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Universal City

Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, most of which is given over to the world's largest motion picture studio and its associated visitor attraction, the popular Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

By plane
Universal City is south of Burbank's Bob Hope Airport  and about a 45-minute drive to Los Angeles International Airport. Both airports have rental car centers and public transit connections; see the individual guides for airport transportation information.

By car
Universal City has its own exit from the 101 Freeway traveling northbound from Downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood. The 134 freeway can also take you to the Universal City area by exiting Cahuenga or Lankershim Blvd and turning southbound. General parking at the theme park is a minimum $32 before 5PM and $10 after 5PM, progressively getting more expensive the closer you are to the park entrance.

By public transit
Metro offers bus and rail service to Universal City. Of particular use to visitors is the Metro Rail Red Line subway, which stops at the on Lankershim Blvd on its way between Downtown L.A./Hollywood and North Hollywood. Universal Studios Hollywood provides a free shuttle between the subway station and the theme park. The shuttle stop at the bottom of the hill is accessible via a pedestrian overpass. Instead of the shuttle, you can walk up the hill to Universal in 10-15 min. Across the street from the subway station is a bus hub that serves Metro routes #150/240, #155, #224, and the (weekday only) Metro Rapid #750, which connect Universal City directly to various communities throughout the San Fernando Valley.

Get around
Getting around Universal City is not a serious matter, given that it's small enough to easily walk around. The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park is the primary attraction, while the adjacent CityWalk offers dozens of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Each of the two nearby hotels (Hilton Universal City and Sheraton Universal) are within walking distance and have additional bars and restaurants on property.

Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is the main draw of Universal City and one of 6 Universal theme parks around the world. It was the first one to be built however opening in 1964 with just a tram tour around a working film studio giving the guests a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing and legacy productions (more than 9,000 movies and countless tv-shows have been filmed here). In the '60s and '70s the studio tour started adding staged events based on the films and from the '90s and onwards the theme park as it is known today started being built around it. It is now the 13th most visited theme park in the world with 8.4 million visitors in 2022. Before diving in, here is some important information:

 * 1) Tickets start from $109 for a 1-day admission and $159 for the 2-day admission but their prices vary throughout the year and they are more expensive on spring break, summer, Christmas and other busy periods. For example a one-day ticket in July can sometimes cost $150.
 * 2) Express Pass is a paid skip-the-line option that allows visitors to bypass the regular standby queues for rides and shows and be granted priority access to them. The passes are purchased on top of the tickets with an extra cost of about $100 and can be used only once on every ride. Aside from very busy days the Express Pass is not necessary to experience the park.
 * 3) Child Switch is a system for the supervision of children that do not meet the height requirements for some rides. Both parents can enter the queue and when they reach its end, one goes on the ride while the other seats with the child in a designated area. Then when first one returns the other parent can go directly into the ride without having to queue all over again.
 * 4) Due to its geography (it is built on a hill), the park is separated into two major areas: the Upper Lot and the Lower Lot, each with their own mini-areas themed after the movies. The Lots are connected via an outdoor walkway/escalator and the commute between them takes 10-15 minutes. The park's entrance is on the Upper Lot.

The heart and soul of the park is still the, a tram tour of the backlot that lasts 45min to an hour and winds through many famous sets and past working sound stages. Among the highlights are actual sets from Back to the Future, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, and Stephen Spielberg's War of the Worlds, and simulated attractions based on the films Earthquake, Jaws, Peter Jackson's King Kong (King Kong 360 3D), and the Fast & Furious franchise (Fast & Furious Supercharged in 3D). International language tours are available in Spanish and Mandarin a few times a day.

