text:
Sligo

Sligo (Sligeach in Irish, meaning shelly place) is the principal town in County Sligo in Northwest Ireland & Lakelands. In 2016 it had a population of 19,199, with the service sector the main employer.

Understand
Sligo in Irish is Sligeach (say "SHLEE-gok"), meaning the place of shells, from the abundant shellfish in its tidal river and bay. The bay's entrance is blocked by three islands, Maguins and Coney near the south shore, and Oyster Island in the main channel by the north shore. So the tides are funnelled, twice a day rising and twice ebbing, as all the water in the bay rushes past these obstructions. That's hazardous for swimming but great for shellfish, which catch their food from the current.

Shellfish were a staple human foodstuff from the Stone Ages up to the early modern era. Great mounds of discarded shells have been found at the many prehistoric settlements of the area, all within a few hours hike from the bay with a dripping creel on your back. The oyster beds also stabilised the sand banks, and acted as food and a habitat for other marine life such as juvenile cod. In acid peaty soils, empty shells could be crushed to counter the acidity and act as a fertiliser. The shellfish harvest was sustainable until the 19th century, but then the population grew, and mechanical methods hugely increased the take - a steam-powered dredger could in a few hours clear out and destroy a shellfish bed that had been stable for centuries. Shellfish were no longer for subsistence but became a cash-crop; the price rose, and oysters became a sought-after luxury, which further boosted the financial incentive. (The "pearls" from edible oysters however are worthless, resembling gallstones.) Once the railway reached Sligo in 1862, its perishable shellfish could be quickly sent to Dublin, which had polluted and exhausted its own local beds. In 1864 the bay was raided by a fleet of "oyster pirates", and there was a grand set-to with the police, who had deployed in force against them. The pirates were rebuffed that day but over the following years the natural beds were worn out. Nowadays shellfish have been re-established in Sligo Bay but in farmed enclosures, using non-native species such as the Pacific oyster.

By plane

 * "I know that I shall meet my fate / somewhere among the clouds above" - an Irish Airman foresees the 2011 collapse of Sligo Airport, perhaps.

Best option is Dublin, with good flight connections and onward public transport - Bus 23 runs direct from the airport to Sligo, see below.

You could also fly into Belfast or Derry and hire a car. Knock Airport is closer, 55 km south in County Mayo, but has few flights.

By rail
Trains from Dublin Connolly take 3 hr 20 min to Sligo via Drumcondra, Maynooth, Mullingar, Longford, Dromod, Carrick-on-Shannon, Boyle and Ballymote. There are 7 M-F, 6 Sa and 5 Sunday. A walk-up single from Dublin is €21, see Irish Rail for timetables, fares and online tickets.

are on Knappagh Rd just west of town centre. The railway station is called MacDiarmada, for Seán MacDiarmada (1883-1916), a leading member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood executed for his part in the Easter Rising. The station has a ticket office staffed M-F 06:30-14:30, ticket machines and toilets.

By bus
Expressway Bus 23 runs six times a day from Dublin Busáras, taking four hours to Sligo via Dublin Airport, Lucan, Maynooth, Mullingar, Longford, Dromod and Carrick-on-Shannon.

Expressway Bus 64 runs every two hours from Derry via Letterkenny to Sligo, continuing to Knock village and airport, Tuam and Galway.

From Belfast Europa bus station take Goldline Bus 261 to Enniskillen then change for Bus 64 or 258.

Bus Feda runs twice a day from Galway via Tuam and Knock to Sligo, continuing to Donegal Town, Letterkenny and Gweedore. Bus 480 also runs twice a day between Donegal and Sligo.

Bus Éireann 458 runs every couple of hours daily from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland to Belcoo, Glenfarne, Manorhamilton, Glencar, Sligo, then west along the coast to Enniscrone and Ballina.

Local Link Bus 572 runs three times M-Sa from Drumshanbo to Sligo (70 min) and the university.

By car
From Dublin take M4/N4 northwest via Mullingar, Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon, 210 km, 2½ hr.

From Galway take N83 onto N17 north via Tuam and Knock, 145 km, 2-2½ hr.

