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Launceston

Launceston is the second-largest city in Tasmania and provides a base to explore the northern part of the state. The city was settled in 1805 and has a population of 87,645 (2021), making it Australia's fifth-largest inland city.

Understand

 * Tourism website

By plane
Launceston is approximately 50 minutes from Melbourne on the mainland. Daily flights fly from Melbourne with Virgin Australia, Qantas Link, and Jetstar. Direct flights from Sydney are available daily and direct flights from Brisbane are available on selected days.

has four gates and not a lot of flights, so security moves quite quickly. The waiting area has free but slow wifi, a few cafes, and a standard airport shop with books and souvenirs. Rental cars are available at the airport.

By car
Launceston is a hub of the highway system in Northern Tasmania. From Hobart, Devonport, or Burnie, use Highway 1.

Get around
The best way to get around Launceston is by car. Taxis are available, but may add up to be expensive; try to get a transfer when you are moving from the airport to your hotel. Car rentals are available for reasonable rates. There is also a Metro bus service which goes all through the town.

Bicycle is a reasonable way to get around Launceston and out the Gorge. Traffic is fairly quiet in town, and there is a good network of bike paths.

See

 * Launceston City Park - includes an enclosure housing a large number of Macaque monkeys
 * Historic houses and buildings including Macquarie House, Franklin House, Entally House, Clarendon House and the 'Old Umbrella Shop'.
 * Tamar Valley - wine-growing area
 * National Motor Museum

Tamar Island
The Tamar Island Wetlands is a unique urban wetlands reserve 10 minutes' drive from the heart of Launceston in Tasmania's north.

Tamar Island has been Crown Land since settlement and up to the 1980s was leased to private and public operators. In the 1980s the Tasmanian Government purchased the wetlands area around Tamar Island, which was incorporated into the greater Tamar River Conservation Area.

An interpretation centre offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the value of the wetlands, along with a hike that takes you through the wetlands, in bird hides and over to the historic Tamar Island.

Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge is 1 km from the centre of Launceston. There is paid parking at the entrance to the park, either all day or by the hour.

 * There are many walking tracks which skirt the side of the gorge, and cross it at a suspension bridge and a low level bridge.
 * You can swim in the gorge. The water can be quite cold, and there is a current, but with care you should be fine.  There are constructed entrances to the water, and access is free.  There is also an unheated swimming pool, and access to that is also free.
 * You can see the gardens and pergolas, and the peacocks walking around.
 * You can play on the playgrounds.
 * You can take a chairlift across the gorge, and walk back, or vice-versa, although going both ways on the chairlift is about the same price as a one way ticket.
 * There is a cafe on each side of the gorge, serving ice-creams, coffee, snacks, etc.

Do

 * Cruise the Tamar River
 * Tour the surrounding wineries of the Tamar Valley
 * Yoga in the park open classes by local yoga teacher in Launceston parks on weekend mornings. Saturday morning in City Park before the harvest markets and on Sunday mornings in Riverbend Park www.werethee.com.au donation based/bookings not required.
 * Launceston self-guided walking tour along historic Cameron Street. See Launceston Historical Society's Page for more details.
 * Launceston self-guided walking tour along historic Cameron Street. See Launceston Historical Society's Page for more details.
 * Launceston self-guided walking tour along historic Cameron Street. See Launceston Historical Society's Page for more details.
 * Launceston self-guided walking tour along historic Cameron Street. See Launceston Historical Society's Page for more details.

Buy

 * Tasmanian Wool Products: Waverley Woolen Mills, The Sheep's Back (George St)
 * The Tasmanian Devil as soft toys, hand-puppets etc

Budget

 * Fish and Chips at the end of the Wharf, past the end of the flood barrier when walking from town. Possibly the best fish and chips you'll ever have. Prices depending on fish and season.
 * Fish and Chips at the end of the Wharf, past the end of the flood barrier when walking from town. Possibly the best fish and chips you'll ever have. Prices depending on fish and season.
 * Fish and Chips at the end of the Wharf, past the end of the flood barrier when walking from town. Possibly the best fish and chips you'll ever have. Prices depending on fish and season.

Splurge

 * Brisbane Street Bistro, 24 Brisbane St, Fine dining (including degustation) using local ingredients, modern Australian/French style. They can cater for most dietary requirements with advance notice. Bookings essential regardless.
 * Quigley's.
 * Dockside.
 * Black Cow.
 * Dockside.
 * Black Cow.

Drink
Launceston has several "olde worlde" UK style pubs, including The Cock and Bull and Irish Murphy's. In the city centre there are pubs on many of the street intersections.

Sleep
There are many motels, hotels and bed-and-breakfast establishments offering accommodation in the area.

Go next
The historic town of George Town and Low Head lighthouse are a one-hour drive to the north along the Tamar River.

 * Perth and Longford are historic towns 20 km south via the freeway
 * Devonport and Deloraine can make a scenic round trip, following the west Tamar, along the northern coast, and before looping south.
 * St Helens is a coastal town on the Eastern Coast.
 * Scottsdale lavender farm
 * George Town is an historic settlement north on the eastern Tamar.
 * Ben Lomond National Park is a skiing/hiking area in northeast Tasmania.

title: Launceston


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Launceston (Cornwall)

Launceston (Cornish: Lannstevan) is a town of 9,200 people (2011) in North Cornwall. Visitors come to see the 11th-century Launceston Castle, and the Launceston narrow-gauge heritage steam railway.

Get in
Launceston is on the A30 (the main trunk road running though the center of Cornwall). It is about 45 minutes (41 miles) from Exeter.

Get around
This small town of around 12,000 people is easy to cover on foot. Taxis are inexpensive but not required in the town centre.

Eat

There are various Indian restaurants in the town, but no dine in Chinese.

Sleep

 * Lots of B&Bs in the area.
 * Lots of B&Bs in the area.
 * Lots of B&Bs in the area.

Go next
Plymouth and Exeter are connected by a daily bus service. Tavistock is a Devon based market-town.

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

title: Launceston (Cornwall)


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Launceston (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Launceston.

Australia

 * Launceston - a city in Tasmania.

United Kingdom

 * Launceston (Cornwall) - a town in England

title: Launceston (disambiguation)


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Laundry

The longer you travel, the more likely you'll need to wash your clothes, bedsheets, or other textiles. You can:

 * Use a coin-operated laundromat or laundrette – common in North America and Europe, but not so common in Asia (except for Japan) and South America.
 * Use the hotel's laundry service – often the most expensive option
 * Use accommodation where laundry facilities are available (hand or machine; some low-cost or family-directed accommodations; some campsites and marinas)
 * Use a laundry or dry-cleaning business – quite expensive in some countries, especially if you have to pay per piece, but it may be very reasonable in countries with low cost of labor and few laundromats
 * Pay some locals to wash them for you – a good option in low-income countries, though an expensive or difficult proposition in high-income places
 * Wash them yourself – e.g. in the hotel bathroom, if allowed there

If laundry fees are charged by weight and the clothing is already wet, you'll pay a whole lot more. Allow the items to dry out first, or negotiate a lower rate.

Hand washing

"Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel. But that would only mean more laundry for me."

- unknown

The cheapest way to do your laundry is to do it yourself. It can also be the most time-consuming method. If you are staying at a hotel, make sure this is not against the rules.

Washing and rinsing

 * In the bathroom, fill the sink or bathtub with water, some sort of soap (or shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent), and your dirty clothes. You can use a universal sink stopper or just a dirty sock. Be very conservative with the amount of soap, or there will be a lot of rinsing to do.

 * Let it soak for about 15 minutes.
 * Swish the clothes around. Scrub each item individually by rubbing the cloth together, concentrating on areas such as the armpits and stains. Apply additional soap as needed.
 * Rinse each item under a faucet (e.g., the shower), regularly wringing out most water, until the water runs out clean, not soapy. You can save water by using the sink, getting most dirt and soap out of each item before changing the water.
 * Twist the clothing to wring the excess water out of the item (with wool and other delicate textiles: do not twist, just squeeze).

For woollen clothes, just hanging them for fresh air does wonders. If you have a good place for this and a change, you may not need to do any laundering. Treatments during the manufacturing process sometimes destroy this feature – watch out for woollen clothes that can be washed at higher temperatures.

Drying

 * Hanging up your clothes is usually best. A portable clothes line can be used indoors or outdoors.  You may also be able to hang your clothes from a shower rods, over the backs of plastic chairs, on coat hangers hung from curtain rods (check that it's strong enough to hold the weight of your wet laundry first), and other items in your hotel room or other accommodations.  If you can't hang your clothes, you might be able to lay a few things out flat on a towel, but this is much slower.
 * Hanging clothes outside results in the fastest drying time, especially if it's windy. Clothes can even be dried when the weather is below freezing, as the water will first freeze to ice and then sublimate to dry (but very, very cold).  If drying clothes outdoors, try to time the drying so that you can take them down in the morning or day, before the moist evening and night.  Some places have rules against leaving clothes out all night, being visible from the street, or in certain places, so look at what others in the neighborhood are doing, or ask for advice.  Direct sunlight can fade some bright colours even in a single day.  Most clothes will be fine, and you may be able to hang brightly colored clothes in the shade.
 * Laundry dries fastest when there is plenty of room around each layer. If you're drying something thick, like a towel, try to hang it either flat (from one end), or so that the two halves don't touch each other, e.g., by draping it across two rods on a drying rack.
 * Try to let your clothes dry completely before packing, which may require hanging overnight or longer.
 * Ironing is possible at some accommodations. Otherwise, you can avoid most wrinkles by straightening them pieces carefully on your drying rack and not packing the clothes until they are dry.  A few hotels may offer a trouser press, which flattens the legs of trousers overnight.

Coping

 * In some countries during the rainy or humid season, drying clothes can be a major challenge, even with the fan on all night. You may also run into problems due to a late arrival, a stay cut short unexpectedly, or needing to dry more clothes than you can hang at once.
 * If you have a large number of items to dry quickly, you may want to re-consider hand washing, and instead look for a coin-operated laundrette or other source of a dryer. Even if dryers aren't available, you may be able to find an alternative; for example, a Wäscheschleuder (clothes spinner) is more common in Germany than a dryer, and it speeds the drying time considerably.
 * Ironing damp clothes can help them dry. Many hotels have an iron and ironing board available for loan, even if one is not present in the room.  If an iron isn't available, or if you don't fancy wearing ironed socks, then you can try using a hairdryer, if available.  Be careful not to allow fabric to become too hot (which can cause shrinkage, or in extreme cases, scorch).  This approach works better for pants and shirts than for swimsuits and bras.
 * Some hotel bathrooms have electric heaters designed for heating towels. They may be used to dry laundry, but are often quite small. This will be handy if you need to get one or two things dry, but it won't help much with drying a week's worth of clothing.
 * If your clothes are still wet, pack them in a separate, plastic bag, but take them out for further drying as soon as possible. Some clothes can be dried on the outside of your backpack while you are walking around (but pack them before using vehicles). Especially in hot, dry climates, dressing in damp clothes is quite comfortable.

