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North Fork

The North Fork is in the northeast of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

Towns
The North Fork of Long Island, New York, contains the two towns of Riverhead in the west and Southold in the east.

It is the most rural part of Long Island, but has two villages of note: the village of Riverhead, county seat of Suffolk county (though most county offices are further west) and home of Splish Splash water park, the Long Island Aquarium, and a host of other sites; and Greenport, a small village almost at the end of the Fork, home to a substantial maritime and railroad history. In between the two lie Aqueboque, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Cutchogue, Peconic, and Southold. East of Greenport are East Marion and Orient Point, the easternmost village on the fork. None of these are large or host particularly many attractions.

Understand
The North Fork of Long Island is 80 miles from Manhattan. This area offers a low key lifestyle for both families as well as couples that want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is also cheaper than the South Fork of Long Island.

By car
The Long Island Expressway (more commonly known as the L.I.E, officially I-495), which comes from Midtown Manhattan, ends in Riverhead, where Long Island forks. From Riverhead, NY-25 serves as both the main route out to the North Fork and the main street for several hamlets and villages. Suffolk Co. Route 48 provides a more northerly alternative until Greenport.

NY-25 also continues further west into Queens, offering a less hectic alternative to the L.I.E.

By bus
The Hampton Jitney provides access to various points the North Fork from Manhattan several times daily. As train service to the North Fork has been cut, the Jitney has increasingly gained popularity. It runs considerably more frequently than the train, although the schedule is subject to seasonal variation.

A one-way ticket from New York to the North Fork costs $19.00 bought in advance, and $21.00 bought on board.

By train
Although it was the original terminus for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), the North Fork's Greenport Branch now sees the least service of any LIRR branch. Schedules are available at the LIRR website On weekdays there are only 4 daily trains to Greenport from Penn Station in Manhattan, all of which require a transfer to a diesel scoot at Ronkonkoma. On Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 5 trains go from Penn Station to Greenport.

On weekends the service is similar with 4 trains departing at different times, all of them terminating in Greenport.

A one-way off-peak ticket from Manhattan or Brooklyn to anywhere on the North Fork costs $19.75 if bought in advance; tickets cost more on-board or during peak times. Train stations on the North Fork lack ticket machines and therefore no penalty will be assessed for buying tickets on board when going towards Manhattan.

By ferry
Frequent car ferries run to the North Fork from Connecticut and Shelter Island. From Shelter Island, the North Ferry runs every 10-20 minutes between Shelter Island Heights and Greenport, calling next to the train station. Fares are reasonable at $10.00 one-way and $15.00 return for a vehicle and driver and $2.00 for foot or car passengers. Bicycles and motorcycles cost extra, but less than a car.

From Connecticut, the Cross Sound Ferry runs hourly trips between 7am and 8pm between New London and Orient Point, at the easternmost end of the Fork, on five different boats, including a passenger-only fast ferry and a repurposed World War II landing craft. Fares are considerably higher than the Shelter Island, with one-way trips starting at $14.50 for foot or car passengers on the car ferry and $51.00 for a vehicle and no round-trips available. Tickets on the fast ferry for foot passengers cost even more. Due to fuel costs, the ferry company also charges a 4.9% fee the call the "floating surcharge"-one hopes the boat doesn't sink if someone forgets to pay it!

West of the North Fork, the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Ferry provides several daily trips from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson. Port Jeff is located on NY-25A, which one can follow to NY-25 in Riverhead. Fares are similar to the Cross Sound Ferry. See the Port Jefferson article for details.

Get around
As this is Long Island, and the least populous part of it at that, the best way to get around by far is with a personal vehicle. However, bus and train service are (barely) provided, and Greenport and Riverhead are compact and quite walkable.

By car
The main roads on the North Fork are NY-25 and Suffolk-48, which merge in Greenport before continuing on to Orient Point as NY-25. For most visitors, NY-25 will be the road of choice, as it is closer to the towns of interest that hem Peconic Bay.

Taxis are available from Island Cab, but expensive as they are on all of Long Island

By foot
Riverhead and Greenport are compact and walkable – indeed, this is the best way to experience them. Everywhere else on the North Fork, however, is not.

By bus
Suffolk Transit's S92 serves the entire North Fork (as well as Easthampton and Sag Harbor on the South Fork). The bus runs roughly every hour or half hour (depending on the time of day) from Orient but only until 3:35PM! There is additional morning service and one additional evening bus from Greenport only. On the other hand, unlike almost every other Suffolk Transit bus, the S92 has Sunday service in the summers, but the base fare is higher than usual at $2.25. As is usually the case with Suffolk Transit, don't expect reality to hew closely to the schedules.

By train
The aforementioned trains from Riverhead (and ultimately Ronkonkoma) to Greenport can also be used to travel between towns on the North Fork; in this case the fare is $3.00 bought on board the train. The train makes intermediate stops at Mattituck and Southold. As there are only 4 or 5 trains a day and neither intermediate stop is pedestrian friendly, the train is of limited utility (though it is generally more reliable than Suffolk Transit).

Do
The North Fork is the #2 wine-growing area of New York State. Wine-tasting tours are available.

Sleep
The North Fork of Long Island has many bed and breakfasts as well as inns and hotels. All of the bed and breakfasts and inns and hotels are located either along the beach or next to vineyards.

Go next
The logical next point is to take the ferry to Shelter Island, site of the 1947 Shelter Island Conference. From there, you can take the ferry to Sag Harbor and go to either Montauk or The Hamptons, as part of an East End circle tour of sorts.

Alternatively, you can take the ferry to New London and continue there. From the New London ferry terminal it is a quick and easy drive east to Rhode Island and Boston or north to Vermont and new Hampshire. For a really off-the-beaten-path option, take the ferry to New London from there take a ferry to Fishers Island, an island off the North Fork accessible only from New London.

title: North Fork


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Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a national park that is located in the North Dakota Badlands. The park is named for the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, who was noted for his passionate devotion to the conservation of the nation's natural resources.

Understand
"I would not have been President, had it not been for my experience in North Dakota."

- Theodore Roosevelt

The park's 70,448 acres are divided into three units: South Unit, North Unit and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The terrain of the park includes badlands, open prairie, hard wood draws. It is home to bison, prairie dogs and many other wildlife species. The Little Missouri River runs through the park.

 * Visitor Information - Park Headquarters,.
 * Visitor Information - North Unit,.
 * Visitor Information - South Unit, ext. 3417.

If visiting multiple sites in one day, remember that the North Unit is in the Central Time Zone, while the South Unit follows Mountain Time.

History
The park was home to the Sioux people, nomadic horsemen of the plains who were skilled at the art (and survival skill) of hunting buffalo. They were excellent horsemen and warriors, producing some well known figures of the American Indian Wars, such as the brilliant strategist and warrior Red Cloud, the only Native American to ever win a war against the United States, and the brave, death-seeking Crazy Horse, whom is famous for his bravery in battle and skill in mounted combat, and who once declared before his ultimate fall that "Today is a good day to die, men!"

As Euro-Americans began to encroach on the Great Plains, the area was home to buffalo hunters who nearly drove the buffalo into extinction in order to make way for the railroads, often shooting them from the comfort of the train itself. Many people came to the area in search of gold and to make a living, and many flocked to the region under the Homestead Act of 1862, which gave free land to anyone willing to develop it. This proved to be one of the main catalysts for the Sioux Wars, which resulted in competition for resources between the Sioux and the Homesteaders. The Sioux were finally driven out of the area in the 1870s, forced to move to reservations such as Pine Ridge and Crow Creek.

Homesteaders came from many places, as far away as areas like Scandinavia and Germany, and as close as the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard. Life here was very difficult. The area granted to the Homesteaders was designed for a family farm in more eastern climates, and wasn't nearly large enough to make a living in the semi-arid conditions and the poor soil.

Many fossil hunters such as the famed paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope and the famed rockhound Barnum Brown "hounded" the region for fossils, discovering marvelous specimens such as Tyrannosaurus and Ornitholestes, as well as many mammals such as Hyaenodon horridus and many, many oreodont fossils, the sheep of the Oligocene.

The park is named for US President Theodore Roosevelt who lived in North Dakota (then the Dakota Territory) during the 1880s, owning and operating two ranches. It was here he fell in love with outdoors and the West, which made him a strong advocate of conservation during his time as President. After Roosevelt's death in 1919, the badlands were scoured for potential national park sites to memorialize him, and park was put together with areas that included his Elkhorn Ranch.

Landscape
The landscape was formed five million years ago when due to uplift the region that would become the Badlands became exposed and gradually eroded over the millennia to the state it is in today. Many spirals, summits, and valleys can be found, with numerous fossil bearing rocks found, ranging from the Cretaceous to the Oligocene.

Flora and fauna
An abundance of native grasses provide sustenance for larger grazing animals: bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, white-tailed and mule deer, bighorn sheep and feral horses.

Once land is grazed or disturbed, it becomes prime habitat for prairie dogs to build their towns. The park's prairie dog towns are a great place to find birds feeding on seeds, burrowing owls making their dens, and prairie rattlesnakes or bull snakes living in abandoned burrows. It is not uncommon to see a golden eagle flying overhead, or a porcupine ambling up a tree to snack on the tree bark.

Climate
Summers are warm with temperatures in the 80s and 90s (°Fahrenheit). Evenings are often cool. Annual precipitation is 15 inches. Winters are cold with brief warming periods.

Visitor information

 * Park website

By car
The South Unit entrance and South Unit (Medora) Visitor Center are located in Medora, just off Interstate 94 (exits 23 & 27) and is 135 miles west of Bismarck, North Dakota.

The Painted Canyon Visitor Center is located 7 miles east of Medora just off I-94 at exit 32. It is open seasonally, from May 1st to mid-November.

The North Unit entrance is 16 miles south of Watford City along U.S. Highway 85. The distance between Medora at the South Unit and the North Unit is 70 miles via I-94 and U.S. Highway 85.

The Elkhorn Ranch Unit is only accessible via unpaved dirt roads. During winter months and after rainfall, driving may be impossible without a high-clearance vehicle and/or 4-wheel drive. Other types of cars may be fine during drier periods. Check with a ranger at the North or South Unit for current conditions and specific directions. Be aware that there is no cell coverage, so if you want to use your phone for directions, you will need to load offline maps ahead of time. Note too that there is a similarly named "Elkhorn Ranch" that is private property, so ensure your directions are to "Elkhorn Ranch Unit" instead.