From Belfast take M1 west onto A4, which becomes N16 at the border at Belcoo, 200 km, 3-3½ hours.

Get around

 * Horseman, pass by! - Yeats wrote his own epitaph.

 * Sligo is small enough to walk round, but you need wheels for the out-of-town sights.
 * Bus S1 runs across town from Cartron in the north via Institute of Technology, the hospital and town centre to Cairns Rd south. It runs every 30 min M-Sa, hourly on Sundays and public holidays.
 * Bus S2 follows the coast from Rosses Point in the north via Ballincar (Radisson Hotel), Institute of Technology, the hospital, town centre, the bus and railway station and Mannionstown to Strandhill south of the estuary. It runs hourly, daily.
 * The fare within town (as of Apr 2020) by cash is €2 adult and €1.20 child, or by Leap Card is €1.40 adult and 84c child. It's only slightly more to ride all the way to Strandhill or Rosses Point.

 * Bus 982 potters along the coast north from Sligo to Drumcliffe, Grange, Mullaghmore, Tullaghan, Bundoran and Ballyshannon, where it connects with Bus 292 to Rossnowlagh and Donegal Town. There are four M-Sa with only two on Sunday.
 * Other infrequent out-of-town services are Bus 475 to Ballisodare and Collooney, Bus 566 to Parkes Castle and Dowra, and Bus 977 to Collooney, Ballymote and Ballaghadereen.
 * For route maps, including stop locations, enter the route number into the TFI route mapper.

In town

 * : even dreary Stonehenge looks mystical compared to this sad heap of stones. Yet it's a 5000-year old neolithic tomb, now looking like a vandalised garden feature set amidst a town roundabout. Still, if it whets your appetite for the prehistoric sites out of town . ..
 * : the Dominican Friars are still in town, and you can join their services at this church on High St. It's modern, opened in 1973 to replace a building of 1848.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.