Machine washing

If you are washing laundry at a coin-operated (nowadays often card- or app-operated instead) public laundry facility or in a rented home, the process is likely familiar from home. In the US, commercial washing machines and dryers are large compared to what's typically seen at home or in the rest of the world.

The cost of using a laundrette varies significantly, by country and by city. As of 2023, washing and drying one large load of laundry was in major cities of Western Europe, New York and Tokyo. For the U.S.A., a laundromat in pricey New York City might cost $10 per load, but a laundromat in a lower-cost part of the country might charge as little as $4. The setting also matters: washing your clothes at a laundromat business is generally more expensive than a coin-operated washing machine in a residential building.

Some self-service laundry facilities use debit/credit cards or an app, so the entire transaction can be cashless. Some coin-operated machines may accept a small variety of coins, and others may require a single specific one. Some places will have a staff person on site who can make change or a machine to dispense coins (usually for a fee). However, you may need to collect coins for your laundry in advance. If they don't advertise the prices, you may have to go to the laundromat in advance, look at the washing and drying machines, read all the signs on the walls (sometimes, they provide advice about getting the correct coins), and then start collecting coins. You may be able to obtain a handful of coins at a bank, at your hotel, or by asking in shops that change be given in the particular coin that you need.

Some laundrettes sell single-use amounts of laundry detergent, which is handy if you need a small amount and don't have sensitive skin or an aversion to scented soap. Alternatives include buying your preferred type at a store beforehand and bringing your favorite from home. Small amounts of liquid or powdered laundry detergent or laundry pods can be packed in leak-proof containers, the same way you would pack shampoo or other potentially messy toiletries. Backpackers may prefer eco-friendly, lightweight laundry strips, which look a bit like paper but which are actually made of dried, compressed detergent that dissolves easily in water.

Dealing with stains may be more complicated, as you probably don't want to buy a large bottle of bleach or stain remover when you need only a small amount. Liquid detergent can do double-duty as a stain remover: instead of pouring the detergent in the machine, pour the usual amount directly on the worst stains, let it soak in for a few minutes, and then put the stained clothes in the washer.

If you expect to be machine-washing more than a few things, you need a way to transport them to the washing machine. Wrapping up a pile of laundry in a big bath towel might work if you only need to get down the hallway. For longer distances, consider bringing lightweight bags, re-purposing big shopping bags, or emptying your luggage of everything else so you can fill up your suitcase or backpack with the clothes you want to wash.

Wash and fold laundry services

A wash-and-fold service, sometimes called fluff-and-fold, is a business that will wash your laundry for you. For an extra fee, some of them may also iron it, steam-clean it, package it for shipping, or provide other services. Some of these are services provided by the staff at a self-service laundromat, and others are part of a traditional laundry or a dry-cleaning business.

Laundry services operated by hotels are almost always more expensive than independent businesses. Laundry services that charge by the piece are generally more expensive than services that charge by the weight.

As of 2023, in Mumbai, expect to pay about ₹100 per kilogram for a basic wash-and-fold service, with the prices going up by 50% or more if you want the clothes ironed. Basic laundry service in Paris will run about €5 per kg, and in London, you'll pay at least £3 per kg, usually with a minimum charge of £20 or more.

title: Laundry


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La Unión

La Unión is a department (governmental division or province) in El Salvador. The capital and largest city is Santa Rosa de Lima, which serves as a departure point for bus travel to northeastern El Salvador and crossing into neighboring Honduras.

Get in
There are daily motorboats from the small town of Potosi, not far from Chinandega in Nicaragua to La Unión, thereby bypassing Honduras. Motorboats are operated by Ruta del Golfo and the journey takes around two hours. The is located at the northern end of Avenida Norte.

Buy
As in much of El Salvador, the cities boast many pupusería stands, selling the pupusa — a popular fried corn cake stuffed with meat, cheese, squash flower (loroco) or a combination of these fillings. The seafood also is recommended by many.

Money matters
The northeastern region is an especially rural part of a developing country. It's hopeless to expect recognition of the same world-famous travelers' checks that are a recommended part of travel in even the most remote parts of, say, Mexico. Cashing traveler's checks in most parts of the Americas normally requires only showing a valid passport and countersignature; in December, 2004, an attempt to cash these same checks in northeastern El Salvador met with the following obstacles:
 * (1) The neighboring department of Morazán had no banks at all.
 * (2) Santa Rosa de Lima, in La Unión, had two banks across the street from each other:
 * The first, Banco Cuscatlán, with branches in three Central American countries, would not cash traveler's checks, period. The bank insisted that "to cash checks," one had to have an account at the bank; no distinction was made between a traveler's check and a personal check.
 * Banco Comercio required their teller to observe the following procedure:
 * (1) Write on each and every check a long list of 12 discrete pieces of information that included but was not limited to (a) checkholder's name, (b) checkholder's passport number, (c) checkholder's driver's license number, (d) checkholder's home address, including street, city, state, and postal code, and (e) checkholder's home phone number.
 * (2) Obtain holder's signature on each check and on a separate deposit slip for each check.
 * (3) Stamp the back of each check with a deposit stamp — including careful, time-consuming positioning of the stamp so that the space for writing the account number would not be stamped on the check.

They also initially insisted on seeing the traveler's check purchase receipts, and were skeptical of the explanation that the issuing company clearly instructs checkholders not to carry the receipts along on the trip.

title: La Unión


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La Union

La Union, also known as L.U. in short, is a province in the Ilocos region of the Philippines.

Understand
La Union is a relatively new province, having been formed in 1850 from the southernmost towns of Ilocos Sur, westernmost towns of Benguet, and the northernmost towns of Pangasinan. True to its name, meaning “the Union” in Spanish, the region is a melting pot of Pangasinan, Ilocano and Cordilleran (Igorot) cultures. Since the early 2000s, L.U. (as the province is called informally) has a growing tourism industry centered on the coastal towns facing the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

Despite the majority of the province being formed out of parts of Pangasinan, Ilocanos now form the majority of the population. The province is also the first in the Philippines to declare a regional language as co-official with English and Filipino (Tagalog), having declared Ilocano as an official language in the province since 2012.

Talk
Native languages spoken in La Union are Ilocano, Pangasinan and the indigenous languages of the Igorot. Ilocano is the most spoken, and is also co-official with English and Tagalog as the official languages in the province.

Get in
With the end of rail service in the 1980s, the only main way of reaching La Union is by bus or car. There is one airport at San Fernando, but has no commercial passenger service.

By bus
Buses are available from Manila, Baguio, Dagupan, Vigan and Laoag, running up to San Fernando. Premium express buses are also available from the new bus station at Bocaue, Bulacan.

By car
With the completion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) in 2020, travel times to La Union has been reduced to about 4-5 hours.

From the Cordilleras, the primary routes are Naguilian Rd (Rte 54) and the Jose S. Aspiras Hwy (Rte 208, formerly but still often called Marcos Highway), both radiating from Baguio. Both routes are winding mountain roads and are quite dangerous.

Within Ilocos region, the primary road links are Manila North Rd (Rte 2) and Pangasinan-La Union Rd (Rte 55).

See

 * Luna Watchtower.
 * Luna Watchtower.

Do

 * Learn to surf on the black volcanic sand beaches of La Union. While the waves aren't Hawaii by any stretch of the imagination, the gently sloping beaches provide a steady supply of trainer waves. Seasoned surfers will yawn and stay in the bar. You can also enjoy beaches in San Fernando like in the 5-star Thunderbird resort, Sea Park and you can also go shopping at Manna Mall and CSI.

Drink

 * You can enjoy drinking in bars while singing in a local videoke.

Sleep

 * Plaza hotel: Located at the City Proper near 7-Eleven
 * Plaza hotel: Located at the City Proper near 7-Eleven

title: La Union


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Laurel (Maryland)

Laurel is a city of 30,000 people (2020) in Prince George's County, Maryland. Largely residential, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street, highlighting its industrial past.

By car
Laurel is very easy to get to by car, as US-1 passes directly through its center, and to the east and west are I-95 and MD-295 (the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy). From either highway, take MD-198 (exit 33 off I-95) to go east-west into Laurel.

By plane
Laurel is quite close to Baltimore-Washington International Airport—just about a 25-minute drive along the B-W Pkwy.

By train
Laurel has its own stops on the Marc Commuter Rail Camden Line at the and the.

By bus
From Washington, D.C., you can take the Metro to Greenbelt, and then transfer to Metrobus 89 or Connect-A-Ride H, which both lead straight into Laurel on US-1.

Do

 * Laurel Park, a thoroughbred horse racetrack, is located just outside the city limits.
 * Laurel Park, a thoroughbred horse racetrack, is located just outside the city limits.
 * Laurel Park, a thoroughbred horse racetrack, is located just outside the city limits.

Drink

 * Ragamuffins Coffee House, 385 Main St Laurel. A community-centric coffee shop in the heart of Old Laurel.

title: Laurel (Maryland)


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Laurel (Delaware)

Laurel is a small town in Southern Delaware with a population of 4,200 people (2016).

Get in
U.S. Route 13 is the main north-south road in Laurel, heading north toward Seaford and Dover and south to Delmar and Salisbury. U.S. Route 9 begins at U.S. Route 13 in Laurel and heads northeast toward Georgetown and Lewes. Delaware Route 24 runs east-west through Laurel, heading west to Sharptown, Maryland and east to Millsboro.

DART First State bus Route 212 serves Laurel, providing access from Georgetown, Bridgeville, Seaford, and Delmar.

Get around
While it has no mass transit, the town has paved roads with approximately 3 stoplights that extend throughout the entire local area, facilitating travel by car or bike to the many points of interest in and around Laurel.

See
Laurel, and most of the surrounding area, is home to some of the largest chicken houses in the state. These are a must see. They are also extremely easy to find because along with being pretty much everywhere, if you ever lose your way just simply follow your nose. You can also drive through miles and miles of flat but beautiful countryside. Many big woods that always have deer and other animals roaming through (until hunting season begins that is). The Laurel Little League has about ten fields and during seasonal play there are over 6 different age groups that play.