There is no public bus transportation along Highway 85 and to the North Unit.

By plane
Air service is available into the western North Dakota towns of Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston.

By train
Train service via Amtrak is available into Williston, North Dakota.

Fees and permits
Entrance fees are good for seven days and allow entry into all units of the park As of 2020, entrance fees are:

 * $15 Non-motorized Individual Entrance Fee
 * $25 Motorcycle Entrance Fee
 * $30 Vehicle Entrance Fee
 * $55 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Annual Pass
 * $50 Commercial Vehicle 7-15 Passenger Capacity
 * $60 Commercial Vehicle 16-25 Passenger Capacity
 * $150 Commercial Vehicle 25+ Passenger Capacity

Get around
The North and South Units each have long scenic drives with numerous pulloffs and trailheads. Off the road, the options are hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There is no public transportation.

Do

 * Hiking or horseback riding The park has over 100 miles of trails. They range from short walks of less than a mile to treks of several miles that require more than a day to complete. Peaceful Valley Ranch, 701-623-4568, is the park's operator for guided horseback trail rides.

There is also the option to travel cross country off the trails. In order to camp overnight a free permit is required.

Buy
Books and small souvenirs are available at all three visitor centers.

Eat and drink
There is no food available for purchase within the park boundaries, except for a few small vending machines at the North Unit and Painted Canyon visitor centers. South Unit visitors can hop over to Medora to stock up. Visitor centers have water fountains, and the Cottonwood and Juniper campgrounds have drinking water on tap. Roundup may have water, but it's not a year-round service - verify with rangers, especially in shoulder season (May and October).

Lodging
The park has no lodging of its own. Camp, or sleep in a nearby town.

Camping

Backcountry
More than 40% of the park - close to 30,000 acres - is backcountry wilderness. Hikers and horseback parties who wish to camp overnight in the backcountry must register at either the South or North Unit visitor centers and obtain a free backcountry use permit. A free backcountry guide is also available. In addition to the established trail system, visitors have the opportunity to travel crosscountry in the park.

Stay safe
The Badlands are notorious for unpredictable and severe weather. Pack clothing for all conditions, you'll probably need it!

Wildlife in the park is dangerous, and should not be approached, but will not normally be a hazard unless provoked. Rattlesnakes are the exception.

Go next
If time permits, consider the long but beautiful 240-mile drive (310 mi from the North Unit) on Highway 85 to Rapid City. The heart of South Dakota's Badlands and Black Hills, it's a base for visiting several famous recreational areas including Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore.

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

title: Theodore Roosevelt National Park


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Theologos

Theologos, also called Tholos is a beachside settlement on the mid-north east coast of Rhodes. It is situated a few kilometres to the west of Rhodes International Airport, "Diagoras" (Greek: Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Ρόδου, "Διαγόρας") or (Diagoras International Airport). Theologos is about 22 km from Rhodes Old Town.

A few hotels and apartments are near the pretty but slightly breezy beach. This is more traditional village than tourism precinct and the locals are warm and friendly people.

Bus
A bus runs from Rhodes city to Theologos at the following times every day: 05:00, 06:55, 07:20, 09:00, 13:10, 13:30, 14:45, 15:00, 15:40, 18:40, 19:40, 21:35. A return bus to Rhodes city runs at the following times every day: 05:50, 06:40, 08:20, 09:40, 14:10, 14:30, 17:00, 20:00, 20:20, 22:40.

See
Agios Spiridonas, a picturesque church with a lovely white bell tower.

The old centre of Tholos is built in traditional Rhodian style. With tall shuttered buildings and narrow streets, Theologos (Tholos) village is a nice place to wander through.

Nearby is Petaloudes and it's butterflies, Paradisi, and on the coast Soroni. just west of Soroni is Fanes with its picturesque boat harbour, a flat isolated beach and shady tamarisk trees.

Island trips
Lying off the west coast of Rhodes near Glyfada Bay is Alimia Island and the nearby but smaller Tragousa, Stogili and Makri islands.

Go next

 * Afandou - One of the big villages on the island. The golf course of Rhodes is situated in this area along with a long beach
 * Archangelos - The second largest town on the island
 * Asklipio - inland village, site of an old church and a castle
 * Faliraki - Rhodes' "action resort". Go there to party, everything else is better somewhere else - although the hotels north from faliraki are much quieter. Nice beaches, a lot less winds than on the west coast and really good public transport. Hotels near the water park do not interest clubbers, and are really family friendly.
 * Ixia - West coast resorts, close to Paradisi and Tholos, nearby to the airport.
 * Rhodes city - The biggest city on the island and seat of the local government

title: Theologos


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Thepha

Thepha (เทพา) is a town on the Southern Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand.

title: Thepha


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Thermenland

(Steirisches) Thermenland is in Styria. To the east of the Thermenland the Termenwelt is located in Burgenland. Both offer great spas.

Understand
The hot springs of Styria have a long tradition, and have become really popular. You can get everything a beauty spa could possibly offer.

Get in
Usually you will get to the region either from Graz or Vienna. Buses and Trains operate to all of the spas. However you may have to change your transportation vehicle a few times.

Do

 * Riegersburg has a beautiful castle on top of an old volcano. It's one of the few castle that withheld all attacks from the turcs.
 * Bad Radkersburg has an old armory house (Zeughaus), while the one in Graz is by far bigger, it's too worth a visit.

Sleep
Lots of people just daytrip to a spa from Graz or Vienna.

If you plan to stay in one of the spas for more than a day, you may also consider to stay in one of the villages more to the center of the region and daytrip to various spas.

title: Thermenland


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Thermopolis

Thermopolis is a town in Northwest Wyoming, USA, notable for the presence of one of the world's largest hot springs. There were 2,700 people living there in 2020.

By car
Thermopolis straddles a north-south highway with two designations: US Route 20 and Wyoming State Route 789. Wyoming State Route 120 from Cody terminates in Thermopolis.

By plane
Cody is the nearest city with commercial air service. The next closest is Casper.

Get around
It's a small town that can be covered on foot, but if you want to travel in style, use horse and buggy. Wyoming Carriage and Taxi, +1 866 646-2723, runs sightseeing horse-drawn carriage rides in town during the summer months.

Do

 * Soak in the waters from the hot springs. There are several commercial operations that use the waters with varying degrees of gimmickry, but in addition, the town maintains a bathhouse that is free (under the terms of the treaty whereby a local Indian tribe ceded access to the spring in the 19th century) and open to the public during daylight hours.

Go next

 * Boysen Reservoir, 20 miles south
 * Wind River Canyon, Scenic Byway between Thermopolis and Shoshoni

title: Thermopolis


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The Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań

The Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań is a unique tour running through the most important parts of the city and presenting the history, culture and identity of Poznań. The Route gives a great opportunity to get to know better the origins of Polish State and discover how the city has been changing and developing through the centuries.

Understand
A journey can be started from the oldest part of the city: Śródka and Ostrów Tumski. Then can be seen the medieval Old Town with its Town Hall extended in the Renaissance style, the next step will be the New upper city. The walk is about 4.5 km long.

Following the kings and emperors who have a linking for the city, could be seen many interesting monuments, galleries, museums and could be took part in cultural events. The tour leads from the distant past to present of Poznań which is vibrant with life and looking forward to hearing from the tourists.

Prepare
The best way to start an exciting journey through the past and present of Poznań is providing with leaflets describing the route and the attractions. It is possible to get them for nothing in Tourist Information Centre:

 * City Information Centre (CIM) - ul. Ratajczaka 44 61-728 Poznań,, 9431, Fax: +48 61 856-04-54

 * Glob -Tour FB - ul. Dworcowa 1, Main Railway Station 61-801 Poznań,

 * City Information Centre - branch at Ławica Airport, ul.Bukowska 285 60-189 Poznań,, Fax: +48 61 849-21-40

 * City Information Centre - branch at Poznań International Fair, ul. Głogowska 14 60-734 Poznań,

 * City Information Centre - branch in the M1 Shopping Mall, ul. Szwajcarska 14 61-285 Poznań,

 * Tourist Information Centre - Stary Rynek 59/60 61-772 Poznań,

For sure Tourist Guide is worth reading. It costs about 13 zł and can be bought in Tourist Information Centres or in most bookshops in Poznań.

On foot
The Imperial Castle is not far away from the railway station, only a few minutes on foot. To get to other attractions it is better to take a bus or a tram.

By public transport
In Poznan there is well-developed public transport. It gives possibility to get about in the city without using a taxi or own car.

Trams

 * Tram no. 5- Railway station- Imperial Castle (św. Marcin 6 min)- Old Market Square (Wrocławska 9 min.)
 * Tram no. 6- Railway station or bus station- Śródka station. (about 15 min.)
 * Tram no. 8- Railway station-Kathedral (12 min)-Śródka station (13 min)

Buses
There are several bus lines which connect one attraction with another but they are not starting off the railway station or bus statio.

Tickets
In Poznań there are used time tickets (tickets valid for a certain period of time). This allows passengers to change a line without any need to punch a new ticket. It is possible to see the ride start time which is printed on the ticket by the ticket puncher. There is a choice of tickets for 15, 30 and 60 minutes which cost 2 zł, 3,60 zł and 5,80 zł and are available in newsagent which can be found in most stations. The best solution for long travels or for persons staying in Poznań for several days are 24-hr and weekly. Pupils, students or pensioners can use discount tickets.

Public transport timetable

Walk

 * The best spot to start walk is the Church of St. John of Jerusalem Behind the Wall, one of the oldest brick temple in Poland. Next to the church is a very old district called Śródka. The origin of the name comes from the day when the markets were organized (Środa means Wednesday).

 * Ostrów Tumski, (Cathedral Island): To reach Cathedral Island cross Bishop Jordan’s Bridge over the River Cybina. On the island can be found the Cathedral which is the oldest necropolis of Polish sovereigns. (Entrance to the Cathedral is free, entrancefee to the basement is 2.80 zł – for adults, 1.80 zł – children, students). Inside worthseeing is the Golden Chapel,  which houses the tombs of the first rulers of Poland, Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry. Next to the Cathedral stands the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Summo. This old church is partly situated upon the remains of the residence of the first Polish sovereign.

