text:
Upper Normandy

Upper Normandy (French: Haute-Normandie) comprises the eastern half of Normandy in northern France.

Cities

 * — the historical capital of the region
 * — an historic medieval town, the site of a remarkable castle and churches
 * — a small village, with a zoological park, and an automobile museum
 * — seaside resort, ferries to England and site of a disastrous WW2 landing by the allies
 * — world-famous arches in chalk cliffs
 * — the capital of the Eure department
 * — the rural retreat of the impressionist painter Claude Monet
 * — a port town
 * – small fishing port and seas side resort. Impressive cliffs.
 * — abbey church with restored gardens and art exhibitions
 * — small restored château with art exhibitions and permanent open-air sculptures
 * — small restored château with art exhibitions and permanent open-air sculptures

Other destinations

 * — beautiful valleys and apple orchards
 * — fantastic scenery along the meanders of the Seine

Understand

The lower valley of the River Seine runs through this region, which combines the administrative départments of Eure and Seine-Maritime.

By car
The A13 motorway by and large follows the Seine Valley from Paris to the suburbs Rouen, then turns west/south-westward towards Caen in Lower Normandy, with a branch crossing the Seine river to Le Havre.

Driving is the only way to reach many of the more rural attractions.

By train
Take the train from Paris gare Saint-Lazare to Rouen, Le Havre and Dieppe, or to Évreux continuing towards Caen.

By bus
The region and the departements of Eure (south) and Seine-Maritime (north) operate several bus lines.

See
Discover the Alabaster Coast: spectacular chalk cliffs, and a number of scenic towns and villages invite visitors to explore, discover and enjoy their surroundings:
 * At Étretat, take a walk across the beach to admire the famous chalky pinnacles and arches.
 * The beaches of Quiberville and Pourville, where you can treat yourself to a serving of excellent oysters!
 * Varengeville has an old church perched high up on a rock and an enchanting park.
 * Veules-les-Roses is known for its ancient water mills on France's tiniest river
 * The Benedictine monastery of Fécamp

Inland, there are a lot of beautiful places to discover, for instance the Saâne Valley with its moated castle of Imbleville, or the Château de Miromesnil, birthplace of novelist Guy de Maupassant. Upper Normandy also has numerous antique shops that are known to have surprised many browsers with unexpected finds!

Do

 * Get centered at Tapovan Normandy: Yoga & Ayurvedic Massage Centre . Hameau de Anneville, 76540 Sassetot le Mauconduit.  +33 1 45 77 90 59.  Between Fécamp (12 km) and Dieppe (43 km).  60 km from Le Havre and Rouen.  Set in a peaceful natural setting, this ayurvedic centre offers week-long treatments and trainings in various ayurvedic arts: Hatha & nada yoga, reiki, ayurvedic/oil massage, Shirodhara (oil treatments), vegetarian cooking, pre/post-natal massage, etc.  An international colloquium is hosted in May.  Closed in winter.

Go next

 * Picardy
 * Nord-Pas-de-Calais

title: Upper Normandy


text:
Västerbotten County

Västerbotten County, Västerbottens län, in Norrland in Sweden consists of the coastal province Västerbotten and southern Lappland.

Västerbotten

 * is the county seat and the largest city.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.
 * is the county's second city, known for its ice hockey team and its mining industry.

Southern Lappland

 * (Southern Sámi: Sjeltie), historically administrative centre, huge annual market.
 * (Southern Sámi: Liksjovvene/Liksjoene, Ume Sámi: Lïkssjuo), the first and still largest inland town.
 * (Ume Sámi: Máláge, South Sámi: Maalege)
 * (South Sámi: Kraapohke)
 * (South Sámi: Vualtjere)
 * (South Sámi: Luspie, Ume Sámi: Lusspie)
 * (Ume Sámi: Suarssá, South Sámi: Suarsa)

Other destinations

 * , a secluded ski resort by the largest nature reserve in Sweden, with botanic garden of alpine plants; trailhead to the famous Kungsleden hiking trail
 * , a ski resort which has fostered several ski champions

Understand
While the coastal Västerbotten province has culturally been part of Sweden since the Middle Ages, Lappland is a traditional homeland of the Sami people. Many settlers from middle Sweden arrived during the early 20th century. Its population is decreasing, except for that of the bustling city of Umeå.

Talk
While Sámi language and bondska (archaic Swedish dialects) are spoken by some, everybody speaks Swedish.

Get in
Resrobot is a search engine for all public transport in Sweden.

By plane
Airports are
 * Umeå airport
 * Skellefteå airport
 * Hemavan-Tärnaby airport
 * Lycksele airport
 * Vilhelmina airport

By train
SJ has trains from Stockholm to Umeå.

By bus

 * Tapanis Buss has a route going from Stockholm to Tornio, Finland stopping at Umeå.
 * Ybuss operates a coach service between Stockholm and Umeå.

By boat
Wasa Line runs ferries between Umeå and Vaasa, Finland across the Gulf of Bothnia.

By car

 * From Stockholm or Malmö to Umeå/Skellefteå: road E4.
 * From Stockholm or Malmö to Vilhelmina/Storuman/Tärnaby: road E4 to Sundsvall, then road 331.
 * From Finland: road E4 from Tornio

Get around

 * Blue Highway

By bus

 * Länstrafiken i Västerbotten has local and regional buses.

By taxi

 * Smartphone apps: Uber

See
The county will be of interest primarily to nature lovers, and hikers will here find quite some wilderness. But the mines of Kiruna or the ice hotel are other points of interest.

Do
City-life is primarily found in Umeå. This sparsely populated region is great for outdoor life; especially hiking along Kungsleden, and winter sport (see winter in the Nordic countries).

Eat
Västerbottensost is a local cheese made in Burträsk near Skellefteå.

While Umeå has a lively community of vegans and vegetarians, fishing and hunting are pastimes in the countryside.

Drink
Nightlife can mainly be found in Umeå, and at the ski resorts.

Stay safe
See cold weather. Bears roam the region.

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

title: Västerbotten County


text:
Upper Palatinate

Upper Palatinate (German: Oberpfalz) is a region in Bavaria, Germany.

Cities
old city centre ("Marktplatz"), the old city hall, castle "Burg Wolfenstein", gothic castle "Pfalzgrafenschloss", church ("St. Johannes"), the town wall and towers ("Pulverturm")
 * — the capital of Upper Palatinate on the banks of the river Danube (Donau). old city centre, patrician towered houses, the cathedral (Cathedral Boys' Choir Regensburger Domspatzen), old city hall ("Perpetual Imperial Diet", 1663-1806), the Stone Bridge, the Porta Praetoria (Roman), the Scottish Church of St. James (portal), castle (Thurn und Taxis), "Stadtamhof"
 * old city centre, the new castle and the armoury ("Zeughaus", "Klösterl" and "Regierungskanzlei"seat of the government of "Upper Palatinate" till 1810), the town wall and gates ("Stadtbrille", "Nabburger Tor"), the gothic city hall, church ("St. Martin", "Schulkirche"), the pilgrimage church ("Mariahilfberg) and "Bergfest" late June, early July
 * old city centre ("Marktplatz"), the town towers ("Blasturm"),  church ("Jakobskirche"),  castle ("Fronberger Schloss"), "Färberhaus", historic cellars ("Historische Felsenkeller"), pilgrimage church ("Kreuzberg")
 * old city centre, "Marktplatz", the Old City Hall, the town wall and gates ("Oberes Tor"), Church St. Michael, International Ceramics Museum ("Waldsassener Kasten")
 * — known through its military training area which is the largest multinational training area in Europe

Other destinations

 * — locals call it "Bayrisch Sibiria" for obvious reasons
 * Vilseck

See

 * Joska Crystal "The Glass Experience", Bodenmais
 * Castle Burglengenfeld
 * Walhalla Donaustauf
 * "Slaying the Dragon" Furth im Wald
 * Pilgrimage church Freystadt
 * Monte Kaolino, Hirschau i. d. Obpf.
 * Castle Kallmünz
 * Farmer Museum "Oberpfälzer Freilandmuseum" Neusath-Perschen
 * Monastery of the Benedictines "Benediktinerabtei Plankstetten
 * Mining industry and industrial museum "Bergbau- und Industriemuseum" Theuern
 * Castle "Rosenberger Schloßberg" Sulzbach-Rosenberg
 * Abbey Waldsassen

title: Upper Palatinate


text:
Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula (known throughout Michigan and in surrounding areas as "the UP", or sometimes "the Yoop") is a region of Michigan. It is not connected (except by a bridge) to the rest of the state, but is connected at its southwestern end to Wisconsin. Therefore, in general the Upper Peninsula is located much closer to Ontario, Canada and the neighboring state of Wisconsin than with the Lower Peninsula, separated by a small channel connecting Lakes Michigan and Huron. This gives the region a distinct style and heritage of its own. As a result, it shares much more in common with its neighbors in Wisconsin and Canada than with the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Cities and towns

 * — departure point for ships to Isle Royale National Park.
 * — twin cities on the Keweenaw Peninsula, home to Michigan Tech University.
 * — opposite Marinette, Wisconsin on the Menominee River
 * — Lighthouses, ships' graveyard, bird watching.
 * ("the Soo") — Ship canal locks on St. Mary's River on the Canadian border.
 * — opposite Marinette, Wisconsin on the Menominee River
 * — Lighthouses, ships' graveyard, bird watching.
 * ("the Soo") — Ship canal locks on St. Mary's River on the Canadian border.
 * — Lighthouses, ships' graveyard, bird watching.
 * ("the Soo") — Ship canal locks on St. Mary's River on the Canadian border.
 * ("the Soo") — Ship canal locks on St. Mary's River on the Canadian border.

Other destinations

 * — the part of the Upper Peninsula jutting out into Lake Superior, with spectacular autumn colours and a superb downhill ski resort on the east side of the peninsula.
 * — the part of the Upper Peninsula jutting out into Lake Superior, with spectacular autumn colours and a superb downhill ski resort on the east side of the peninsula.

Understand
Sharing no land mass in common with Michigan's Lower Peninsula, the Upper Peninsula is too-often left off in published maps in newspapers or magazines, or treated as a part of Wisconsin. The UP is, however, a real treasure to visit with much to offer to any nature lover! Plentiful sandy public beaches, breathtaking recreational and fishing lakes, and vast state and national parks and forests make the region an ideal location for a vacation in any season. If you enjoy the outdoors, this natural jewel is a place for you.