Sleep
There are no hotels in Laurel, your best bet is to drive north to Seaford.

Go next
The historic town of Bethel, Delaware is essentially within the out-skirts of Laurel and hosts a yearly event with tours and a parade through the town.

title: Laurel (Delaware)


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Laurel Highlands

The Laurel Highlands is a region lying in the western foothills of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. Located approximately fifty-five miles east of the city of Pittsburgh, the Laurel Highlands is situated within five southwestern Pennsylvania counties: Fayette, Westmoreland, Cambria, Bedford, and Somerset.

The Laurel Highlands is a popular area for hiking, mountain biking, hunting, trout fishing, wildlife viewing, and downhill skiing.

Cities

 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer
 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer
 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer
 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer
 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer
 * — birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers, the banana split, and Rolling Rock beer

Get in
The primary method of transportation in this area is by automobile. Interstates 70 and 76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike toll road, cross east-west through the region. Moving eastward, they are separate roads until New Stanton, where they merge into one road.

Another major road into the area is U.S. Route 40, "The National Road", which cuts east-west through the southern part of the region through Uniontown, Farmington, and near Ohiopyle. PA 51 connects Pittsburgh directly to Uniontown. Cutting across the northern part of the highlands is U.S. Route 30, "The Lincoln Highway," which passes through Ligonier, Latrobe, and Greensburg before continuing in to Pittsburgh.

As far as north-south routes go, U.S. Route 119 cuts through the western part of the region, heading north from Morgantown, West Virginia and passing through Uniontown, Connellsville, New Stanton, and Greensburg, continuing north to Indiana, PA. U.S. Route 219 cuts through the eastern part of the region, passing through Somerset, continuing north to the Johnstown area.

There is very limited bus service to Fayette and Westmoreland Counties from Pittsburgh, which is primary of use to commuters. Greyhound operates an east-west line through the area which stops at Greensburg and Latrobe. Amtrak operates two lines through the region, both of which connect to Pittsburgh: the Capitol Limited, which stops in Connellsville, and the Pennsylvanian, which stops in Greensburg and Latrobe. Both routes run once daily.

See

 * Historic landmarks abound in the Laurel Highlands and are easy to find. From historic roads (the National Road and the Lincoln Highway) to the estates of important Americans of the past (Friendship Hill, the home of Albert Gallatin) to French and Indian War battlefields (Fort Necessity), there are bountiful places for the historian to visit.
 * For those who love natural beauty, this is a wonderful area to explore. The western front of the Appalachian Mountains runs through the region, making this one of the more scenic areas in Western Pennsylvania.
 * The Highlands is also home to several of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous works, including Fallingwater near Ohiopyle.
 * Flight 93 Memorial, the passengers & crew of Flight 93 gave their lives to thwart an attack on our Nation's Capital on September 11 2001, is right off the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76/I-70) near Somerset.
 * St. Vincent College about 25 miles east in Latrobe, contains the summer camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the first Monastic brewery in the U.S. along with being one of the top catholic colleges in the area.

Do

 * The lovely town of Ohiopyle is surrounded by the beautiful Ohiopyle State Park with acres of mountains and the Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-GAAY-nee] River. Whitewater rafting is popular here, but there are many opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and more.
 * The Mystic Rock golf course in Farmington is home of the PGA 84 Classic and is rated among the top courses in the world.

Go next

 * Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - About 55 miles west, Pittsburgh is the only major city nearby and includes many attractions to see.
 * Morgantown, West Virginia - Often referred to as the University City, this is an important retail, industrial and entertainment center easily accessible to the Laurel Highlands.

title: Laurel Highlands


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Laurentians

The Laurentians (French: Laurentides) is a range of mountains in Quebec, north of Montreal, popular among tourists as a ski destination.

Understand
The region takes its name from the chain of mountains which runs down its northern side, and is part of the great Canadian Shield which covers most of Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River. Covering 22,000 km², the Laurentians span lakes, forests of maple and pine and, above all, the mountains, making this a top alpine ski getaway in eastern Canada and Quebec's answer to Cottage Country.

The area was inhabited by the Montagnais First Nations tribe, until the French settled in the first half of the 19th century, establishing an agricultural presence throughout the valleys. During the 20th century, the area also became a popular tourist destination, based on a cottage and lake in the summer, and a cross-country skiing and cross country skiing in the winter.

Cities

 * — ski resort
 * — a lakeside village in the Laurentians region but far from the mountains, known for its eponymous cheese
 * — Mont Gabriel, a ski and golf resort, is surrounded by lush boreal forest and breathtaking views
 * — small village next to Saint-Sauveur, with its 22 lakes it is ideal for cottages.
 * — a magnet for English-speaking cottagers, with skiing and golf nearby
 * — a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts on the Autoroute des Laurentides (Autoroute 15)
 * — a small village in the lower Laurentians with opportunities for agrotourism
 * — home to the Carillon Canal Historic Site which boasts the highest lock in Quebec, and to the Carillon hydroelectric dam which can also be visited
 * — home to the Carillon Canal Historic Site which boasts the highest lock in Quebec, and to the Carillon hydroelectric dam which can also be visited

By plane
The main point of entry by air is Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (also known as Dorval), although you could also come in via Ottawa.

Mont-Tremblant's small airport also has some direct flights from the US, mostly in the winter season only.

By train

 * Via Rail provides service to Montreal's central station from Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax and other cities.

By car
The Laurentians are only an hour from Montreal on Autoroute 15 North.

See
The Parc Régional Bois de Belle-Rivière in Mirabel is a long network of trails winds across lawns,  through gardens, and through an arboretum-style forest. The Maison et Jardins Chénier-Sauvé in Saint-Eustache features local flowers, perennials, trees, shrubs and beautiful riverside scenery in a 20th-century eclectic garden created by Thérèse Romer, a well-known Quebec conservationist. The Cosmodome in Laval is a space museum with a life-sized space shuttle cockpit.

Do
Rent a cottage on one of the dozens of lakes in the region. Ski or golf or partake in the many winter and summer activities at the Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Blanc, Mont Gabriel or other resorts. Through the region, there are many walking trails that become cross-country ski trails in the winter. The Route verte cycling path passes through Sainte-Jerome.

Rent a mountain bike in the summer or snowboard in the winter at PRFO Sports www.prfo.com. They are located in St-Sauveur and have been in operation since 1989.

Eat
Oka cheese from the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac is a speciality of the region, and there are many products made from the region's apples available.

Drink

 * There is a mass-market beer named for the region, Molson's Laurentide, which is not available outside Québec.

Go next

 * Montreal and Laval
 * Ottawa-Gatineau

title: Laurentians


text:
Laurinburg

Laurinburg is a town in North Carolina. In many ways, Laurinburg is your typical rural North Carolina town, trying to find ways to evolve in the 21st century. There are some examples of historic Carolinan architecture here.

title: Laurinburg


text:
Lausanne

Lausanne, (pronounced [lozan]) the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, is a city of 140,000 people (2020) that sits at the northernmost point of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). It is the public transport hub of Vaud, and a gateway to the alpine Canton of the Valais, home to some of the best-known ski slopes in the world.

Understand
The city is the host to the International Olympic Committee and two major universities. As you might expect the large student population makes for a lively nightlife and arts community, revolving around the Flon district. You'll also find a number of quality restaurants and two dozen museums of note, including the Olympic Museum and the offbeat Collection de l'Art Brut. Architecture buffs will find the best preserved Gothic cathedral in Switzerland at the top of the town.

Despite being a very international city (42% of its population in 2013 were foreign nationals), Lausanne is a French-speaking city. English is not as commonly spoken as in Geneva and you will probably have trouble communicating with an average person on the street. Most service-sector employees speak a little English however, and the level of English amongst young Swiss tends to be high (amongst the older generation it is German that tends to be far stronger). A visitor will have little trouble getting around with just English.

History
There has been a settlement on the hill of Lausanne since at least the stone age, but most histories of the city trace its origin to the Roman camp Lausanna which occupied a position just down the hill toward the lake in what is now the village of Vidy.

Relocated to a more defensible hilltop in the Middle Ages, Lausanne's increasing wealth and importance were largely derived from its placement on the primary north-south routes between Italy and the north sea. It was the first major town north of the Saint Bernard pass, at least until the establishment of the bishopric of Valais.

In 1536 the Bernese took the city from the Dukes of Savoy as part of their drive to secure their southwestern frontier. The Bernese held the territory until Lausanne gained its independence from Berne after the invasion of a French army under Napoléon Bonaparte in 1798. The city was later, in 1803, admitted to Switzerland as the capital of Vaud.

Lavaux, the mini region of the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva from Lausanne to Montreux (sometimes called the Swiss Riviera) has been a second home to writers, artists and musicians for about 150 years starting with the Shelleys and Lord Byron, who partied and wrote in Lausanne (Frankenstein is rumoured to have been composed here). Other famous residents include Ernest Hemingway, who wintered here with his young family around the time related in A Movable Feast and Charlie Chaplin who lived in Vevey from the mid-1930s on.

Orientation
The districts of Lausanne which are of primary concern to a visitor are the Cité, the Ville Marché, and the port of Ouchy. In between you'll find the Flon which is mainly a nightclub and shopping district these days, and the otherwise sleepy Sous Gare district just under the train station which boasts some of the best cafés in town. If you feel up for a hike it's also probably worth while to spend a few hours climbing around in the woods of Sauvebelin which is above and north of the Hermitage. These districts can be described as follows:

 * Cité — this hill is the part of Lausanne's old town which goes back the furthest, and holds a lot of interest for travellers, being the site of the Cathedral, the Castle, MUDAC, several other museums, a children's theatre and a really good toy store.
 * Ville Marché — the medieval city of Lausanne grew up with outdoor markets arranged around several of the entrances to the old city, together with the old city these markets make up the balance of the Old Town, including Place de la Palud, Place St. François, and Place Riponne.
 * Flon — the original rail line into Lausanne once came up the Flon river into this valley, but there was no way to go through town, so it was supplanted in the 19th century with a line one ridge further south which could serve destinations in the Valais and Italy. Today the former warehouses of the Flon Valley are mostly occupied with trendy restaurants and discos.
 * Ouchy — once a fishing village, Ouchy was incorporated into the City of Lausanne in the mid-19th century to serve as a port on Lac Léman. The incredible views of the lake and the Alps, and the cooler air in summer make Ouchy a popular place in the summer months. There's a major cluster of hotels and restaurants around the port. The district is also where the Olympic Museum is located.
 * Sous Gare (literally "Under the Station") — in the 19th century Lausanne expanded to fill all of the land between the current location of the train station and the port of Ouchy. This is mostly a district of apartment buildings and houses, but it's worth a walk through, if only for the Café de Grancy and the park on the Crêt de Montriond.