 * The Old Market Square in Poznań is the third largest square in Poland. When we enter the square from Wielka Street, we can see the Proserpine Fountain and the Town Hall – undoubtedly the most beautiful Renaissance building of its type in Central Europe. The building’s tower features two goats that appear everyday at noon and butt their horns.

 * Paderewski Street is a short street, and follows to Wolności Square. On the right from Paderewski Street, on Przemysł Hill the former Royal Castle is located. A brick wall surrounds the castle. Today, the Royal Castle houses the Museum of Applied Arts. The Museum displays furniture, decorative fabrics, valuable silver, china, faience and tin vessels as well as a variety of decorations once found in castles, palaces or shrines, old clocks and parade weaponry. Entrancefee is 5.50 zł – for adults, 3.50 zł – children, students.

 * At the end of Paderewski Street can be seen a very important building: the “Bazar” Hotel which was built in the 19th century, during the period when Poznań was under Prussian Occupation. This building is associated with one of the most important events in the city's history. A speech by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (a famous musician and politician) in 1918 from one of the hotel’s windows, triggered off the Wielkopolska Uprising. Thanks to this event Poznań and the Wielkopolska Region, after 123 years of occupation, became a part of the reborn Poland. On the other side of Paderewski Street, next to “Bazar”, the main building of the National Museum (Art Gallery), is located. This museum has a prominent collection of Italian, Spanish and Polish art. Entrancefee is 10 zł – for adults, 6 zł – children, students.

 * Wolności Square is surrounded by buildings important for the history of Poznań. On the Square is the seat of the Raczyński Library (the first public library in Poland). At the western end of the square we see the former German theatre, now called the Arkadia.

 * On the right side of the street 27 Grudnia, deep behind the row of houses, stands the Polski Theatre. The theatre was financed by contributions from citizens in all the regions of partitioned Poland. The idea of this undertaking is commemorated on the façade: “The Nation to Itself”. Near the Polish Theatre stands the Okrąglak building. This cylinder-shaped department store is said to be the most peculiar building in Poznań.

 * On Fredry Street stands the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Paul (now the Church of the Holiest Saviour). The Church was built in the second half of 19th century.

 * “Castle Quarter” which replaced the old fortifications. Around 1900 Prussian authorities established the new city centre, designed west of the old town. In the new city centre, all important official buildings were located. The “Castle Quarter” was built according to an ideological programme that glorified German domination in the east. The Castle Quarter's main building was the Imperial Castle, the last royal residence built in Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm II built this castle in the Neo-Romanesque style in the early 20th century. The former imperial residence now houses the “Zamek” Cultural Centre.

 * In the surroundings of the castle we can see many more buildings of the former “Castle Quarter”: Collegium Maius (former Settlement Commission), Collegium Minus (now houses Adam Mickiewicz University and the concert hall of the Poznań Philharmonic Society), the Post Office building, and the Wielki Theatre (former Municipal Theatre) – the Poznań Opera.

 * Going straight over Theatre Bridge is Dąbrowskiego Street where begins the district of Jeżyce, notable for several complexes of art nouveau architecture. In Roosevelt Street is one of the most impressive complexes, decorated with figurative and floral ornaments. In Jeżyce is the Nowy Theatre, one of the best theatres in Poland and the Neo-Romanesque Church of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and St. Florian.

On Saturday entrance to most museums is free.

More information can be found at Website of the Poznań City Hall

Stay safe
There are no particular safety precautions needed.

title: The Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań


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Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη) is the capital of the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the whole historical region of Macedonia, Greece, and is, at about one million inhabitants (2021), the second largest city in the country. More importantly, it is a city with a continuous 3,000-year history, preserving relics of its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past and of its formerly dominant Jewish population. Its Byzantine churches, in particular, are included in UNESCO's World Heritage list.

History
Once the biggest port of the Balkans, Thessaloniki is a city that has been conquered by many empires, with each one leaving its mark. One can find Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman buildings all throughout the city.

During the Ottoman years a sizeable Jewish community formed in the city, giving it the name 'The Jerusalem of the Balkans'. Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in Thessaloniki for over 400 years. During the 1923 Greco-Turkish population exchange hundreds of thousands of Christians arrived from Asia Minor and most of the Muslims moved to Turkey. The 55,000 strong Jewish community was eradicated during the 1941-1945 German occupation, with 2,000 remaining after the war.

Orientation

Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. The metropolitan area, with population of about 1 million, can be divided roughly in 3 parts: The northwestern, the central and the southeastern.

The central part, corresponding to the region that used to be inside the Byzantine walls and can in turn be divided in the "Ano Poli" (Upper City) region which lies on the hillside that is actually the southwest end of Chortiatis, and the part of the city located between the Upper City and the sea.

The later is the "center" of Thessaloniki, as most commercial, entertainment and educational facilities can be found here, while it also remains a densely populated residential area. It is the area surrounded by the seafront to the southwest, Olibiados street to the northeast, Dimokratias square to the northwest and the University campus and the facilities of Thessaloniki International Fair to the southeast. Most places with tourist interest are either in the center or very close to it.

Most roads in the center are either parallel or perpendicular to the coastline. A simple rule that helps the visitor is that if the a street goes downhill, then following it will lead you to the sea. The biggest parallel streets to the sea starting from the sea are Leoforos Nikis, Tsimiski, Egnatia, Agiou Dimitriou and Kassandrou. The main vertical to the sea streets, starting from northwest, are Dragoumi, Venizelou, Aristotelous, Agias Sofias and Ethinikis Aminis.

Tourist information
There are tourist info and ticket booths at the central bus stations. You can get a free bus line chart there. The tourist information office is at Tsimiski 136, a few minutes from the White Tower. It is open M-F 08:00-20:00, Sa 09:30-16:00 in winter and 08:00-20:00 in summer, Su closed. If you find it closed, walk up to Aristotelous and buy a map from Iannos bookshop. You can also visit the OASTH website.
 * Thessaloniki Tourism website

By train
Thessaloniki is an important rail hub within Greece and it is quite easy to travel here by passenger trains. Hellenic Train operates up to six daily trains from Athens via Larissa. The journey used to take 4 hours but after a huge flood that destroyed the central part of the line it now takes around 5 hours. Restoration and improvement works are on the way and by 2025 the journey will again take 4 hours, possibly even lower. Additionally, there are trains from Alexandroupoli via Komotini, Xanthi and Serres in Western Thrace region. Regional trains connect with Florina, Kilkis, Kalampaka and several other cities in Northern Greece. Thessaloniki also has a suburban railway also operated by Hellenic Train that connects the city to Larissa via Katerini running multiple times a day and stopping at many smaller cities and villages that the Intercity Trains do not.

There are normally staff at all major stations to facilitate transportation of disabled persons.

Discounts
Ask for these discounts even if the TrainOSE employee does not mention them:
 * Children (ages 4-12) get a 50% discount.
 * Youth under 26 and elderly over 65 get a 25% discount (not on ICE).
 * Disabled people and their escort get a 50% discount.
 * Groups get a 30-50% discount.
 * Two-way trips also get a discount.

By bus
Thessaloniki is connected via the intercity KTEL bus network with every corner of Greece.

Prominent long-distance bus connections

 * Athens/Volos – Buses from Athens and Volos make the trip to Thessaloniki in about 6 hr 30 min and 2 hr 30 min, respectively, the former including a 20-min stop at a roadside restaurant, usually near Lamia, with toilet facilities. Buses are air-conditioned, and some offer WiFi internet access.
 * Belgrade – There are weekly departures to Belgrade (Serbia) from Thessaloniki and Athens, in the arrangement of the Greek and Serbian Agency. Ticket price in one direction from Thessaloniki to Belgrade is about €45.
 * Istanbul – Regular buses between Istanbul and Athens also call in Thessaloniki.
 * Skopje – A number of local travel agencies in Skopje also arrange transport to Thessaloniki daily by car or minibus. These generally leave around 05:00, and cost around €25 for a day return (returning at 17:00) or a single (i.e. €50 if you want to come back on a different day from when you leave) The travel agent at the back of the shopping mall by the Central Square arranges this departing from beside the Holiday Inn. Others depart from the bus station, or other locations around the city. Simeonidis tours, N⁰ 14, 26th October St. There is one bus daily departing for Thessaloniki from the central bus station in Skopje and it takes about 5 hr to Thessaloniki. It departs at 06:00. Reservations are recommended.
 * Sofia – There are at least four daily buses from Sofia, Bulgaria which pass through Thessaloniki, plus several non-daily. Prices are generally around 50 Bulgarian leva. See here for more info.
 * Tirana – There are a number of buses to Thessaloniki and Athens every day, departing from most major Albanian cities. You can catch a bus from Tirana or Shkodra and travel all the way south, making stops in most major Albanian and Greek cities. Since buses stop to pick up and drop passengers in most major cities, you can catch the bus at those cities en route.
 * Budapest Buses to Budapest do not run everyday and the journey is quite long. It may involve stops in Skopje, Belgrade and Nis.

By plane

The domestic flight network is quite extensive, with most flights provided by either Aegean Airlines, its regional subsidiary Olympic Air an operator of subsidized public-service-obligation flights to less frequently served destinations, Sky Express a new greek airline that offers cheap flights to Athens and multiple islands. Some domesitc connections are also provided by major European low-cost airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet and WizzAir.

Apart from those, the majority of flights are charter and seasonal flights by holiday specialists. There is also substantial low-fare traffic by pretty much all major low-fare carriers in Europe, with Ryanair having a base at the airport and the largest number of connections out of those. When it comes to traditional international airlines, the airport is mainly served by those belonging to the Star Alliance, which also includes Aegean and Olympic, such as Austrian, Turkish and Swiss.

The airport is not as well served as the Athens airport, to which it is connected by multiple daily flights taking around 50 min, provided by multiple airlines. Aegean's frequent shuttle flights are of particular interest, as they can be booked on a common ticket with an Aegean or other Star Alliance flight to other destinations in Europe and beyond.

A luggage storage room is available on the arrival floor.

Getting there The airport is 15 km south of the city centre.