Other film-based attractions include:
 * — A simulated Springfield filled with recreations of landmarks from the show The Simpsons, like the Kwik-E-Mart, Moe's Tavern, Krustyland and more.
 * — Enter a recreation of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, designed to resemble the world of the Harry Potter films. In Hogsmeade are many shops and eateries that replicate fictional places from the Harry Potter universe, such as Honeydukes sweet shop and Ollivanders wands. Numerous collectible shops, film props, and character performers can be found throughout this area.
 * Frog Choir - A presentation of songs by a small choir of Hogwarts students and their frogs that occurs multiple times randomly throughout the day. You can take pictures with them after each performance.
 * Triwizard Spirit Rally - A procession of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students that occurs multiple times randomly throughout the day. You can take pictures with them after each performance.
 * Shop Windows - Most of the windows throughout Hogsmeade have varying animations/animatronics/etc. Some can only be activated by the wands that are for sale. There are markers on the ground indicating where you should stand and what movement you need to make with the wand. There are a lot of people who buy the wands, so you don't have to buy one yourself to see the extra content.
 * Public toilets - The main (and only) restrooms within the Wizarding World are themed, complete with Moaning Myrtle. The men's bathroom is also 'haunted' by a recording of Moaning Myrtle.
 * — An elaborate stunt show based on the film Waterworld. While the film has a reputation for being underwhelming, the show is much more highly regarded, with lots of stunt actors, pyrotechnics, and water effects, as well as an explosive plane crash. The arena seating is split up so that seats closest to the stage get soaked while those further away stay dry.
 * — A live show with demonstrations on how special effects are created, including sound effects, motion capture, and a fire stunt.
 * — A live show where a variety of animals perform stunts and tricks.
 * — A smaller themed area, based on the Super Mario franchise and full of iconic elements of the Mushroom Kingdom.
 * Meet Your Favorite Characters - In addition to the rides, numerous costumed characters can be found throughout the park; ask an employee for specific times and locations. Many classic characters such as Woody Woodpecker, Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, etc. appear near the Universal Plaza.
 * Raptor Encounter - Meet a live velociraptor and its handler in the lower lot near the Jurassic Park ride roughly on the half hour.
 * Transformers - Meet Megatron, Optimus Prime, or Bumblebee in the lower lot near the Transformers gift shop. Times are posted for when they will each be available for photos. Occasionally, Optimus and Bumblebee appear together.
 * Dora the Explorer - In Dino Play in the lower lot.
 * Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Puss n Boots - They appear at Donkey's Waffle Cart near the former location of the Shrek 4D ride. They usually appear in groups of 2.
 * Despicable Me - There are 3 different minions (one eye, and 2 two eyes) that appear near the Minion Mayhem ride. The girls and Gru appear in groups of two near Ms Hattie's school between Minion Mayhem and Super Silly Fun Land.
 * The Simpsons - One or two of the Simpsons family (Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart) appear in front of the Kwik-E-Mart throughout the day. Sideshow Bob or Krusty appear around the corner outside the Springfield DMV.
 * Madagascar - King Julien and Alex the lion appear near the animal show.

The park has also become the filming location for the tabloid television show Extra, with various celebrities sometimes interviewed in front of a live audience; check the website for times and guests.

Universal Studios Hollywood

 * Upper Lot
 * — A 3D motion simulator ride based on the animated film Despicable Me. Offers child switch area.
 * — An elaborate children's play area based on the carnival from Despicable Me, with water play features, playground structures, and carnival rides and games. There is a spinning ride that is open to all ages above a certain height.
 * — A motion simulator attraction where the Simpsons visit "Krustyland," the Krusty the Clown-themed amusement park from the show. Offers child switch area. The ride is situated amidst a simulated Springfield filled with recreations of landmarks from the show, like the Kwik-E-Mart and Moe's Tavern.
 * Ollivanders Experience - Small groups of people can enter Ollivanders wand store and see a wand choose a wizard/witch (usually the youngest person in the group). It can get very backed up in the middle of day, but wait times are usually 5 min or less towards the end of the day.
 * Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey — A motion-simulator dark ride starring Harry, Ron, and Hermione leading you on a flight around Hogwarts. This is a very popular and well-received ride, with a queue that takes you through faithful recreations of Hogwarts sets. Wait times can be as high as 3 hours, but are usually 15 min or less at the start and end of the day or on weekdays. Lockers are available (free for 2 hr) since no bags are allowed on the ride. Offers a child switch area that can be crowded since children under 48 in are not allowed on this ride.
 * Flight of the Hippogriff — A junior roller coaster in which riders ride a "hippogriff" around Hagrid's hut.
 * — A haunted house style walk-through attraction with zombies and jump scares. With AC, it can get a little backed up in the middle of day, but wait times are usually 5 min.
 * Lower Lot
 * — A 3D dark ride based on the Transformers film franchise. Offers child switch area.
 * — A water thrill ride based on Jurassic Park where you float past various animatronic dinosaurs before making a steep waterfall plunge; you will likely get soaked on this ride. Offers child switch area.
 * — A play area for children near the Jurassic Park ride.
 * — A high speed indoor roller coaster based on the Mummy film franchise. Small bags can be brought on the ride, but there are lockers available for slightly larger items (free for 90 min). Offers child switch area.
 * — A high speed indoor roller coaster based on the Mummy film franchise. Small bags can be brought on the ride, but there are lockers available for slightly larger items (free for 90 min). Offers child switch area.