By plane
The closest airport, Geneva airport is served by almost all European carriers, and by four daily trans-Atlantic flights, one from Washington-Dulles on Continental, one from New York, JFK on Swiss, one from Newark on Continental and one from Montreal on Air Canada; otherwise when flying from the US you will have to change planes at your airline's hub airport. Trains between Geneva Airport and the Lausanne CFF station take about 45 min and run at least twice each hour, except for the wee hours of the morning. A full fare from Geneva-Airport to Lausanne is Fr. 27. Zurich airport provides an alternative, with more frequent trans-Atlantic service mainly via Swiss.

By train
Lausanne is served by one of the most efficient passenger rail services in the world, the Swiss Federal Rail system. Trains run daily roughly each half-hour between 04:45 and 01:30 from Geneva, Zurich, Berne, Lucerne, Neuchatel, St. Gallen, Brig, Biel, and points in between. All trains from elsewhere in Switzerland to Geneva passes through Lausanne and there are also frequent local trains, so on average there's a train to or from Geneva each 15 minutes in the daytime. The fast direct IC trains take just over half an hour from Geneva while the local trains stopping at small stations can take up to almost an hour. There are four trains daily from Paris Gare de Lyon via the SNCF's TGV  high-speed train, and one direct train per day from Venice, and three from Milan. The Italian rail service also provides night trains from Rome and Venice.

By bus
International buses arrive daily from Spain, France, and major cities in Central Europe. Many buses pass through Geneva or Basel before stopping in Lausanne.

By boat
Boats ply the Swiss and French shores of Lake Geneva with several daily ferries from Evian, Montreux, Geneva and many smaller lake shore towns. See the boat company website for timetables and prices. Lunch and dinner cruises are also popular with tourists. Most of the ferries are meant as scenic trips and not the fastest way to get around. If travelling from Geneva to Lausanne, a boat trip is worth the time on a clear day.

On foot
Walking is a great way to get around Lausanne. There are a number of sites within a short walk of the main railway station with the largely car-free streets beginning right across the street with Rue du Petit-Chêne, which leads up to Place St. François in the old town. From there, more pedestrian streets lead to the Flon quarter with many bars, clubs and restaurants, to the shopping streets between Place St. François and Place de la Riponne, and to the old city near the cathedral. When planning your walk, consider that Lausanne is unusually steep for a city of its size, with many streets that can look deceptively easy on the map, and this may pose a challenge especially to those with reduced mobility. The Metro M2 line (see below) covers much of the steepest parts of the city and therefore is a good alternative to walking.

By metro
Lausanne is the smallest city in the world to have a metro system. There are two Metro lines provided by Transports publics de la région lausannoise which have their hub at the Flon Metro station. The new M2 is a fully automated subway system connecting Ouchy to the northern suburb of Epalinges via the central station, Flon, and multiple stops in the old town. M2 can be a little surprising to new arrivals, as both the route and even some stations are really steep: for instance at the Gare, the platform is tilted about 30 degrees, so do please hold on tight. The Bessieres station near the cathedral is situated at a steep section of one of the old town's hills and the elevator ride from the station up to the bridge (you can see the city below through the windows of the elevator) is not something you get to experience in most other subway systems. The M1 serves points west, including the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

There is also a local railway operated by the private LEB company, with trains connecting with the other two metro lines at Flon which run out to the far northern suburbs of Echallens and Bercher, but with increasing frequencies it has started to function as a third Metro line.

A free metro and bus pass valid for two weeks is provided to all Lausanne hotel guests.

Metro (and bus) tickets are sold from vending machines at all stops, and at the main train station and the Flon. Normal tickets are sold by distance, as determined by a zone system. You can determine the number of zones your ticket needs to cover by inspecting the diagram on the ticket machines, or on the free map available at all ticket-sales points. Tickets are available for single rides, return, and in day and week passes. Most ticket machines at Metro and bus stops do not issue change. The CFF Abonnement General rail passes are good for unlimited travel throughout the TL and LEB system.

If you have a CFF pass for non-Swiss travellers you should ask at the main station if your pass covers the local transit system, since some passes do and others don't.

As of Jul 2013 a "short ride" ticket costs (3 stops max, valid 30min) Fr. 1.90, a one-hour ticket, Fr. 3.50 and a day ticket Fr. 8.80. As in Geneva, there are ticket vending machines at the stations.

By bus
Clean and fast buses, also provided by TL, are very frequent and form a dense enough network that you will rarely find yourself more than a few hundred feet from one bus stop or the other. Some trolleybuses look like a train with two wagons where the actual bus is towing a "motorless" wagon.

By bike
Bicycles can be borrowed for Fr. 6/day with a Fr. 90 deposit at Lausanne Roule, who has one location in the city centre (just outside the Lausanne Flon Metro station—the address on their web site is wrong) and one in the west-side suburbs in Renens. They are adding additional locations, including one in Ouchy. It's possible to take a bike in one location and give it back at the other one. A third location also exists in Vevey, but one-way rentals cost Fr. 10. The bike ride from Lausanne to Vevey is beautiful. On your left are endless vineyards and to your right is Lake Geneva and the Alps. Get a booklet on this ride from Lausanne Roule for free.

Beware that the city is pretty steep, but the lakefront is very nice. There is a handy 1:10,000 'Carte Velo' printed in 2006 but still downloadable from the city website. This map helps those new to the city find the preferred bicycling routes in the area. Throughout the city is an excellent network of paths, marked bicycle lanes, and bypass tunnels that will help get you through the most busy intersections. The routes by the lake are simply beautiful but can get quite busy with strollers, roller bladers, and cyclists at peak times during the summer.

Do

 * Football: FC Lausanne Sport play soccer in Swiss Super League, the top tier. Their home ground is Stade de la Tuilière (capacity 12,500) 3 km north of city centre.
 * FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy were relegated in 2024 and play in the Challenge League, the second tier. Their home ground is La Pontaise (capacity 15,700) the Olympic stadium 2 km north of city centre.
 * Football: FC Lausanne Sport play soccer in Swiss Super League, the top tier. Their home ground is Stade de la Tuilière (capacity 12,500) 3 km north of city centre.
 * FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy were relegated in 2024 and play in the Challenge League, the second tier. Their home ground is La Pontaise (capacity 15,700) the Olympic stadium 2 km north of city centre.
 * Football: FC Lausanne Sport play soccer in Swiss Super League, the top tier. Their home ground is Stade de la Tuilière (capacity 12,500) 3 km north of city centre.
 * FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy were relegated in 2024 and play in the Challenge League, the second tier. Their home ground is La Pontaise (capacity 15,700) the Olympic stadium 2 km north of city centre.

Buy
The usual Swiss trinkets are available in a couple of places around town, although they are not nearly as ubiquitous as in Geneva or Berne. The real draw here is a colourful farmers market on Saturdays and Wednesdays in the steep, winding streets of Old Town. There are plenty of boutiques and department stores as well. Pretty much everything is closed on Sunday, except in Ouchy, part of which is on federal land.

Mixed in with the expected and the posh are a couple of things which might surprise you:

Budget
The usual tricks for budget travel dining work in Lausanne as well. There are three grocery stores inside the train station which are open every day until midnight (a bit expensive), Aldi is in the back of the station below track 9, and it represents a good alternative. There are plenty of great places to take your picnic: for instance, you might try the Crêt de Montriond. To get there go below the railways, take the stairs and go to the main avenue, then turn to the left. After the turn you should see a green hill around the size of a five-storey building directly in front of you. If you are closer to the port of Ouchy, there are two groceries open every day: "Migros" which is near the Mövenpick Hotel and another "Coop Pronto", which is just uphill from the Chateâu d'Ouchy.

If you have a valid student ID, many budget and even some mid-range restaurants offer a student menu for a reduced price.

Drink
The sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered into nightlife districts, like the Flon, Place du Tunnel, Place de la Gare, and Rue Marterey. This list tries to present one or two individual establishments from each of those clusters, plus a few which are a bit more off the beaten path.

The city's official website has surprisingly good music listings, so if you would like to see what's going on during your visit give it a try.

Bars

To perhaps a surprising degree for visitors from outside of Swiss Romande gay nightlife is very well integrated into nightlife at large. Most Lausanne nightspots are definitely gay-friendly, and many have a mixed straight-gay bar staff. There are a couple of places though which either advertise themselves as gay, or just have a majority gay crowd rather than just being gay-friendly. If that's what you are looking for there are a number of such bars along the avenue de Tivoli.

Sleep
Most of the hotels in Lausanne are in the mid-price range, though there are also a number of luxury hotels as you would expect in the city which hosts the International Olympic Committee. There are also a few cheapies.

Stay safe
Lausanne by day is quite safe for a city of its size. By night, however, it does take on a bit of an edge. Due to the number of clubbers and migrants in the city there are a few bad apples amongst them.

Begging is becoming a problem in the old town. New organized groups have started to appear, as well as the occasional lone begging child. The most affected areas are Lausanne-Flon and Saint-François during daytime. Common sense in most cases: if the beggar is offensive or impolite, it's organized begging. Legitimate beggars are generally passive and silent. Do not encourage organized begging and immediately report cases of begging children to the nearest policeman or security guard.

Places to avoid at night are Rue de Genève (a prostitution centre in the area) and the park by the Tribunal d'Arrondissement. La Borde and the forest of Sauvabelin also have a bad reputation at night. Brawls related to the high concentration of clubbers and drunk people on week-end nights, which used to rank Lausanne #1 for criminality in Swiss cities in the past, seem to have diminished these last years.

There are also several areas such as the train station and Chauderon where you may find yourself hassled by drug dealers. However their business is not usually mugging and these areas tend to be very busy and under police observation.

Place de la Riponne can be a fairly scary area as it is the city-assigned congregation area for drug addicts. However it tends to have constant foot traffic and regular police patrols. Locals vastly overstate how dangerous it actually is due to its previously far worse state.

Lone women should be particularly aware when walking about after dark, though attacks are rare.

Additionally be aware on the train between Lausanne and Geneva airport; it is a well known target for bag snatchers.

Stay healthy
Dial 144 for emergency telephone assistance (in French).

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Lausanne has 4G from Salt and 5G from Sunrise and Swisscom. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next
One of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon anywhere is to take a boat from the port of Ouchy on the Lakefront of Lausanne to either Vevey or Montreux. The Steamboats of the CGN offer you an amazing view of one of the most gorgeous corners of our planet. On the left side of the boat you can take in the beautiful vineyards of Lavaux, and on the right side the Masif of Chablais, and the Franco-Swiss alpine giants, the Dents du Midi.

