna has an extensive public transport network served by buses and trolleybuses (electric buses powered by overhead wires). Online maps of bus stops, routes and current bus positions can be found on VarnaTraffic.com and Easyway; both have route planners and can use your GPS position to point you to the nearest bus stop(s), but while their interface (including bus stop names) is in English, the underlying maps are unfortunately mostly labelled in Bulgarian Cyrillic. Varna Traffic also has an add-supported Android app. OpenStreetMap includes public transport routes for Varna in its Transport layer, so they can be displayed offline in apps that use OSM, such as OsmAnd or Mapy.cz; unfortunately, OSM is often late to reflect changes, including seasonal variation. Also, Varna's official tourism information site has a page on transport.

With the exception of Bus 409 (see below), all lines are run by a municipal company. Paper tickets can be bought from ticket machines at bus stops and in the buses themselves. When they work properly, the machines accept coins, small-denomination notes and credit/debit cards. Tickets are based on duration, not route, and the "clock starts ticking" at the moment of sale. You have to validate (scan) your ticket when you board a vehicle if the ticket is bought from a bus stop or when changing routes/vehicles. As of February 2023, the prices for paper tickets are 2 лв for 60 min, 2.50 лв for 90 min, and 4 лв for a 24-hour pass. You can also buy an "electronic prepaid card" for 10 лв that offers discount prices: 1 лв for 60 min, 1.50 лв for 90 min and 4 лв for a 24-hr ticket. This card also has to be validated when boarding a vehicle. Cards can be recharged in 10 лв increments at ticket machines.

In summary: if you are going to spend a day or two in Varna and plan to use public transport often, it's advisable to buy a 24-hour pass to avoid dealing with the unreliable ticket machines. For longer periods, a pre-paid card may be a more cost-effective solution.

The lines most relevant to tourists (most stops omitted for brevity; stop names are the transcribed Bulgarian names used by the English translations of the route maps):
 * Bus 409 – This line connects the airport, the city centre and the resorts to the north-east of the city. The line is co-run by both the municipality and a private company. The municipal buses can be recognized by the "shield with lion and wheel" emblem. The private buses (with large ЧЕНСФИЛД signs) don't accept the tickets bought from the municipal ticket machines and use their own tickets, sold on board by the ticket inspector. The line actually starts at Aksakovo (small town west of Varna). Notable stops along the line are Varna Airport, Central Bus Station (and Grand Mall Varna), the Cathedral (KATEDRALATA stop, on the east side), SEVASTOPOL stop (trivial walks to Archeological Museum to the north, main entrance of the Sea Garden to the south), the next six stops are along the northern boundary of the Sea Garden, then the line goes to and passes through the resorts: Saints Constantine and Helena, Chayka and Golden Sands. After the last stop, instead of simply turning around, 409 loops through the southern part of Golden Sands (four stops) before merging back into the main route (winter route only?).
 * Bus 9 – Starts at the Central Train Station (western stop, at the crossroads/turnaround), the Cathedral (KOZIRKATA stop, in front of the tourist information center), SEVASTOPOL and the same six stops along the northern boundary of the Sea Garden, Saint Constantine and Helena resort, Chayka resort, Golden Sands resort, and through Golden Sands Nature Park. Afterwards hooks south to the central part of Golden Sands (4 stops).
 * Bus 109 – Reaches the farthest north along the shore. Starts at the Central Train Station and follows the same route as Bus 9, but skips most of Golden Sands to reach its northernmost parts (4 stops, the last is the PANORAMA turnaround).
 * Bus 12 – Goes to Asparuhovo on the southern side of the bay. You can take it from the Central Post Office (TSENTRALNA POSHTA stop, right "behind" the Cathedral's park, on the side of the post office), and the Asparuh Bridge over the bay. The last 6 stops are in Asparuhovo.
 * Bus 17 – Goes to Asparuhovo and Galata. It starts from the Central Train Station (ZHP GARA-4 stop: to the east, on the "other side" of the boulevard), takes the Asparuh Bridge over the bay, passes through Asparuhovo, right by the Asparuhovo Park, then by a fishing village, and ends in Galata neighborhood (several stops).

By taxi
Be careful with taxis. You may pay 10 times the right price, so check for the fare per kilometer—look at the small square paper plate located in the lower corner of the rear doors' windows. Good taxi companies are: OK Trans (OK Транс), Varna (Варна), Evro (Евро), Triumph (Триумф Такси), Alpha taxi (Алфа такси). The typical price is around 0.79 лв/km.

By electric scooter
As of 2023, the ubiquitous Lime seems to remain the only electric scooter company operating in Varna.

Sights and landmarks

 * Other notable old Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox churches include the early 17th-century Theotokos Panagia; the St. Athanasius (former Greek metropolitan cathedral); the seamens' church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker; the Archangel Michael's chapel; and the St. Constantine and Helena church of the 16th century suburban monastery of the same name.
 * Varna's centre was rebuilt in late 19th and the earlier half of the 20th century by the nascent Bulgarian middle class in Western style, with local interpretations of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
 * Varna's centre was rebuilt in late 19th and the earlier half of the 20th century by the nascent Bulgarian middle class in Western style, with local interpretations of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
 * Varna's centre was rebuilt in late 19th and the earlier half of the 20th century by the nascent Bulgarian middle class in Western style, with local interpretations of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
 * Varna's centre was rebuilt in late 19th and the earlier half of the 20th century by the nascent Bulgarian middle class in Western style, with local interpretations of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