Buy
Universal Studios has an abundance of souvenir stores; just about every attraction has a gift shop attached selling merchandise particular to whatever franchise the ride is based on. CityWalk has a wider variety of retailers, selling a wide selection of apparel, sweets, collectibles, toys, and souvenirs. A complete list of CityWalk vendors is available here.
 * Wizarding World of Harry Potter
 * — Candy shop which is connected to Zonko's. Sells Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, large chocolate frogs, Butterbeer fudge, chocolate wands, sugar quills and many other Harry Potter themed candies.
 * — A shop with novelty items/jokes/toys which is connected to Honeydukes.
 * — A large general Harry Potter merchandise store at the exit of the Forbidden Journey ride. There are several props from the movie hidden about the store such as a Skele-Gro bottle and several Harry Potter glasses.
 * — A wand store which is connected to Wiseacre's.
 * — A clothing store with Platform 9¾ merchandise which is connected to Ollivanders.
 * — Another clothing store with pins and other merchandise which is connected to Dervish and Banges as well as the Owl Post.
 * — A general Harry Potter merchandise store which is connected to Gladrags and the Owl Post. They have a caged monster book which will occasionally move and growl.
 * — A stationery shop with stuffed owls for sale. You can get a real Owl Post cancellation stamp here. If you have postage, there is a mail drop box as well. They do not sell postcard stamps, only Harry Potter themed stamp books.
 * — A general Simpsons merchandise store within Springfield. They also sell Duff energy drink in cans. Outside of the Kwik-E-Mart there are 2 penny-smasher machines with 8 different Simpsons designs.
 * — A Despicable Me themed gift shop at the end of the ride. They also have themed baked goods.
 * — A large themed gift shop near the entrance to the park that has Harry Potter merchandise, some of which is only sold within this store.
 * — A general Universal Studios merchandise gift shop.
 * Lower Lot
 * — Transformers themed gift shop near the ride. There's a penny smasher outside with 4 designs.
 * — General character-themed merchandise from various Universal animated movies.
 * — Jurassic Park themed gift shop at the end of the ride. There's a penny smasher inside and another outside with 8 designs total.
 * — Jurassic Park themed gift shop at the end of the ride. There's a penny smasher inside and another outside with 8 designs total.

Eat
The theme park has plenty of eateries, most of which serve typical theme park fast food at theme park prices. A wider variety of food is availabe in CityWalk, which has over 20 restaurants ranging from fast food to casual sit-down dining. A complete list of CityWalk eateries is available here; among the options are national chains Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Buca di Beppo, Hard Rock Cafe, Johnny Rockets, Tony Roma's, and Wolfgang Puck Cafe. Most of the fast food places are in a food court on the second level across from the movie theater.
 * — The only restaurant within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They serve English Breakfast first thing in the morning (a fanastic deal that includes a 12-oz drink for only $13) and then serve a typical British pub menu for the rest of the day including fish and chips and bangers and mash. They have additional/seasonal dishes as well. They also sell a family-sized Great Feast for $67 which serves 4 people. They have several desserts including the exclusive Butterbeer Potted Cream. It's attached to the Hogs Head Pub, but that side only serves drinks.
 * - Strictly speaking it's a candy shop, but they exclusively sell Pumpkin Pasties and Butterbeer fudge.
 * Springfield (The Simpsons)
 * — Giant donuts for $6 each. They always have The Big Pink (pink frosting with sprinkles) and then have several rotating flavors such as maple bacon. There's outdoor seating available next door at the Android's Dungeon.
 * — Sells burgers, Ribwich, Sideshow Bob Footlong (hot dog), the Clogger and a veggie burger. There's additional seating available upstairs.
 * — Sells chicken and waffle sandwich, chicken thumbs (tenders), deep fried chicken, and chicken caesar salad. There's more seating available upstairs.
 * — An outdoor 'food truck' at the Duff Brewery with tacos and nachos. There's seating available next door at the Duff Brewery.
 * — Sells hot dogs, popcorn, churros, and the twisted pretzel of Marge Simpson. There's seating available next door at the Duff Brewery.
 * — Sells various pizzas, pasta, and salad. There's seating available next door at the Duff Brewery.
 * — Sells varying ice creams and sundaes. There's seating available next door at the Duff Brewery or across the street at Android's Dungeon.
 * — A BBQ-themed restaurant at the plaza with outdoor seating.
 * — Has outdoor seating.
 * — Sells desserts, snacks and drinks with outdoor seating.
 * — Sells El Macho's nachos, chicken, Vector's grilled cheese pulled pork sandwich, salads and minion-themed desserts with indoor seating.
 * — Grab and go salads, sandwiches and snacks.
 * — Beef/chicken/veggie burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, turkey legs, milkshakes and desserts with indoor seating.
 * — Outdoor seating only.
 * — French-themed sandwiches, salads, pastries with indoor seating.
 * — Closest restaurant to the entrance that sells pizza, salad and sandwiches with indoor seating. They are the only place in the park to get funnel cakes.
 * Lower Lot
 * — Burgers, pizza, chicken, salad, and turkey legs with indoor seating.
 * — Indoor seating.
 * — Grab and go salads, sandwiches, snacks, and turkey legs.
 * — Ice cream and desserts with no seating.
 * — Ice cream and desserts with no seating.