The UP is mostly rural; its largest city, Marquette, tips the scales at just under 20,000 people. The population is primarily of Finnish or Swedish descent, and also includes populations of Menominee and Ojibwa descent. You will also encounter many people with Italian or French names; the UP was first explored by the French, who built the first trading posts at Sault-Ste.-Marie and St. Ignace in the 1600s, and named many of the earliest towns. The UP was dominated by the fur trade until the 1800s, at which time most towns were formed as mining or logging operations. While mining of copper, iron ore, and other minerals has dropped off since the mid-1900s, the lumber industry is still going strong. A good example of the heritage of the area is preserved at Fayette Historic State Park south on 183 from US-2.

Talk
"Say ya to da UP, eh?" This is the UP's answer to the state tourism office's slogan "Say Yes to Michigan!"

Yoopers (inhabitants of Upper Michigan) have an accent with a Canada-meets-the-Midwest flavor. "Ya" and "eh" are the most well-known of the colloquial slang. You'll hear "Eh" (ay) appended to statements, as a rhetorical stand-in for "Isn't it?", in a manner very similar to that of Canadians in Northwestern Ontario and elsewhere. In Finnish, the expression of "ey" means "no" in much the same sense as the English appendage "isn't it?" or the general-purpose French "n'est-ce pas?" Don't exaggerate the ay sound when saying "Eh" yourself, or you'll be tagged instantly as a visitor. (If someone refers to you as a "troll," they mean to say you're from the Lower Peninsula - like the troll in the Scandanavian folktale Three Billy Goats Gruff, you live "under the bridge," meaning south of the Mackinac Bridge.)

In the middle and western UP, the accent is a blend of Scandinavian (particularly Finnish), French, and Canadian influences. You'll hear more substitution of 'd' for 't' and 'th'. Also, some Yoopers tend to drop their prepositions; the Finnish language doesn't use them. So, to ask if we are going to Green Bay, Wisconsin, for example, it is rendered in the vernacular as "We go Green Bay, eh?" This speech pattern is becoming less frequent, as speaking Finnish at home becomes less and less common.

Many of the town names have a wonderfully Native American lilt to them, such as Escanaba (ES kuh NAH bah), Ishpeming (ISH peh ming), or Ontonagon (ON tuh NAH gun). You'll also see many French place names: Marquette, (mar KET), Epofuette, Au Train, L'Anse (l'AHNS), Sault Ste. Marie, (soo saynt muhREE) or Manistique (man ihs TEEK).

Get in
By car, the most scenic route from the Lower Peninsula would be US 31 along the coast of Lake Michigan over the Mackinac (pronounced mack-in-aw) Bridge. From there, US 2 will take you from St. Ignace to Escanaba, along the northern coast of Lake Michigan. Or, take M 28 via M 123 at St. Ignace; US 117 and M 77 are north-south routes connecting US 2 with M 28. M 28 will take you to Munising and Marquette, where it joins with US 41.

Access from Wisconsin is most common through US 45 (central), US 141 (central-eastern), US 41 (far eastern) or US 2 (western). US 41 and US 2 are probably the most scenic choices.

Cyclists also enjoy touring through the UP, using the main roads above as well as many less-travelled county roads. In winter, many of the old rail beds are travelled by snowmobilers.

By air, the UP can be accessed using Marquette's Sawyer, Sault Ste. Marie's Chippewa County , Houghton/Hancock's Houghton County , Iron Mountain's Ford , Escanaba's Delta County , or Ironwood's Gogebic–Iron County Airport. However, travelers should be aware that it is not uncommon for flights to be cancelled during the winter months (November to March) due to snowstorms.

Get around
You need your own vehicle (car, SUV, camper, bicycle, motorcycle), unless you are sailing.

If you intend to drive on the backwoods AAA roads and abundant dirt roads, 4-wheel drive off-road vehicles are recommended, especially in spring.

In winter, be prepared to drive on snow and ice. Snow tires and four-wheel drive would be helpful, as snowfall and drifting can get quite deep. Lake-effect snowfall is frequent along the shores of Lake Superior, and at times the flurries can be quite heavy. Watch the weather forecasts, and plan your trip accordingly. Driving at night during a snow storm can be dangerous, especially because of the distance between towns with gas stations that stay open late. Be prepared to pull over and wait out storms; keeping a warm blanket in the back seat for this purpose is a very good idea. On the bright side, motels are cheap, and some of them are busier than you would expect, thanks to the snowmobile crowd.

The pre-eminent scenic east-west route in the Upper Peninsula is US 2 along the northern shore of Lake Michigan. It follows the coastline very closely for miles and there are several areas in which you can pull off and park to access the beach directly, especially close to St. Ignace. M-28 also runs along the Lake Superior shore for long stretches, especially as you get close to Marquette, but contains the famous "Seney Stretch", a segment of two-lane highway west of Seney, without a curve, bump in the road, or turn-off for 25 miles. Watch for deer and the occasional moose in this area.

See
The Upper Peninsula is home to beautiful mountains. The Porcupine Mountains are the home of Lake in the Clouds. The Huron Mountains, ranging from Marquette County into Baraga County, features low yet rugged mountains, swamps, and lakes. The Huron Mountain Club is private property and strictly off-limits to all but its members.

Rockhounds love the Lake Superior shoreline, and agate hunting is a popular pastime.

Michigan is said to have nearly 200 named waterfalls, all but one of which are located in the Upper Peninsula. However most of those falls are quite small. Many of them are better described as rapids. There are still a good number of interesting falls to visit across the UP. Tahquamenon Falls is the most impressive waterfall in the state. Miners Falls, Laughing Whitefish Falls, Bond Falls, Agate Falls, Gorge Falls, Potawatomi Falls and Superior Falls are also all not to be missed.

Large tracts of the Upper Peninsula are devoted to national and state forests, peaceful areas that contribute to the UP's abundance of fresh air. An example of this would be M-28 through much of the central portion of the UP.

For camping/RV opportunities in the outdoors, M-28 leads to some extraordinary finds, as it passes through the Hiawatha National Forest and Ottawa National Forest. You'll be able to bicycle, picnic, and hike in these areas.

Heading further north, US 41 takes you through the Keweenaw (pronounced KEE we naw) Peninsula, up to Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. This route takes you through beautiful forests, along the lakeshore (via M-26) and offers sightings of many lighthouses and waterfalls. Sticking to the posted "circle tours" and following roads close to the lakes are probably your best bet for scenic road trips.

The Seney National Wildlife Refuge has a very large tract of wetlands, and is home to migrating birds, as well as moose, bear, and otter. Visitor activities include birdwatching, photography, and hiking.

Self-guided fall color tours are popular in September and October, especially in the mid- to western UP.

Winter activities
For downhill skiing, some of the best places are in the Porcupine Mountains in the western U.P. Examples are Indianhead Mountain, in Wakefield, and Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort, in Bessemer. To the east, there's Marquette Mountain in Marquette.

If you prefer the tranquility of cross-country skiing, there are many trails to accommodate you. Many of the major, i.e., more popular, trails are listed by Exploring the North, by county.

Snowmobiling is a popular activity during the winter months across much of the UP, so much so that hotels and motels have popped up to accommodate the snowmobilers. See the "Trails" section above, as many trails are in active use year 'round, making use of old railbeds and defunct logging trails.

Summer activities
Visit the Huron Mountains. Ranging from western Marquette County through Baraga County, generally north of US-41, the Huron Mountain range features low yet rugged mountains. Climb Mount Arvon (elev. 1,980 ft) or Mount Curwood (elev. 1,979 ft). Climb Hogback (elev. 1,220 ft). A hiker's delight. Bring your camera, too.

There's a wealth of information on the trails and paths available in the UP. These are documented in many websites, such as Michigan Trails and Munising.com. Many of these trails are used year round, by hikers, mountain bikers, touring cyclists, snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and snowmobilers.

The UP is a popular place for road cycling and mountain biking. Take the same precautions in the UP as anywhere else, when cycling. Wear a helmet. Bring an extra innertube and a tire pump. Make sure your reflectors are clean and visible. Wear bright colors, attach a flag to your bike, make yourself visible. Give lumber trucks and other large vehicles a wide berth.

Some public parks offer canoe and/or kayak rentals.

Visit the Porcupine Mountains (the 'Porkies'), home to camping/RV areas and a wide selection of trails for hiking and skiing. Rent a boat, and go paddling. Fish. Camp. Picnic. Hunt (in season, designated areas only, of course).

The UP is home to black bear and grey wolf. When camping, take the appropriate precautions with your food supply.

The Finns are to thank for introducing the sauna to the UP. When booking a room or campsite, ask whether a sauna is available. If there is, you're in luck. Wrap yourself up in a towel (or wear a swimsuit), and camp on a sauna bench. If the sauna is old-style, your luck is even better because that means there are heated rocks in the sauna, and a bucket of water with a ladle nearby. Dip the ladle into the bucket, pour water onto the rocks, and enjoy the steam. It's great for achy muscles, or if you just want to unwind.

Have some extra cash? Tired of the outdoors? Go to a casino. Chances are there's one near you in the UP. Casinos are owned and operated by local members of resident Native American tribes. Some of these casinos have expanded operations to include lodging and conference facilities. You'll find casinos in (or near) Bark River, Baraga, Brimley, Christmas, Hessel, Manistique, Marquette, St. Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie, Watersmeet, and other locations.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for wildlife management. The UP is Zone 1 in the Michigan DNR's list of hunting/fishing zones. For most wildlife, Michigan has set hours of daylight hunting, which vary depending on the time of year. Hunting is species-specific, and is permitted only in designated counties, depending on the abundance and health of the hunted species.

Michigan offers hunting licenses for whitetail deer, mule deer, and elk, with separate seasons for bow and for firearms. When hunting deer, a separate license is required to hunt 'antlerless' deer. In bird season, hunters can hunt for migratory birds including wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and partridge; waterfowl include black ducks, mallards, Canada geese, and others. Hunting seasons have been established for other wildlife, including black bear, rabbit and hare, opossum, and porcupine.

For information on dates, bag limits, and hunting license fees, see the DNR website.

Do not hunt on private property without the owner's permission. Property owners are territorial, and rightfully so. If you see signs like "No Hunting," or "No Trespassing", don't even bother to ask - hunt elsewhere. There are plenty of areas with public access.

Visitors can fish the big lakes (Superior, Michigan), the inland lakes, and many creeks and streams. Licensing, minimum length of caught fish, and fish limits are regulated by the Michigan DNR, which publishes a fishing guide.

Asian carp are a threat to the native species of Great Lakes fishes. Learn to identify Asian carp (as shown in the fish guide), and note that juvenile Asian carp can easily be mistaken for minnows. If you have or catch an Asian carp of any size/age, don't release it. While Asian carp have not yet been found in Lake Superior, anglers are asked to be vigilant.