Here's a partial list of selected daytrips, in order of distance:

 * Lavaux - Terraced vineyards and one of the prettiest landscapes anywhere stretching between Lausanne and Vevey.
 * Vevey - A lovely city in a cove, and the corporate home to the Nestlé chocolate and food empire.
 * Montreux - The jewel of the Swiss Riviera
 * Evian - The French bottled water capital. 35 minutes by boat.
 * Geneva - The international capital by default, 33 minutes by rail
 * Leysin - A laid back ski resort in the Vaud alps above Montreux, about 45 minutes by train.
 * Neuchâtel - The picturesque city on Lake Neuchâtel, about 45 minutes by train.
 * Verbier - A popular ski resort in western Valais, about an hour by train.
 * Berne - The Swiss capital, 70 minutes by rail.

title: Lausanne


text:
Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen is a village in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, with a population of 2290 in 2018. It lies in a dramatic sheer-sided U-shaped valley, with scores of waterfalls - its name means "clear springs" but is often rendered as "loud springs" for their roar in spate. At an elevation of 800 m it's accessible from the lowlands, linked from Interlaken by road in 1834 and by rail in 1890, boosting the tourist trade. Tolkien was 19 when he hiked through in 1911, later to render its landscape as Rivendell. But as the railways wound higher up the mountain, ski tourism followed, leaving Lauterbrunnen as just the place you change trains. It's still a hiking destination in summer, and a budget alternative to the higher resorts.

The Tourist Office is opposite the railway station. It's open W-Su 08:30-12:00, 13:15-17:00.

Get in
For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern.

Change at Interlaken Ost for the BOB train - the Berner Oberland-Bahn. Don't get off at Interlaken West, which is town centre.

You need to be in the front portion of the BOB train. This runs every 30 min and takes 20 min via Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen (where the rear portion divides for Grindelwald) to Lauterbrunnen. The last train up is at 23:00. From here there's a cablecar to Grütschalp (for Mürren), the WAB mountain railway to Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch, and a Postbus to Stechelberg for the cable-car to Gimmelwald, Mürren, Birg and the Schilthorn. Eurail passes get you a 25% discount on the BOB and WAB trains but are not in themselves valid for travel beyond Interlaken. A Swiss Travel Pass is valid to Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and Mürren and gets you 50% discount on the WAB trains.

is north end of the village.

You can get here by road but parking is often congested with visitors to the mountain villages where cars aren't permitted. The multi-storey parking lot by Lauterbrunnen railway station has a minimum of 5 days in winter (Fr. 66) and 3 days in summer. There's a short-stay at Kirchenparkplatz 500 m south near Staubbach waterfall, and another 3 km south for Trümmelbach falls. The car park at Stechelberg cable-car station is Fr. 8 for 12 hours and Fr. 12 for 24.

Get around
Lauterbrunnen straggles along Fuhren its main street. You can walk from the station to Staubbach Falls, and by a longer hike to Trümmelbach.

KuBus 141 runs every 30 min from Lauterbrunnen station to Trümmelbach and Stechelberg (15 min), for the Schilthorn cable-car. The last bus is around midnight, connecting with the last cable-car to Mürren.

Bus 142 runs from Lauterbrunnen to Isenfluh on the northwest slopes, where you take a cable car to Sulwald (adult Fr. 6.40). There are hiking trails, no ski pistes but a toboggan run back to Isenfluh.

Imboden Bike Rental is on main street 100 m south of the railway station, open daily 09:00-18:00.

See

 * Village centre is lined with chalet-style buildings but is a broad busy thoroughfare, artfully concealed in the tourist brochures. It doesn't have the rustic ambiance of traditional Alpine villages - these perch atop the cliffs lining both sides of the valley.
 * come into view 500 m south of the station. There are multiple view points at its foot, accessible free 24 hours. The stream falls 297 m sheer from a hanging valley, dispersing into spray as the winds buffet it. It's at its best during early summer snow-melt or after heavy rain, and can fade to a dribble by September. In summer you can also hike up to enter a tunnel, which emerges onto a ledge behind the falls.

Do
Skiing: a cross-country or langlauf trail follows the hiking route to Stechelberg, see below. The valley floor has no Alpine downhill skiing, you have to ride up to Mürren or Wengen, which is why accommodation down here is much cheaper.

Hiking: there are many hikes in the mountains above, but several trails start from the valley floor.

Wengwald and Wengen are reached by a trail west from town centre. You can ride back from either on the WAB train.

To Trümmelbach Falls, follow the ratty main road until it swings left at Hotel Horner, then take the side lane by Staubbach Falls. Stay on this quieter side until the trail branches east at Buchen, crossing a footbridge to the main road and Falls entrance.

Stechelberg is reached by continuing south on the lane at Buchen instead of branching for Trümmelbach. Falls cascade on either side as the valley walls close in: very scenic, and you may have it to yourself as it's not on the tourist circuit.

Tanzbödeli, meaning the dance-floor, is a glacial cirque, a little plateau overlooking the south end of the valley. Ascend either along the shoulder of the mountain from Stechelberg or by the steep route from Gimmelwald, 6 km each way.

For Oberhornsee you start on the same trail from Stechelberg but tend to the left / east side of the valley, ascending to a scenic small lake, 8.3 km.

Skydive Switzerland operate from the heliport 1 km south of town, year-round weather permitting. They offer training, jumps for the experienced, and "tandems" (Fr. 450) suitable for tourists. Their helicopters ascend to 4000 m / 13,000 ft, which gives you a 45 sec freefall descent then a five-minute canopy ride.

Buy
The Co-op by the station is open M-F 08:00-18:30, Sa 08:00-17:00.

Eat
Along main street are Stefan von Allmen Bakery, Base Cafe, Food Point Kebab, Oberland within the hotel, Flavours Cafe, Airtime Cafe, and Schützen within that hotel.

Drink

 * Hotel Horner hosts the village pub, south end of Fuhren by the lane to the falls. It's open daily and serves food 09:00-00:00.

Sleep

 * Fuhren is main street, with Steinbock by the station, then Silberhorn.
 * Hotel Crystal next door is nowadays an annexe of the Oberland.
 * Towards the falls are Hotelschützen, Staubbach and Horner.
 * Hotel Crystal next door is nowadays an annexe of the Oberland.
 * Towards the falls are Hotelschützen, Staubbach and Horner.

Connect
As of Feb 2022, the town has 4G from all Swiss carriers, extending the length of the valley from Interlaken to Gimmelwald. 5G is creeping its way up the valley but has not yet reached Lauterbrunnen.

Go next

 * Ride the cable-car up the west cliffs to Gimmelwald for hiking and Mürren for skiing, and the summit of the Schilthorn.
 * The WAB train ascends the east slopes to Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg, and all the way up to Jungfraujoch.
 * Grindelwald is in the other branch of the valley, with skiing, hiking and the Grosse Scheidegg pass.
 * Interlaken is where you return to the lowlands, for all onward destinations.

title: Lauterbrunnen


text:
Lautoka

Lautoka is in northwestern part of Fiji. Fiji's second largest city by population, Lautoka is in the middle of the country's sugarcane belt and is known as the Sugar City. It has been not as reliant on tourism as other areas of the islands, but it has a botanical garden of tropical plants.

Understand
Port of Lautoka is the main maritime gateway for western Viti Levu and is the second largest port in Fiji. The port is mainly used for bulk sugar, molasses, woodchips, petroleum and gas. The port is also used for cruises. In 2017, it was home to 72,000 people.

Get in
Hop on an express bus, taxi or rental car from Nadi town or Nadi Airport. Whichever mode of transport you use, it should take around 30 minutes from the airport and 45 minutes from Nadi town. Buses arrive at the.

Get around
Lautoka has a robust public bus transport network operated by private companies and the service is run on scheduled timetables from the central bus station.

There is also taxi and carrier service available which is useful for those in a hurry. Although costs are based on stages travelled and set by the government fares should be agreed to before travel to avoid later disputes.

See
The Hare Krishna temple is a friendly place. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, then pop in and they may invite you to stay for lunch.

Go next

 * The fast catamaran "Nanuya Belle" connects to Navutu Stars resort on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing from Lautoka at 9AM and arriving at the resort at 11:20AM. On the return, "Nanuya Belle" departs the resort at 12:30PM and arrives back at Lautoka at 3:15PM.
 * Continue your journey up the north coast of the island and head to the towns of Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki.
 * Or, go south to tourist launchpad Nadi and Denarau Island.

title: Lautoka


text:
Lava

Lava is a hamlet in the Darjeeling Hills of West Bengal.

Get in
At an altitude of, Lava is from Siliguri and about  from Kalimpong.

Sleep

 * Hotel Paradise
 * Hotel Unique Inn
 * Nihar Bindu Lodge

Go next

 * Kalimpong - 35km
 * Rishop - 11km (walking: 4km)

title: Lava


text:
Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument is a United States national monument in the Shasta Cascades region of California.

History
The Medicine Lake volcano has erupted intermittently for approximately half a million years. The most recent flows of pumice and obsidian at Glass Mountain (south of Lava Beds in the Modoc National Forest) occurred less than 900 years ago. Since there have been no eruptions within historical times, and there are no signs that the volcano is getting ready to erupt soon, geologists consider Medicine Lake dormant.

Landscape
The park displays the hardened results of over thirty separate lava flows exposed at Lava Beds. Rocks visible within the monument range from 2,000,000-year-old volcanic tuff at Gillem Bluff in the northwest corner to approximately 1,100-year-old basalt at the Callahan Flow in the southwest corner. Multiple eruptions of liquid basalt that flowed from Mammoth and Modoc Craters (on the Monument's southern boundary) between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago formed most of the lava tube caves here. This flow covers about 70 percent of the Monument. A different flow in the southeast corner of the park that emerged around 11,000 years ago was lower in viscosity and created smoother textured caves, including Valentine Cave. Cinder cones, spatter cones, and other surface lava flows also appeared periodically between every few hundred and every few tens of thousands of years.

The park's lave tube caves were formed as fluid lava at up to 2000°F (1093°C) flowed down gentle slopes, cooling and solidifying upon contact with the ground and air. Lava touching the ground solidified first, followed by the sides and then the top of the flow. This hard shell of cooled lava insulated the liquid rock inside, allowing it to flow long distances before it cooled and came to a stop. The lava continues to flow until it either drains out or seals the end of the tube. In the millennia since, weather and gravity have punched holes in the ceilings of these extensive tube systems every few hundred feet, leaving behind almost 700 individual caves. These caves now provide not only outstanding opportunities for exploration, but habitat for a host of species ranging from threatened bats and bacteria, to tree frogs and sword ferns that cannot survive in the dry surface environment. The perennial ice formations found in some caves also give scientists an opportunity to study the effects of climate change.