 * By bus – The public transit connection is provided by bus line 01X, a 24/7 service between the airport, the New Railway Station, and the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal. Frequency is between 15 min and 30 min during the day. At night, the bus number changes to 01N and runs every 30 min. A ticket costs €1.90 for one trip (see Get around / By bus). Tickets can be bought at a vending booth at the airport bus stop or at ticket machines on the buses. However, for these exact change is needed. The ride from the airport to the city centre takes around 40 min. Buses can get very packed so do not expect a very comfortable ride.
 * Bus number 79 from the airport does not get you to the city centre but to A.S. IKEA bus terminal in the city's east side. However, from there you can take another bus (ask the counter), and the double ticket (stamped once in 79 and another time in the next bus) is just €1.20— in case you want to spare 80¢.

 * By taxi – A ride from the city centre costs about €15-20. It's hard to find one during peak hours (07:00-08:00, 14:00-16:00 and 19:00-21:00), so plan early. Taxi can be prearranged through travel apps like Booking.com as well as ordered on demand through FreeNow or Uber.

 * On foot – If you'd like a panoramic trail, after or between your flights, you can spend this time on a fairly pleasant river and sea-side trail. It starts about 600 m from the terminal, where the . From there, a trail follows the river's right (NE) bank toward the north-west for about 1 km, until the river enters the sea; watch for water birds. From the river's mouth, the trail follows the sea coast to the NE and N for about 1 km, until it reaches the mouth of another little river. While not an official beach, swimming in the sea is possible. From that point, one can continue east for about 500 m along a small residential street named Floridas, until reaching the main highway (Leoforos Georgikis Scholis) just south of the . From there, two shopping centers, Hondos Center and IKEA (both with air conditioning, soft chairs, food, and free Wi-Fi) are within walking distance. From the you can take one of the bus lines to the city center (e.g. bus number 2) paying the standard one journey ticket price which is cheaper than taking the bus 01X/01N directly from the airport (see Get around / By bus). The trail takes about 1 hr one-way and of course can be done in the other direction if you are arriving from the city center at the IKEA bus terminal and have some time to kill before your flight.

By car

 * Athens about 5 hr (Highway A1, E75)
 * Belgrade in Serbia about 7 hr (A1, E75)
 * Istanbul in Turkey about 8 hr (A2, E90)
 * Tirana in Northeastern Albania about 6 hr (Α29 and Α2)
 * Sofia in Northwest Bulgaria about 4 hr (Α25, Ε79)
 * Constanta in Romania about 8 hr.

Finding parking is difficult: be prepared to spend a lot of time looking for a place or to pay for space in the parking lot (starting from €4 for 3 hr). Don't assume you're safe from paying a fine just because locals flagrantly flout parking laws. Traffic congestion is a problem, largely due to double-parked cars, but generally fellow drivers and passers-by are helpful in showing you the way if you're lost.

By bus
The city's bus company is called OASTH and runs a total of 85 different bus lines, which are the only public transportation within the city. Maps of the bus routes are available on OASTH's website. Moovit or Rome2Rio mobile apps can be used to plan the journey and check the schedule on the go. Bus services usually operate from 05:00 until just after midnight.

Bus number 50 ("cultural line") follows a figure-of-8 route past all the major tourist sights. There is an English speaking guide aboard, who provides you with maps and information. The whole route takes 50 min, and it departs every hour on the hour from the White Tower. The connection to the airport is provided by bus 01X, which runs as 01N in the night (the only night bus line in the city).

The 01N night bus runs from 22:00-05:00 every 30 minutes on average. Being the only public transportation option after 00:00 it is usually packed with people, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so don't count on it if you have a late night flight to catch.

This being Greece, the bus drivers go on strike occasionally. Notices about strikes may appear (in Greek only, naturally) at the bus stops information panels.

Tickets

Tickets can be bought at OASTH's ticket outlets and at machines on the buses. Certain types of tickets (see below) are also available at various other sales points. There are five types of tickets available:
 * One journey ticket: €0.9; valid for one journey on all lines except 50, 01X and 01N.
 * Two journey ticket: €1.10; valid for two journeys on all lines except 50, 01X and 01N, the second journey starting within 70 min of the first.
 * Three journey ticket: €1.30 from OASTH's ticket outlets or on the bus; valid for three journeys on all lines except 50, 01X and 01N, the third journey starting within 90 min of the first.
 * Four journey ticket: €1.90 from OASTH's ticket outlets or on the bus; valid for four journeys on all lines except 50, 01X and 01N, the fourth journey starting within 120 min of the first.
 * Airport line (01X/01N) / Cultural line (50) ticket: €1.8 from OASTH's ticket outlets or on the bus; valid only on these lines.

Students, persons aged over 65, and persons with over 67% disability get a 50% discount if they have the documents required by OASTH to prove it. Accompanied children under the age of six ride for free.

1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month cards for unlimited journeys on all lines (including the Airport line 01X/01N and the Cultural line 50) are also available. They are valid from the first day of the month they were issued until the last day of the month, third month, sixth month, or year. A photo-ID and a recent photograph are required to issue such cards. An one-month card costs €30.

By taxi
FreeNow app helps to order a taxi in Thessaloniki.

By bicycle
Bicycle lanes often do not exist, even on main roads. Sometimes, there are bicycle lanes on the pavement. There is a decent bicycle lane that runs along the seafront. You should always be very careful.

ThessBike is a bike sharing system with stations mainly near the center of the town. More stations located in other areas are being planned. You can either become a subscriber or pay per hour. In general, expect to pay €1 per hour.

See
The northernmost of the city and parts of the eastern walls are still standing, as is the city's symbol, the White Tower. The rest of the walls are in the picturesque Upper Town which offers a spectacular view over the bay, especially in the late afternoon.

The city is also known as "the mother of Israel", due to the once flourishing Jewish community here, which existed from the Roman period and grew substantially after the Ottoman Empire took in Jewish refugees expelled Spain, Portugal, and Spanish territories in Italy; these Jews are known as "Sephardim". Sephardi Jews formed a significant percentage of the city's population and infrastructure until World War II, when, in spring 1943, almost all were deported by the Nazis to the extermination camp at Auschwitz, never to return. However, there are still two Synagogues, and you can see the Jewish Museum.

Also interesting are the Turkish public baths Bey Hamam, the Bezesteni (Ottoman closed market for jewellery and precious materials) the Alatza Imaret (Ottoman poorhouse) and Hamza Bey Camii (both restored and used for exhibitions).

Seafront and lower town

 * The bustling Modiano and Kapani markets - see "Buy" below for details.
 * The bustling Modiano and Kapani markets - see "Buy" below for details.
 * The bustling Modiano and Kapani markets - see "Buy" below for details.
 * The bustling Modiano and Kapani markets - see "Buy" below for details.

Upper town
Visit the upper town for its traditional old houses, small cobbled streets, Byzantine citadel, the Eptapyrgion fort. Next to the Rotunda, see the Arch of Triumph of Galerius and the ruins of his palace.

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments
On no account should you miss the Byzantine churches built between the 5th and 14th centuries, some of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Museums and galleries
Thessaloniki is home to many museums, mostly archaeological and ethnographic. The two big archaeological museums are in the city centre, under the OTE Tower at the CHANTH Square. It is possible to obtain a pass for €15 which allows entry into five museums (valid for three days): Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, Museum of Byzantine Culture, White Tower, Archaeological Site and Museum of the Roman Agora, and Galerian Complex. Note that Winter opening times are shorter than Summer opening times.

Do

 * Take a walk along the long seafront promenade (about 12 km altogether).
 * Thessaloniki has a very active nightlife, as a 2007 New York Times article called it "Seattle of the Balkans".
 * The very lively and youth-oriented international film festival is held in November, the International Trade Fair in September.
 * Watch football . The city has two teams playing in the Super League, the top tier of Greek football. PAOK FC play at Toumba Stadium, capacity 29,000, 2 km southeast of city centre. Aris Thessaloniki FC play at Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium, capacity 22,800, a further kilometre south.
 * Join the amazing World Naked Bike Ride in Thessaloniki every year in June. A celebration of Cycling, Environment, Body Freedom!
 * Watch football . The city has two teams playing in the Super League, the top tier of Greek football. PAOK FC play at Toumba Stadium, capacity 29,000, 2 km southeast of city centre. Aris Thessaloniki FC play at Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium, capacity 22,800, a further kilometre south.
 * Join the amazing World Naked Bike Ride in Thessaloniki every year in June. A celebration of Cycling, Environment, Body Freedom!

Yachting
Thermaikos Gulf is a challenging place for yachting and sailing. Many days there are strong North winds but with low waves making sailing a fun and joy for all sailors. There are three sailing clubs in Thessaloniki and world championships take place here every year. Thessaloniki has several marinas with a new one containing 182 mooring places under construction in the centre of the city and next to Aistotelous square. There are a couple of yacht charter companies renting sailing yachts.

Clothing
For fashion, Tsimiski (the main fashion street, which runs parallel to Egnatia Road and is southwest of it, with shops such as Zara and H&M), Proxenou Koromila, and Mitropoleos. You won't find many bargains, but the shopping area is conveniently small and full of cafes when you get too tired. For cheaper clothing, check out Egnatia Road.

Books
Books and maps in various languages can be bought in stores such as:

 * Maliaris-Pedia bookstore
 * Maliaris-Pedia bookstore

Also in the 9th International Book Fair, that is held annually in late spring.

Food
You can buy local food products, such as olive oil, sometimes at significantly lower prices than in nearby countries.

For eating out, see the "Eat" section below

For food specialities, go to Modiano market and try the Terpsis and Omega delicatessens (the most famous is Kosmas, but it specialises in Asian food). Any Greek will expect you to bring back sweets from Salonica, so try tsoureki, plaited sweetened breads for which Terkenlis is famous, and desserts (baklava and galaktoboureko) e.g. or Nikiforou on Venizelou street. The most famous of the baklava joints is Hatzis, but fame has not made it any better - it's become overpriced and not as good as in previous years.

For a morning or late-night snack, try Bougatsa pies: cream (sweet) or cheese (savoury) filling.

Sweets and pastry
If you like sweets, there are 3 typical pastry shops you should try, typical of this city:

 * Choureál. Very popular for its profiterole
 * Choureál. Very popular for its profiterole
 * Choureál. Very popular for its profiterole
 * Choureál. Very popular for its profiterole

Popular winter drink: hot sahlep (salepi) by wayfarers.

Landmark summer drink: frappé coffee, iced coffee drink generally made from spray-dried instant coffee, water, sugar, and milk, the hallmark of postwar outdoor Greek coffee culture, once by far the most popular among young people, invented in 1957 in Thessaloniki International Fair.