Eat
The most well-known food associated with the UP is the pasty (pronounced "pass-tee"). Brought to the area by Cornish miners, it was a hand-held "no dish" meal for miners who had no time to come above ground for lunch. The miners could heat their pasty back up on their shovels on top of their lanterns. The pasty's appeal crossed ethnic barriers and has been adopted as this region's specialty. Today's pasty consists of potatoes, diced or ground beef, onions, and rutabaga in a pastry crust.

Pasty shops are scattered rather sparsely across the UP. All are mom-and-pop operations, such as Jean Kay's Pasties and Subs (at 1635 Presque Isle, Marquette), Lawry's Pasty Shop on US41 just west of Marquette, Roy's Pasties & Bakery, Pasty King Prime in Iron Mountain, and Muldoons Pasties & Gifts, Dobber's Pasties in Escanaba, to name a few. Buy the pasties fresh, or frozen to take home. Also look for pastys filled with chicken or vegetable-only mixtures, if that's more to your taste. Pasties are eaten either hot or cold, with ketchup or without; sometimes brown gravy is offered with hot pasties.

Fish is another UP specialty. Look for restaurants and shops that offer whitefish, fresh or smoked, as well as lake trout, walleye, steelhead, and other big-lake fish. The Vierling Restaurant and Brewery, in Marquette, offers fresh and smoked fish prepared a variety of ways. Sydney's Restaurant, and Buckhorn Resort, both in Munising, offer lake perch and other freshwater fish.

Remember to look for Friday night fish frys, offered in many towns around the U.P. Sometimes these pop up in places that don't usually have a lot of fish on the menu.

There aren't many places that serve traditional Finnish fare. One that does is Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Yes, there is such a thing as fine dining in the UP. Try the Piedmont in the Landmark Inn,. Or, Elizabeth's Chop House, also in Marquette, on Front St. just a couple of blocks down the hill from Capers. Other gems are out there; these will be added when they're found.

Drink
Brewpubs have popped up here and there in the UP, owing to the surge in popularity of microbrew beers. The Michigan Brewers Guild lists 12 brewpubs in different locations scattered around the UP, including Soo Brewing Co. in Sault Ste. Marie,  Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub (which also has a restaurant, featuring whitefish and other yummies), Hereford & Hops in Escanaba, and the Library Restaurant and Brewpub in Houghton. Marquette has at least two brewpubs, the aforementioned Vierling Restaurant and Brewery, and Blackrocks Brewery.

Stay safe
With just a few local exceptions, the major roads in the UP are two-lane highways. Turn on your headlights during the day, and you will be more visible to oncoming traffic -- especially vehicles that are passing other vehicles.

Mix 18-wheelers, RVs, cars, and SUVs, and two-lane highways become crowded, especially along US-2, M-28, and US-41 (south of Marquette). The State of Michigan has invested in passing lanes, and posted signs to let drivers know how many such lanes exist between major stops along the highways. This is particularly true (and most needed) among US-2.

Give logging trucks, salt trucks, and sand trucks a wide berth. These vehicles are big, fast, and have major blind spots.

When hiking, cycling, and camping, tell someone where you're going and when you plan to return, if you're heading out into the backwoods. Don't rely on your cell phone for contact, as cell coverage can be sketchy in the remote parts of the UP and varies by cell service provider. T-Mobile has almost no coverage on the entire peninsula, Sprint has a little. AT&T and Verizon have the best.

The most dangerous situations you can encounter in the Upper Peninsula are often weather related. During the long winter season, major snow events and subzero temperatures are fairly common. Snowfall totals from large storms are often measured in feet, not inches, especially in the Western UP and along the Lake Superior shoreline. The counties do a good job of salting, sanding, and plowing on the main roads and highways, so give the plows and salt trucks plenty of room when you encounter them.

As for less-traveled roads, everything on the winter driving page applies. While the locals cope very well with the snow, it is not a good idea to attempt to travel if heavy snows are possible. Even with a four wheel drive vehicle, you may get stuck. Pack your car/SUV/truck for such an event if you do head out! Items to include: a cell phone, blankets, food and water, a snow shovel, flares, kitty litter and snowchains for your tires. Better yet, stay home and watch the Packers on TV.

The UP has relatively little violent crime, but drunk driving and drunken snowmobiling are hazards, just as in the rest of the rural Upper Midwest. Be careful!

Go next
Trips to Ontario, northern Wisconsin, or northeastern Minnesota are nice complements to a trip to the Upper Peninsula if you would like to continue to explore the Lake Superior coastline.

Eastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois, and the lower peninsula of Michigan can make for a good addition to a trip based around Lake Michigan.

title: Upper Peninsula


text:
Upper Sandusky

Upper Sandusky is a city in Northwest Ohio. It is the county seat of Wyandot County

By car
US Hwy 23 and 30 are the main highways into town. They bypass around the north and east side of town with US Hwy 23 going north and south while US Hwy 30 continue east and west.

Get around
Locally Sandusky Ave (SR-53 & 199) divides east from west while Wyandot Ave (old hwy 30) divides north from south. Sandusky and Wyandot Avenues intersect in the middle of town. US Hwy 23 and 30 bypass around the north and east side of town as a freeway with traffic going at higher speeds. US Hwy 23 goes north and south while US Hwy 30 continue east and west.

Eat

Sleep
There are only a few places to stay at by the junction of US Hwy 23 & E Wyandot.

Nearby cities

 * Findlay
 * Nevada
 * Columbus

title: Upper Sandusky


text:
Uppsala County

Uppsala County, Uppsala län, is in eastern Svealand in middle Sweden, and has around 360,000 inhabitants. The county makes up most of the Uppland province; the south-eastern part belongs to Stockholm County. It borders Västmanland in the west, and Gästrikland in the north, and nearly has a quadripoint with Dalarna in the north-west.

Cities

As other Swedish counties, Uppsala County is divided between municipalities (kommuner), each with a dominant city or town.
 * is a university city, with the largest cathedral in the Nordic countries.
 * is a coastal town, famous for the Walloon iron industry, and the northern outskirts of the Stockholm archipelago.
 * is a quaint town between Uppsala and Gävle. Its municipal territory contains the northernmost stretch of the Roslagen coast.
 * at the outlet of Dalälven River, considered the natural border to Norrland. The Dragon's Gate, a Chinese-themed hotel, can be found here.
 * is a modern suburb with heritage from the Viking age, and many historical artifacts.
 * , "Sweden's nearest city", is a quaint port city with acclaimed public gardens.
 * , with Bålsta as the municipal seat, is functionally an outer suburb of Stockholm.
 * is a rural municipality with deep forests.

Other destinations

 * consists of the suburbs and farmlands around Uppsala contain Carl Linnaeus' botanical garden, the Lennakatten museum railway, and many archaeological sites.
 * Skokloster Palace outside Enköping

Understand

Though Swedish provinces are usually the foundation of folk culture and local patriotism, Uppland lacks a unifying identity, and very few inhabitants think of themselves as "Upplanders". The area is very diverse, with rich mining deposits and dense forests in the north, fertile plains in the south, and a maritime coastal region in the east. Historically, the people of Uppland have been the first to adopt international trends arriving in Sweden via Stockholm, creating a more cosmopolitan but less traditional local culture. If anything is typical for Uppland, it would be the very absence of typical traits. Today, the province is much characterized by the gap between the bustle of Stockholm and Uppsala, and the quiet northern forests.

Without tall mountains, Uppland was one of the last Swedish provinces (landskap) to rise from the Baltic Sea after the Ice Age. Still in 1,500 BC, at the beginning of the Iron Age, most of today's land surface was below sea level. Though the land is young, it is among the most fertile in Sweden, and allowed the Suiones, svear to found a cities, such as Uppsala, Birka and Adelsö during the Viking Age in the 8th to 11th century.

Around AD 1000 Sweden was christianized and the organized into a unified kingdom, with Sigtuna as its first capital. As Sigtuna was sacked by pirates in 1187, Stockholm was founded to protect Mälaren, and later became the national capital. Uppsala was the site of a pagan temple, which was torn down in the late 11th century, as Christianity arrived. A century later, the city became the seat of the Church of Sweden.

From the Middle Ages, Uppland was an international forerunner in metallurgy. In the early 17th century, blacksmiths from Wallonia founded several workshops around Östhammar, and forged weapons which were used to establish the Swedish Empire (see Nordic history).

Since the Industrial Revolution, Stockholm and Uppsala have grown, while the minor towns now function as extended suburbs of these cities. With nearly 1.5 million inhabitants, Uppland is Sweden's most populous province.

Roslagen is the coast and archipelago of Uppland, also consisting of Norrtälje, Lidingö, and the northern Stockholm archipelago.

Get in
The search engine Resrobot can be used for all domestic public transport in the area.

By plane

 * Stockholm Arlanda Airport (Sigtuna) is Sweden's largest airport, with flights from all across Europe, North America and Asia. There are direct trains from Arlanda to Uppsala, which depart from SkyCity between terminal 4 and 5 (ticket sales there), not from the two other stations at Arlanda.
 * Stockholm-Bromma Airport (Stockholm/Västerort) mostly serves short-range flights. Bus to Stockholm and then train.

By ferry
Ferries from Finland and Estonia arrive at Stockholm and Kapellskär (in Norrtälje). See Tallink Silja Line and Viking Line.

By train
Trains from Copenhagen, Oslo and Gothenburg end at Stockholm Central Station. Change train in Stockholm to go to Uppsala or Enköping. Trains from Northern Sweden stop in Uppsala. Tickets are sold by SJ. There are frequent trains from Stockholm to Uppsala, both SJ trains, and local Stockholm trains. If you travel between Stockholm and Uppsala on the local Stockholm (SL) trains you need both SL and UL tickets. Such multiple tickets can bought over desk on SL centers in Stockholm or UL Center at Uppsala station, or from SJ, not onboard or in SL machines.

By bus

 * Tapanis Buss has a route between Stockholm and Tornio, Finland serving coastal region along road E4
 * FlixBus

Get around
Public transport in Stockholm county (including Sigtuna and Norrtälje) is run by SL. In Uppsala County it is run by Upplands lokaltrafik. There is a fairly large city bus network in Uppsala.

In the countryside, driving is the most practical option. The E4 passes through Knivsta, Uppsala, Tierp, and Älvkarleby; see E4 through Sweden.

See
Uppsala has several historical buildings, including the cathedral (Uppsala domkyrka), the castle (Uppsala slott) and the Carolina Rediviva library.

Industrial heritage
Öregrund, Älvkarleby and Tierp have several metal works, bruk. Many of them were founded by Walloons during the 17th century.

Palaces
Uppsala County has a large collections of palaces and castles, slott, most of them open to the public to some extent. Noblemen and industrialists built themselves buildings in rural Uppland.