The rounded mounds of many cinder cones dot the Lava Beds landscape. A cinder cone forms when high pressure and dissolved gases in magma cause an eruption that blows a fountain of lava into the air. The cooling lava then falls as cinders around the vent. Many cinder cones also ooze liquid lava from their bases if the eruption's underground magma source changes character, such as the Schonchin Lava Flow emanating from Schonchin Butte. This is the only cinder cone with a trail to the top; please help preserve others by not climbing on them.

Spatter cones are formed by thick blobs of lava resembling lumpy oatmeal that are thrown out of a vent. Thicker than cinders and thrown less high into the air, they form a cone where they land. Black Crater is an example of an impressive spatter cone. A hollow chimney may also form where the lava emerged — those found at Fleener Chimneys are 150 ft (46 m) deep.

Other formations in the park include craters such as Mammoth Crater, which once contained a massive lake of lava that overflowed rather than erupted, and left behind an enormous empty crater. The highly fluid, basaltic lava was transported many miles to the northern part of the Monument, creating networks of lava tube caves all along the way. Gillem Bluff is an example of a fault scarp, a place where large blocks of crust move relative to each other, sometimes during violent earthquakes. Many long cliffs or ridges in this area are found along faults. Gillem Bluff has moved up relative to the basin below, exposing layers of ancient basalt believed to be two million years old.

Flora and fauna
Lava Beds National Monument has over 50 species of mammals, fourteen of which are bats. The most frequently seen are coyotes, ground squirrels, jack rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and groups of mule deer. Kangaroo rats are commonly seen on summer evenings as they run across the roads.

The park spans three very different habitats and is adjacent to the wetlands of Tulelake Wildlife Refuge, and as a result a good variety of birds can be found here. The southern most area of the park is the highest, receives the most precipitation, and supports a ponderosa pine forest. Farther downhill to the north, the middle elevations are a juniper and shrub woodland. Extending to the northern boundary are lower grasslands and sagebrush. These three areas provide habitat to some birds that specialize in living in them, and some birds at are generalists, able to live in some or all of these habitats. A selected few are listed below according to where they are most often found.

The park is also home to 14 species of reptiles and amphibians. Eight of these are snakes, including the Western rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes may be seen on the surface or under a rock outcrop. They may be found near a cave entrance but seldom go inside. Rocky mountain rubber boas are small, gentle, non-venomous snakes that live inside caves. Rattlesnakes are venomous, but no one has reported being bitten by one at Lava Beds since the area became a monument in 1925.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Get in
By car is the only way, basically. The nearest major town is Klamath Falls, so you could fly or train and rent a car from there. Unfortunately, there's no public transportation into the park. The more adventurous can bicycle or hike into the park and save half off the entrance fee!

The main entrance is from the north end of the park, either from Hill Road or from Newell on the main park road. There is also a southern entrance starting from 139 at Perez then passing Tionesta, but the road is rough and might be closed due to snow in the winter.

Another way to the park is from Highway 89 near McCloud up past the scenic Medicine Lake. Turn north off 89 at Bartle and follow the easy-to-miss signs. A good map or GPS is quite useful. If you pass Jot Dean Ice Cave, you're on the right track. This route will close due to snow in the winter. The last stretch of road to the park is about 15 km of graded dirt. Make an easy stop at Mammoth Crater on the way in.

Hikers entering the park from the Newell/Tulelake area can cut diagonally though to the campground and Visitor Center on Lyons Trail (a non-trivial desert hike with no water--be prepared.)

Fees and permits
Entrances fees are valid for seven days, allowing unlimited re-entry for the week. Fees as of 2020 are:
 * $25 - Entrance Fee
 * $45 - Lava Beds & Crater Lake Annual Pass

Least-challenging caves
These caves have relatively high ceilings and smooth floors or trails. A good choice for groups with young children, or anyone who wants a less strenuous experience.

Moderately-challenging caves
These caves may involve some stooping through low sections, and/or have areas of rough floor to negotiate. Additional protective gear is recommended for the more difficult spots.

Most-challenging caves
These caves have some portions that require duck-walking or crawling. Helmets, kneepads, and gloves are a must in these areas to protect yourself from sharp lava. Other sections may be easier. These caves are also more complicated in some places— purchase maps in the Visitor Center to find your way if you intend to explore them completely.

Hiking

Buy
The visitor center has some minimal supplies, including some snack food, lip balm, batteries, flashlights, and ice. Of course, they also have plenty of tourist items, and will sell you postcard stamps. For caving, they will sell you bumpcaps (highly recommended, as even a brush with the ceiling can leave you bloody) and will let you borrow flashlights for free. They also have books with maps of the caves and other information.

Straight north of the park where Hill Rd meets Highway 161 at Ainsworth Corner, there is a small general store with food and supplies.

In Newell, northeast of the park, there is a small general store with groceries, video games, and expensive gas.

The town of Tulelake is northwest of Newell a short distance, and has a grocery store.

South of the park, Tionesta has a small store and will sell a limited amount of expensive gas.

North in Oregon, the town of Merrill has plenty of gas and stores. (It's Oregon, so don't try to pump your own gas!)

Eat
The Visitor Center only has a small selection of snack food, so there's no real way to get food in the park.

The neighboring towns of Newell, Stronghold, Tulelake, Tionesta, and Merrill have restaurants or general stores, and Tulelake has a supermarket.

Lodging
There is no lodging within the park. The nearest lodging can be found in the towns of Tulelake (12 miles from the park), Klamath Falls (56 miles north) or Alturas (63 miles southeast).

Camping
If Indian Well campground is full or you're visiting on the cheap, you can camp for free in Modoc National Forest just south of the park. (Campfires will require a permit, if they are allowed at all; check with the Forest Service.) Look for places to camp off Tichnor Rd ("Tickner", "Ticknor") which runs east/west about 1-2 km south of the park. The road can be rough, but a passenger car can drive it in the summer--watch for mud and snow in other seasons.

Backcountry
Two wilderness areas are present at Lava Beds: Schonchin and Callahan. You can access Schonchin via Three Sisters Trail and Lyons Trail, and Callahan by Whitney Butte Trail. Overnight camping is allowed, but must be 400 m from any trail. No fires are permitted; gas stoves are allowed. No surface water exists in the park, so all water must be packed in.

There are few or no bears in the park, but there are mountain lions. Rattlesnakes are common, but they just want to be left alone.

Stay safe
Mountain lions have been spotted; beware walking alone near dusk especially if you're of small stature.

Bears are not a problem near the campground and are rarely sighted, if ever.

Deer can be pesky, so keep your food deer-proof.

Ground squirrels can sometimes be present en masse; they'll chew into your tent to get your food if you put it in there.

Rattlesnakes like to rest near cave entrances. Don't put your hands and feet where you can't see!

Bubonic plague is present in the park; it is a once-quite-common disease that spreads through the bite of fleas which have fed on infected rodents. Don't sleep near rodent holes, and steer clear of rodent nests which are commonly found in caves.

Hantavirus has also been detected in the park.

title: Lava Beds National Monument


text:
Laval

The city of Laval, conglomerated from 14 smaller municipalities in 2000, covers the island Île Jésus and some smaller islands to the northwest of Montreal. Largely rural, the city's main population centre is on the Autoroute 15 corridor and its southeast coast, which faces Montreal across the Rivière des Prairies.

Understand
Although a separately-administered city and a separate tourist region from Montreal, Laval is a suburb of the city of Montreal. Much of Laval consists of bedroom communities, shopping malls and big-box stores that need cheaper land than is available in downtown Montreal, making it car-friendly and of limited interest for tourists. There are hotels in Laval which are considerably cheaper than downtown Montreal, although if staying at one of these hotels, a car would be very useful.

History
Laval was named after the first owner of Île Jésus, François de Montmorency-Laval, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Quebec.

The first European settlers in Laval were Jesuits who were granted a seigneury there in 1636. Agriculture began in Laval in 1670.

The only built-up area on the island, Sainte-Rose, was incorporated as a village in 1850, and remained as the main community for the remainder of the century. With the dawn of the 20th century came urbanization. Laval-des-Rapides became Laval's first city in 1912. Laval began to grow throughout the following years because its proximity to Montreal made it an ideal suburb.

The Quebec government amalgamated the whole island into a single city of Laval in 1965. At the time, Laval had a population of 170,000.

By car
Highways serving Laval:

 * Autoroute 13 takes you to the western part of Laval, including the Chomedey area from western areas of Montreal. This is the closest option from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
 * Autoroute 15 (Autoroute des Laurentides), a freeway that reaches Laval heading southeast from Saint-Jérôme and northwest from Montreal.
 * Autoroute 25 takes you from the east end of Montreal into the eastern part of Laval via a toll bridge.
 * Route 117 is part of a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, that starts from its interchange with Autoroute 40 (Trans-Canada Highway's main route) in Montreal, which becomes Highway 66 in Ontario. Highway 66 ends as part of the Trans-Canada Highway about 14 km west of Kirkland Lake, where Highway 66 intersects with Highway 11, which is another branch of the Trans-Canada Highway.  At Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, travelers heading to Laval can transfer on to Autoroute 15 for faster travel.  From Mont-Tremblant or anywhere else in the Laurentian mountains northwest Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, take Route 117.
 * Autoroute 440, a freeway terminating in Laval that reaches Laval heading southwest. Travelers from Quebec City can reach Laval by following Autoroute 40, then Autoroute 640, then Autoroute 440.

From Montreal, you can also take a bridge to Laval via boulevard Curé-Labelle or avenue Papineau. The bridges to Laval can have very heavy traffic during evening rush hour.

By subway
Laval is connected to Montreal by the orange line of the metro at 3 stations: Cartier, de la Concorde and Montmorency. Parking is available, but be sure to arrive early in the morning on weekdays.

By train
Train service from Montreal is provided by the Agence Metropolitain de Transport (AMT), which operates two lines to Laval (one to the centre of the Laval, the other to the western tip.)

By car
The city is (more or less) laid out in a grid. Autoroute 440 splits Laval roughly in two, north and south sides. Autoroute 15 splits Laval roughly in two, east and west sides. An address with the suffix "O" or "W" (ouest or west) is west of Autoroute 15; the suffix "E" means east of Autoroute 15. If you are going north, address numbers increase; if you are going east or west, address numbers increase as you get farther from Autoroute 15.