Eat
Greeks consider Thessaloniki a gourmet city - but bear in mind that this refers to the excellent local specialities and cheap-and-cheerful ouzo taverns rather than to haute cuisine or a range of foreign restaurants. The latter are best avoided in Thessaloniki.

 * Try a crepe in one of the numerous crepe shops patronised by the student population at Gounari St, near Navarinou Sq.
 * There are plenty of shops selling gyros. Usually there are pork and chicken gyros. This is the best calories per money option, since with less than €3 you get a meal that, although not that healthy, can keep you going for many hours.
 * During the winter you can try roasted chestnuts (kastana in Greek) that are sold from carts.
 * During the summer one can buy boiled or roasted corn on the cob that is sold from carts. Cost €1-2.
 * You can try stafidopsomo, a small bread with raisins, or koulouri a donut-shaped small bread with sesame. You can find them sold in a bakery or on carts. Cost: €0.50.
 * For breakfast you can have a bougatsa, a type of cream pie, that Thessaloniki is famous for. You can accompany it with a cacao milk or coffee.
 * For a carnivore's treat, try soutzoukakia: minced meat pellets either grilled (at the central market or rotisseries) and topped with chilli pepper flakes, or cooked in tomato and cumin sauce (Smyrna-style).
 * For a late night (or early morning) meal try patsas (Tripe soup).
 * Seafood: gemista kalamarakia (stuffed squid), mydopilafo (rice with mussels) or mydia saganaki (mussels in tomato sauce).

Budget
Go for a meal in one of the many central ouzo restaurants (ouzeri). Accompany your ouzo or tsipouro with a battery of small dishes - by far the best way to eat in Salonica. Particularly good are the fava beans, octopus either grilled or in wine sauce and mussels (fried, or in pilaff, or with a hot cheese sauce, saganaki). If you see "boiled vegetables' on the menu in wintertime, you'll be amazed at how good they taste. Another typical winter salad is politiki, a combination of shredded cabbage and pickles.

Many fast food options are found on the Dimitriou Gounari Street (between Rotonda and the sea).

All these are in the city centre:

Drink
Thessaloniki is by far the liveliest city in Northern Greece- maybe even the whole country. Most of the trendy bars at the old sea-front (Nikis Ave.) and around, many of the tavernas are either downtown or in the old city (Kastra). You can also find numerous bars and tavernas at Krini, an area in eastern Thessaloniki. If you want to check out what the whole bouzoukia scene is all about, try the clubs Pyli Axiou and Mamounia, at Vilka. You will also find a lot of night clubs, bars and restaurants in Ladadika, the neighbourhood with the old warehouses next to the port. The student area is around Kamara (the Arch of Galerius), with many cheaper cafes and bars.

If you will be in town during summer, take a ride on the floating bars plying the harbour. Every 2 hr or so they leave from the White Tower area for a short evening trip (30 min) in the Gulf of Thessaloniki. They play mostly ethnic and alternative foreign music.

A beer would cost you €3-7, an alcohol drink €5-10 and a coffee €2.50-5.

Among the most popular places to drink a coffee or a beer are:

 * Aristotle Sq (Aristotelous) - The most popular tourist cafés and bars lie in the central square of the city and the homonymous street. One can find quiet cafes or noisy ones usually preferred by the young. Breakfast is also served, some restaurants are also available.
 * Nikis’ Av - The centre’s seafront avenue is full of cafeterias usually crowded around the clock, available for coffee in daytime and beer or drink at night.
 * Proxenou Kroromila St - Parallel to the seafront Nikis avenue is Pr. Koromila street with some cafés and bars.
 * Iktinou pedestrian - Another place in the city with cafes and bars and a couple of restaurants. The last two years a "street beer" culture has been created by both locals and students. People just buy beer from the kiosks and hang out on the surrounding benches. This is probably one of the most economic ways to drink some Retsina and socialize with locals.
 * Ladadika district - At the west side of the center lies the picturesque neighbourhood of Ladadika (meaning: oil stores). Named this way by the many stores selling oil arrived from the adjacent harbour. This district used to be notorious but has been renovated, and many stone build warehouses now host the most known nightclubs with all sorts of music including traditional Greek bouzoukia.

 * Aretsou - Aretsou is in the southeast part of the city, in the Kalamaria District. In the seafront Plastira Av. are restaurants which change to bars during night featuring loud music and hosting many young.
 * Karabournaki - A place in Kalamaria district hosting delicate bars, restaurants and pizzerias. All of them along Sofouli street next to the seashore.
 * Boat bars - Quite interesting are the boats near the white tower’s seafront, which make a short trip around Thermaikos gulf where you can enjoy a late night city view. Most of them play ethnic and alternative foreign music.
 * (The area around the old trains station) - A set of high-range café, bars, restaurants, disco, ouzeris some with live music at the city’s west.
 * Valaoritou and Syggrou - A lot of Thessaloniki's nightlife has moved here. The old industrial centre has become a place for entertainment for everybody. Many bars, clubs and cafes may remind you of Berlin, or English pubs.

Mid-range
There are many hotels in the area a few blocks north of Aristotelous. Some of these are a bit upmarket, but if business is slack it is worth shopping around - they might give you a good discount rather than turn you away.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Thessaloniki has 5G from Cosmote and 4G from Wind and Vodafone. WiFi is widely available in public places.

Stay safe
Watch your pockets and travel documents as there are pickpockets, especially in buses during rush hour. Some people may feel very uncomfortable walking in the areas around the railway station at night, and it's better to avoid them along with areas like Dendropotamos, and Sfageia. These areas are full abandoned buildings and factories and are a hotspot for drug-use and prostitution.

Police number: 100

Stay healthy
Tap water is safe to drink. In some places in the city centre you might get a slight "taste" from the water. That means that the pipes in the building are getting old, so you might want to buy bottled water.

Greece is a sunny place, and if your skin is light-coloured, intense sunlight can be a serious danger. The sun can be strong at noontime and during the early afternoon, even during the autumn and spring. Use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.

Emergency phone number: 112

Go next
The suburb of Panorama is well heeled and has good restaurants, and spectacular views over Thessaloniki - especially at sunset.

The classic trips out of Thessaloniki are:

 * Serres – The second largest city in Greece's Macedonia region and close to the Bulgarian towns of Melnik and Bansko and Pirin National Park.
 * Kavala and Philippi – About 160 km east of Thessaloniki is Kavala, one of the most beautiful cities of Greece and is especially recommended to visit. The ancient site of Philippi is particularly known by Apostle Paul and the first Christian baptism in Europe.
 * Thasos island – A green island with high mountains and wonderful beaches. You can visit the island on a day trip but its definitively worth to spent more days. There are ferry boats from Kavala harbor and Keramoti.Halkidiki,DSC 1052.jpg
 * Halkidikí peninsula – There are 500 km of wonderful beaches on the two first fingers of this peninsula, one of the main tourist destinations of Greece. The first "finger" from the West is called Kassandra and its the place where many Salonicans (and tourists) spend their holidays. The second "finger" called Sithonia is the most beautiful place of Halkidiki both in landscape and beaches. In the summer, the Armenistis campground (Sithonia peninsula) stages concerts and other events. Also check out the jazz and classical concerts in Sani (Kassandra peninsula). Try to schedule your visit in summer so that you're not driving back to the city on Sunday evening. The third finger is the monastic community of Mount Athos. Mount Athos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This peninsula houses over 1,700 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. The visit is strictly controlled and only male visitors are allowed. Tourist require a visa. But there are also sightseeing boats that offer tours around the peninsula (without landing). These do not require permits and are the only option for women who want to see Mount Athos. The boat tours start in Ouranopolis from about 10:00.
 * Mount Olympus coast (towards Platamonas) – A very scenic region which has fallen out of favour with the trendy set but has lost no business - it is now mainly catering to tourists from Eastern Europe.
 * Pella – The Macedonian capital during the time of Alexander the Great.
 * Vergina – The spectacular site of the Macedonian royal tombs.
 * Dion – A beautiful archaeological site near Mount Olympus.
 * Prespa and Doirani lakes – Near the borders with Albania and North Macedonia, respectively, the Prespas especially offering an austere and evocative Balkan landscape and plenty of birdwatching.

title: Thessaloniki


text:
Thessaly

Thessaly is a region in Greece.

Cities

 * — the capital
 * — (Kalabaka) noted for the Metéora monasteries located here
 * — (Kalabaka) noted for the Metéora monasteries located here
 * — (Kalabaka) noted for the Metéora monasteries located here

Other destinations

 * — Small town on Pelion.
 * — Hilltop monasteries
 * – The highest mountain of Greece, major trekking destination
 * – The highest mountain of Greece, major trekking destination

By plane
In Thessaly the only airport operating is Volos airport. It is relatively near Nea Anchialos, about 30 km SW from the city of Volos.

There is a bus connecting airport and Volos bus station. Buses are waiting to pick up travelers after a plane lands, the cost form the airport to Volos Bus station is €5. Travellers of charter flights are transferred to their accommodation by their travelling agency. From Volos there are bus and train connections to other towns in Thessaly

By bus
Interurban coaches ("KTEL" buses) are by far the most convenient way to travel around Greece, and for intra-regional travelling.

From Athens most of buses to Thessaly leave from Terminal B, at Liossion Street.

By train
Trains (OSE) connects Volos, Larissa and Kalampaka with the rest of Greece. Travelling with ordinary trains can be cheaper, although a little bit slower, whereas choosing a fancy faster Intercity train will cost the same amount of money, or even more than a KTEL bus.

title: Thessaly


text:
Summer Isles

The Summer Isles form an archipelago of mainly very small islands opposite Polbain, a village north of Achiltibuie in the Highland region of Scotland.

Understand
Of all the islands, only Tanera Mòr is inhabited and hardly anybody stays all through the winter. In the summer, some houses, including the former school, are available for rent. Painting and photography classes are also run.

Islands

 * is tidal, walk across from Old Dorney.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * is tidal, walk across from Old Dorney.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.
 * : see Ullapool for this outlier.

Get in
Unless you have your own boat, you are dependent on an excursion from either Ullapool or the closer Badentarbet pier in Polbain.

Get around
Other than walking on Tanera Mòr, you can only see what your excursion allows but this includes great cliff scenery, seascapes and views of the mainland, grey and common seals and numerous breeding sea birds in season.