Further out

 * is a flat-topped mountain 5 km west of town, a 327 m / 1073 ft slab of limestone. At its summit is a large cairn that's believed to date from 3000 BC and to contain a Neolithic passage tomb, but please don't climb or otherwise disturb the cairn. (It goes by various names, such as Queen Maeve's Grave.) There are several smaller passage graves and other remains nearby, aligned with Carrowmore, so this was obviously an important ritual site. The easiest footpath is from Primrose Grange to the southeast.
 * is a small village on N15, five km north of Sligo. It once had a large monastery, but all that remains is a High Cross and the stump of a Round Tower, both 11th century. St Columba's C of I church is an 1809 neo-Gothic " First Fruits" church best known for the grave of WB Yeats (1865-1939). He died and was initially buried on the French Riviera but then was re-interred here "under bare Ben Bulben's head" as his self-written epitaph wished.
 * is a neo-classical mansion built for the Gore-Booth family in the 1830s. Constance Gore-Booth (1868-1927), better known as Countess Markievicz, grew up here. Yeats visited and gawped at the sisters "both beautiful, one a gazelle" meaning Eva. (So what did that make Constance, a gnu? Irish Times have published many wicked parodies of Yeats, and their roast of this verse was on 22 Dec 2015.) The house and gardens fell into a poor state but have been restored; they're closed to visits in 2020.
 * or Ben Bulben is a dramatic table mountain of 526 m / 1726 ft, 15 km north of Sligo. Like Knocknarea it's a limestone plateau but at an angle, so depending on your viewpoint it looks like a mesa, the prow of an onrushing battleship, or Conan Doyle's Lost World. (A bit chilly up there for dinosaurs, but surely a few mammoths and spear-wielding tribesmen.) Most visitors are content to view from below but it's possible to hike up, without scaling the cliffs. Start from Luke's Bridge on the lane to its northeast, follow a boggy trail across peat cuttings on the flank, then ascend a gully where a stream hurtles down from the plateau. A longer trail approaches from Glencar to the south. There's no public access across the farmland to the west, which in any case would fetch you up against the cliffs.
 * is a scenic lake straddling the border with County Leitrim. A couple of crannogs indicate its prehistoric importance, and a trail leads up Benbulbin. The main sight is Glencar waterfall feeding its northeast end: in pools among the rushes / that scarce could bathe a star . .  - here Yeats describes a child being stolen away into the spirit-world. He was a bit away with the fairies himself, but in these lines was not entirely fanciful in evoking the terminal dwam of a starved child, leaving a world more full of weeping / than he can understand.
 * is a court tomb dating from 3000 BC. It's 30 m long, and from above is in the shape of a man. It's off R278 towards Manorhamilton.
 * Lough Gill is the freshwater lake east of town, 8 km long by 2 km wide. The River Garavogue drains from its west end for 3 km to become tidal at Sligo. The River Bonet is the main flow into its east end, which lies in County Leitrim.
 * is a real place: this is the lake isle in the poem of 1888. Boat trips call, but it's just a wooded uninhabited hummock and you only come for the associations. An early London-based reviewer seems to have been unimpressed: the accommodation was just a cabin of clay and wattles, the catering involved growing your own beans, and the glade was noisy what with all the bees.
 * Church Island is the largest lake island, forested and uninhabited. There is indeed a ruined church.
 * near the river outflow has a ruined church, associated with Trinity Abbey on Lough Key, Roscommon. It's better known as Beezie's Island as it was the home of Elizabeth Gallagher, née Clerkin. In the early 20th C Beezie served food to visiting boaters, and into her seventies she'd row a boat to town to collect her pension and shopping. She barely survived the big freeze of 1947 but perished along with her home in a fire of 1951, and the island has been uninhabited since.
 * 15 km north of town is a 3 km spit of sand on the Atlantic coast, popular for surfing or just strolling. In Sept 1588 three vessels of the Spanish Armada were driven ashore and wrecked by a storm - 1000 may have perished. Their remnants lie in 3-6 m depth but may only be scuba-dived under permit. A fourth wreck visible at low tide, the "butter boat", is 18th century. There's a museum and annual commemoration in the village of Grange. The next event is online only, 18-20 Sept 2020.
 * Sheepdogs at work: the farm along the lane from Grange (on N15) to Streedagh puts on demos of sheepdog technique.
 * is a scenic headland on Donegal Bay. Good beaches for walking and waves for surfing. Creevykeel on the main road may date to 3000 BC: it's termed a "court tomb" because the cairn encloses a little court, with burial chambers around. Classiebawn Castle is a baronial pile built for Lord Palmerston; in the 20th century it passed to Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. In 1979 he was assassinated when the IRA planted a bomb on his fishing boat nearby. The castle is privately owned and you can't visit.
 * is an uninhabited island 7 km off the coast with the substantial remains of a monastery. Boat trips used to visit but since 2018 are banned, as the landing area has been declared unsafe.
 * Sheepdogs at work: the farm along the lane from Grange (on N15) to Streedagh puts on demos of sheepdog technique.
 * is a scenic headland on Donegal Bay. Good beaches for walking and waves for surfing. Creevykeel on the main road may date to 3000 BC: it's termed a "court tomb" because the cairn encloses a little court, with burial chambers around. Classiebawn Castle is a baronial pile built for Lord Palmerston; in the 20th century it passed to Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. In 1979 he was assassinated when the IRA planted a bomb on his fishing boat nearby. The castle is privately owned and you can't visit.
 * is an uninhabited island 7 km off the coast with the substantial remains of a monastery. Boat trips used to visit but since 2018 are banned, as the landing area has been declared unsafe.

Do

 * What's on? - for local events check The Sligo Champion, published Wednesdays and online, or Sligo Weekender published Thursdays.
 * Hawk's Well Theatre on Temple St has drama, dance, comedy and music. Box Office is +353 71 9161518.
 * Omniplex Cinema is on Wine St.
 * , capacity 15,558, is the home ground of Sligo County GAA teams for Gaelic football and hurling.
 * Boat trips on Lough Gill: one operator is Rose of Innisfree, who may pick up from town, and tour sights such as Parkes Castle and Innisfree (described above). Sailings resume from April 2022.
 * The Wild Atlantic Way  is the motoring route that hugs the coast - see County Sligo for more, but the way is self-evident.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.
 * Boat trips on Lough Gill: one operator is Rose of Innisfree, who may pick up from town, and tour sights such as Parkes Castle and Innisfree (described above). Sailings resume from April 2022.
 * The Wild Atlantic Way  is the motoring route that hugs the coast - see County Sligo for more, but the way is self-evident.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.