Museums and other institutions

 * Varna Dolphinarium – The only dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula, one of the most entertaining attractions of city. Built in 1984 and has 1134 seats.
 * Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum – A memorial complex in a unique park in an area of 30 acres in the western part of Varna, at the battlefield where, on 10 November 1444, in the name of liberation of the Balkans and southeastern Europe, perished Polish-Hungarian king Władysław III of Varna (Varnenchik). In the exposition are the armor and weapons, paintings, flags and sculptures of the era.
 * Varna Dolphinarium – The only dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula, one of the most entertaining attractions of city. Built in 1984 and has 1134 seats.
 * Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum – A memorial complex in a unique park in an area of 30 acres in the western part of Varna, at the battlefield where, on 10 November 1444, in the name of liberation of the Balkans and southeastern Europe, perished Polish-Hungarian king Władysław III of Varna (Varnenchik). In the exposition are the armor and weapons, paintings, flags and sculptures of the era.
 * Varna Dolphinarium – The only dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula, one of the most entertaining attractions of city. Built in 1984 and has 1134 seats.
 * Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum – A memorial complex in a unique park in an area of 30 acres in the western part of Varna, at the battlefield where, on 10 November 1444, in the name of liberation of the Balkans and southeastern Europe, perished Polish-Hungarian king Władysław III of Varna (Varnenchik). In the exposition are the armor and weapons, paintings, flags and sculptures of the era.
 * Varna Dolphinarium – The only dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula, one of the most entertaining attractions of city. Built in 1984 and has 1134 seats.
 * Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum – A memorial complex in a unique park in an area of 30 acres in the western part of Varna, at the battlefield where, on 10 November 1444, in the name of liberation of the Balkans and southeastern Europe, perished Polish-Hungarian king Władysław III of Varna (Varnenchik). In the exposition are the armor and weapons, paintings, flags and sculptures of the era.

Other

 * The 2.4 km long, 50 m high Asparuhov Most bridge is a popular spot for bungee jumping.

Do

 * There is a large tourist place where you can enjoy whatever entertainment that can be bought for money. There is something for every taste. But, you can also have nice walks in Varna.

 * Football – PFC Cherno More play football in First League, Bulgaria's top tier. Their home ground is Stadion Ticha (capacity 8250) 1 km northeast of city centre. Their local rivals Sparak Varna are in the Second League.

Buy
There are a couple of large shopping malls (Grand Mall, Pfohe Mall, Central Plaza, Mall of Varna, Varna Towers) turning Varna into an attractive international shopping destination. There are also several international big-box retailers (Metro, Kaufland, Carrefour) on the outskirts and traditional downtown shopping streets with boutiques and gift shops. Plenty of tourist stuff in the resorts sold in small stalls.

Eat
There are many good restaurants at very descent prices comparing other EU countries.

Mid-range

 * Alba – A variety of traditional and international dishes at very nice prices. In summer you can choose between sitting inside or the outside garden. Located just across Archaeological Museum in a yellow-green painted house. (updated May 2022)
 * Sundogs – Also described as a pub by many, Sundogs is the go-to spot for many foreigners that live in Varna for its urban atmosphere and great food.
 * Godzilla – A family friendly place, known for its pizzas.
 * Happy Bar and Grill – A Bulgarian restaurant chain, based in Varna. Tasty kebabs.
 * La Pastaria – Offering traditional Italian food, home made pasta and pizza. (Dragoman Street 45)
 * BM – A nice restaurant offering mainly traditional cuisine as well as sea food. Located at the end of sea garden near to the Port of Varna.

Splurge

 * Massa Kitchen – Great atmosphere with a wide range of food options
 * Staria Chinar – Traditional and Black Sea food, with many locations in the city

Drink
The beach at night tends to have the most night life in the summer.

There are also clubs and bars in the city but some of them are closed during summer: e.g. Cubo, Horizont, Planet Club.

Sleep
There is a number of hotels in the city ranging from 2 to 5 stars.

North of Varna, along a continuous 20-km-long strip, are the beachfront resorts of Euxinograd, Constatine and Helena, Sunny Day, Chaika, Riviera, and Golden Sands, with a total of more than 60,000 hotel beds, plus several villa communities offering private lodgings.

Mid-range

 * Alekta Hotel – In the northern part of the Sea Garden, on the outskirts of the town, 200 m from the sea and about a 20-min walk from the town center, which can also be reached by regular bus services or by taxi.

Splurge

 * Hotel Divesta – In the center of Varna, close to the main bus station.

Stay safe
Varna is in general a fairly safe place, though special caution should be taken in regards to the mafia. There have been several cases of tourists being assaulted by the mafia for improper behavior, such as an Icelandic teenage girl in 2017. Try not to give anyone who might be driving a black sports car, wearing a suit with glasses a bad eye. Common sense, courtesy and respect is always the best thing you can pursue.

Stay away from people offering money change on the street they are all cheaters. They usually are located in the area of the cathedral (kozirkata) and also it's a typical place for pickpocketers so be careful.

If you are driving a car be careful where you stop because if you violate the parking restrictions, your car may be removed by the authorities and you will need to pay a penalty fee, not to mention losing a lot of time.

Connect
As of Sep 2021, Varna has 4G from A1, Telenor and Vivacom. 5G has reached the beach strip but not the city.

Go next
Outside the city are the Euxinograd palace, park and winery, the Ecopark Varna Botanical Garden, the Pobiti Kamani rock phenomenon, the cave monastery Aladzha, and the Kamchiya biosphere reserve (UNESCO-protected)

There are many wild beaches south of town like Pasha Dere, Shkorpilovtsi, Karadere, and Irakli.