 * Ekolsund Castle, in Enköping, was the summer recidency of King Gustavus III. It has a famous arboratory which can be seen during tours.
 * Grönsö Manor, near Enköping, is a 17th-century castle by lake Mälaren which is the private recidence of the von Ehrenheim family. The palace interiors are only accessible through guided tours.
 * Haga Castle, near Enköping, is today luxury a conference hall, hotel, spa and restaurant.
 * Skokloster Castle, on a peninsula in Lake Mälaren in the southern part of Uppsala County, it is one of the world’s finest baroque castles and the greatest private palace ever constructed in Sweden. See Enköping.
 * Uppsala Castle was built in the 16th century by the Vasa dynasty as a royal residency and as a military fortification. It houses Uppsala Konstmuseum (a local art museum), and Fredens hus (a museum housing exhibitions concerning peace, conflict and human rights). During the summer you can visit Vasaborgen (Uppsala Castle's 16th century castle ruins).
 * Örbyhus Castle, in Tierp municipality, is shere, in 1577 the Swedish king Erik XIV died during his imprisonment here.

Do
Except Uppsala, most of the county is rural, and good for outdoor life, such as hiking, water sport, and cross-country skiing.

Eat
A maritime province, fish has been a staple of the Uppland cuisine. Fish is distributed through a market in Stockholm.

Go next

 * Gävleborg County is the gateway to Norrland.
 * Stockholm County; while the county is dominated by Stockholm, Sigtuna and Norrtälje are near Uppsala
 * Åland is an autonomous Swedish-speaking archipelago in the Baltic Sea, which is part of Finland.

title: Uppsala County


text:
Uppsala

Uppsala is a university city in Sweden. While Uppsala sometimes stands in the shade of Stockholm it maintains a sophisticated identity of its own. Compared to the Swedish capital, Uppsala is less frantic, with more of a small-town atmosphere, influenced by the student culture and academic traditions of Uppsala University. It has a 16th-century castle, a 15th-century Gothic cathedral, and 11th-century rune stones. It is the country's fourth-largest city.

Understand
Uppsala is the capital of Uppsala County, and had a population of 167,000 in the city (2020) and a total population of 241,000 in Uppsala Municipality (2022).

It was once the political and religious centre of Viking-era Sweden, became seat of the Church of Sweden and is the home of the largest church in the Nordic Countries, the Uppsala Cathedral. Uppsala University was founded in 1477 as the first Nordic university.

Uppsala is north of Stockholm, on the Fyris River (Fyrisån) that flows south into Lake Mälaren. The name "Uppsala" is derived from the words "Up", as in "upstream", and "Sal", which means "hall", and was archaically spelt Upsala. Historically, Uppsala has been divided between "townies and gownies", with burghers residing on the eastern side of the river, while clergy, academia and royalty have resided on its western shore. To some extent, this division still exists today, as the main shopping area is in the eastern part of the city centre, while most university campuses, student nations, and historic landmarks are on its western side.

In 1643, Uppsala adopted its first city plan and got the rectangular street grid it still has today. The city limits were set to Kungsgatan, Strandbodgatan, Kyrkogårdsgatan and Skolgatan; it didn't expand past these limits until the latter part of the 19th century. Uppsala's city centre still fairly accurately coincides with this city square; it's rather small relative to the size of Uppsala's population. Due to its regular street patterns and its highly visible landmarks, orientation in Uppsala is rather easy.

The Uppsala area is very flat except for Uppsalaåsen — an esker which stretches across Uppland in a north-south direction. Uppsala Castle is strategically positioned at the top of the esker. Due to the flat terrain Uppsala's silhouette with the characteristic Castle and Cathedral towers can be seen from a great distance. In order to preserve this skyline, most other buildings in Uppsala are quite low.

Many famous Swedish authors have resided in Uppsala, often as students at the university. Notable examples include the playwright August Strindberg, the poets Gustaf Fröding and Karin Boye, and the Nobel Prize laureates Erik Axel Karlfeldt and Pär Lagerkvist. Most Swedish children recognise Uppsala as the city of Pelle Svanslös (Peter-No-Tail), a tailless cat whose life and adventures in Uppsala are described in a series of children’s books by author Gösta Knutsson. Cinema lovers will recognise the area surrounding St Erik's square from the movie Fanny & Alexander by Uppsala native Ingmar Bergman. Uppsala is also one of the main stops on Nils Holgersson's Journey Across Sweden. There is a map of important places related to notable Uppsala authors.

History

Since the Ice Age, the Scandinavian landmass has been rising from the sea. The Uppsala plains were below sea level until around 1500 BC. The country's youngest land became the cradle of the Swedish nation, and soon after its emergence from the sea Håga, some south west of Uppsala, became the centre of Bronze Age Sweden. In the area you can still find remnants of the hillfort Predikstolen, as well as Håga burial mound, the gold-richest Bronze Age burial mound found in the Nordic countries.

In the 5th century, Old Uppsala (Gamla Uppsala), some north of today’s city centre, became the political and religious centre of Sweden. According to legend, it was founded by the pagan fertility god Freyr, from whom the first Swedish kings claimed to descend. The site housed a famous pagan temple, a royal hall, and three monumental burial mounds which can still be seen today. It maintained its position as the most important place in Sweden throughout the Viking Age. In the 11th century, Sweden was Christianised, and the temple at Uppsala was destroyed. Instead, Old Uppsala became the archbishopric of Sweden.

The city we today call Uppsala was founded as a port-city of Old Uppsala called Aros. According to legend, the Swedish king Erik Jedvardsson was killed in battle in Aros in 1160. From his corpse sprung a well of fresh water, which remains today as a pump on St Erik’s square north of the Cathedral. Although never officially canonised by the pope, the Swedes considered "Erik the Holy" their patron saint, and his relics can still be seen inside the Cathedral. Aros eventually came to eclipse its mother-city and, in 1273, overtook Old Uppsala's role as an archbishopric, at the same time overtaking the name Uppsala. The same year, the construction of the Uppsala Cathedral began. The Cathedral was inaugurated more than a century and a half later, in 1435. In 1477, Uppsala University was founded, as the first university in the Nordic countries.

In 1527, the Protestant Reformation began in Sweden, and much power and wealth moved from the church in Uppsala to the king in Stockholm. Consequently, Uppsala declined during the 16th century. During this era, Uppsala Castle was constructed, partly in order to check Uppsala clergymen who disliked the reformation. In 1567, the new castle became a scene for the "Sture Murders": during a fit of madness, the Swedish King Eric XIV had six nobles thrown into the castle dungeons and massacred. The wars of the 17th century (including the Thirty Years War) established the Swedish Empire. The city and its university experienced a revival, and Uppsala became something of a second capital of Sweden. Much of the city burnt down in 1702. This did not prevent Uppsala from rising as a scientific stronghold during the Age of Liberty (frihetstiden) in the 18th century, with world-famous scientists such as Carl von Linné, founder of taxonomic biology, and Anders Celsius, inventor of the Celsius temperature scale.

During the early 19th century, professors and students at the university were heavily influenced by romanticism. Many of Uppsala's strong student traditions can be traced to this era, including the archetype of the typical Uppsala student as a sorrowless, punsch-drinking and serenade-singing youngling in a tailcoat and a student cap. This "student uniform" can still be seen at formal occasions and gasques (student dinner parties). Throughout the 20th century Uppsala and Uppsala University grew rapidly. During the tenure of the principal Torgny T:son Segerstedt between 1955–1978, more students were admitted to the university than during its entire previous history combined! In the 20th century, the eastern half of the city experienced an extensive urban renewal. The western half was, however, spared from most of the demolition due to its proximity to the cathedral and university, and has therefore preserved more of its historical character.

Climate
Uppsala has a humid continental climate and is on the 59th latitude north, comparable to Fort Smith in Canada and Saint Petersburg in Russia. Because of its northerly position, Uppsala receives less than 6 hours of visible sunlight during the winter solstice, and more than 18 hours during the summer solstice. Due to the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water from the Caribbean to the North Sea, Uppsala and Sweden are not as cold as other regions on similar latitudes. As an example, during January, Fort Smith has a daily mean temperature of, compared to Uppsala's daily mean temperature of. Summer usually starts in the middle of May and lasts until late September. Autumn typically continues until late November, when winter arrives. Spring normally arrives around the middle of March.

By plane
With no commercial airport of its own, Uppsala is served by the same airports as Stockholm. Indeed, the main airport, Arlanda, is closer to Uppsala than to Stockholm.
 * Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, south of Uppsala on the main road and railway route to Stockholm, is by far the largest aircraft hub in Sweden. To reach Uppsala the main options are trains, buses, car rental and taxis.
 * By train SL commuter train or pendeltåg and Mälartåg run every 30–60 min between 05:00 and 01:00 and take 18 min to Uppsala Central. A single ticket costs 162 kr, which includes the airport surcharge (compared to 81 kr to or from Stockholm. Attempts to exit at Arlanda with a ticket to Stockholm are surcharged). The trains have low floors and wide doors for easy access by passengers with wheelchairs or bulky luggage. The national train operator SJ also run irregular trains between Arlanda and Uppsala at rates and travel times similar to SL. All trains for Uppsala depart from Arlanda Central station ("Arlanda-C") within the airport Sky City — don't go to Arlanda South or North as these only serve express trains to Stockholm city. You must buy your ticket before boarding. There is a ticket counter and machines at the station.
 * By bus UL bus 801 (daytime) SL bus and 593 (at night) run from the stations beneath terminals 2, 4 and 5 to bus terminal C at Uppsala Central Station. They run every 30 min, taking 30 min. The fare is 117 kr. The night bus might be your only transport option between midnight and 05:00. You can travel on line 593 on a SL-ticket the whole way to Uppsala for 39 kr with the disadvantage of not including local busses in Uppsala, more info at UL. Flexibus run budget buses between Arlanda's Terminal 5 and Uppsala. At 30–60 kr these are significantly cheaper than UL's buses, but with departures about once every third hour they are also significantly less frequent.
 * Taxis are available in front of terminals 2, 4 and 5. They offer fixed prices to Uppsala, usually indicated by a large Fast Pris Uppsala-Arlanda or Arlanda-Uppsala sign near the back of the car. This is around 400–520 kr for 1–4 persons, so it's a good option for 3–4 persons, and avoids public transport costs within Uppsala city. You must ask for the fixed price before commencing the journey, otherwise the driver might charge per kilometre, which will be far more.
 * The major car rental companies have desks in the arrivals halls. Highway E4 will take you from Arlanda to Uppsala in about 30 minutes.
 * Stockholm-Bromma Airport in Western Stockholm is served by domestic and short-range flights.
 * Skavsta Airport, is in Nyköping, about south of Uppsala. It is served by several budget carriers such as Ryanair and Wizzair. From the airport, take local bus 515 to Nyköping Central Station and change to a regional train for Stockholm Central, where you can change to a train towards Uppsala. This costs circa 200 kr in total and takes about 2 hours to Uppsala. For 140 kr you can also take the 80 minute air coach Flygbussarna from the airport to central Stockholm where you can change to a train towards Uppsala.
 * Västerås Airport is in Västerås,  west of Uppsala. It is served by Ryanair, which offers flights from a handful of cities in Britain and Spain. Your cheapest and fastest bet is to take a local bus from the airport to downtown Västerås, then change to the regional bus 774 or 773 to Uppsala. The journey takes 2 hours and costs 66 kr in total.