See

 * Priest Island is an RSBP reserve.

Connect
As of Aug 2022, the islands have no mobile signal from any carrier.

Go next

 * Achiltibuie is near Inverpolly Nature Reserve and has mountains to hike up.
 * Ullapool is the area transport hub, with buses to Inverness and ferries to Stornoway on Lewis.
 * North Coast 500 is a motoring itinerary, with Achiltibuie a side-loop.

title: Summer Isles


text:
Thethi

Thethi is a village surrounded by Thethi National Park, up on Albanian Alps, in Northeastern Albania, in Shkodra District.

A lot of tourists visit the mountain peaks of Thethi, Boga, Razma and Vermoshi, where they enjoy the dense forests, clear springs and limestone caves.

Understand
Thethi is a scenic village that became a tourist resort and one of the most preferred places for alpinism in Albania. Together with Razma, it composes the most frequented center in the North Albania. They function during all the year. Thethi village is surrounded by a mountain range, which offers a peculiar beauty along the sun set. The highest peaks are: Rodohina Mountain 2596 m; Harapi Mountain 2216 m; Populka Mountaun 2600 m and Alia Mountain 2400 m.

Landscape
Thethi has a surface of 2630 hectares, where high mountains, woods and meadows dominate. It has a strategic geographic position, because through Peja Pass it gets connected with Peja and the other Kosovo regions, and through Valbona it is connected with Tropoja. Thethi is connected to Boga and Kelmendi through many valleys and footpaths.

Flora and fauna
There is rich vegetation in the forests, like beech trees (which dominate the area), the black pine, the maple wood, the ash nut, the cornel bush, the walnut, and the hazel tree. The vegetation of this area has great economic, medical, touristic and monumental values. Thethi is considered as a natural zoological garden. The park is home to wild goats, and the largest lynx population in Albania. Additionally, large mammals like brown bears and gray wolves also inhabit these mountains and forests, although they’re rarely seen. There are also roebuck, boars, and small animals like: rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, etc. Thethi is also a preferred place for wild birds, especially golden eagles, falcons, partridges, etc.

Water resources

The Shala and Kapresa rivers are rich of speckled trout. In the icy lake of Terthora, rich in various kinds of fashion, alpine triton is found.

Waterfall of Thethi is the most beautiful place of the north alpine land. The scenery is amazing especially when there is a lot of sun, as the clear drops of water dismantle the rays of sun, forming the rainbow.

By plane
(Albanian: Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Kukësit Zayed-Flatrat e Veriut, IATA:), ICAO: LAKU) is an international airport 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of the city of Kukës. 2 airlines operate service to Kukes, with direct flights from some European cities.

 * Air Albania, the national carrier operates service from Basel and Zurich.
 * Wizz Air (from Basel, Memmingen, Karlsruhe and Vienna).

By car
To reach Thethi National park, you have to go to Koplik first, which a town near Shkodra. From Koplik to Thethi Village (SH21) is around 58 km (1.5-2h). The road has asphalt entirely now as the last section of the SH21 from Qafa e Thorës (Thore pass) to Theth village has been paved in 2021. Nevertheless, it is extremely winding, narrow and runs along a deep ravine. This track used to get very muddy and slippery after rain making it challenging to get through. Now the Thethi can be accessed by 2 wheel drive cars, even buses drive up. The road is closed from November to April. Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions. Avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides can occur anytime, being extremely dangerous due to frequent patches of ice. It has a well-deserved reputation for being dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards, and driving under these conditions, can be extremely challenging.

By bus
Buses leave from Cafe Rusi in Shkodra at 07:30. The ride from Shkodra to Theth takes 4 hours.

By taxi
A taxi in Shkodra will charge you around €100.

Fees and permits
There are no fees to be paid and you do not need permission to enter the zone. However, you need permission for hunting. You can get permission at the Regional Directorate of Forests, which is located in center of Shkodra city.

Get around
The roads in the village has not been paved so driving around should be done with care.

All places in the village can be reached by a short walk.

See

Hiking

 * There are 8 hikes starting in Theth. Three of them are marked "red and white".
 * The favourite hike is from Theth to Valbona (and vice versa). Theth (742 m)- Valbona Pass (1814 m) - Rragam - Valbona. It takes 6–8 hours. The difficulty is T2. The trek is well marked "red and white". Only the start of the hike (a few hundred meters from Theth center) is difficult to find. To find it, you may ask a local guide.
 * Helpful guidebook: Wanderführer Nordalbanien Thethi und Kelmend by von Barbara Hausmann, Christian Zindel

Eat

 * The guesthouses prepare lunch packages for the hike.

Sleep
It's the best to use one of the many guesthouses. People show a lot of hospitality, they speak foreign languages and will tell you remarkable stories and legends of the region. The rooms are usually very clean and comfortable.

Camping
Camping is pretty easy. It's the best if you camp in summer and near a house, as you will have fast access to medicine or other stuff in case you have any problems.

Go next

 * Valbona
 * Shkodra
 * Plav

title: Thethi


text:
Wyoming (Rhode Island)

Wyoming is a small historic village in South County, Rhode Island. It is on Wood River, with a total of 570 acres.

Get in
The Village of Wyoming is bordered by RI 138, R! 3, Old Nooseneck Hill, Bridge Street, and Prospect Street.

title: Wyoming (Rhode Island)


text:
The Villages

The Villages is an active retirement community in sunny Inland Florida. With about 115,000 residents as of 2015, it is still growing and new homes are being built across three Florida counties: Lake, Sumter and Marion.

Understand
Retirees are attracted to The Villages by its lifestyle, a combination of recreation facilities, entertainment venues and social clubs that are designed to enrich retirement living. The developer advertises The Villages as "Florida's Friendliest Hometown."

At the heart of The Villages are three old-fashioned town squares where you'll find plenty of modern day fun, including free nightly entertainment, modern movie theaters, and a colorful assortment of shopping and dining opportunities.

Residents own their homes in one of more than 50 named villages. The oldest, Orange Blossom Hills, was built in the early 1970s and is now referred to as the Historic Side. Each village ranges in size up to about 1,000 homes and has a mail station where residents collect their mail. All have a Neighborhood Recreation Center with an adult pool and facilities for shuffleboard, bocce, and horseshoes. Most have a larger Village Recreation Center that includes a family pool, meeting rooms, billiards and pickle ball courts. About a dozen Regional Recreation Centers include large event rooms, sports pools, tennis courts, basketball courts and a variety of limited sports like platform tennis and beach volleyball.

While visitors are welcome at all town squares, restaurants and businesses in The Villages, use of most recreation facilities is reserved for residents and their guests. Guest ID cards are available to those visiting friends and family, or renting a village home either directly from the homeowner or as part of The Villages Lifestyle Preview. Short term rentals in The Villages through sites like Airbnb usually include Guest ID cards.

By car
FL-44 runs through the city, crossing the state to New Smyrna Beach on the east coast. US-27 and US-301 are on the eastern and western sides of The Villages, respectively.

By bus
There is an Amtrak bus stop in The Villages for the Thruway Motorcoach, which goes from Jacksonville to Dade City.

Get around
The Villages is designed as a golf cart community and tens of thousands of golf carts share the residential roads with automobiles and bicycles. A system of multi-modal paths and tunnels keep golf carts separated from traffic on the broad boulevards where speed limits exceed 25mph. Dedicated golf cart parking can be found throughout The Villages, and it is common to see 4-5 carts parked perpendicular in a single parallel parking space, or 2 carts parked in a diagonal parking space.

A system of traffic control gates regulate the flow of traffic into residential neighborhoods. Despite the appearance of a gated community, all roads in The Villages are public. Residents swipe a card to open the gates and visitors need only to push the red button to open any gate. Numerous roundabouts regulate the flow of traffic on the boulevards.

Maps of The Villages are available for purchase at any of the Country Clubs. In addition, The Villages App is a free download and displays maps with routing for both cars and golf carts to any address or point of interest in The Villages.

Eat
There are more than 90 restaurants located within The Villages and all are accessible by golf cart. You can find everything from fast food to fine dining. Many are located in the town squares and all are open to the public.

Stay safe
Be prepared for tornado events, a weather radio can be used to keep on top of any alerts.

Go next

 * Wildwood

title: The Villages


text:
The Wire Tour

The Wire Tour is a grand tour of Baltimore, taking you past various important filming locations for the highly acclaimed HBO TV series, The Wire. It is a driving tour 54 miles long (87 km) past 54 filming locations. It would take about 3½ hours without stopping at the sights, but to properly do the tour, you'll want to make stops for photos, food, and general gaping. It's wise to plan for a full day.

Prepare
First, watch The Wire. The whole thing. Otherwise do not read beyond this section, as major spoilers follow! If you haven't watched it yet, many major news organizations and arts and entertainment journals have called it the greatest TV series of all time, on par with great literature. Entire classes devoted to studying the TV series are offered at top U.S. universities. You likely won't regret watching the full five seasons.

There's really only one thing you need to bring along (aside from a printout of the itinerary): a car with a full tank of gas. There is a surprising dearth of gas stations in the city, so fill up first! The only other thing you might find useful to bring is a camera to capture some of the more interesting surprises you'll find along the way.

Get in
The tour begins on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, heading north from I-395 off I-95. To get there from Downtown or the Inner Harbor, take any major road and head west, then turn right (north) onto the boulevard.

If you want something to eat before you start, Lexington Market is just east of MLK Jr Blvd on the western edge of Downtown. On the Paca St Entrance you'll find Faidley's (M-Sa 11AM-5PM), which serves magnificent crabcakes—the virtues of which are extolled by every food review, everyone in Baltimore, and of course McNulty, who brings some for a couple cops on a stakeout. They liked them too—"Faidley's? You all right, McNulty." They run about $18 each, so for a cheaper Bawlmer option, you could try a coddie, a $2 codcake sandwiched between saltines with mustard.

Get around
Bring your car. This is a driving itinerary, as there simply is no other realistic way to tour the various filming locations—Baltimore's system of public transport is lacking, and furthermore there are parts of this trip where it is safer and more comfortable to avoid traveling on foot, particularly in West and East Baltimore, as well as the eastern portion of the North Central section. Granted, chances are fairly slim that anything bad would happen to you, but if you are unfamiliar with the city and walking around snapping photos in areas that wouldn't dream of being a tourist destination, prepare to feel extremely visible, stared at, and uncomfortably out of place!