Buy

 * The main retail area is along O'Connell Street, Wine Street and Grattan Street. Shopping malls here are Johnston Court and The Quayside.

Eat

 * All the hotels listed in the Sleep section below have restaurants, and many have carvery bar lunches.
 * Osta is on the north river bank overlooking Garavogue Weir. They serve light meals M-Sa 09:00-17:00.

Drink

 * Fiddler's Creek: see Eat. The bar has live music most nights, TV sports, and bar food.
 * Furey's on Bridge St is open M-F 17:00-23:30, Sa 13:30-00:00, Su 13:00-23:00.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.

Budget

 * No camping or caravan sites in town, but see Strandhill and Rosses Point for nearby options.
 * Sligo's hostels are not open in 2020 because of the impracticality of social distancing, but groups might be able to book them for exclusive use.

Mid-range

 * Bed and Breakfast places are mostly along the old Dublin road (Pearse Road, R287), Cairns Hill (head out the R287, turn left at the traffic lights just at the Gaelic Football Pitch, Markievicz Park) and the Bundoran road (N16).
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.

Splurge

 * Markree Castle, 15 km south of Sligo near Collooney, was built in 1802, replacing a 14th century castle. It's open April-Sept primarily as an events venue, but may have B&B availability for independent travellers.

Connect

 * As of June 2021, Sligo has 5G from all Irish carriers.

Stay safe
Crime is low by European standards. Take usual precautions with valuables and avoid late night drunks.

Go next

 * Rosses Point is a pretty little village with a beautiful golden sandy beach, perfect for families. The Atlantic Ocean is cold for swimming, but perfectly safe here. Sea boat trips are available from here.
 * Strandhill is a nearby village on the coast, with a great beach for walking, though it's not safe to swim.
 * Coney Island is a tidal island just off Strandhill. You can walk or drive across, but think about the tides and the getting back.
 * County Donegal is scenic and little developed.
 * Achill Island in County Mayo has great beaches making it a family holiday favourite.
 * Galway is a bustling, historic city.
 * The Burren south of Galway is what County Sligo might look like if limestone outcrops like Knocknarea and Benbulbin covered the whole area. It's a wild haunting place with many prehistoric sites.

title: Sligo


text:
Slinger

Slinger is a city in Southeast Wisconsin.

Understand
Slinger dates back to the 1850s and is named for a former State Senator named Baruch Schleisinger. Originally named "Schleisinger", the city's name was officially shortened in the 1920s.

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

title: Slinger


text:
Sliven

Sliven, in the Northern Thrace region of southeastern Bulgaria, is the eighth largest city in Bulgaria, with nearly 90,000 people as of 2011. The city sits below the famous rocky massif, Sinite Kamani (The Blue Rocks), and is known for being one of the windiest cities in Bulgaria. Surrounded by natural splendor, the three rivers--Asenokvska, Novoselska, and Manastirska--converge in the city. The city is famous for the Bulgarian Haiduts who fought against the Ottoman Turks during the 19th century.

The city features many pleasant cafés, a large outdoor produce market and pedestrian boulevard through the city center. Sliven is one of the few cities in Bulgaria which has large Boulevards and also beautiful landscape architecture. It also has a lot of flowers and trees giving the town the aroma of late spring perfume.

History
The town first sprang up in the between the 7th - 11th centuries. Idriss, an Arabian geographer, was the first to write about the town around 1153, calling it Intilifounos. Its name changed from Silimno to Slivno. In 1388, the Turks conquered the city and completely destroyed it. The Turks occupied the region until 1878 when Sliven was liberated during the Russian-Turkish war.