 * Golden Sands Resort – 17 km north from downtown Varna. Similar to Ballermann and Lloret de Mar—restaurants are more expensive but some good hotel bargains can be found if you like beach.
 * Sveti Konstantin and Helena – 10 km north from downtown Varna. It is a small, but peaceful and very green resort. Many nice hotels offer mineral water SPA services, due to the abundance of hot mineral springs all over the area.
 * Albena – 30 km north from Varna. An old-style resort, with an architecture from the Communist times. Peaceful area though. Since the whole resort is owned by a single private company, it is one of the very few places on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast that does not suffer from overbuilding.
 * Balchik – 40 km north. The town features a small palace and a beautiful botanical garden. A few kilometres further along the coast you can find a semi-warm hot spring, and 1 km further the Tuzlata Mud Baths, similar procedure as the Dead Sea—the water is salty but not that salty though. There is a serviced area (M-Su 09:00-15:30, 6/3 лв), but the pools can also be accessed from their southern side walking along the beach.
 * Kavarna (Каварна) – 60 km north. The town holds the Kavarna Rock Fest in early July, the largest rock event in the Balkans and Black Sea region.
 * Cape Kaliakra – 80 km north. The longest cape in Bulgaria. Stunning views to the sea and the red cliffs. A place with rich history and many legends. Worth visiting.
 * Kamen Bryag (Камен бряг, literally: Rocky Coast) – 82 km north. The high rocky coast near the small village has been popular among Bulgarian hippies.

title: Varna


text:
Varshets

Varshets is a city of 5,400 people (2018) in North Bulgaria. On a visit here, you can walk along the romanic, tree-lined boulevards, discover the untouched wonders of the nature park, relax alongside a sparkling pool and refresh the body in a mineral-water bath. This quaint town known as a curative, mineral spa resort is situated in a lush valley along the picturesque Botunya River. This natural oasis provides perfect setting for relaxation and for active tourism vacations.

Understand
Rich in cultural history, artifacts provide evidence of a settlement around the area of Varshets dating back to 1st century during the Roman Empire under the name Medikus and connecting it to the curative, mineral springs still flowing today. It was developed as a balneological resort during the early 20th century when the first state bath was built in 1910. In 1930, a new bath building was built following the architectural style of traditional Roman baths, it is still operational today. Catering to Bulgaria's elite society of the time, stately villas from this era embrace the town's lush, green park, which also houses Bulgaria's first casino. It was opened as Bansko Casino, and renamed the Royal Casino after its popularity with Prince Kiril.

By car
Varshets is easily accessed by private car from the highway connecting Vratsa and Montana. It is 2½ hours from Sofia via Vratsa, Varshets can also be reached from Sofia by tracing the scenic routes of the Iskar Gorge or along the Petrohan Pass.

By bus
Regular, daily buses travel to Varshets from Vratsa, Montana, Sofia and other regional towns.

 * Sofia - Varshets
 * Bus departs at 08:30 from the Central Bus Station. Arrives in Varshets at 11:10 via Berkovitsa. (Monday - Friday)
 * Bus departs at 13:00 from the Central Bus Station. Arrives in Varshets at 15:30 via Berkovitsa.

 * Sofia - Montana - Varshets
 * Bus departs at 15:30 from the Central Bus Station. Arrives in Varshets at 19:10 via Montanta, change bus in Montana.

 * Vratsa - Varshets
 * Bus departs Vratsa at 08:00; 10:30; 12:00; 15:10 (approx. 50 minutes).

 * Montana - Varshets
 * Bus departs Montana 08:00; 11:45; 18:00 - (50 minutes).

 * Berkovitsa - Varshets
 * Bus departs Berkovitsa at: 08:30; 11:40; 14:45 - (30 minutes).

 * Lom - Varshets
 * Bus departs Lom at: 06:00; 15:00 - (210 minutes)

 * Vidin - Varshets
 * Bus departs Vidin at 14:00. Change buses in Montana, arrives Varshets at 18:30.

By train
Connections can also be made by train via Lakatnik twice daily.

 * From Sofia via Lakatnik Train Station (bus and train):
 * Train departs at 07:23 from Sofia Central Railway Station and arrives in Lakatnik at 08:42. Bus departs at 09:10 from the Lakatnik bus station arrives in Varshets at 10:10 (this bus does not travel on Sundays).
 * Train departs at 16:50 from Sofia Central Railway Station and arrives in Lakatnik at 18:03. Bus departs at 18:10 from the Lakatnik bus station and arrives in Varshets at 19:10.  (Hurry,  the bus is waiting for the train!)

Get around
Varshets is easily a walkable city. Nearby destinations can usually be reached by somewhat limited, but regular bus service and taxis are usually available along the main street leading to the center of town.

Connect
Tourist Information Center; Boulevard Republica, No 90A; phone: 09527/31-56 or 0878355866; email: tic_varshets@abv.bg

title: Varshets


text:
Vasai-Virar

Vasai-Virar, formerly Bassein or Baçaim, is a city in the North Konkan region of Maharashtra. Previously a Portuguese colony, Vasai-Virar is known for its fort and scenic coastlines. It is often compared to and referred to as Mini Goa due to its resemblance to the sun and sand capital of India. Vasai-Virar is also blessed with beautiful churches which could be easily compared to the churches found in Goa for its architecture. Some of the churches are over 500 years old.

By train
The Western Line and the Vasai Road–Roha Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway meet at. Other stations in Vasai-Virar include and, with Virar being the northern terminus of the Western Line.

Beaches

 * The list of popular beaches would be Suruchi Beach, Kalam Beach, Rangoan Beach, Bhuigaon Beach, Rajodi Beach, Arnala Beach etc. All the beaches are outlined with thick greenery and are a favourite picnic spot for all.

Eat
Bananas are the most famous in Vasai-Virar, and would be worth trying a few. They are as cheap as 5 to 10 cents

Chicken Bujing, is one of the famous dishes of Vasai (fried poha, fried potatoes, chicken with lots of ingredients in it).

Wada pav of Tungareshwar is a local fast food shop.

Indyal, Teprat and Sarpatal.

Drink
Coconut water is known as one of the best drinks and is all good for health wise too. Vasai-Virar has been covered with lots of coconut trees around it same as in Kerala. There are many restaurants & bars in Vasai like Blu Spice, Mambos, V lounge, Celebrity, Status, and Farmhouse where you can spend a good evening with your friends and enjoy delicious food. There are a couple of restaurants which are sea facing like Sea & Sand, Kinara etc. which are famous for their lip-smacking seafood.

title: Vasai-Virar


text:
Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama is a port city in the west coast Indian state Goa. Vasco is Goa's most populous overgrown town and the adjoining Mormugao port are busy, dusty and mainly commercial centres.