By train

The national railway SJ operates regional express trains from Stockholm every half hour. This takes 30-40 minutes and costs 95 kr. These are complemented by occasional regional trains running Linköping–Norrköping–Stockholm–Uppsala–Gävle, with similar speed and costs. All trains from Norrland also call here, including the Sundsvall express and the night trains from Luleå and Narvik. From anywhere west of Stockholm or south of Linköping, it’s usually necessary to change at Stockholm Central.

Regional commuter trains (pendeltåg) also run the route Älvsjö–Stockholm–Uppsala twice an hour. A ride to or from Stockholm C costs 81 kr and takes about 55 minutes, as stops are more frequent. Aside from Stockholm C the trains also stop at Arlanda Airport, Solna, Odenplan in Vasastan, Södermalm and Älvsjö in Söderort. As Uppsala and Stockholm belong to different counties ordinary local Stockholm tickets and passes are not sufficient to reach Uppsala. Commuter trains do not have a toilet on board.

A few private travel companies also serve Uppsala. Snälltåget's night trains between the northern ski resort Åre and the southern city of Malmö pass through Uppsala.

By bus
Travelling to Uppsala by bus is often considerably cheaper than going by train, but departures are also considerably less frequent. Flexibus runs 80-minute coaches from Stockholm's Cityterminalen at rates from 30 kr. They also run budget buses between Uppsala and Gothenburg, Borås, Jönköping, Kalmar, Linköping, Norrköping, Södertälje, Gävle, Umeå, Härjedalen and Arlanda. Ybuss carry passengers from Stockholm northwards along to coast of Norrland to Umeå, stopping at Arlanda and Uppsala on the way. While tickets to Stockholm and Arlanda are rather expensive at 110 kr, they might be a good option for travellers coming to Uppsala from northern Sweden. Tapanis Buss has a route going from Stockholm to Tornio, Finland stopping at Uppsala.

The local public transport company UL operates services to Västerås and Sala. Tickets are 148 kr if bought on board, 120 kr if pre-purchased and 92 kr if bought with a travel fund. See the section Get around below for details on UL tickets.

By car
The north-south highway E4 passes east of the city and stretches south to Stockholm, Norrköping, and all the way to Helsingborg in southern Sweden. In the other direction it continues north past Sundsvall and Umeå to the Finnish border at Haparanda. Road 55 carry traffic to Enköping and continues to Norrköping where it reconnects with the E4. Even though it is some 10 minutes slower it might be a preferable alternative to E4 since it is more scenic and avoids Stockholm, thereby skipping tolls and minimising the risk of traffic jams. In Enköping route 55 crosses the highway E18 which continues westward towards Västerås, Örebro, Karlstad and Oslo, or from Örebro towards Gothenburg as highway E20. The smaller national roads 72 and 288 carry traffic to Sala and Östhammar.

Get around
Town maps are available from the tourist office "InfoPoints", scattered around town.

By foot
Most tourist sights are within the central area of Uppsala and can easily be reached on foot. A walk across the entire city centre takes no more than 20 minutes. However, to reach points of interest outside of the city centre, such as Gamla Uppsala or Linnés Hammarby, you will need some other means of transportation — or some really good walking shoes.

By bike or scooter
A good way to travel in Uppsala is by bike, especially if you plan on leaving the city centre and visit Uppsala's peripheral districts or Uppsala countryside. As any visitor will notice, there are a lot of cyclists here, enough for the city to earn the nickname "Bike Town." There are paths parallel to nearly every road, and many places to store bikes outside. As the terrain surrounding Uppsala is rather flat, it is easy to bike, even for inexperienced biciclysts.

The cheapest way to rent a bike is via the local bike sharing company EU-Bike. You rent one of their easily recognisable green bikes by acquiring their smartphone app, and scanning the bike's QR-code. The first 10 uses are free, while additional usage costs 5 kr per 30 minutes. In a similar manner, electrical scooters can be rented via the local companies Voi. The scooters cost 1.50 kr per minute, plus a 10 kr starting fee. There are also several conventional bike rental places in Uppsala (listed in the section on Sports). A typical price for a conventional rental bike is 200 kr for the first day and around 100 kr for every additional day.

As a side note, locals have a saying that everyone who lives there has had a bike stolen at some point in their lives. While this is not entirely true (it's more a reflection on the popularity of biking than any level of crime), it's probably a good idea to lock your bike.

By bus
Uppsala boasts an excellent bus system, operated by the regional company UL, where the closest bus stop is never more than a few hundred metres away. Local buses, also called "Stadstrafiken", are green and numbered 1–31 while regional buses are yellow and numbered 100 and above. Most local bus lines pass by either the central station, city hall or the main square, all within a few hundred metres of each other, making it easy to transfer between different bus lines. A map of the city-traffic network can be found here.

As of January 2024, a ticket for all of Uppsala county will cost you 39 kr and for 27 kr for ages under 20 and over 65 and will be valid for 75 minutes. A 24-hour ticket costs 135 kr and 95 kr discounted. Contactless payment might be introduced but mobile and travelcard tickets will remain. You will also be able to go all the way to Gävle and Sala by Mälartåg regional trains, due to the validity for the whole county and UL-busses in other counties.

Tickets can be bought in advance at machines at the central station. Tickets can also be bought by credit card on the bus. Cash is not accepted on board. Travel fund cards can be bought and charged in the train station or at one of UL's ~60 sales agents, marked out with yellow UL-flags. A list and map of sales agents can also be found here.

By taxi
If you would like to travel by taxi, use the three major taxi companies: Uppsala Taxi, Taxi Kurir and Taxi 020. There are also a lot of smaller companies, but they might have their own view on what you should pay and might also have less geographical knowledge. Be sure to negotiate the fare in advance of getting in the taxi if no guaranteed fare is posted.

Smartphone apps:
 * Bolt Uppsala
 * Uber

See
No fewer than 38 rune stones have been found in Uppsala, and many of them can still be seen today. On the lawn just east and south of the Cathedral you can find 7 rune stones, and in the University Park, between the University Hall and Gustavianum, you will find another 9. In general, these were written during the 11th century, showing both pagan and Christian motifs, usually commemorating some deceased relative. A notable exception to this rule is the stone U 1011, today standing in the University Park, reading the inscription "Vigmund had the stone carved for himself, the cleverest of men. God help the soul of Vigmund the ships' captain!"

Art and galleries
While Uppsala's largest art establishment is Uppsala Art Museum (in Uppsala Castle, listed above) there are also several other smaller art venues in the city.

Gamla Uppsala
'' north of Uppsala. Bus 2 and the hike "Eriksleden" (which starts at the cathedral) calls here. By car: Follow Svartbäcksgatan 4.5 km north, then take a right turn onto Ärnavägen and follow it another 1.5 km.''

This was the political and religious centre of Viking-era Sweden, with a royal estate, the "Thing of all Swedes" (political assembly) and a renowned pagan temple. The Viking heritage can still be seen in the landscape due to the three monumental burial mounds, historically attributed to the gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. In modern times it has become a centre for Norse Neopaganism, hosting a major blót sacrifice each spring! If you get hungry there is a nearby restaurant and café called ( M–F 10:00–16:00, Sa Su 10:00–18:00) which brew its own mead. Groups of 20 or more can book Viking feasts with traditional clothing and food.

With the help of augmented reality technology, you can also see what the site would have looked like at its historical peak in 650 AD. When looking at site through your smartphone, the app Augmented History: Gamla Uppsala adds an additional layer to reality, which contains all the different structures archaeologists have discovered on the site, including the old Temple at Uppsala and the Royal hall, enabling you to see and even interact with the Viking settlement. As of 2018, the app is only available on iOS. If you don't have your own equipment, visitors to Gamla Uppsala museum can borrow iPads for up to 30 minutes without any extra charge. The iPads are available between 15:00–16:00 during weekdays and 11:00–13:30 during weekends, and are booked at the museum counter.

Uppsala University
Uppsala University was established in 1477, making it the oldest university in the Nordic countries. It is associated with 8 Nobel Prize laureates and is frequently ranked among the best 100 universities in the world. University campuses are scattered around the western part of the city centre. If you want to experience the student life at Uppsala you should go to one of the 13 Student Nations (see infobox under section Drink).

Public baths
While Fyris River crosses the city, there are no official bathing areas within walking distance of the city centre. In effect, this means that there are no official, regular controls of the water quality in the river. However, occasional tests have indicated that the water is fully safe to bathe in. Generally, the water quality is better north of Uppsala, before the south-flowing water has crossed the city centre. In the part of the river north of the city centre, there are also several bridges with rescue ladders which can be used for bathing.

 * The old
 * Rowing boats can be rented at the mansion during weekends or at the carpentry (+46 18-727 03 96) during weekdays.
 * The old
 * Rowing boats can be rented at the mansion during weekends or at the carpentry (+46 18-727 03 96) during weekdays.
 * The old
 * Rowing boats can be rented at the mansion during weekends or at the carpentry (+46 18-727 03 96) during weekdays.
 * The old
 * Rowing boats can be rented at the mansion during weekends or at the carpentry (+46 18-727 03 96) during weekdays.

Hiking, biking & jogging trails
As the terrain around Uppsala is very flat, none of these hikes are very difficult, and could therefore be performed by inexperienced hikers or cyclists. For information about bike rentals, see section "Get around".
 * Eriksleden is a 6-km hike between Uppsala Cathedral and Old Uppsala Church. During the medieval era, Saint Erik was revered as the patron saint of Sweden, and his relics was carried in procession between these two destinations every year.
 * The Linnaeus Trails are eight different hikes which were created by Carl Linnaeus as biological excursions for his students. The trails measure from to  one way, and are marked up by blue signposts. 7 of the hikes start at the old city entrances, in today’s city centre, while the last one starts in the village of Jumkil. The trails are part of the proposed Linnaean UNESCO World Heritage.
 * The Yellow trail is a 10-km path which stretches through a continuous green belt within the urban area. The scenery include a 300-year-old pine tree forest as well as pastures. The trail starts by Studenternas sports stadium south of the city centre and leads down to the shores of Lake Mälaren by the southern suburbs of Uppsala.
 * Upplandsleden is an alternative for those who desire a longer hike. It stretches through the province of Uppland, from Lake Mälaren in the south to the Dal River in the north, and passes through the southern part of Uppsala. It is marked up with orange signposts.