In modern times, Sliven grew as a town of crafts and trade, making use of the water power of its three rivers. It was an important center of the Bulgarian national revival after the defeat of the Turks. Indeed, many famous Bulgarians were born in Sliven, including Hadzi Dimitar, Dobri Chintulov and Ivan Seliminski. In 1836, the first woolen textile factor in Bulgaria was built in Sliven. Much of it's rich history is still preserved for tourist to see today.

Climate and geography
Sliven is situated in the sub-Balkan region and is approximately 100km from the Black Sea. The climate is mild with relatively warm summers, a long autumn, wet spring and mild winters. Temperatures average 23.2°C in the summer and 1.2°C in the winter. The "bora" wind blows almost 50% of the time in Sliven.

By rail
Sliven is on the Sofia-Burgas railway, with regular trains throughout Bulgaria. Traveling by train offers amazing views of the Bulgarian countryside. Daily trains run to Sofia, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Ruse, Plovdiv, Kazanlak and Varna.

The train station is located near the Nadezhda (надежда) neighborhood in the southern end of the city. The National Train's website is: http://bdz.bg/index-en.php

By bus
Sliven's small bus station offers regular service to all major cities and most regional villages. Several buses per day leave to Sofia (4½ hours), Plovdiv (3 hours) and Veliko Tarnovo (2 - 2½ hours). Hourly buses depart for Burgas (1½ hours) and Stara Zagora (1 hour).

The bus station is a few blocks south of the big Bila grocery store.

Get around
When traveling around Sliven, there are many ways of public transportation. They include: buses, trolleys and minibuses. They cover the main streets of the city. There are different bus lines running along different main boulevards. The main lines are: No. 116, No. 1, No. 20, No. 7, No. 4 and No. 12. Line No. 1 reaches the railway station and the bus station. The price of a single ticket is 0.8 лв.

Taxis are another convenient way to get around town. Fairs are generally cheap. Most people either call for a taxi or pick them up at the many taxi stands around the city.

Sliven is a small city and most places are easy to walk to. It is a flat city with wide sidewalks along the main streets. The city center is closed to cars and has a beautiful tree-line pedestrian street, with many cafes and shops. Some of the sidewalks are uneven and have holes in them, so it's important to pay attention. Pedestrians are usually respected by drivers, but it's important to watch out for the few crazy drivers.

See

 * Hadji Dimitar, in the central square, is one of the unique symbols of the town, a testimony to his glorious heroism. Inaugurated in 1935 and restored in the early 1990s.
 * Historical Museum Sliven The museum in the center of the city and has signs directing tourists to it. The museum features exhibits from modern history, archaeology and ethnography. The foundation work for the museum began as early as the Bulgarian National Revival when patriotic Bulgarians collected relics from the middle ages. Work began on the museum immediately following the liberation of the town from Ottoman rule with the assistance of the Moscow Ethnographic Society.
 * Hadji Dimitar House The house belonged to Sliven's legendary rebel leader. the house is small and beautiful, featuring a wooden porch and architectural characteristics of the Renaissance.
 * Dobri Chintulov House In the old Sliven neighborhood of Deli Balta sits the house where the distinguished poet, educated and church figure lived. The house was built in the 1980s by two brothers, Ivan and Dobri Cintulovi. The house features the typical architecture of the period - an open, asymmetrical two-story wood house with beautiful verandah and balconies hanging above a cobbled yard. The house was completely restored in the 1970s and a museum exhibited was opened.
 * Old Elm Tree The old elm tree near the city municipality is over 1,000 years old. It is relic from the Great Bulgarian forest which spread from the Rhodope Mountains to the Black Sea. The elms is featured on Sliven's coat of arms and is considered a national treasure protected under law. During the period of Ottoman rule many Bulgarian revolutionaries were hung from it's broad limbs.
 * Byzantine Fortress Twidda- Lovers of ancient ruins can go and see the fortress Twidda. It is an original archaeological monument that dates back to the epoch of antiquity, a part of the fortification system along the Balkan Mountains, on the Hisarlaka hill to the northeast of Sliven. Tourists can enjoy a great view of the Blue Stones and the city. It played an important role in the defense of the Roman Empire and later in the Bulgarian Medieval Kingdom.
 * The Town Clock One of the significant symbols of Sliven with a particular attractive presence. The construction of the new municipal building, above which soars the clock tower, was finished in 1936. Three years later the clock tower was completed. Today, the town clock measures the hours and reminds locals of the continuity and irreversibility of passing time.
 * The Monument of the 7th cavalry regiment - Eagle Statue One of the symbols of Sliven is the monument dedicated to the glorious 7th cavalry regiment of Sliven which participated in the Balkan War, the Inter-ally war and World War One. It was a gift to the residents of the town and renovated in 1996.