Drink
The second level of CityWalk surrounding the fountain court holds a few nightlife spots.
 * Wizarding World of Harry Potter
 * — Restaurant/pub connected to Hog's Head that sells several kinds of beer including 3 brewed exclusively for Universal's Wizarding World. They also sell other drinks including Butterbeer and souvenir steins.
 * — A pub connected to Three Broomsticks that sells regular and frozen Butterbeer, the same 3 exclusive beers as Three Broomsticks, Fire Whisky, other spirits, wine and souvenir steins.
 * — Outdoor carts that sell frozen Butterbeer and souvenir steins.
 * — Outdoor cart that sells ice cream, Gilly Water, pumpkin juice, and beer.
 * Springfield (The Simpsons)
 * — Sells Flaming Moe's (non-alcoholic), Duff beer (2-3 kinds), and other beers, wines, spirits and a souvenir plastic Moe's pilsner glass. Indoor seating.
 * — Sells 2-3 kinds of Duff beer and a souvenir plastic Duff pilsner glass. Outdoor seating.
 * — Sells squishees, snacks, cotton candy and popcorn.
 * — Sells Duff energy drinks in cans and Buzz Cola.
 * — Tiny Irish-themed pub near Despicable Me with several beers, cider, wine, and spirits. There's only a few barstools, but more outdoor seating near by.
 * — Large with lots of indoor seating. They have another smaller location in the lower lot.

Sleep
There are two hotels near the property:

Go next

 * Hollywood is just to the south and an easy trip by way of the Red Line or the 101, and has numerous attractions celebrating the history of cinema beyond just those films produced by Universal Pictures, including the Walk of Fame, Gruman's Chinese Theater, Paramount Pictures Studios, and plenty of museums and theaters.
 * Adjacent Studio City and nearby Burbank are home to numerous film and television studios; plan carefully and you may be able to attend the taping of a show!
 * Orange County is home to Los Angeles' other two beloved theme parks: Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. By public transit, take the Red Line to Union Station in Downtown L.A. and transfer to Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner or Metrolink's Orange County Line.

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

title: Universal City


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University Heights

University Heights is a suburb of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Northeast Ohio. It has a population of 13,914 (2020).

Go next

 * - Established in 1822 as the North Union Settlement by the religious Shaker community, Shaker Heights became one of America's oldest planned communities in 1912 when it was redeveloped as a garden community for commuters to Cleveland. Today the suburb offers stunning architecture, with many of the homes and other buildings featured in architectural texts.  Visitors will also enjoy several picturesque man-made lakes, a 20 acre nature preserve, and a historical museum that documents the area's early Shaker roots.  Amenities include an excellent public library, numerous restaurants, and shopping destinations including the historic Shaker Square.
 * - A neighboring suburb that is home to the Coventry District, a funky neighborhood with shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
 * - A neighboring suburb that is home to Beachwood Place Mall and numerous other shopping and dining options.

title: University Heights


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University Park

There is more than one place called University Park:

United States of America

 * University Park (Texas) — a town in Texas
 * University Park (Pennsylvania) — a town in Pennsylvania

title: University Park


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Unnao

Unnao is a city in Uttar Pradesh, and is known as the wellspring of freedom fighters and great writers.

Understand
This is not a very cosmopolitan city; neither does it have huge malls and big markets. It's a very calm place where you will feel very close to nature. It is sometimes called by the nickname: City of Lakes'

Get in
You can get in by local tempo called Vikram from Kanpur. It only costs around ₹10 but its very difficult to travel in these Vikarams for a new person. The best mode of travel is through train from Kanpur and Lucknow. You can reach Kanpur and then take a train. It takes only 25 minutes to reach Unnao. From Lucknow it takes around 1½ hours.

See

 * Kushehri Devi Mandir &mdahs; Kushehari Maata Mandir near Kusumbhi Railway Station. A link road goes to its west side from Navwab Ganj.
 * There is another temple of god Hanuman at Bada Chauraha which is very famous in city.
 * Kushehri Devi Mandir &mdahs; Kushehari Maata Mandir near Kusumbhi Railway Station. A link road goes to its west side from Navwab Ganj.
 * There is another temple of god Hanuman at Bada Chauraha which is very famous in city.
 * There is another temple of god Hanuman at Bada Chauraha which is very famous in city.