Natural attractions and reserves

Sports
If you want to watch sports, the main outdoor sporting arena is (Ulleråkersvägen 6, on the western shore of the river just south of the City Gardens) while the main indoor arena is Fyrishov (listed above). The home team IK Sirius play soccer and the traditional Swedish winter sport of bandy in Sweden’s top divisions. The men's team Uppsala Basket and the women's team Sallén Basket play in Sweden’s top divisions for basketball. Uppsala 86ers was one of the first American football teams in Sweden, and play in the highest division Superserien.

Uppsala also has ample opportunities for doing sport.
 * Cross country skiing – There are several pre-plowed tracks for skiing around Uppsala. Major tracks include:
 * King Björn's track and the Hammarskog-track, which starts by "King Björn's mound" in Håga west of Uppsala centre.
 * Lunsen is a natural reserve with several tracks. You can start by "Planstskolan", next to road 255 south of the city, where you can find booklets with suitable tracks.
 * Tracks can also be found by Sunnerstabacken (see below by "Downhill Snowsports").
 * The safest bet for snow is the rather short kap-track, south of Studenternas IP, as excess snow is brought here from the sports stadium.
 * Curling
 * Downhill snowsports
 * Golf
 * Ice skating – Gränby ishallar (Råbyvägen 71) and the next door Relitahallen, northeast of the city centre are the main indoor skating arenas. Studenternas IP and Svandammen ("The Swan Pond", between Uppsala Castle and Fyris River) are often open for ice-skating in the winter. Natural ices can usually be found by Ekoln, a part of Mälaren  south of the city centre, and Fjällnora,  east of the city. Natural ice can be dangerous and should be avoided without proper equipment, training and company. Vikingarännet is the world's largest annual ice-skating race, from Uppsala to Stockholm. It is held in February, but the precise date is often decided on short notice depending on weather conditions. Some years the race has been cancelled all together due to poor ice conditions.
 * Golf
 * Ice skating – Gränby ishallar (Råbyvägen 71) and the next door Relitahallen, northeast of the city centre are the main indoor skating arenas. Studenternas IP and Svandammen ("The Swan Pond", between Uppsala Castle and Fyris River) are often open for ice-skating in the winter. Natural ices can usually be found by Ekoln, a part of Mälaren  south of the city centre, and Fjällnora,  east of the city. Natural ice can be dangerous and should be avoided without proper equipment, training and company. Vikingarännet is the world's largest annual ice-skating race, from Uppsala to Stockholm. It is held in February, but the precise date is often decided on short notice depending on weather conditions. Some years the race has been cancelled all together due to poor ice conditions.
 * Ice skating – Gränby ishallar (Råbyvägen 71) and the next door Relitahallen, northeast of the city centre are the main indoor skating arenas. Studenternas IP and Svandammen ("The Swan Pond", between Uppsala Castle and Fyris River) are often open for ice-skating in the winter. Natural ices can usually be found by Ekoln, a part of Mälaren  south of the city centre, and Fjällnora,  east of the city. Natural ice can be dangerous and should be avoided without proper equipment, training and company. Vikingarännet is the world's largest annual ice-skating race, from Uppsala to Stockholm. It is held in February, but the precise date is often decided on short notice depending on weather conditions. Some years the race has been cancelled all together due to poor ice conditions.
 * Ice skating – Gränby ishallar (Råbyvägen 71) and the next door Relitahallen, northeast of the city centre are the main indoor skating arenas. Studenternas IP and Svandammen ("The Swan Pond", between Uppsala Castle and Fyris River) are often open for ice-skating in the winter. Natural ices can usually be found by Ekoln, a part of Mälaren  south of the city centre, and Fjällnora,  east of the city. Natural ice can be dangerous and should be avoided without proper equipment, training and company. Vikingarännet is the world's largest annual ice-skating race, from Uppsala to Stockholm. It is held in February, but the precise date is often decided on short notice depending on weather conditions. Some years the race has been cancelled all together due to poor ice conditions.

Sports equipment can be rented at:

Annual events
Uppsala's tourist office has a calendar on their website listing various cultural and entertainment events.

Buy
Typical opening hours in Uppsala are 10:00–18:00 or 19:00 from Monday to Friday and 10:00–16:00 or 17:00 on Saturdays. On Sundays larger venues are typically open from 11:00 or 12:00–16:00 while many smaller shops, cafés and restaurants are closed, making the city rather quiet. The main shopping street is a pedestrian street which runs parallel to the river, one blocks East of the river and two blocks West of the train station. On it lays the main square Stora torget. The street is popularly simply referred to as "Gågatan" (The Pedestrian Street), but its official name is Svartbäcksgatan for the part North of the main square and Kungsängsgatan for the part South of it. Svavagallerian (Dragarbrunnsgatan 50), Forumgallerian (Dragarbrunnsgatan 43–45) and S:t Per-gallerian (Svartbäcksgatan 7–11) are three central shopping malls. They can't compare to the malls in Stockholm though.

Bookstores
Pressbyrån is a well-stocked magazine store chain with lots of international and Swedish magazines, which can be found at several locations in the city.

Fashion and clothing
Many international and national fashion warehouse chains such as Zara, H&M and New Yorker can be found on the main shopping street Svartbäcksgatan.

Gifts and souvenirs
Many museums, including the Cathedral, Upplandsmuseet and The Linnaean Garden have gift shops with general Uppsala souvenirs as well as souvenirs more closely related to their exhibitions. The best place to find Uppsala University themed merchandise are the gift shops in the University Museum Gustavianum and the University Main Hall.

Eat
Uppsala, being a college town, is not a city that is big on fine dining. There are a number of good restaurants to be found, however, and most of them are not far from the main landmarks in town. Lunch options are generally cheaper than dining options.

If you are interested in something lighter, most cafés mentioned below offer dishes like sandwiches, quiche, lasagna or salad. Likewise, most pubs at least offer simple pub food like burgers, and some of them, like Bierhuis and Bryggeriet Ångkvarn, are full-fledged gastropubs. Many hotels have good restaurants of their own, including the Manhattan-themed Kitchen & Table at Clarion Hotel Gillet, the Asian-Scandinavian restaurant and rooftop bar Miss Voon at Elite Hotel Academia, and the Nordic fine dining restaurant Villa Anna in the hotel with the same name. If you plan to cook for yourself, the market hall (S:t Eriks Torg 8, M–Th 10:00–18:00; F 10:00–19:00; Sa 10:00–16:00) offers various types of expensive, quality ingredients like seafood and cheese.

Most days, at least one of the 13 Nations (see infobox under section Drink) serve simple, yet well-cooked meals. Unbeknownst to most locals, lunches are also open for non-students. If you have a nation guest card, you can also dine at the Nations. To know which nations are open any given day, check the calendar at Nationsguidien. Prices range around 50 kr for lunch and 70 kr for dinner.

Virtually all restaurants in Uppsala have at least one ovo-lacto vegetarian dish on the menu. Uppsala is also a rather vegan-friendly city. Many restaurants have some vegan dish on the menu, and even those which do not can usually serve something vegan if you ask the waiter. Especially good places for plant based food would be the vegetarian restaurant (Drottninggatan 12, +46 18-12 01 60, M–W 11:00–14:00, Th–F 11:00–14:00 & 17:00–21:00, Sa 16:00–22:00).

Budget
Budget-priced food trucks selling fast food like hot dogs and falafel can be found on the main shopping street Svartbäcksgatan, the square Vaksala torg and at Sankt Eriks square just north of the Cathedral. One falafel goes for about 50 kr. Typically they open around 11:00 and stay open until 20:00 on weekdays and significantly later on weekends (around 04:00 — late enough to serve drunk students on their way home from the bars).

Drink
As in the rest of Sweden, the government-owned chain of liquor stores (Dragarbrunnsgatan 48A, M–F 09:00–19:00, Sa 09:00–15:00) is the only retail store allowed to sell alcoholic beverages that contain more than 3.5% alcohol. Additional Systembolaget stores can be found at Vaksalagatan 30 and by major shopping malls in the more peripheral districts of the city.

Uppsala has a long history of brewing, and there are four active breweries in Uppsala. Uppsala Brygghus is the largest in the region, and the one you are most likely to find in stock at Systembolaget; Jackdaw Brewery, specialises in Belgian-style beers; Tempel Brygghus, focusing on sour beer and Bryggeriet Ångkvarn, which was named "best brewery" at Stockholm Beer and Whiskey festival 2017. Punsch is a traditional Swedish arrak-based liqueur, holding a special place in Uppsala's student culture.

Bars and clubs in Uppsala are obliged to close no later than 03:00. Most student nations close at 01:00 unless there is a special event.

Cafés
While coffeehouse chains are not unheard of, cozy traditional independent cafés are abundant in Uppsala. Daytime in the weekends many of the student nations have cafés, which always have prices significantly below those of ordinary cafés. Both students and non-students are welcome. To know which nations are open any given day check the calendar at Nationsguidien. If you are looking for a more high-end kind of fika, you should check out the "afternoon tea" seatings held at the restaurant and hotel Villa Anna, Saturdays at 12.00 and 14.15

Lindvalls kaffe is a local family owned brand of coffee. Blåbärsprinsess is a blueberry sponge cake topped with marzipan which was invented in Uppsala, and Studentska is a local pastry made from shortcrust, chocolate truffle and icing. The name means "female student" since the pastries, just like the female students, are green and innocent on the outside but black as sin on the inside.

Stay safe
Uppsala is generally a safe city. In an emergency, always call 112 for SOS Alarm, for an ambulance, police, fire service, or priest on call. English-speaking operators are available. The national non-emergency number to the police is 114 14. As for other Swedish cities, drunk brawls are one of few risk factors to travellers. Stay extra attentive during weekend nights, especially in the city centre and around the Central Station.

If you venture into the forested countryside, beware of ticks. In Uppsala Municipality, there have been reported cases of both TBE and lyme disease. However, you can vaccinate against TBE, and lyme disease can be avoided by removing the tick within 12 to 24 hours. A simple precaution against ticks is to wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers when moving through brushwood.

While there are several pharmacies in Uppsala, most of them close around 19:00–20:00, and none are open at night. The pharmacy with the best opening hours is (Kålsängsgränd 10C, +46 18-580 21 10) which is open from 08:00 to 22:00 every day.

Connect
Uppsala has 4G from all Swedish carriers, though the signal from 3 Tre is patchy. Some areas have 5G.

The city centre is a free public wifi-zone. The network is called "!uppsalawifi". Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences participate in Eduroam; a free-of-charge world wide web service which allow university students and staff wireless network access on the campuses of other universities.