Understand
The town is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who is the first person known to have sailed the Cape Route around Africa.

Mormugao Port was constructed in 1888, and is today one of the major ports of India. Around one-third of India's ore exports leave from here. Ship-builder Goa Shipyard Limited, that builds Navy and Coast Guard vessels, is built on the 1957-formed colonial barge-repair yard Estaleiros Navais de Goa.

The Indian Navy also has a conspicuous presence in Mormugao with its vast campus, and its contested control over the Dabolim airport enclave. INS Gomantak is the headquarters of the Indian Navy in Goa and sits on the hill overlooking St Andrew's Church and the Zuari river. Nearby is the naval hospital INS Jeevanti. Overlooking the Mormugao Port is the Navy's hydrographic school. This area's largest naval presence is the INS Hansa, which includes the Dabolim airport.

Vasco was home to about 100,000 people in 2011.

By train

For a list of trains, see Goa.

There are direct trains to Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai. There are connections to Mumbai and elsewhere from Madgaon Junction, 24km away.

By road
Vasco is a 30km-drive from Panaji. Buses operate to towns in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Major services between Panaji and other cities usually have connections from Vasco.

By sea
While no regular ships operate from Mormugao harbour, the cruise ship Superstar Libra calls at the port on its journeys from Mumbai to Lakshwadeep.

Get around
Get around in a car, bus, scooter, or on foot. Like in the rest of Goa, two-wheeler motorcycle taxis are available. You will find them usually painted in yellow and black (the colour of taxis in parts of India, including Mumbai) and their riders are locally called pilots. Motorcycle taxis tend to be more reasonably priced, especially if you're travelling alone and don't mind roughing it out a bit.

See

The "Japanese Garden" up the hill in a place called Sada. It is in a hill top facing the ocean. The route to the garden from the Vasco station gives a good view of the ships in the ocean in the Goan shipyards on your right hand side. It is seated in a beautiful calm place. You can sit on top and watch the ocean, or walk down to a temple at the shore. There is a sidewalk that takes you to the navy apartments nearby. It is not a usual tourist spot. It is very quiet and calm in the daytime and the ideal time to visit would be early mornings or evenings.

Beaches: Bogmalo is a small beautiful beach behind the airport. But the water can get very rough here. Velsao is a long fantastic beach a little further from the airport. But it is absolutely lonely most of the time, nobody is around! It is not dangerous, but can be lonely!

Do

 * Being mainly a business town, there isn't much to do for the tourist in Vasco da Gama. However the parks and nearby beaches do provide an option to spend a few hours in complete leisure.
 * One new attraction is the sea walk at Baina beach.
 * The Naval aircraft museum on the way to Bogmalo beach is another must see attraction.

Eat

 * Ginza. Chinese restaurant, with food recommended as being "good". Add: At Karma Plaza's ground floor, walking distance from the Vasco Railway Station. Ph 2518928 Extn 48 or 2513776.
 * Rangoli offers good food, with live music some evenings. In the same building is Temptation (Ph 2518928, extension 50), a 24-hour fast-food joint and hang out for the younger crowd. Add: Basement at Karma Plaza, on Dr Rajendra Prasad Avenue, ph 2518928 or 2513776.
 * La Paz Place of old-world charm. It restaurants are The Regency (phone 2512125 extn 130 serving Indian, continental, Goan food) and Sweet n Sour (phone 2512125 extn 125, serving exclusively Chinese), which offer interesting food. Also check the fast food joint on the ground floor called Goodyland (Ext 140). Harbour Bar is Ext 124. Ph Hotel La Paz Gardens, 2512121 till 2512125. Add: Swatantra Path, near the Municipal Garden.
 * Vasco Inn Specialises in sea-food, Goan, Indian, Chinese. A/c restaurant and bar, preferred for its Goan cuisine. Check its chicken cafreal, and chicken vildalho (or vindaloo). Also xacuti and caldine. Approx one km from the Mormugao Harbour and 3.5 km from the Dabolim airport. Add: Khalap Mansion, Near IOC, Vasco da Gama. Ph 2514725
 * City Shack, is located near the municipal garden, the ambience is intersting. Anantashram is near the municipal garden, the AC counterpart of the City Shack. In both, the food is good. Check the handi biryani, and fish dishes.
 * Annapurna is a vegetarian restaurant Recommended: Panner makhanwala. Biryani. Fried rice. Add: Near Municipal Market, Opposite the Bata showroom.  Ph 2513745, 2513375.