Buy
If you want some clothes then there are several old shops in Unnao who can give you clothes without any bargaining. You can buy clothes here without any hesitation as the rates are very reasonable and these shops are bargaining free.

 * Upbhokta Khadi Bhandar, Bada Chauraha Unnao. This is a shop of Gupta Ji and you will get good varieties of clothes. It is opposite to a very popular temple called Jhandeshwar Mahadev Mandir. Then you have shops like Mupass and Five brother if you want some denim stuff.

Eat
Unnao is very much famous for its cuisine.

Go next

 * Bighapur — a small kasba (township) is 35 km from Unnao and is famous for its temples and old structures around it.Very calm and serene place.
 * Kanpur &mdahs; is only 20 km away.

title: Unnao


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Unst

Unst is the most northerly inhabited island of the Shetland Islands, north of mainland Scotland, with a population of 632 in 2011. Life here was traditionally based on herring fishing: the herring now are sparse but small-scale fishing continues, along with sheep farming. The oil boom on Mainland Shetland passed by Unst. There's a straggle of small settlements along the main road, notably Baltasound with probably the world's most sumptuous bus shelter, and Haroldswick with a museum and display of old boats. The star attraction is Hermaness, the nature reserve on the north-western tip of Unst, where thousands of seabirds nest and wheel and screech above the sea cliffs.

Get in
By boat is the only way, there's no air service. From Mainland Shetland you first take the ferry from Toft to Ulsta on Yell, then cross that island to Gutcher, as described for Yell. A day trip is simple by car but not possible by bus; join an organised tour from Lerwick if you lack your own transport.

At queue in Lanes 1 / 2 for Unst. The Bluemull ferry takes 10 min to cross from Gutcher to on Unst, M-Sa sailing every 30-60 min, Su every 90 min to 2 hours, from 6:15AM to 10:15PM. However five or six ferries per day follow a triangle: from Gutcher to Hamar's Ness on the island of Fetlar (20 min) then onward to Belmont, or the reverse pattern. Assuming you started from Mainland Shetland that day, your ticket is already paid; if you started from Yell it's the same as the Mainland-Yell fare.

The ferry terminals at Gutcher and Belmont are basic, just small waiting rooms with toilets and a timetable.

By bus the timetable is designed for day trips from Unst and Yell to Lerwick, so that residents can do what they need to in town and get back, but a day-trip out from Lerwick is not possible. Bus 24 leaves Lerwick M-F at 2:30PM to reach Yell at 3:45PM and Unst at 4:40PM. Bus 28 then takes you up Unst as far as Baltasound, Haroldswick and Saxa Vord. The southbound bus sets off from Baltasound to Lerwick at 7:30AM. Bus 28 makes three other runs the length of Unst, so you can reach the ferry to Yell or Fetlar but with no connection to Lerwick.

Get around
The main road A968 is two-lane and well-maintained. The other roads are single track with passing places, also in good condition, but the last stretch of lane from Burrafirth to Hermaness is very narrow and steep. Watch out for stray sheep and ponies.

Bus 28 runs four times M-Sa up the main road from Belmont via Uyeasound, Baltasound and Haroldswick to Saxa Vord, with the late afternoon run being the through-bus from Lerwick and therefore the busiest. A few more buses run part route. Those timetabled as DAR are Dial-a-Ride and have to be booked before 4PM the previous day by calling. No buses reach Burrafirth or Hermaness: Haroldwick 3 miles away is their closest approach.

By bike as elsewhere in Shetland can be wonderful in good weather. It's utter misery in the winds and slashing rain, and with the clock ticking down to your vital ferry.

Bike hire is available from Saxa Vord Resort, see "Sleep".