Cope
Stockholm with many embassies is only a short trip away.

Go next
Uppsala County is mostly rural except for Uppsala itself, and is therefore suitable for outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking. Uppsala County has a large number of castles and industrial heritage sites, worth visiting for the history or architecturally interested. In the east Uppsala County has a long shoreline towards the Baltic Sea known as Roslagen. Uppsala countryside contains fields, forests, and several villages.

 * Enköping — as it turns out, "Sweden's nearest city", known for its military garrison and many parks, is only south-west of Uppsala.
 * Gävle — this beautiful coastal city, known for its giant Christmas Straw Goat, is the gateway to Norrland.
 * Norrtälje — with 17,000 inhabitants this is the largest city on Uppland's Baltic coast Roslagen.
 * Sigtuna — was effectively Sweden's capital in the middle ages. After being deserted, it was revived in the 1910s as a nationalist project.
 * Stockholm — south of Uppsala lays Sweden's capital and biggest city.
 * Stockholm archipelago — thousands of islands, islets and skerries, scattered along Uppland's coast.
 * Öregrund — in Roslagen has been a popular sea-side resort among Uppsala's township since the 19th century.

title: Uppsala


text:
Upton

There is more than one place called Upton:

Canada

 * Upton (Canada) - a city in Quebec.

Ireland

 * Upton (Ireland) - a city in County Cork.

United Kingdom

 * Upton (Buckinghamshire)
 * Upton (Cambridgeshire)
 * Upton (Cheshire)
 * Upton (Cornwall)
 * Upton (Cumbria)
 * Upton (Dorset)
 * Upton (Hampshire)
 * Upton (Leicestershire)
 * Upton (Lincolnshire)
 * Upton (London)
 * Upton (Merseyside)
 * Upton (Norfolk)
 * Upton (Northamptonshire)
 * Upton (Oxfordshire)
 * Upton (Pembrokeshire)
 * Upton (Slough)
 * Upton (Somerset)
 * Upton (Warwickshire)
 * Upton (West Yorkshire)

Also:

 * Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire
 * Upton Cheyney, South Gloucestershire
 * Hawkesbury Upton, South Gloucestershire
 * Upton Fen, Norfolk
 * Upton Grey, Hampshire
 * Upton Hellions, Devon
 * Upton House, Warwickshire
 * Upton Lovell, Wiltshire
 * Upton Magna, Shropshire
 * Upton Noble, Somerset
 * Upton Park, Newham, London
 * Upton Pyne, Devon
 * Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire

United States of America

 * Upton (Indiana)
 * Upton (Kentucky)
 * Upton (Maine)
 * Upton (Massachusetts)
 * Upton (New York) — home of Brookhaven National Laboratory
 * Upton (Wyoming)

title: Upton


text:
Ura

Ura is a picturesque village in Bumthang.

Get in
Bus from Jakar - a two hour journey - or from Mongar - an eight hour journey.

Get around

 * The sites in the village can easily be reached on foot.

See

 * Shinyer Lhakhang, Shinyer Village - a several hundred year old monastery with a lot of simple but beautiful artwork. Those visiting in January should notice the two flowering trees near the main gate, while other trees of the same variety lay bare. Legend states that these trees sprouted from a walking stick placed at the gate by the monastery's founder, Gyelwa Lhanangpa.

 * Movie shoot sites. The acclaimed movie 'the Monk and the Gun' was shot in Ura.

Do
Festivals 2024:
 * Ura Yakchoe - 20-24 April
 * Shingkhar Rabney - 20-24 Sep

Go next

 * Jakar - the main town in Bumthang

title: Ura


text:
Uralla

Uralla is a small town (pop. 2,743, 2016) at the junction of the New England Highway (A15) and Thunderbolts Way (19) in the New England region of New South Wales in Australia.

Understand

The name Uralla comes from the language of the indigenous Aniwan people, and means 'a ceremonial meeting place and look out on a hill', in reference to Mount Mutton on the outskirts of the town. The first European settlers established themselves on the site of the town in 1841. A gold rush began near the town in 1852. The infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt (his real name was Frederick Ward) operated in the district and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.

Uralla is the main centre of the Uralla Shire Local Goverenment area.

By car
Uralla is on the New England Highway (A15), 23.5 km south-west of Armidale and 88.5 km north-west of Tamworth.

Uralla is 119 km south-east of Inverell via Tingha Road/Bundarra road, through Gilgai, through Bundarra and continuing ahead as Thunderbolts Way crossing the Gwydir River bridge, and at the outskirts of Uralla turn left onto Hill Street.

By train
Trains run daily between Sydney and Armidale via Werris Creek and Tamworth. Trains depart from Central Station in Sydney 9:30AM, and arrive at Werris Creek 2:57PM. The train then splits into two, with one section going to Gunnedah, Narrabri, and terminating at Moree.

The other section that you want arrives in Tamworth at 3:37PM, departs Tamworth at 3:55PM, arrives at Uralla 5:12PM, and terminates at Armidale 5:35PM. The Sydney-bound trains depart daily from Armidale 8:40AM, depart Uralla 8:56AM, arrive at Tamworth at 10:09AM and depart Tamworth 10:27AM, arrive at Werris Creek 11:07AM to join up with the other train section from Moree, Narrabri, and Gunnedah. The combined train arrives at Central Station in Sydney 4:38PM.

''Note that there is no ticket office at the Uralla Railway Station, nor is there a ticket agent in Uralla itself, and tickets cannot be bought on the train. Reservations must be made by phone or online.''

Brisbane-Uralla
Crisps Coaches run between Brisbane and Tamworth via Uralla. Bookings are required - phone or use the website to secure your seat.

Note that the times given are Australian Eastern Standard Time/Queensland Time (GMT+10). From the first Su in Oct to the first Su in Apr New South Wales is on Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (GMT+11), so adjust arrival/departure times for stops in New South Wales by adding 1 hour.

Also note that services may be adjusted or cancelled at little or no notice due to Covid-19 lockdowns, natural disasters, or changes in operations, so please confirm with Crisp's before departure.

Outbound coaches depart Brisbane M and F 10:45AM from the long-distance bus station in Parkland Crescent (outside Platform 10 at Roma Street Railway Station) and arrive at Guyra at the Uralla Visitors Information Centre 8:05PM.

Inbound coaches depart Uralla from the Uralla Visitors Information Centre M and F 6:45AM and arrive at Brisbane at the long-distance bus station in Parkland Crescent (outside Platfrom 10 at Roma Street Railway Station) 2:30PM.

By plane
The nearest airport with regular scheduled services is at Armidale.

Get around
Private transport is essential as there is neither a taxi service nor a local bus service in Uralla.

The nearest car rental agencies are in Armidale.

Do

Arts and crafts

Connect
Uralla is covered by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone with minimum 4G.

Go next

 * Armidale - north-east of Uralla: 23.5 km via New England Highway (A15) northbound, at the round-about turn right onto Uralla Road (B78), pass The Bicentennial Arboretum on the right, at the next roundabout turn left onto Dangar Street (20 min)
 * Guyra - north-east of Uralla: 59 km via New England Highway (A15) northbound, bypass Armidale, continue ahead to Guyra (42 min)
 * Glen Innes - north-east of Uralla: 120 km via New England Highway (A15) northbound, bypass Armidale, continue through Guyra, continue through Glencoe, continue ahead to Glen Innes (1 hr 22 min)
 * Walcha - south-east of Uralla: 41 km via Duke Street southbound, Thunderbolts Way, pass Dangars Lagoon on the left, continue ahead to Walcha (28 min)
 * Tamworth - south-west of Uralla: 88.5 km via New England Highway (A15) southbound - through Bendemeer, through Moonbi, through Kootingal, through Nemingha, continue ahead to Tamworth (1 hr 3 min) - Australia's country music capital
 * Bundarra - north-west of Uralla: 72.5 km north-west of Uralla via Hill Street north-west bound, continue as Thunderbolts Way, pass the Mount Yarrowick Nature Reserve on the right, continue ahead to Bundarra (49 min)
 * Bingara - north-west of Uralla: 145 km via Hill Street north-west bound, continue as Thunderbolts Way, pass the Mount Yarrowick Nature Reserve on the right on the right, at Bundarra turn left/west onto Oliver Street, continue through the four-way intersection as Brown Street/Barraba Road, turn right/north onto Bingara Road, turn left onto Copeton Dam Road, cross the Keera Creek bridge, continue ahead to Bingara (1 hr 41 min)
 * Inverell - north-west of Uralla: 119 km via Hill Street north-west bound, continue as Thunderbolts Way, pass the Mount Yarrowick Nature Reserve on the right on the right, continue through Bundarra, pass the Guyra Road turn-off to Tingha on the right, continue through Gilgai, pass the golf club on the right, cross the Macintyre River bridge and turn left onto the Gwydir Highway (B76) (1 hr 19 min)

title: Uralla


text:
Urals

The Urals (Russian: Ура́л oo-RAHL) is a common geographical name of the area of Russia around the Ural Mountains. It is a vast territory which includes major cities like Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk, as well as parts of the polar areas. The Ural mountains are among the oldest mountains on Earth and are generally not very high, more often looking like large hills, though there are some taller ones, too. Travellers to Urals should not miss Yekaterinburg; usually it is a starting point of any trip to the Urals.

Cities
The most significant cities in the Ural region are Yekaterinburg and Ufa. Other major cities that have a population of over one million people include Chelyabinsk.

 * (Челя́бинск)
 * (Курган)
 * (Магнитого́рск)
 * (Оренбург)
 * (Пермь)
 * (Салеха́рд)
 * (Сургут)
 * (Тюмень)
 * (Уфа́)
 * (Екатеринбу́рг, also called Ekaterinburg)

Other destinations
There are also several small cities which can also be interesting for visitors:
 * with its famous ice cave
 * with falling tower
 * — the orthodox center of Urals
 * — ancient Slavic city-observatory
 * — historical capital of Siberia
 * - beautiful mountains
 * - the most beautiful river of Urals

Understand

The Ural mountains span more than 2,500 miles, from the Arctic Ocean to Kazakhstan. Geographers have divided the Urals into five geographic zones: Arctic, Polar, North, Middle and South Urals. The highest mountain in the Urals – Mount Narodnaya – lies in the Polar Urals, the most remote and undeveloped zone.

Except for the polar and northern sections, the mountains are forested, and lumbering is an important industry. Urals has famous Virgin Komi Forests, which were included to the World Heritage List.