 * Coconut Creek Restaurant on the beach just outside Vasco. Restaurant attached to a boutique resort. Recommended: chicken cordon bleu, beef wellington and prawns stuffed sole.  Add: Bimut Vaddo, Bogmalo Phone 2538090 or 2538100. Or try 2556100 or 2556090
 * Joet's. Another option at the Bogmalo beach. Add: Bogmalo beach. Ph 2538036
 * Renaissance Airport Plaza Restaurant Airport Plaza, Airport Road, Dabolim 403801 Phone 2555841, 2515076, 2515077, 2515074
 * If you want a coffee and a cake, choose "Temptations" near the railway station. It has a youthful vibrant ambience and its open 24 hours.
 * If you want south Indian food, there is "Annapurna" which is about 5 minutes from the station. You can go upstairs for air conditioned family space.
 * If you want authentic Goan ambience - choose "Anantashram" - absolutely wonderful environment with a thatched roof, cartoons on the wall, and a big screen TV.
 * "Little Chef" is a good place for a Goan Fish Curry Thali.
 * If you are travelling towards the airport from the station, stop by "Flintstones" a good family friendly restaurant at the circle, for a pizza or a burger!
 * A little further from Flintstones is Kababs, Currys and Cocktails - excellent food, rich environment.
 * Hotel Maharaj at the end of F.L. Gomes Road, opp Hindustan Petroleum, has two restaurants in its premises. 'Windows' multi cuisine A/C restaurant and 'Dawat' outdoor restaurant. They have live music on F Sa and Su. Buffet breakfast (and take away) from 8AM to 11AM. They have just opened a 'Coffee Day Xpress" outlet on their premises and will shortly be opening an Amul exclusive outlet.
 * Abhiksha Classic A/C Restaurant is in the main road opp the main Kadamba bus stand. Offers regular multi cuisine stuff.
 * Tony's Beach Shack at Bogmallo beach also serves good food. His cheese garlic naan is recommended.
 * John Seagull is also in the row of beach restaurants at Bogmallo and has a good ambience and is always full of foreigners ... guess he makes some good stuff suitable for their palate.
 * Hotel La Paz has another outlet at the Vasco Residency called Little Chef, which is a revival of the Salgaoncars' original old restaurant in Vasco, which closed down quite some years ago and was near the shuttle bus stop.
 * There is an outfit called Bhatts. The place is nothing to write home about but he serves authentic Gujarati food only and he has quite a few discerning regulars and bachelors patronising him.
 * There is a restaurant called Adarsh on Swatantra Path, opposite Municipal Market, which is run by a Muslim and serves some excellent biryani like only the Muslims make it, plus some side dishes that have a different concoction from all other restaurants. The place is a regular udipi type joint as far as ambience and seating goes and he serves veg and non veg stuff.
 * Hotel Rukmini has started a new Udipi style restaurant veg (in March 2007) called Shravni on their building premises. There is a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Parlour on Swatantra Path adjacent to the Municipal Children's Park.
 * The Karma Plaza, next to the MMC building in the heart of town, has a fast food joint called Temptations. Serves the rolls, hamburgers, pastries, puffs, shakes, juices, tea, coffee and the like. Also has an icecream parlour attached. It is a hangout joint for the youngsters. This is the only joint open 24 hours. Very close to the railway station too.

Drink

 * There are various wine shops that sell alcohol and are available quite easily.
 * Harbour Bar in Hotel La Paz and all other hotels usually have a bar.

Sleep

 * Hotel La Paz on Swatantra Path is the best business hotel in Vasco. There are few other hotels like Bismark, Citadel and Karma that cater to the business traveller. There are also two new hotels under construction on Swatantra Path. For the tourists, it is best to find a hotel near Bogmalo beach, which is only 8 km away from Vasco da Gama.
 * Sleep when the sun is high and hot. All shops close down for a siesta in the afternoons in Goa! Find a cool calm place and rest until 4PM!

Connect
Cybercafes around Vasco Da Gama

 * National Bakery, 2 5, Da Silva Chambers, Swatantra Path, Opp Hotel Lapaz

Go next
Considering the convenient travel connections to outside the state and the small size of Goa, it is quite easy to travel all over the state being based in Vasco. Consider hiring a taxi or going on the tour buses organised by the tourism department, which can be rented from the Goa Tourism Department run Tourist Hostel.

 * Karwar
 * Dharwad
 * Mangalore
 * Hampi
 * Badami

title: Vasco da Gama


text:
Vashon Island

Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island is an island near Seattle in the Puget Sound region, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. There are no bridges to connect the island with the mainland, a big factor contributing to the island's relative isolation and rural character.

Get in
Vashon Island is accessible by ferry, boat and plane. Ferry terminals are located on the northern and southern ends of the island. There is also a small municipal airport.

By ferry

 * Ferry terminals on both ends of Vashon Island:
 * at Point Vashon on the northern end of the island has ferry service to Southworth, Fauntleroy, and even a foot ferry (King County Water Taxi) that goes directly Downtown Seattle. Vehicle and passenger service is offered to Fauntleroy Terminal in West Seattle and Southworth and passenger only service is offered to downtown Seattle.
 * on the southern end of the island has ferry service to Point Defiance in Tacoma.
 * on the southern end of the island has ferry service to Point Defiance in Tacoma.

By private boat
Vashon Island is extremely convenient when exploring Puget Sound located between major harbors in Tacoma, Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula. However not much guest moorage is available so its best to plan ahead.

By bus
King County Metro, Kitsap Transit and Pierce Transit have buses connecting Vashon Island to Seattle, Tacoma, Port Orchard, and other nearby places. The bus stops are at the ferry terminals where ferries from Vashon Island arrive into their respective counties:

King County Metro From Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. Bus stops are at both sides of Fauntleroy Way SW outside of the ferry terminal access road.

Kitsap Transit From Southworth Ferry Terminal

Pierce Transit From Point Defiance Ferry Terminal

Connections to Amtrak, Greyhound, Flixbus, Sound Transit and other long distances buses are in downtown Seattle and the Tacoma Dome

By car
Most people experience the island by car with the Vashon Hwy SW being the main north south travel route through the island, however don't be afraid to get off this road and experience the less traveled side roads, especially roads that offer views of the water.

Vashon Island's street designation is a continuation of King County's street designation system from West Seattle (SW), beginning at 1st Ave S & Yesler in downtown Seattle. The major roads are somewhat in a grid, with north-south roads called Avenues that suffix the directional and east-west roads being Streets that prefix the directional. There are occasional irregularities: Ways are long roads that don't always conform to the grid, Drives are long, circuitous routes, and there are the very short Place or Court that dead ends on one end of the road. Most roads are numbered with a few that are named. The "downtown core" for banking, shopping, eating and for bars on Vashon Island is clustered around the intersection of SW Bank Rd & Vashon Hwy SW (main north-south thoroughfare through the island).

Vashon Island lies approximately between SW 108th St (10800 block) and SW 307th St (30700 block, next to Tahlequah Ferry Terminal) southwest of downtown Seattle (Yesler), which run east and west. The east shores of the island are approximately 8700 block (87th Ave SW) west of 1st Ave S while the west shores of the island are approximately at the 14700 block (147th SW) from 1st Ave S. Vashon Hwy SW goes north and south as a major thoroughfare or main street through the island. Therefore, the house numbers increase from east to west and from north to south.