See

 * Belmont House near the ferry pier is a Georgian mansion that's nowadays self-catering accommodation.
 * or Uyea Breck Stone is by the lane to Muness. It's 3 m tall, of slate and lichen-clad so it looks wooden; a smaller stone lies 360 m southwest. Of its various legends, the one where witches used it as fire-tongs is no sillier than the rest.
 * is a massive megalith that's been likened to a whale's flipper.
 * is at first glance a barren rocky scree just north of Baltasound, 200 yards (180 m) from the main road. But look closer, especially mid-May to early June, for the unique assembly of wild flowers, which can tolerate the cold windswept conditions and Serpentinite underlying minerals, toxic to many other species.
 * The Viking ship and longhouse are reconstructions at Haroldswick, next to the turn-off for Unst Boat Haven. Free, always open.
 * is at first glance a barren rocky scree just north of Baltasound, 200 yards (180 m) from the main road. But look closer, especially mid-May to early June, for the unique assembly of wild flowers, which can tolerate the cold windswept conditions and Serpentinite underlying minerals, toxic to many other species.
 * The Viking ship and longhouse are reconstructions at Haroldswick, next to the turn-off for Unst Boat Haven. Free, always open.
 * The Viking ship and longhouse are reconstructions at Haroldswick, next to the turn-off for Unst Boat Haven. Free, always open.
 * croft-house is the most northerly dwelling place in United Kingdom. (Buildings to the north, e.g., the radar station and Muckle Flugga lighthouse, are automated and unstaffed.) There is a small beach and a pleasant walk by the shore. Skaw was one of the last communities to speak Norn, though it persisted on remote Foula until the 20th century.
 * Burrafirth is where the B9086 ends, becoming the narrow lane up to Hermaness. It has a good beach at the head of the inlet between Hermaness and Saxa Voe peninsulas.
 * , on the north-western tip of Unst, is a nature reserve with thousands of seabirds nesting and wheeling over the spectacular cliffs and sea stacks. There are more than 10,000 pairs of gannets and 25,000 pairs of puffins, together with guillemots, shags and fulmars. You'll hear and smell them before you see them. Most of the birds arrive to nest in late April and are gone by autumn; the reserve is open all year.
 * Park by the visitor's centre, which used to be the shore station for Muckle Flugga lighthouse. Follow the good main path straight on into the reserve, ignoring the right turn down a steep peat bank. Never leave the path as you may disturb the birds, and the "Bonxies" are likely to retaliate. At the end of the path take the short spurs left to see the gannet colonies on the Neap (about 1 hour return from the signpost), and right for views of Muckle Flugga, the Out Stack, and the cairn of Hermaness Hill. In wet weather turn around and retrace your steps; the loop path over Hermaness Hill is rough and often very boggy. The loop path takes 3 hours. Take a walking stuck for the wet and steep hills. Wear stout boots, and hang onto your hat: it's believed that the UK's top wind speed of was encountered hereabouts, but this couldn't be confirmed because the anemometer blew away.
 * Park by the visitor's centre, which used to be the shore station for Muckle Flugga lighthouse. Follow the good main path straight on into the reserve, ignoring the right turn down a steep peat bank. Never leave the path as you may disturb the birds, and the "Bonxies" are likely to retaliate. At the end of the path take the short spurs left to see the gannet colonies on the Neap (about 1 hour return from the signpost), and right for views of Muckle Flugga, the Out Stack, and the cairn of Hermaness Hill. In wet weather turn around and retrace your steps; the loop path over Hermaness Hill is rough and often very boggy. The loop path takes 3 hours. Take a walking stuck for the wet and steep hills. Wear stout boots, and hang onto your hat: it's believed that the UK's top wind speed of was encountered hereabouts, but this couldn't be confirmed because the anemometer blew away.

 * is the small island that ceased to be the UK's most northerly habitation in 1995 when the lighthouse was automated. It was designed by Stevenson, first lit in 1858, after winter storms made short work of its 1854 predecessor.
 * , another half mile out, is finally, definitely the most northerly point of the United Kingdom. "Stack" implies a tall stand of rock, but it's a round crag, never inhabited, that's been dubbed "the full stop at the end of Britain." It's said that Lady Jane Franklin came here in 1854 after the loss of her husband Sir John Franklin's "Erebus & Terror" expedition to find the North-West Passage. This story casts her as a Victorian widow grieving in bombazine over the tumultuous northern ocean, but she was a tough explorer in her own right, entirely capable of clambering ashore up the steep rocks.
 * Muckle Flugga and Out Stack are both part of Hermaness nature reserve, with similar bird life. They can be viewed from the Hermaness Reserve hiking trail.

Do

 * Wildlife spotting trips are available from various operators, mostly based in Lerwick to pick up trade from the cruise liners. The trips are all land based, since a minibus doesn't heave as much as a small boat whenever the wind gets up.
 * Hikes recommended by Walk Highlands are Belmont to Lund, Uyeasound to Muness, Sandwick Beach, Keen of Hamar, and Hermaness.
 * Hikes recommended by Walk Highlands are Belmont to Lund, Uyeasound to Muness, Sandwick Beach, Keen of Hamar, and Hermaness.
 * Hikes recommended by Walk Highlands are Belmont to Lund, Uyeasound to Muness, Sandwick Beach, Keen of Hamar, and Hermaness.