The great mineral resources of Russia are in the Urals. Iron ore is mined in the south, and there are rich deposits of coal, copper, manganese, gold, aluminum, and potash. Oil fields and refineries along the Kama and Belaya rivers in the West Urals produce oil. Emeralds, chrysoberyl, topaz, and amethyst are mined, as are deposits of bauxite, asbestos, zinc, lead, silver, platinum, nickel, chrome, and tungsten. The Urals industrial area (c.290,000 sq mi/751,100 sq km), a major Russia metallurgical region, is in the central and South Urals and the adjacent lowlands. Huge industrial centers are found at Yekaterinburg, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Berezniki, Nizhni Tagil, Orsk, Orenburg, Ufa, Miass and Zlatoust.

West and east foothills of Urals and neighbor plains often have deep river valleys. Urals has a lot of rivers and lakes. Several hundreds of ponds and water storage basins are created on rivers. The composition of mountains, forests, rivers and lakes makes Urals one of the most beautiful regions in Russia.

Talk
Russian is the official language, and nearly everybody speaks it regardless of what their native language is. English is becoming a requirement in the business world, and younger people especially will often know enough to communicate, but by no means is English universally understood and spoken. In upscale hotels almost the entire staff has a working knowledge of foreign languages (including English).

It's hard to learn the language in a short time; concentrate on learning some key "courtesy" phrases, and the Cyrillic alphabet (e.g. "ресторан" spells "restaurant") so you have a chance to recognize street names, labels and public signs.

On the south-west of Urals also Bashkir, Udmurt and Komi languages can be found.

Get in
The easiest and fastest way to get to Urals is by plane. All major cities have airports with few direct international flights. The biggest airport in the Urals is Koltsovo (Yekaterinburg), it has flights from such cities as Munich, Prague, Beijing, Frankfurt, Tel-Aviv, Istanbul, Wien, Dubai and Helsinki. You can also use trains or intercity buses to get to cities of Urals from Moscow or St. Petersburg.

Get around
The major forms of transportation between cities in the Ural region include train, bus, electric train, and airplane.

For inner-city travel, most cities offer a combination of these services: bus, trolleybus, and tramvai.

In any Russian city, however, you can find a taxi with great ease. Simply use taxi mobile application. In the Urals, short trips generally cost between US$100 and ₽150, while longer, cross-town trips may cost over ₽150. Always be wary, however, when flagging down a taxi in Russia. It is not recommended to get into a car with two or more males or with suspicious-looking individuals. You shouldn't expect to run into problems, but it's always better to play it safe in Russia.

See
Urals offers great possibilities for rest and travels, below is an incomplete list of what to see in Urals: This list is incomplete because actually it depends on your interests and wishes what to see or to do.
 * Europe-Asia Border located near Yekaterinburg
 * The Ural Mountains
 * Virgin Komi Forests — natural world heritage located in Perm Krai
 * Cities of Urals: Yekaterinburg – an administrative center of Urals Federal Distinct; Perm – the city situated on the great Russian river Kama; Ufa - one of the first cities in Urals; Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and others.
 * Tyumen hot springs
 * Tobolsk Kremlin
 * Neviansk falling tower
 * Verkhoturye – the orthodox center of Urals
 * Arkaim – ancient city-observatory
 * Natural parks and reserves
 * Places of mining of gold, gems and minerals (such as Berezovsky Gold Mine, located near Yekaterinburg)
 * Outdoor museum of wooden architecture in Sinyachiha (not far from Yekaterinburg)
 * Outdoor museum of wooden architecture in Sinyachiha (not far from Yekaterinburg)

Do
Urals is a heaven for fans of active rest, you can try the following:
 * sightseeing,
 * skiing or climbing in the Ural Mountains
 * camping,
 * rafting,
 * fishing,
 * hunting,
 * riding,
 * Russian baths,
 * Russian sledge,
 * snowmobiles,
 * indoor entertainment (clubs, restaurants, museums, theatres, exhibitions)
 * taste traditional Urals cooking and see folk performances

Eat
The Urals region is famous for its pelmeni, small dumplings usually stuffed with beef and eaten in large quantities topped with butter, vinegar, sour cream, or a combination of the three.

You can also try traditional Russian food such as pancakes, borsch and different pies.

Drink
You can try Vodka, local soft drinks (Tarhun, Buratino, Baikal, etc.), kvas (sour-sweet non-alcoholic naturally carbonized drink made from fermented dark bread) and mors (traditional wild berry drink).

Go next

 * Siberia — the largest area in the country diverse in landscape and yearly temperatures with stunning lakes, world longest rivers, but swampy in most part in the center and north. Provides a gate to enter into much of Asia.
 * Northwestern Russia — home to the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg, also known as the "northern capital". It combines the beautiful landscape of the large lakes Ladoga and Onega, and medieval forts of Pskov Oblast, with the lacustrine region of Karelia, and is a gateway from Scandinavia.
 * Volga Region — the most industrialized region in the country, known for producing wide-scale military equipment in cities such as Izhevsk, with a rich culture and history.
 * Kazakhstan

title: Urals


text:
Oral

Oral (Kazakh: Орал Oral, Russian: Уральск Uralsk) is a city in West Kazakhstan.

Understand
Oral is a city in northwestern Kazakhstan, at the confluence of the Ural and Chagan Rivers close to the Russian border. As it is located on the western side of the Ural river, it is considered geographically in Europe. It has a population of 330,000 (2019). It is the capital of the West Kazakhstan Province. While the majority of the population is made up of ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Russians also make up a large percent of the populations, and many other ethnic groups such as Tatars, Bashkirs, and Azaris are also represented. Because of its geographic proximity to Russia and its history, the city has been greatly influenced by Russian culture.

It wad founded in 1613 by Cossacks as part of the Russian Empire. The Russian influence is still present, having strongly influenced the architecture and culture of the city and its people. The city played a small part in Russian history as the center of the Pugachev serf rebellion in the 18th century. The father of Russian literature, Alexander Pushkin, visited the city with his friend Vladimir Dahl in September 1833 while doing research for his book The History of Pugachev and his novel The Captain's Daughter.

By train
Train services calling at the Uralsk train station include Moscow-Almaty and Moscow-Aktobe direct services that run every other day. The only railway route through Uralsk stretches west to east and passes through Russia in both directions; going from Uralsk to other major cities in Kazakhstan requires entering Russia with all the associated visa requirements.

By bus
There are bus services connecting Uralsk with Samara (4 daily), Saratov and Orenburg as well as Atyrau (4 daily), Aktobe and Aksai.

Get around
The city has a functioning transportation network including buses and marshrutkas (mini-vans that drive along a set route). However, getting a map of the transportation network may be difficult for travelers to the city. Taxis services are also available. As in many countries of the former Soviet Union, gypsy cabs can be easily hailed from the street.

Like in many other cities in Kazakhstan, many streets have been renamed in the 2010s and early 2020s. Older guides or advice might still point to old names; Google Maps also often shows outdated names. Here are some significant changes:

See
Traditional Russian architecture dating back to the 17th century can be seen throughout the center of the city. The main pedestrian street of Dina Nurpeisova (previously Teatralnaya) is like a mini version of Moscow's Arbat. Kazakhstan's first drama theatre, 150 years old, is located in this street. This theatre is now known as the Russian drama theatre. A larger, modern drama theatre, known as the Kazakh drama theatre, is located nearby on the main boulevard, Nazarbayev Avenue (previously Dostyk). Beautiful architecture, including two Russian Orthodox churches (one which is quite old), can also be found along Nazarbayev Avenue.

Budget
Aidana is a new hotel complex which offers quality accommodation at a low price. Located in front of city's indoor skating ring.

Sayakhat Hotel is in the very center close to the Rai (The Heaven) night club.

Connect
Free Wi-Fi spots available in the domestic airport terminal, Dixi pub in Atrium shopping center and City Park. There are few internet cafes scattered around the city; try Kazakhtelecom in the city center.

Consulates:

 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇮🇹 Italy

title: Oral


text:
Urana

Urana is the central town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia.

Get in
The only feasible option to reach Urana is by road. From the south, Urana Corowa Road branches off the Riverina Highway (B58) and leads directly to Urana's main street. From the north, Urana Morundah Road branches off the Newell Highway (A39) and meets Urana Corowa Road in the center of the town.

If taking public transport, NSW Trainlink operates a coach service connection from Wagga Wagga to Echuca, which stops in Urana on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. The bus connects to the XPT Train service to Sydney and Melbourne in Wagga.

The Urana Airstrip is 1,000 meters long and runs east/south east to west/north west and is equipped with a windsock. There are no landing charges and no fuel is available. It's for recreational and emergency use - and you wouldn't likely get a charter let along any scheduled passenger transport.

Get around
Being a very small town, Urana can be easily navigated on foot.

See

Do

Buy
The usual Australian country town souvenirs such as stubby holders, fridge magnets, bumper stickers, table cloths and bar mats are available at the Museum and Cafe in town.

Eat
All establishments listed below are in the town's main street.

 * The IGA shopping centre has a limited range but satisfies most grocery needs.  Having a complete monopoly over many products, the prices are absolutely outrageous.
 * A cafe operates 7 days a week with a good mix of hot and cold food. Basic groceries such as milk and bread can be purchased here if the supermarket is closed.
 * The pub has a full bistro menu on Friday and Saturday nights which encompasses the usual wholesome and hearty pub fare such as parmigianas, steaks and casseroles. As is the custom in rural areas, prices are generally higher than one would find for the same meals in the city.

Drink
There are only two licensed establishments in operation at the current time in Urana.

The pub serves drinks every night and has an official closing time of 11PM Monday to Saturday and 10PM on Sunday, however anecdotal evidence suggests that the closing time is closer to 6:30PM except Fridays.

The Urana Bowling Club remains open after the pub closes during the week, however this establishment will most likely be closed by 8:30PM.

Go next

 * Morundah - 50 km north of Urana, just off the Newell Highway, Morundah is a small town comprised chiefly of a pub and a wheat silo. The pub has excellent gourmet pies and an extensive modern menu on Friday and Saturday nights. The town also contains the Paradise Theatre, which has hosted Australian and international opera companies before.

title: Urana


text:
Urbana

There is more than one place called Urbana:

Italy

 * Urbana (Italy) — A town in Italy.

United States of America

 * Urbana (Illinois) — A city in Illinois.
 * Urbana (Indiana) — A town in Indiana.
 * Urbana (Iowa) — A town in Iowa.
 * Urbana (Maryland) — A town in Maryland.
 * Urbana (Missouri) — A town in Missouri.
 * Urbana (New York) — A town in New York (state).
 * Urbana (Ohio) — A town in Ohio.
 * Urbana (Virginia) — A town in Virginia.

title: Urbana


text:
Urbana (Ohio)

Urbana is a city in Ohio. It is the county seat of Champaign County.

By car
Urbana lies on US Route 68.

By bike
The Simon Kenton Trail goes through West Liberty and Bellefontaine to the north, and to Springfield to the south.

See

title: Urbana (Ohio)