By bike
Although Vashon is popular with bicyclists, the hills can be intimidating for inexperienced riders and the sometimes tight roads make sharing the road a challenge. The Vashon Highway has ample space for bikers along its shoulder however due to the large amounts of car traffic this might be less desirable for some bikers.

By public transit

 * Bus routes 118 and 119 stop at Vashon Island Ferry Terminal, Valley Center P&R, Tahlequah, Dockton. From Valley Center P&R route 118 continues south to the Tahlequah Ferry Terminal via Burton while route 119 goes down to Dockton on Maury Island. Going north from Valley Center both operate along 99th Ave SW/Vashon Hwy to the Vashon Island Ferry Terminal.
 * Bus routes 118 and 119 stop at Vashon Island Ferry Terminal, Valley Center P&R, Tahlequah, Dockton. From Valley Center P&R route 118 continues south to the Tahlequah Ferry Terminal via Burton while route 119 goes down to Dockton on Maury Island. Going north from Valley Center both operate along 99th Ave SW/Vashon Hwy to the Vashon Island Ferry Terminal.

See
Vashon offers many parks and beaches open to the public

Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the islands miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and making Vashon one a popular areas to kayak in Puget Sound. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sites while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.

Kayak trails
Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate and scenic travel destinations.

Scuba diving

Scuba diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than other warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible. The area contains some of the best diving in the world and many areas are accessible from the Vashon Island. Many dive sites are completely covered with colorful sea creatures that defy description. Giant Pacific Octopus are common, along with friendly wolf eels. Colorful sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, anemones and fish can be seen on nearly every dive. The state offers a guide to parks with launch sites HERE

Buy
The town of Vashon has a large variety of stores that would appeal to the average tourist including many arts and crafts made by locals.

Sleep
A short ferry ride from Seattle or Tacoma, Vashon Island is a popular and easy get away from city life with many popular B&Bs to choose from.

Go next
Seattle is to the east via ferry, Kitsap Peninsula is to the west via ferry and Tacoma is to the south via ferry.

title: Vashon Island


text:
Vasto

Vasto is a town in Abruzzo Region in Italy.

Get around
Getting around Vasto is quite easy. Walking is the easiest way to get around town. If you are feeling adventurous you can walk from the main town down to Vasto Marina, which takes about 45min from the center of town. There is a very efficient bus system which can get you to any part of the city you wish.

Do
Vasto Marina - The main attraction to this touristy town is the spectacular beach. Golden sand and warm calm waves provide a relaxing setting. You can rent an umbrella and beach chairs at one of the many local establishments along the main strip or you can opt for the public beaches on either side. The beach becomes rocky as you head north up the coast.

Eat
The best restaurant in town is called "Le Cisterne". The food is spectacular and it sits right along the cliff which overlooks the coastline. It is a quick walk from the center of town located just down the steps from the public parking lot at the bottom of the Villa. A must go!

title: Vasto


text:
Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland is the second largest national park in Europe (the largest is Yugyd Va in Komi, Russia) and a natural world heritage site. The park was founded on 7 June 2008 and includes the former Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur National Parks. Containing, the park covers about 14% of the surface of Iceland. At 2,106 metres, the park is home to Iceland's highest mountain (Hvannadalshnúkur), largest glacier (Vatnajökull), and Europe's most powerful waterfall (Dettifoss). The former Jökulsárgljúfur park is covered in its own article, in addition to the area around Jökulsárlón, a large glacial lake.

Understand
The park lies on the west side of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Skaftafell is the name of the hill that runs along one of the glacier fingers and between the mountains. There is a visitor centre (open till 16:00) and campsite (open mid-May) with full amenities and disability access.

History
Skaftafell is mentioned early in the Saga of Burnt Njal (a popular Icelandic Saga). It is home to some of the best fertile land in the country and so has a long history of farming. Unfortunately, it also has a history of severe flooding, when volcanoes under the Vatnjökul glacier cause mass melting and flooding of the low lands. As a consequence, farmers abandoned their lush lowland farms and moved to higher ground.

Landscape
Lowland, rivers, black sand, a very big glacier, some picturesque mountains, hills, waterfalls, quicksand, quiet brooks — what more could you ask for?

The Skaftafell is the hill where farmers settled to avoid the floods from the giant glacier. There are well established hiking paths up the hill where you can access viewpoints that look across the glaciers, several stunning waterfalls, and a mixture of fauna and bird life. The high point of the hill is around 600 m and takes around two hours to reach the highest point. One of the highlights of the trek is Svartifoss (Black Falls), with stunningly beautiful black basalt columns around the falls. There is a road that goes to quite near the top allowing disabled access to the stunning views.

Climate
The eastern side of Iceland is the leeward side, getting less precipitation than the western side. Consequentially, this sea-level area is part of the low desert in Iceland, the high desert being represented by the area East of Mývatn.

Get in
Skaftafell information centre is open everyday all year round, from at least 10:00–16:00 (longer in summer).

Free toilets, expensive shop, very expensive Internet (including Wi-Fi), about 1000 kr/hour.

The staff may not always be aware of the current state of the tracks and paths, despite what they say.

Free parking.

Fees and permits
Free entrance to the park.

Get around
The only way to get around is by hiking only.

See

 * Ice caves and tunnels
 * Ice caves and tunnels

Do

 * Icelandic horse riding tours in Skaftafell.
 * January-March, find a guide to ski Hvannadalshnúkur.
 * Hike up the hill and see all the waterfalls and great views.

Eat
There is a small road side service station around 5 km east of the park, opposite the Skaftafell Hotel. The food is good and reasonably priced, but the choice is limited. There is also a mini supermarket within the service station, where you can buy many things from tea to soap at high prices.

Fosshotel Nupar has a restaurant open for lunch and dinner. À-la-carte dishes and group menu are offered. There is also a bar.

Huts
Several huts are in the area. All of the huts have cooking facilities and a bathroom. Some huts have showers. Camping facilities are available nearby.