Buy
The island shops are at Baltasound. Hendersons is open M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Skibhoul Stores is open M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM, and the post office is open M-F 9AM-1PM, 2-5:15PM, Sa 9AM-1PM.

Eat

 * Baltasound Hotel does nice meals in the evening; see "Sleep".
 * Saxa Vord Resort: restaurant & café are open May-Oct, see "Sleep".

Drink
There are public bars at the Baltasound Hotel and Saxa Vord Resort, see "Sleep". Out of season they may close up early.

Sleep

 * (tel +44 1957 755344) has B&B.
 * Several self-catering cottages are also available.
 * Several self-catering cottages are also available.
 * Several self-catering cottages are also available.

Connect
As of Nov 2021, the mobile signal is very patchy 3G, strongest with Three.

Stay safe
Natural hazards are the main risk, especially bad weather close to cliff edges. The bonxies (great skuas) will viciously dive-bomb anyone who approaches their nests.

Go next
The only way is back south by ferry to Yell, perhaps with a side-trip to Fetlar, then to Mainland Shetland.

title: Unst


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Upcountry Árnessýsla

Upcountry Árnessýsla, or Uppsveitir Árnessýslu in Icelandic, is a rural area in South Iceland, home to many of the country's most famous attractions.

Understand
Upcountry Árnessýsla is one of the few places where arable land in Iceland reaches up to 50 km inland. As a result, it's one of the most important agricultural areas in Iceland. There are no major towns, however. The total population numbers a few thousand but only a few hundred live in the villages scattered around the area.

The entire area lies in a geologically active belt with many interesting sights such as volcanoes, and geysers. As a result of this and the proximity to Reykjavík it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.

Get in
The area is about a hour and a half from the capital and you can get there by car or bus. From Reykjavik there are several tour operators offering guided "Golden Circle" bus tours that include Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir. Such a tour will cost you around 10,000 kr per person as of August 2014 and is a fairly convenient way to get in, around and out if you don't have a car.

By bus
Reykjavik Excursions Phone: +354 580 5400. Routes 6/6a and 610/610a run from the BSI terminal in Reykjavik to Gullfoss and Geysir.
 * Route 6 bus leaves Reykjavik at 10:00 and reaches Gullfoss at about 15:00. The bus stops at three locations in Thingvellir for a 15 - 30 minutes before continuing to Laugarvatn at noon.  The bus stops at Geysir for about one hour and 20 minutes.  When you want to return to Reykjavik, take the 6a bus.  This bus leaves the Gullfoss at 16:00.  The 6a also waits in Thingvellir for 15-20 minutes.
 * Route 610/610a runs from the middle of June until the middle of September daily. The bus leaves Reykjavik at 08:00, travels to Hveragerði, Selfoss and Laugarvatn and then arrives at Gullfoss at 11:10. The bus leaves Gullfoss at 15:50 and arrives at Reykjavik at 18:30PM. This route does not go to Thingvellir nor does it linger at the stops like the 6/6a bus.

See
Some of the most famous sights in Iceland are dotted around Upcountry Árnessýsla.

title: Upcountry Árnessýsla


text:
Upcountry South Carolina

 Upcountry South Carolina, also known as The Upstate, consists of the northwestern corner of the state.

Other cities and towns

Other destinations

 * in North Greenville County off of US-276, has a famous rock formation that looks like a man's face in profile
 * in North Greenville County off of US-276, has a famous rock formation that looks like a man's face in profile

Understand
While there are many upscale gated communities here, the area remains primarily rural in nature. This is an excellent place for family vacations and romantic getaways in particular. The best time for touring is from May to November. Autumn foliage is at its peak usually in mid to late October. Accommodations range from camping to vacation rental properties.

Get in

 * | Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport

Get around
I-85 is the major highway, connecting Charlotte and Atlanta by way of Gaffney, Spartanburg, Greenville and Anderson. I-26 cuts south from North Carolina through Spartanburg, then goes to Columbia by way of Laurens and Newberry. I-26 crosses I-85 in Spartanburg, but can also be reached from Greenville by following I-385, which goes through Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn.

Clemson and points west can be reached from Greenville by US-123. The mountains can be reached by US-25.

Mass transit is limited. Greyhound buses stop in Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson. The Amtrak Crescent stops in Spartanburg, Greenville and Clemson.

See
Furman University, north of Greenville, has a beautiful campus with lake and bell tower.

The Peachoid, near Gaffney (just off I-85), is a water tower in the shape of a peach is a familiar landmark for anyone who has driven up and down I-85.