The major north-south highways in Laval are Autoroute 13, Autoroute 15 (also known as the Laurentian Autoroute/Autoroute des Laurentides), Autoroute 19 and Autoroute 25. Other large north-south streets are Boulevard Cure-Labelle, Boulevard Chomedey, Boulevard des Laurentides, Boulevard le Corbusier, Boulevard Industriel. The major east-west thoroughfares are Boulevard de la Concorde/Boulevard Notre-Dame, Boulevard Levesque/Boulevard Cartier/Boulevard Samson, Boulevard Ste-Rose/Avenue Perron, Boulevard de Terrasses/Boulevard des Milles-Iles, Boulevard Saint-Martin, Autoroute 440, and Boulevard Dagenais/Boulevard Bellerose. (The "east-west" and "north-south" designations for these routes are not perfectly aligned with cardinal directions.)

By bus
The Societe de transport de Laval provides extensive service on the island of Laval and connects it with the Montreal metro system at Henri-Bourassa metro station.

By taxi The Taxi Chomedey provides cab services in the Laval island and connects it to Montreal.

See

Buy
Laval has many suburban shopping malls, such as Carrefour Laval (the largest), Centre Laval, and Centropolis. Prices are a little cheaper than downtown Montreal, although the cost of gas to travel there tends to negate the price advantage.

Eat
Laval boasts one of the highest concentrations of ethnic Greek populations in the country. As a result, there are plenty of good Greek food options, especially in southern neighbourhoods such as Îles-Laval and Chomedy. Recent waves of Middle Eastern and African immigrants have also contributed to the culinary diversity offered by the city, though it is still often overlooked in favour of the food scene in Montreal.

title: Laval


text:
LaVale

LaVale is a city in Allegany County, Maryland.

Understand
This town serves the commercial needs for several counties in three states (Maryland, West Virginia, & Pennsylvania). It's the only Walmart between Hagerstown and Morgantown, as well as the "only" for many other stores for a good distance.

Get in

 * highways: US Route 40 or Interstate 68
 * Bus/shuttle connections at the Country Club Mall east to/from Frostburg and west to/from Cumberland.

Get around
Car is pretty much only practical option.

Buy
A good number of stores, including Lowe's, Staples, Martin's, Gabriel Brothers, etc., as well as a couple shopping centers and the Country Club Mall, which has a super Walmart.

Eat
Plenty of fast-food choices, as well as several family restaurants. There is also a food court in the Country Club Mall and a 24/7 McDonald's inside the Walmart at the mall.

title: LaVale


text:
Lavaux

Lavaux is internationally famous as a terraced wine-growing region on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in western Switzerland. It covers the territory roughly from Lausanne to Montreux, extending to an altitude of roughly 500 meters above lake level and including 6 lake shore villages and the city of Vevey.

Understand
Part of the Lavaux (bas-Lavaux) has been recognised since 2007 as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The territories of two additional communes Savigny and Forel, also belong to the Lavaux, but lie entirely outside the UNESCO world heritage site. With only distant glimpses of the lake, at 700–900 meters altitude, along with the upper reaches of the commune of Puidoux, these outlying parts of the Lavaux lie too high above the Léman for commercial wine-growing, but nevertheless benefit from stunning views of the entire mountain range from the Moléson of the Fribourgeois Préalps to the Dent D'Oche of the Chablais Français. In winter the haut-Lavaux is often sufficiently snow-covered that it is not unusual to encounter off-piste cross-country skiers on the rolling farmland and abundant forest trails. In Autumn, Savigny and Forel may bask in sunny blue skies on the days when Lausanne and the bas-Lavaux remain shrouded in mist. Highly accurate local weather predictions for the region can be had from the web site of the local weather station, MeteoLavaux.

By train
From Lausanne or Vevey many Lavaux villages are reachable by train within a few minutes : Lutry, Vilette, Cully, Epesses, Rivaz and St-Saphorin with the S1, S2 and S3 trains. Chexbres is reachable from Vevey with the S31 train. Lausanne has good connections to other major cities of Switzerland, including Geneva, Bern, and Zurich. Most trains run roughly between around 5am and midnight everyday of the week, though the number of trains is somewhat more limited on Sundays and holidays. For details check the website of the Swiss Federal Railway.

By boat
One of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon anywhere is to take a boat from the port of Ouchy on the Lakefront of Lausanne or from Vevey or Montreux. Enjoy the terraces which produced it roll by at a leisurely steam-powered pace. It's possible (although a much longer ride) to take the same steamboat all the way from Geneva or Evian. The steamboat ports in the Lavaux include Lutry, Cully, Rivaz, and Vevey.

By train
The regional trains stop at many of the villages along the way and can be used to get around. However, the Lausanne-Montreux line runs close to the bottom of the Lavaux, near the big lake, so you are guaranteed to see almost nothing on the train ride (except gorgeous views of LacLéman and the Savoie Alps between Lutry and Vevey), and the train stations are often in the suburban commerce centers of the larger municipalities, away from the vineyards themselves. There is also a Train-des-Vignes that runs from Vevey to Puidoux which can be quite scenic if you aren't fit enough to hike or walk around the Lavaux. There is also a funicular from Vevey to Mont-Pelerin station (where you can walk in perhaps 1.5 hours to the Mont-Pelerin summit at 1080 m which has a viewing tower), a train from Vevey to Les Pleiades (1360 m), and several others. Although not exactly the Lavaux, the cogwheel train from Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye (2042 m) is great because of excellent views on a clear day (although slightly expensive).

By bus
Regular buses (No. 65 service) run 7 days a week from the Lausanne Metro stop "La Sallaz" to the Lavaux's high altitude communes of Savigny and Forel. These two villages make ideal starting points for countryside walks, or family cycle trips on quiet lanes. (cycle transport is permitted on the buses, and for the adventurous but lazy, electric cycles can be rented in Forel).

On foot
A fit traveler should be able to reach the village of Cully, in the center of the Lavaux from the port of Ouchy in Lausanne in about two hours. If you're feeling more ambitious consider the popular walking tour of Lavaux vineyards. The whole walk from Chateau d'Ouchy (Lausanne) to Chateau de Chillion (Montreux) takes about 9 hours, not counting stops for wine-tasting and picnics. This should make for a relaxing 3-day itinerary if you book hotels at villages along the way. The Montreux-Vevey tourism board offers an excellent brochure with a detailed map of the entire bas-lavaux region called "A la découverte des terraces de Lavaux". It can be obtained upon arrival in Lausanne at the tourist office immediately outside the train station.

For no apparently good reason, it is much harder to find official guides detailing the footpaths and bike trails of Savigny and Forel, but the region is packed with gems for the discerning explorer, and is liberally peppered with charming, inexpensive places to stay. At least one web-site  provides an excellent source of attractive bed and breakfast accommodations throughout the entire Lavaux (haut et bas), which are not to be found through the Montreux-Vevey tourist board's site.

On bicycle
Cyclists with strong legs and a decent bicycle may find the Lavaux to be a great place to cycle some hills, and the entire Lausanne-Montreux stretch is easily doable in anywhere from under 2 hours (if you take the uninteresting path the waterfront level) or in a full day (if you take the scenic and paved Route de la Corniche along the vineyards and make plenty of photo stops along the way). Be prepared to walk your bicycle on some roads that are too steep, test your brakes very well, and watch out for extremely steep sections of roads around the corner when descending along vineyard routes. Cycles could be rented in Lausanne for those without one in Switzerland. Get the brochure described above if you don't have a cycling map. For the more adventurous, why not also discover the Lavaux's hinterlands by pedalpower. An abundance of quiet well signed cyclable routes cover the unspoiled countryside between the Mont Pelerin (above Chardonne) and the communes of Puidoux, Forel and Savigny, from where you can freewheel all the way back down to the lakeshore at Lutry (if your bike has reliable breaks).

If you are athletic, cycling is probably the best way to daytrip the bas-Lavaux because you will always be going right alongside the vineyards and villages rather than at the train stations below, and unlike driving, you can stop anywhere at ease to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Start in Lausanne's waterfront at Ouchy, and simply hug the coast until you get to Lutry's old town; turn left, go uphill, and look for the Chateau de Bertholod sitting amongst vineyards. From there, simply follow a map, signs, or your desires eastward; it's hard to not reach Montreux because you will always have the giant lake in view to guide you. The Route de la Petite Corniche which later becomes the Route de la Corniche are particularly scenic. You can even stop in Chexbres for a budget lunch at the Coop, and then continue onwards. When you reach Montreux, catch an S train back to Lausanne with a bicycle ticket, or cycle back via the flat and fast roads at waterfront level.

By car
The Route de la Corniche, between Lutry and Vevey makes for a nice drive, and there are a couple of parking spots on the way should you feel the urge to snap a picture. You will, however, miss the best views and the peacefulness of the place if you stay in your car for too long.

One of the great joys of spending your leisure time in a place like the Lavaux can be exploring on foot. There are dozens of footpaths and stairways linking the vineyards with the major villages and the cities of Lausanne and Vevey. For the fit, a trip up through the vineyards to the Tour de Gourze in the commune of Riez will reward you with fantastic views of the entire length of the Lac Léman as well as the possibility of a tempting fondue on an atmospheric terrace known only to the locals. The Tour can be reached by car, but beware, the road is narrow and steep.

 * Le Petit Train de Lavaux +41 21 791 62 62. If you get tired of walking there is a "Petit train" which leaves regularly from the villages of Lutry and Cully and which stops at many of the major vineyards and wine cellars. It is actually a tractor dressed up as a train, which pulls two covered carriages around the footpaths among the vineyards. The price is Fr. 10 per adult, or Fr. 5 for children (who love it). Groups can charter the Petit Train outside of the normal schedule for a starting price of Fr. 200, which is a good deal if you have a group of 34 (the maximum capacity of the train).

Budget

 * Coop and Migros supermarkets, which you will find easily in the larger towns including Lausanne, Chexbres, Vevey, Montreux and Savigny. Pack a lunch from there and plenty of water before you go on a long walk. The tiny villages in the vineyards usually do not have grocery stores. Lutry and Cully have grocery stores, which are even open on Sunday morning. But your best bet is to check out the villages' glorious open-air markets, which offer local produce, meats, and dairy products, all of outstanding quality and authenticity. The days/hours when the markets operate in each village can be found by consulting the list of Swiss municipalities for Canton Vaud.