Do
In the summer months, many people go hiking and camping in the areas surrounding Sliven. There are also several pools that are open to the public for small charge. Pools include: Sports Palace Hotel, Hotel Imperia and the pool located in the city gardens.

Buy
Tsar Osvoboditel is the main commercial street of Sliven, running through the center. While the shops tend to be more expensive, tourists can find nice clothes, souvenirs, shoes, cosmetics and other things. Tourist can buy traditional Bulgarian souvenirs including Sliven's famous rugs and pots with traditional decorations.

Eat
"Point Burger" is a fast food restaurant similar to an American hamburger stand. It is near Bila.

Drink
Sliven's city center is full of cafes that serve a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Most are spacious indoor and outdoor seating and are affordable.
 * Chervilo - nice outside setting, on the main walking street in the city center.
 * Largo is the perfect combination between a day time cafe and a night time disco. It sits along the Eastern end of the main walking street.
 * Shaklian - White Label on Alexsander Stramboliiski Blvd, the most beautiful and famous cafe in Sliven. There are two in town, serving good coffee and strong alcoholic drinks. They offer a range of food including hamburgers, pizza and doner. They also offer shakes and fresh fruit juice.
 *  Fashion Cafe is one of the most modern cafes in Sliven, down the main alley of center, near the oldest tree in Sliven Staria Briast. The Cafe is famous with its delicious pancakes.
 * XO is near the city court office and many of the city's schools. It caters to students, but on at night features go-go dancers.

Night Life
Moderno Moderno is Sliven's newest night club. Blasting Chalga music until odd hours, it is Sliven's largest night club. There is no cover charge on weekdays, but it costs around 3 лв on weekends. The club often features Bulgaria's top singers and performers. On weekend, it is important to call in advance and reserve a table (there is no charge for reservations). Bottle service ranges from 30 - 70 лв. On weekends, from 16:00-21:00, they often have a "children's disco" where kids can come dance and listen to music.

Imerpia Imperia is another chalga disco, next to Hotel Imerpia.

Sax Club is located in the city garden park, just east of the city center. It was renovated and features chalga music on weekends.

Connect
Almost every cafe in town has free WiFi. Some require a password, which the staff can provide. There are also several post offices around town. Postboxes are small and yellow.

Go next
Karandila and Nature Park Sinite Kamani

Karandila and Nature Park Sinite Kamani is a favorite walking destination for local people. This beautiful place offers fresh air and beautiful scenery. Aside from the winter months, locals go to Karandila on weekends and holidays. They bring food, drinks, games and spend a wonderful day up in the mountains. The roads can be crowded on a sunny Saturday.

There are two ways to get there by car, either through the peak "Bulgarian" or "Chukata." The first route takes the northern exit out of the cit, passing through the village of Selishteto. The road starts from the square in front of the Old Prison and Textile Museum and then winds through the mountains. From there, follow the signs to Karandila. The second route takes the eastern exit out of Sliven toward the village of Ichera.

The Blue Stones around Karandila feature rich vegetation and a variety of animals. The lay is of typical mountains with steep slopes and ravines, ranging between 200 - 1181 meters above sea level. The blue color comes from a specific moss growing on the rocks. The highest point is Mount Bulgaria and is easily accessed by tourists. The Halkata landmark is a naturally former rock arch or ring. Furthermore, the picturesque beech forest is a favorite among locals.

Kipilovo Katel Fortress Kipilovo Kate Fortress is on Mount Hissarluka, south of the village of Kipilovo. Today the fortress is an overgrown beech forest, which makes its detection more difficult for visitors. It is believed that the fortress was built in the late 6th century by the Byzantines and lasted until the Second Bulgarian State. Today, the walls are still 2.5 meters thick and 8-10 meters high. On the eastern end of the site, there is a well and three entrances are still preserved.