Stay safe
Stick to the paths and don't venture onto the glacier without a guide - danger of death. There are few gas stations in the area. One is located a few kilometers east from the Skaftafell National Park entrance, on the Ring Road #1.

title: Vatnajökull National Park


text:
Vatomandry

Vatomandy is a small town on the Indian Ocean in Toamasina Province, Madagascar.

See
Canal des Pangalanes. Vatomandy is the southern end of the amazing series of man-made and natural canals that effectively extends half way down the east coast of Madagascar.

Budget
Mones Lodge. Five bungalows near the ocean. Two have solar pannel that provide enough power to heat water in the morning.

title: Vatomandry


text:
Vaucluse

Vaucluse (Occitan: Vauclusa) is a department of the Provence region of France. The Vaucluse retains in part its historical identity as the Comtat Venaissin, an independent papal entity until the 1791 post-Revolutionary annexation by France.

Cities and towns

 * — well known for its Palace of the Popes where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries
 * — among the most beautiful villages in France
 * — among the most beautiful villages in France
 * — among the most beautiful villages in France

Understand
The name of Comtat Venaissin is supposed to derive from either Comitatus Vendacensis (the county of Venasque), or from Comitatus Avennicinus (County of Avignon). The territory belonged to the Popes, but was de facto independent, governed by its own executive representative appointed by the Pope, as well as popular representatives. The area was very marked by the bloody history of the French invasion, as well as the civil war which followed, between the partisans of independence and the partisans of the attachment to France. In line with other departments across France, the Vaucluse was named after a significant local geographical feature, in this case the Fontaine de Vaucluse spring. The new name was intended both a definitive rupture with the past, and as a way to harmonise local administration into the nascent French Republic. However, despite generations of central government attempting to stamp out regional languages and cultures, a strong Occitan identity persists in the department. Linguistic aside: despite looking like a feminine noun, Vaucluse is actually masculine.

Talk
The official language remains French, but a language commonly spoken by locals until the 19th century was Occitan in its Provençal dialect. There are still some speakers of the dialect, and it is locally the daily language in some parts of the department, though like all regional languages in France, it is under threat.

By car
The main access from the north is undoubtedly the A7 motorway (Autoroute du Soleil), which bypasses the famous national road N7, nicknamed la Route bleue and la Route des vacances during its mid-20th-century heyday. The A8 and A9 bring traffic in from the east and west respectively.

By train

 * Avignon TGV station: on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille corridor, connects the Vaucluse to the outside world.
 * Avignon-Centre and Orange stations both welcome regional and national TGVs and TERs, in addition to departmental traffic. A rail shuttle operates between Avignon Centre and Avignon TGV.

See
Avignon is an open-air museum. Its Palace Square is inundated with tourists during the hot months. Not far in almost any direction are smaller squares, frequented by locals, where prices are found to be more affordable. Highly recommended is the Place Pie, with its halls where you can buy fresh produce, wine country, cheese, etc. Visits to the banks of the Rhône and the Jardin des Doms are essential. Pont Saint-Bénézet is not far from the Palace, on the Rhone. Calvet Museum whose wealth and the importance of its collections have earned it to be admitted among the "classified museums". They relate to archeology, fine arts, decorative arts, especially goldsmith, faience, porcelain, tapestry, ironwork and ethnology in Asia, Oceania and Africa. Petit Palais Museum is a museum of painting, and the Requien museum is the natural history museum of the city of Avignon as well as many churches and colleges.

There are many myseums in other towns of the region:
 * Petrarch Museum and Museum of Resistance, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
 * Campredon Art Centre, Isle sur la Sorgue
 * Museum of Arts and Wine Professions, Ansouis
 * Bakery Museum, Bonnieux
 * Museum of Basketry, Cadenet
 * Comtadin-Duplessis Museum and Sobirats Museum, Carpentras
 * Archaeological Museum of the Hôtel-Dieu and Jewish Museum Comtadin - The Synagogue, Cavaillon
 * Lavender Museum, Coustellet
 * Marc Deydier Museum, Cucuron
 * Comtadin Costume Museum, Pernes-les-Fontaines
 * Museum of Cartonnage and Printing, Valréas

Do
There are many vineyards in this department, so wine tasting is an option for interested visitors. The department has many hiking trails, whose signs are organised by the local council. Three free hiking tours are available at the tourist office in Fontaine de Vaucluse. A favourite canoeing and kayaking route runs from Fontaine de Vaucluse to Isle sur la Sorgue along the very beautiful River Sorgue, although there are also many other opportunities along the same river. The Mont Serein ski resort, facing north of Mont Ventoux, had several trails. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available, and there is a children's ski school on site.

Cycling

 * Cycle course at Mont Ventoux
 * Bike tours in Sorgues
 * The Calavon cycle path (voie verte du Calavon), between Cavaillon and Apt. A 28-km-long route meandering through Beaumettes and Saint-Martin-de-Castillon, along the River Calavon. Like all voies vertes, it reuses an old railway corridor.
 * Via Venaissia cycle route (along the Dentelles de Montmirail). Following the route of an old railway line, via Carpentras and Orange; it will eventually reach ViaRhôna in the Rhone Valley, and the Calavon path. The first section, 7 km long, between Jonquières and Sarrians, was inaugurated in 2014. An extension, between Sarrians and the Aubignan-Loriol-du-Comtat station, was opened in 2015.