Budget

 * Camping de Moratel, Cully
 * Camping du Portillon, Lutry
 * Camping des Cases, Forel (Lavaux)

Mid-range
This site provides details of a good selection of attractive, affordable B&Bs throughout the Lavaux region.

Go next

 * Lausanne to the northwest along the lakeshore
 * Vevey to the southeast along the lakeshore

title: Lavaux


text:
Lavenham

Lavenham, is a village in the south-west corner of Suffolk. It is one of the finest examples of a medieval wool town. Most of the houses were built between 1450 and 1500 and are in a remarkable state of preservation. Walking through Lavenham is like walking through a movie set: the half-timbered houses and pastel coloured cottages lean against one another in street after street.

Understand
Several of the buildings, including the Guildhall, are open to the public and contain displays of life in a mediaeval English wool town.

Lavenham was the 14th wealthiest settlement in England in 1524, with 33 cloth making businesses and was richer than Lincoln and York, when the church was being rebuilt (1486-1515) and the Guildhall of Corpus Christi completed (1529). Lavenham's position as a manufacturing town of national importance is hard to imagine when you see the quiet, rural charm of the village today.
 * Disover Lavenham website

By car
From London, follow M11 exit 8 A120 to Braintree, A131 to Halstead and Sudbury, then B1115 to Lavenham. From North, Take A134 from Bury St Edmunds then A1141 to Lavenham.

By train
The village no longer has a railway station (the station being closed for passengers in 1961). The nearest train station is

By bus
Chambers Buses 753 run hourly from Colchester train station or Bury St Edmunds Bus Station - Mondays to Saturdays.

By bicycle
The village in on National Cycle Route 13 (London to Fakenham) running through Bury St Edmunds to the N (where it connects to National Cycle Route 51 and to Colchester to the S where it connects with National Cycle Route 1.

Get around
The village is small enough to see on foot.

See
Most of the village can be seen in a 10- to 15-minute walk, but visiting the Guild Hall needs longer.

Drink

 * Giffords Hall is a vineyard at Hartest, 5 miles west of Lavenham; tours available.
 * Giffords Hall is a vineyard at Hartest, 5 miles west of Lavenham; tours available.
 * Giffords Hall is a vineyard at Hartest, 5 miles west of Lavenham; tours available.
 * Giffords Hall is a vineyard at Hartest, 5 miles west of Lavenham; tours available.

Sleep

 * The centre of the village has several high end self-catering houses for rental, normally for several day or longer stays.
 * Great House Hotel is open Feb-Dec, see Eat. Assistance dogs only.

Connect
As of Sep 2022, Lavenham has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, with a patchy signal along its approach roads; nothing from Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Long Melford
 * Sudbury
 * Hadleigh
 * Bury St Edmunds
 * Ipswich
 * Stowmarket
 * Colchester
 * Braintree

title: Lavenham


text:
La Verne

La Verne is a city in San Gabriel Valley.

title: La Verne


text:
Lavrio

Lavrio (or Lavrion, or Laurium) is a town in the southeastern part of Attica, Greece, 54 km southeast of central Athens and part of Athens metropolitan area.

Understand
Up until a few years ago, Lavrio was a pretty dismal place. In the last few years Lavrio has gone through an amazing transformation. Restaurants, cafes and shops have opened and Lavrio has new life due to the rebuilding of the port into a major ferry terminal for the Greek Islands and the relocation of several sailboat charter companies and a marina.

Get in
Lavrio is a sea port of a much lesser importance than nearby Piraeus and Rafina, but the port of Lavrio is changing fast, becoming an important ferry boat hub for the Cyclades Islands and home port for several cruise ships and sailboat companies.

From the port of Lavrio there are very frequent connections to the nearby island of Kea. During high season there are up to five departures per day and the journey takes between an hour and 90 minutes depending on the boat. There are also frequent connections to the islands of Kythnos, Syros, Tinos and Andros. From the port of Lavrio you can also travel to the Greek Islands of Amorgos, Anafi, Folegandros, Ios, Kimolos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Sikinos, but these connection are less frequent.

From July 2019 a direct ferry sails between Lavrio and Çeşme near Izmir in Turkey, operated by Aegean Seaways. This sails overnight M W F from Lavrio at 22:00 to reach Çeşme at 06:00, with the return sailing Tu Th Sa at 22:00. On Sunday the ferry sails from Lavrio at 11:00 to reach Çeşme at 19:00, then sails back near midnight to reach Lavrio at 08:00. It's intended to run this service year-round.

See
The town of Lavrio has one of the oldest and biggest ancient amphitheatres in the country and a mysterious giant hole that could be an attraction to seekers of unexplained phenomena if they knew about it.

Eat
There are several places from fast food to good standards all around the main square (Plateia Heroon).

The port of Lavrio is changing fast, opening tavernas and cafes.

Go next
Move on by boat to Mykonos, Naxos or Paros.

title: Lavrio


text:
Lawas

Lawas is a small frontier town in the northeastern corner of Sarawak state in Malaysia. The town is located in a strip of Sarawak territory sandwiched between the Temburong district of Brunei and Malaysia's Sabah state. It is cut off from the rest of Sarawak and is more easily accessed from Sabah. LunBawang is majority in Lawas.

The town does not have many attractions to interest the traveller but you may find yourself here if you are travelling overland between Sabah and Sarawak. Quiet and peaceful, Lawas is quite pleasant if you have to stop for a day or two.

Lawas is also the starting point for the logging road to Ba Kelalan in the Sarawak Highlands.

By plane

 * Twin Otter planes link Lawas with Ba Kelalan, Kota Kinabalu, Limbang and Miri.
 * From Ba Kelalan: Flights on Mondays and Saturdays. One way fare is RM46 before fuel surcharge and other fees.
 * From Kota Kinabalu: Two flights a week. From Kota Kinabalu, flights depart on Tuesdays and Sundays while from Lawas, flights depart on Mondays and Sundays. Fare is RM54 one way before taxes and surcharges and journey time is 45 minutes.
 * From Limbang: Flights on Mondays and Wednesdays. One way fare is RM34 before fuel surcharge and other fees.
 * From Miri: At least four flights daily, with some flights going through Limbang. One way fare is RM60 before fuel surcharge and other fees.
 * From Miri: At least four flights daily, with some flights going through Limbang. One way fare is RM60 before fuel surcharge and other fees.

By road
The road network in Lawas is directly linked to Sabah while access to the rest of Sarawak requires you to travel through Brunei. You will most likely find yourself in Lawas if you are travelling overland between Sabah and Sarawak. See Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land. Lawas is also the starting point for the ex-logging trail to Ba Kelalan.

 * From Sabah: Travel to/from Sabah is straight forward as there is a direct road from Lawas to the Sabah-Sarawak border at Merapok 35km away, where the road continues to Kota Kinabalu via Sipitang, Beaufort and Papar. Please note that non-Sarawak residents have to go through immigration procedures at Merapok and Sindumin on the Sabah side of the border.
 * From Temburong, Brunei: Temburong is connected by road to Lawas town via Trusan, where there is a ferry crossing. The Brunei-Sarawak border is at Labu but there is only a Brunei immigration checkpoint there. You will have to sort out your Sarawak immigration requirements, whether being stamped in or out of the state, at the immigration post at Trusan (officially known as the Mengkalap immigration post), 20km from Lawas and about 8km from the actual border. The checkpoint operates out of a corner shoplot in a row of shops just east of the ferry until the new customs and immigration checkpoint which is being built is completed. From Labu, its another 20km to Bangar, the administrative centre for Brunei's Temburong district. You should also head to Temburong if you want to go to Limbang, Miri and the rest of Sarawak.
 * From Ba Kelalan: The 125km road to Ba Kelalan is a former logging trail, and conditions can be pretty bad especially during the rainy season. The road is only suitable for four-wheel drives and the journey takes at least six hours. The road goes through at least 20 villages in the Long Sukang, Long Luping and Long Semadoh areas.

By bus
Minivans and local buses operated by the Lawas Bus Company Sdn Bhd link Lawas neighbouring towns like Trusan, Punang, Sundar and Merapok as well as Beaufort in Sabah. Most minivans leave in the morning. Air conditioned long-distance express buses connect Lawas with Kota Kinabalu and towns in between like Sipitang and Beaufort.

Sipitang Express Bus Sdn Bhd (Tel: +60-(0)16-8326722 in Lawas, +60-88-213722 in Kota Kinabalu) runs one daily bus to Kota Kinabalu, departing at 12:30. From Kota Kinabalu there are three buses that depart from the station on Jalan Tugu, one at 07:30, 7:45 & 8:00 all by different operators with a ticket booth at the station. Journey is about five hours (two hours to Beaufort) and the one way fare is RM20 or RM11 for Beaufort. The

Lawas Bus Company runs a daily express bus service to and from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah leaving Lawas in the morning and returning from Kota Kinabalu at 1pm, arriving in Lawas at about 5pm. RM30 one way.

To get to Ba Kelalan, private four-wheel drives usually offer seats to passengers. They cost around RM40 one way. Check around where buses and taxis stop.

By boat
The only destination accessible by boat is Labuan (Malaysia). Daily boats depart Lawas at 08:00 and depart Labuan at 12:30.

Get around
Lawas town is small enough to get around on foot. There are local buses and minivans linking Lawas with neighbouring towns and villages like Trusan, Sundar, Awat Awat, Kuala Lawas, Long Tuma and Merapok on the Sabah-Sarawak border.

See
kuala lawas Punang Beach Awat-Awat Ba'kelalan Merarap Hot Spring

Do
Pesta Lawas Festival Chak Go Mei in Lawas Hock Teck Shi Temple Irau Aco Lun Bawang 1-3 June yearly

Eat
As Lawas is a part of Sarawak, there will a great opportunity to have a test at the local Sarawakian food, known as Kolo mee. Kolo mee is a type of noodles that are stirred inside the soup, but without the base. Its appearance is difference compared to the normal soup noodles, and it is simple. Kolo mee can be found in most restaurants in Lawas and they cost around RM 3 per plate. Note that Kolo mee only available in mornings.

Sleep
There are plenty of hotels in Lawas, but no lodges around it. The hotels price range is around RM 50 as the cheapest, and the most expensive rate for a night is at RM 170.

Go next

 * Lawas is the staging post for trips to Ba Kelalan in the Kelabit Highlands.
 * It is also a stopover if you are doing the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land trail, with Bangar in Brunei, or Beaufort being the immediate next stops.

title: Lawas


text:
Lawndale

Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California.

Do

 * Alondra Park, 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Park with pond and an island populated by waterfowl surrounded by walkways. Also a pool, skate park, and splashpad. Daily 10AM-7PM.

title: Lawndale