Zlata Mogila Funeral Mound The funeral mound of "Zlata Mogila" is located near the village of Sudievo, 8 km east of Nova Zagora off of the Sofia-Burgas road. It dates from Roman times and is one of the largest burial mounds in the region. Archaeological excavations have unearthed two chariots, skeletons of eight horses, a fully preserved bronze shield and other artifacts. It is thought that the mound belongs to a rich Thracian landowner buried in a tomb nearby.

St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker Church The church, located in the village of Jeravna, was built in 1834. The beautiful paintings inside were done by master painters Jordan Mihajlovic, Georgi and Gencho. Today the church keeps a rich exposition of icons from the nineteenth century, along with masterpieces from the Tryavna Art SChool.

Karanovska Settlement Mound Karanovska Settlement mound is in the northwestern edge of Karanovo (Sliven district). It was formed from the ruins of prehistoric settlements successively built on top of each other. The mound was inhabited by people living in Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages and is one of the largest mounds in Bulgaria. Along with flint, tools, brass and bones, the mound contained valuable clay tablets, which are thought by some scientists to have the oldest writing in Europe.

title: Sliven


text:
Slobozia

Slobozia is a city in Muntenia.

Understand
A city of about 50.000 people located in the middle of the Bărăgan steppe, Slobozia is the seat of Ialomiţa County and it's best known as transit point to the nearby Amara salt lake and resort.

By bus
There are hourly buses from Bucharest (two hours travel time) and four-five buses from Ploieşti (two hours away). Most of their schedules are available on autogari.ro

By train
Slobozia is located on a secondary railway and gets limited service. Several local trains link it with Ciulniţa station on the Bucharest-Constanţa mainline (a 20-25 minutes trip); there is also one direct train from Bucharest (three and half hours travel time) and one from Ploieşti (three hours). Timetables are available on the railway operator's CFR website.

Get around
Several minibus lines cover the city.

Go next

 * Amara resort is located just 7 km north of the city and there are minibuses to it every 15-30 minutes.

Hotel Parc Amara Hotel Dana Amara

title: Slobozia


text:
Slough

Slough (pronounced like "how", not like "snow" or "through") is a large town just west of London's Heathrow Airport, outside the M25, in Berkshire.

Understand
Slough has something of a negative reputation which can be famously attributed to Sir John Betjeman's poem of the same name. This could also be a result of Berkshire being a stereotypically posh county thanks to the presence of Windsor, Maidenhead and Bray. The town has been featured prominently in the police reality show Road Wars and is the setting of the cringe comedy The Office.

Because of Slough not being too far from Pinewood Studios (6.4km) which is in Iver Heath, Bucks; locals often spot celebrities staying in Slough as a centre point to many places around East Berkshire/South Buckinghamshire.

By plane

 * Heathrow Airport : buses 60, 61, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78 and National Express coach or directly via the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail).
 * Luton Airport : National Express bus to High Wycombe and then X74, or train, changing in London
 * London City Airport : take London Underground services to London Paddington and continue by train
 * Stansted Airport : National Express bus to High Wycombe and then X74, or train, changing in London
 * Gatwick Airport : train, changing in London or Reading
 * Birmingham Airport : train, changing in London
 * Bristol Airport : direct train from Bristol Temple Meads station - there is a shuttle bus to the airport
 * Southampton Airport or Bournemouth Airport : train, changing in Reading
 * East Midlands Airport : train, changing in London

By train

 * has a direct service from London Paddington, Reading, Oxford, Worcester and Hereford. Slough is also on the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

By bus or coach

 * Buses to nearby Reading go to Cheltenham and Gloucester.
 * X74 bus serves High Wycombe
 * National Express coaches go to London

Get around

 * Local buses serve the Slough area from Slough Bus Station, a 2 minute walk from the Train Station.
 * Uber and local Taxi services are available.
 * A public Cycle Hire scheme is available

title: Slough