Portions of this tour are easily visited on foot, particularly those Downtown and by the Inner Harbor, but this will leave you picking and choosing among a select few of the filming locations, and you will not be able to complete the grand tour.

This is a meandering and complicated itinerary through many of the city's lesser known streets. You'll have a much easier time if you bring a friend along, who can be your navigator and read the itinerary as you go!

Eat
There are lots of great places to eat filmed in The Wire, all of them dripping with local character and a real sense of place. Look for them in the following sections of the tour, and plan to finish on a full stomach!

West

West Baltimore is where it all begins, right on Lexington and Fulton Ave where Snot Boogie, the man of unfortunate name and unfortunate life laid dead in the street. While nearly the whole of the drug gang plotlines theoretically take place in West Baltimore, only the first season was extensively shot here. The directors found East Baltimore's relatively treeless streets much easier to film in, as they could film throughout at least three of the seasons without losing seasonal continuity. To reach the series opening scene, head up MLK Jr Ave, turn left onto W Fayette St, then after going a ways, right on Fulton Ave and up two blocks to Lexington. The scene was filmed on Lexington on the block just to the left. As you drive through West Baltimore, keep a lookout for the famous horse cart fruit vendor in good weather—he's very much real, and quite the living legend.

Turn right on Lexington and turn right onto Mount St. Go about four blocks and look for the Viva House (44 S Mount St) soon after crossing Hollins St, where Bubbles cooked and served at the soup kitchen. Turn left on Lombard and left again onto Gilmor St to get back to Lexington St. You will pass by beautiful Union Square on the right, with the HL Mencken Fountain in the center. Mencken, the "Sage of Baltimore" lived at 1524 Hollins St at the north of the square for 67 years, and to this date, despite the surrounding urban decay, this remains one of West Baltimore's best kept, wealthiest, and safest neighborhoods.

Turn right on Lexington to go back east towards MLK Jr Blvd. Once you reach Amity St, look left—the second building on the right is the famous Poe House. In the show, a lost tourist asks a local kid where the Poe House is. The local accent pronounces Poe and poor the same way, so the perplexed boy responds, "uh, take your pick!" Fortunately, you brought your Wikivoyage map, so you won't have to reenact this silly scene. While closed for winter, the house of Edgar Allen is open for a small fee and tour from April to early December, Th-Sa noon-3:30PM. Just go up to the front door and knock. Street parking right on Lexington couldn't be easier.

Continue east on Lexington and turn left onto Fremont. You are now in the thick of The Terraces, a mixed use public housing complex that replaced the once blighted and now demolished Lexington Terrace high rise public housing projects, which served as inspiration for Franklin Terrace, the high rises controlled by the Barksdale Organization.

Make a left on Saratoga St and then a right onto Arlington Ave. When you reach Lafayette Ave, turn right and look immediately on your right for the church where Bubbles attended AA Meetings. You can't miss the brightly painted red doors. Continue east on Lafayette, turn left on Fremont, after following Fremont for several blocks, turn right on Presstman St and then right down Pennsylvania Ave. While not a filming location, it's worth a short drive down this street to get a sense of history. This stretch of Pennsylvania Ave was once the heart of African-American culture and commerce in the city, but still has not quite recovered from the devastation of the 1968 riots following the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. In the 21st century, though, things have improved.

Turn left on Preston St to enter the McCulloh Homes, the low rise housing projects that served as location for much of the drug trade in Season One. It's hard to see from the street, but The Pit, where D'Angelo plied his product is just behind the fourth building on the right.

Turn left on McCulloh St to continue your tour through the McCulloh Homes and look left in the middle of the first block for the harmonica and dance statues of a boy and girl, featured several times throughout the series.

Continue up McCulloh to Lanvale St and turn left. On the second block look right for Bethel Church, which was home to one of the prominent and politically powerful church groups throughout the series. At the end of the block turn right onto Division St, then turn right back onto Lafayette, then left back onto McCulloh. Right on the corner with Wilson St is Carlton C Douglas Funeral Services, which served as the West Baltimore headquarters for the Barksdale organization throughout the first three seasons.

Time to turn around to get back to Lafayette—make a left on Wilson, a left on Druid Hill Ave, and then a left back onto Lafayette Ave. This will take you into the relatively small neighborhood of Bolton Hill, which while not featured on TV, is undoubtedly Baltimore's most beautiful old neighborhood and a great place for a little aimless drive.

North Central

At the north end of Bolton Hill is Mt Royal Ave. Turn right and head back east into Midtown until you reach Maryland Ave. Turn right, then left on Chase St, and then left again onto N Charles St. This section of Charles St has as good a claim as any to being the hippest stretch of Baltimore, largely unknown to anyone but locals. Immediately on the left is the Brewer's Art, quite possibly the best spot for dinner and drinks in the city, and the swanky place where Marlo was seduced by Devonne. Mark this place down for a later point in your trip—it's a true local favorite and for good reason.

Head north on Charles past Penn Station, where Herc made his abortive arrest of Marlo, and its giant Male/Female Statue. Once you reach North Ave, look right for Pearson's Florist, where Bodie headed into "the back room" to get his gangsta flower arrangement for D's funeral.

Turn left on North Ave and then right into the parking lot of the distinctive North Avenue Motel, where Omar shot Brother Mouzone. Head back out to North Ave and make a u-turn to start heading back east.

This is a good time for a side trip: You're near another fine food establishment that, while not a filming location, was referred to several times in the first season as a favorite place among the gangsters for their delicious coddies, Sterling's Seafood (401 W 29th St). To get there, turn left off North Ave on to Charles St to 29th, turn left again, and drive eight blocks. Here it's time to hop out and get yourself some delicious food. The coddies may be an obvious choice, but there's a whole long list of seafood items worth your while. (To get back to North Ave, just turn left, then left again onto 28th, right on Maryland, and then left on North Ave.)

Continue east on North Ave until you reach Guilford Ave and turn right. Look right down the alley for Bubbles' garage in the later seasons. Keep going and once you pass Lanvale, the Tilghman Middle School from Season Four will be on your right, now a Montessori school.

Turn left on Federal St, then turn right on Greenmount Ave to get to the entrance of Greenmount Cemetery on your left. This was the setting for many scenes in The Wire, some of the more memorable of which include D's funeral and the fateful meeting between Stringer and Colvin, where the former betrays Avon by giving up the safehouse location. It's certain to be open for cars M-Sa 9AM-4PM (other times are unreliable).

Coming out of the cemetery, turn right up Greenmount, left back onto Federal St, and then right on Barclay St. The northeast corner of Barclay and Lanvale should be instantly recognizable as Bodie's Corner, where he ultimately met his end. Head straight back up to North Ave, and turn right and that's all for North Central!

East

Several blocks down at 1268 E North Ave on the left you will pass by a location of the oft-filmed New York Fried Chicken franchise. NYFC begs a bit of background. It started in New York, run by Afghan immigrants, under the name Kennedy Fried Chicken, looking to impersonate both the initials and the look of the giant Kentucky Fried Chicken chain. KFC objected to this, and has tried, rather unsuccessfully, to stamp out all instances of that name. Owing to the Afghan connection, the franchise found itself in the early years of the 21st century investigated for terrorist connections, but fear not the chicken—the investigation was baseless and yielded nothing.

Continue up to Caroline St and turn right. This area of East Baltimore, especially Bond St two blocks east, was the actual filming location for much of the whole show, including many locations supposedly in West Baltimore. After about ten blocks, turn left on Chase St, then left on Bond St. Look immediately on the right for Marlo's Hangout. Hop out of the car and into the square (Faith Ln) to take some pictures if you like, but bear in mind that this is a legitimately rough neighborhood.

Continue way back up Bond to Lafayette Ave, and admire the familiar scenery along the way. Turn right at Lafayette and look left just before Bethel St for Hamsterdam, where Maj. Colvin legalized drugs! Turn right on Bethel Alley, and once past Federal St, look left into the alley at the end of the block. This was the location of the infamous Bodymore Murdaland graffiti. The city decided this was bad press and, alas, removed the graffiti. We'll see how long it takes for someone to put it back!

A left on Oliver St takes you to Broadway, turn right. In about ten blocks, you'll be in the thick of Johns Hopkins Hospital and its Medical School. Why is this relevant? Because this is where you get patched up if you catch a bullet! Turn left when you get to Orleans St, left on Washington St, then right onto Monument Ave. On the right just after Chester St is Northeastern Market, where McNulty had his kids shadow Stringer, then lost track of them... The market is less of a market and more of a Johns Hopkins Hospital crowd food court. There is far superior food coming up, though, at Chaps Pit Beef, so better to wait until you get there.

Make a left onto Patterson Park Ave to reach Collington Square Park, where the big East-West Basketball Game went down. Continue north on Patterson Park Ave for two blocks. The Saveland Food Mart on the left was used in a particularly disturbing scene, where Marlo stole a lollipop in plain view of the security guard, just to show that he could. The guard went to talk to him outside, asking him why he had to do that, to put his job in jeopardy for no reason. And for that act of bold honesty, Marlo later had him killed.

Turn left here onto Federal St, and you will see a very distinctive and beautiful building just behind the Saveland—the American Brewery Building. Just behind the building is an abandoned area where the school kids hung out and played throughout Season Four. ''Turn right onto Gay St to head northeast. Turn left back onto North Ave'' and look left for the building that used to house the Rim Source, Marlo's store. (The Rim Source has since relocated to the northeast of the city.) At the end of the block, turn left onto Patterson Park Ave.

Far East

Head way down Patterson Park Ave all the way past Patterson Park and turn left onto Eastern Ave. Look left for that crazy pagoda. At the end of the park, turn left onto Ellwood Ave. Just past Gough St, on the left a little ways into the park is the spot where Vondas would meet up with Prop Joe and later Marlo to discuss business. The benches face away from the street, but they had rotated them to face eastwards when filming. This is a nice time to hop out of the car and stretch your legs. Afterwards, keep heading up Ellwood all the way to the Pulaski Hwy (US-40) and turn right to head to the far east of the city.