Festivals
Some major cultural events take place in Vaucluse:
 * Festival d'Avignon — internationally-famous theatre festival held for a month every July, since 1947
 * Chorégies d'Orange — opera and classical music festival held in July and August
 * Trans'art at Carpentras — diverse music and comedy concerts in July and August

Markets
Make sure to arrive early, as French markets hit their peak in mid-morning and all but the largest mostly begin packing up around lunchtime.
 * Halles d'Avignon (daily) - the city's covered market hall
 * Isle-sur-la-Sorgue market (Sunday) - the most beautiful market in Provence
 * Apt market (Saturday)
 * Bollène market (Friday)
 * Cavaillon market (Monday and Friday)
 * Carpentras market (Friday)
 * Coustellet market (Sunday)
 * Malaucène market (Wednesday)
 * Vaison-la-Romaine market (Tuesday)

Farmers' markets

 * Coustellet market (Wednesday evening)
 * Monteux market (Wednesday morning)
 * Petit Palais market (Saturday morning) - in a hamlet of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
 * Velleron market (Apr-Sep: daily at 18:00; Oct-Mar: 3 evenings a week at 16:30)
 * Carpentras truffle market (Friday morning 16 Nov-15 Feb, Jul-Aug, dependent on the two truffle seasons)

Historical fairs
Some fairs are over 700 years old.
 * Avignon Fair (mid-Apr)
 * St Andrew's Fair (Avignon, end of Nov)
 * Fair of Saint-Siffrein (Carpentras, end of Nov)

Shopping malls

 * Avignon-Nord (at Le Pontet) - Auchan supermarket, plus a shopping mall including major retailers
 * Cap Sud (north of Avignon on RN7) - Casino Supermarket, and commercial gallery, including Galeries Lafayette and a Pathé Cap Sud cinema complex
 * Mistral 7 (south of Avignon on RN7) - Auchan and a shopping mall

Local delicacies

 * Daube avignonnaise - shoulder of lamb or mutton marinated in local white wine
 * Papeton d'aubergines - an eggplant flan
 * Crespéou - a savoury layered cake, made with eggs, Mediterranean vegetables and herbes de Provence
 * Thirteen desserts for Christmas!

Local produce

 * Melons of the Cavaillon variety
 * Truffles
 * Several goat cheeses, including tome de Provence

title: Vaucluse


text:
Vaud

Vaud (German Waadt) is a French-speaking canton in Western Switzerland.

Regions

 * Lake Geneva
 * Vaud Alps
 * Vaud Jura
 * Central Plateau

Cities

 * Lake Geneva
 * — medieval charm on the lake, very close to Geneva
 * — capital of the canton
 * — the jewel of the Swiss Riviera
 * — pleasant town centre with thriving Sunday flea market
 * — Small city in the midst of the Swiss Riviera, corporate headquarters of Nestlé
 * — Small city in the midst of the Swiss Riviera, corporate headquarters of Nestlé

 * Vaud Alps
 * — a jumping off point for the Vaud Alps, with a very cool castle
 * — ski/hiking resort town in the Vaud Alps
 * — spa and college town with good skiing in the Vaud Alps
 * – good ski resort for beginners and families
 * – good ski resort for beginners and families

 * Vaud Jura

 * Central Plateau

Other destinations

 * - A terraced wine growing region on the northern bank of Lake Geneva

Understand
The public holidays are different in each canton. These are the public holidays in addition to those observed in the whole of Switzerland:

 * St. Berchtold (2 January)
 * Lundi du Jeûne (Monday after the third Sunday of September)

Talk
Vaud is entirely French speaking, though you will also hear some Swiss German, Italian, and English. While it might be hard to get around the country side without speaking French, Lausanne is much more international and it is not uncommon for people around you to be having conversations in four different languages.

By plane
Geneva airport is near the western part of the canton, about 25 km southwest of Nyon, 60 km from Lausanne and 90 km from Montreux. From the airport station, half-hourly interregio trains take you to Nyon in 25 minutes, to Lausanne in 50 minutes, to Montreux in 1:15 h, to Aigle in 1½ hours. For the northern part of the canton, Berne airport may be closer (45 km to Avenches, 90 km to Château-d'Œx), which is however a much smaller airport, offering only a limited choice of international connections. From Zurich Airport, Switzerland's most important air hub, there are direct intercity trains to Lausanne, taking 2:20 hours.

By train
Vaud is accessible via the well-developed rail network of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The canton's most important rail hub is in the capital Lausanne, which is served by intercity trains from Geneva, Fribourg, Berne, Zurich and St. Gallen (some trains on this line also stop in Nyon and Morges); St. Gallen, Zurich or Basel and Delémont, Biel/Bienne and Neuchatel via Yverdon. From Geneva to Lausanne, it takes 35–45 minutes, from Berne a bit more than an hour, from Zurich and Basel two or 2½ hours.

Moreover, there are regular Italian Eurocity trains from Milan to Montreux (three hours) and Lausanne (3:20 h). A few trains even run all the way from Venice (6:20 h) and Verona (5:10 h) to Lausanne. From Paris, there are direct high-speed trains (TGV) to Lausanne (via Dijon, Dole) several times a day, taking 3:40 hours.

The Vaud Alps are accessible with the interregio line Geneva–Lausanne–Montreux–Aigle–Saint-Maurice–Sion–Brig or the Schnellzug line Montreux–Château-d'Œx–Gstaad–Zweisimmen.

See

 * Take a boat from Montreux to see the iconic Chillon Castle. This is probably the most famous castle in Switzerland and stands prominently on a rock on the lake.
 * La Sarraz Castle, located in a small village (also named La Sarraz) 20 minutes by train from Lausanne. A recognised site of European Heritage, the current castle dates to the 16th century and stands out as quite unique architecturally.

Eat

 * Chocolaterie Tristan: In Bougy-Villars, a cute little village half-way between Lausanne and Geneva, one shouldn't miss this little artisanal chocolate factory. Unique chocolates with all sort of original flavours such as spice, tea, olive oil, and many more, are prepared here. You can get there by bus from Allaman (IKEA train stop). On the way, you will enjoy a beautiful view of the mountains and the surrounding vineyards. Once in the village, let the scent guide you to the shop. And by the way, why not stop in Féchy (the neighbouring village) to taste some famous local wine.

Go next

 * Geneva, to the west
 * Valais, to the east
 * Berne Region, to the north
 * Haute-Savoie, across the lake
 * Franche-Comté, neighbouring region in France

title: Vaud