Just past Conkling St on Pulaski is the Executive Inn, where the Co-op would meet up under Prop Joe's aegis to organize their now peaceful drug trade. You have got to be hungry by now, so it's time for some Chaps Pit Beef, which will be on Pulaski on the right shortly after the second overpass. If the interior looks familiar, it should, as there was a great little Baltimore scene at the main picnic table, where Wee-Bey piled the potent horseradish on his pit beef sandwich. His friends told him he was in for a world of hurt, but the ever tough Bey responded, "the trick is not to give a shit." Bad move—he cried from the pain! Chaps is generally considered to have Baltimore's best pit beef, a sort of local "barbecue" producing a very soft roast beef sandwich, which begs for onions and horseradish. It is properly ordered rare. There are plenty of other good dishes, though, so make sure to eat here!

''Head back down Pulaski to Conkling St and turn left. Just past Eastern Ave'', look on the right for the old Carcetti Campaign Headquarters, which proudly displayed the campaign signs long after David Simon's film crew had moved on. There's a Vaccaro's on the right, a famous local Italian pastry chainlet, which should make for a decadent dessert if you so choose.

Southeast

Turn left on Eastern Ave, then right on Haven St to head south into Southeast Baltimore. Once you get to O Donnell St, you'll see an overpass. Yes, this is the location where McNulty, drunk driving, to the tune of the Pogues' Transmetropolitan, somehow managed to crash his car twice in the same place. Do not reenact this scene.

''Turn around and then turn left on Dillon St (since you can't turn onto O Donnell here). Turn left on Conkling and go down to O Donnell''. Look just left and up for one of Baltimore's most famous icons, the neon Brewer's Hill Natty Boh guy! If you wait a little at night, he'll wink at you (the frequency of the winks seems linked to consumption of the beverage). Anyway, turn right and keep going west through the split around Canton Square, a gentrifying area full of crowded bars. Near the end of the split, St Casimir's Church is on the left, where the police and the stevedores' über-Polish feud over the stained glass window began at the outset of Season Two.

At the end of O Donnell St, turn left to go south and then left again onto Boston St. Turn right on Clinton St to head south along the harbor, into the territory of The Greek. Past Holabird Ave, start looking on the right for The Greek's Diner (formerly Johnny's Restaurant; now just a boarded-up building that looks like a small house). Just past it, you'll come to the so-called Port of Philadelphia (remember that all scenes were in fact filmed in Baltimore), a.k.a. the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, where Sergei (with Spiros' help) relieved a Turk ("Sailor" Sam) of head and feet. This place has great spooky, abandoned atmosphere at night. The big Liberty Ship, the SS John W. Brown, is today actually a museum ship, offering several living-history cruises throughout the year.

Just before the end of the road, turn left onto a little side street to find the ramshackle Major Crimes Unit HQ, used starting at the beginning of Season Two. Get back onto Clinton St and turn left, then bear left onto Haven St, which will turn into Keith Ave. To the right is Seagirt Marine Terminal, a giant port where the Sobotkas and the stevedores union worked throughout Season Two. Good luck getting into the complex, though!

South

Time for a good 20 minute drive to South Baltimore. ''Backtrack back up Clinton St to Boston St and turn right towards I-95, and get on southbound towards the Fort McHenry Tunnel. This guide apologizes in advance for the toll and any potential tunnel traffic. Get off at I-395 and stay in the right lane. Turn right onto Conway St and then right again onto Light St''. Look right for the Intercontinental Hotel, where the Greek narrowly evaded capture at the end of Season Two.

Turn left on Warren Ave to go to Federal Hill Park, a green space full of history both real and fictional from The Wire. If you can find a parking space, and that's a big if, this is another great place to get out of the car. The views from the top of the hill are probably the best in the city. Carcetti loved to take strolls around the place to get away from politics and clear his head. McNulty's strolls were less successful, as he fell down the hill drunk while failing to exercise his police authority by stopping some kids from vandalizing public property.

(A slight detour to 1400 Jackson St at the corner of Clement and Jackson will put you at a house that served as the location for Delores' Bar frequented by the longshoremen.)

Turn right down Riverside Ave, left on Cross St, and then right onto the Key Hwy. Follow the Key Hwy to Webster St and turn right, then left onto Fort Ave. Just before going over the Key Hwy again, turn right onto Ludlow St to reach the Wine Market. Part restaurant and part wine store, this is a great place for an upscale, but reasonably priced dinner. Senator "sheeeeiiiit" Clay Davis and Stringer Bell agreed with this assessment, and met up for some lunch to discuss real estate.

Go back up to Fort Ave and turn right to get into Locust Point, home to the Sobotkas. Turn left on the side street just past Andre St (Reynolds) to catch a glimpse of Nick Sobotka's house. Please do not disturb the residents. At the end of the street turn left on Clement and then immediately right on Andre St. Coming up on the right is the gigantic Grainery, which Nick remarked would soon be turned into upscale harbor-side condos to mark the end of blue collar Locust Point. And indeed, today it is condos.

Now take a left on Beason St, a right on Hull St, and then a right on Nicholson St to get over to Fort McHenry. You can't quite get to the filming location, but the very southeast of the fort area is where Vondas wised up to the fact that his texts were being monitored by the police, and then flung his cell phone into the harbor.

Central

You're nearing the end of this long, grandiose tour of the city. Go back to Fort Ave and turn left, heading all the way to Light St, and turn right. Past the Intercontinental, as you are getting into the Inner Harbor, look left for the Hyatt Regency, where Beadie stalked Vondas to room 520 on her reconnaissance mission. Light St will turn into Calvert St and take you into Downtown.

Look right down Redwood—it's a one way street so you won't be able to turn right, but note that at the end of the block is the one-time location of Werner's Diner, a famous old Art Deco Downtown diner, and a recurring filming location to show the politicians meeting up to talk shop.

Now turn right onto Baltimore St. At the end of the first block on the right is The American (now occupied by a 7-11, Edible Arrangements, and other boring businesses), the interior of which was used as Kavanagh's Irish Pub, where the police would have wakes for slain officers Keep going straight, and between Commerce St and Gay St (really, those are the names of the streets by accident, not irony) is The Block, the infamously seedy one-block stretch of Baltimore St filled with nothing but strip clubs. Despite the look and the business, it's actually quite safe because, as you will see on the corner of the next block, the city put the real Police Headquarters right next to it. It's not clear that any scenes were shot right here, but rest assured that the spirit of The Block made its way into the series.

Turn right onto the small one-way Frederick St and go one block to Water St. Just left is the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse that former Maj. Colvin takes Namond, Zenobia, and Darnell to as a prize for doing well in class. It doesn't go so well, as the students feel uncomfortable and have no idea how to act in this new environment.

Turn right on Water St, and then right onto Gay St up to a left on Lexington St. On the right is the exceptionally famous Hollywood Diner (which is closed), known to The Wire fans as the diner where drunken McNulty could, um, "get anything he wants." But it is even more famous as the principal location for Barry Levinson's (a co-director for The Wire, no less) classic 1982 Baltimore movie, Diner.

Take a left on Commerce St to find City Hall, used extensively on the show. Turn right on Fayette and go down all the way past Charles St to find the fictional location of the Police Headquarters on the right, which is an office building.

One last stop! ''Turn right on Park Ave, go up to Saratoga St, turn right, and follow it back to Calvert St and turn left again. After going under the US-40 overpass'', you will see the Baltimore Sun Building, of Season Five fame, on the right.

End

Your grand tour is over! If you still haven't eaten dinner, remember the Brewer's Art from the North Central Portion of the tour? It would be hard to do better, although if you are in the mood for something else, there are a lot of good options right on Charles St nearby. Head north on Calvert past the Baltimore Sun building, then turn left on Madison St. You will turn right on Charles St, but first look left down Charles to see the beautiful Washington Monument square (this one predates the big monolith in Washington, D.C.). Anyway, turn right onto Charles and head north back to the Brewer's Art.

Further out
A few scenes from the series were filmed outside of the Downtown area.

Northwest
Further out of the downtown area covered by the tour but still very much within the city limits is Reservoir Hill. Forming most of its northern border is Druid Lake. At 901 Druid Park Lake Dr, at the corner of Linden Avenue, is the Riviera Apartments building, the site of Monk's residence and the exterior shooting location of the infamous Season 5 gunfight between Omar and his accomplice Donnie (played by Donnie Andrews who was the inspiration for the character of Omar Little) and the forces of Marlo Stanfield, namely Chris Partlow, Snoop Pearson, and their protege, Michael Lee. The southeast corner of the building on Linden is where Omar made his spectacular leap from the balcony when his ammo ran dry and improbably disappeared from sight to the utter astonishment of his attackers. Please remember this is a private residential building — don't anger those who live there by trying to enter the building!

Drink
This tour purposefully ends in Central Baltimore. You've completed a tour around much of the city, including some of its more interesting and decidedly less visited neighborhoods. Pat yourself on the back and reward yourself with a drink by the Harbor, at the Brewer's Art, or in historic Fells Point! A couple rounds at a Fells Point faux-Irish pub would be a classic McNulty-esque end to the day. Just don't take a page from his drinking and driving handbook—not only is it immoral, but also rest assured that the police look hard for this type of thing in bar-heavy neighborhoods. If you do choose Fells Point, be sure to look for The Ritz, which was the filming location for Orlando's strip club, on Broadway just south of Eastern Ave.

Respect
This part is crucial. The hand-wringing associated with the terribly distasteful and offensive term "ghetto tourism" is a bit overwrought and contrived, but there are pitfalls to be aware of. This tour will take you through examples of some of the more impoverished and alienated urban communities in the United States, and if your purpose is to "gawk at poverty," you are here for the wrong reasons. These are real neighborhoods with a vibrant culture that the locals are proud of in spite of the obvious social problems, and as a sophisticated traveler you should accept them on their own terms. You should be here to reconnect with your favorite scenes from the TV series and to better appreciate that which is Baltimore.

Note that it is highly inappropriate to photograph people without their express permission.

Stay safe
Don't worry. Yes, you are touring some high-crime areas (although the vast majority of the areas on the tour are actually quite safe), but no one is going to bother you in your car. Period. As noted above, walking on foot around the East and West Baltimore sections of the tour could be more risky, but even then the dangers commonly warned about in the U.S. are grossly exaggerated. Yes, they are high violent crime areas, and a nighttime stroll would be ill-advised, but no one is likely to bother you beyond asking you what you're doing there, or possibly advising that it's not safe for you to visit. People here are used to minding their own business.

title: The Wire Tour