Do
The Upcountry Region of SC has the highest number of waterfalls of any area in the Eastern US. Many can be seen by car at roadside stops. Access to some of the more spectacular ones are by foot trail or even guided tour boats. Lake Jocassee in particular offers the best boat access to the Jocassee Gorges Conservation Area for sightseeing.

Magnificent hikes are available at Table Rock State Park in Spartanburg County.

If it's the right season, a Clemson football game is one of the biggest sports draws in the area, especially when they play their rival, the University of South Carolina. Greenville's minor league baseball team, the Greenville Drive, plays in the West End of Greenville within sight of Shoeless Joe Jackson's relocated childhood home. Bon Secours Wellness Arena is the home rink of the Road Warriors, an ECHL hockey team.

The Cowpens and Kings Mountain battlefields, both preserved by the National Park Service, are two of the most significant sites in the Southern Theater of the Revolutionary War. Both are quickly accessible from I-85.

Go next

 * Charlotte
 * Atlanta
 * Asheville

Outdoor Adventure is what this area is all about. Whitewater rafting on the Chattooga "Deliverance" River is not to be missed. World class trophy fishing in the depths of Lake Jocassee offers anglers a very rewarding experience. Octoberfest in Walhalla SC is a must if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

title: Upcountry South Carolina


text:
Upington

Upington is the next biggest city in South Africa's Northern Cape Province after Kimberley and a good starting point to the famous Augrabies Falls. The town is situated on the banks of the Orange River.

By car
Take the N7 from Cape Town and join the N14 at Springbok to go to Upington. When coming from the Eastern Cape, take the N10 starting near Port Elizabeth. Travellers from the East of South Africa can go via the N14 from Johannesburg and the Gauteng province. When coming from Bloemfontein or Kimberley use the N12 and N1 westwards, until it crosses the N10.

Drivers from Namibia can follow a highway starting near the Fish River Canyon Park.

By train
There are no longer any scheduled passenger trains to or from Upington.

The train station is at the end of Morant Street, north of the cemetery.

Get around
As with most of South Africa, it is best get about by hired car.

See
The city is not very spectacular, but a typical medium-sized country town.

 * Date palm avenue -- At the entrance to Die Eiland has more than 200 palm trees lining its 1-km length
 * The Hortentia Windmill
 * Dutch reformed church
 * Grave of Scotty Smith
 * The Hortentia Windmill
 * Dutch reformed church
 * Grave of Scotty Smith

Do

 * Hunting
 * Kalahari kuierfees
 * Hunting
 * Kalahari kuierfees

Buy
It offers a number of shopping malls and stores.

Go next

 * Visit the Augrabies Falls, around 125 km to the west
 * 240 km to the north is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park)

title: Upington


text:
Upland

Upland is a city in San Bernardino County on the edge of the Inland Empire in Southern California. Formally incorporated in 1906, Upland has a long, rich history in agriculture and included a segment of Route 66. Upland and the region used to be home to thousands of acres of citrus groves; today, however, the city is home to many quiet residential neighborhoods and is a gateway to recreational opportunities in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Get in
There are numerous ways to enter Upland, be it by air, rail, car, bus, or bike.

By plane
Upland lies just northwest of LA/Ontario International Airport , in Ontario and accessible via the San Bernardino (I-10) Freeway.

The city is also home to Cable Airport, privately-owned, said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

By train
Amtrak, the national rail service, serves Ontario just to the south of the city. Metrolink, a commuter rail service serving the greater Los Angeles area, has a stop in downtown Upland at 1st Avenue and 'A' Street, just off Euclid Avenue. The stop is on the San Bernardino line, one of the busiest, that connects Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to San Bernardino (limited weekend service available).

By car
Interstate 10 and State Route 210 both cross Upland in an east-west direction, providing links to Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Foothill Boulevard (State Route 66) also crosses through the center of the city. Euclid Avenue (State Route 83) is the main north-south route through the city and heads south to Chino and the Chino Valley (State Route 71) Freeway or north towards the community of Mount Baldy. Note that there is no direct interchange between Euclid Avenue and the Foothill (210) Freeway.

By bus
Omnitrans is the Inland Valley's main bus line and serves Upland with several routes, primarily bus routes 66 and 83. Bus route 66 links up with the Montclair Transit Center, which hosts Metrolink and many buses from central Los Angeles and will one day include a stop on the Metro Gold Line light rail extension.

By bike
Upland lies along the path of the former Pacific Electric Railway, now used as a freshly-paved pedestrian and bike path connecting nearby Montclair to Rancho Cucamonga.

Get around
Upland is a fairly small city and the main sights are accessible by foot if arriving into town without a car at the Metrolink station. However, note that Upland's location at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains creates a general north-south slope that makes walking north a bit more difficult on hotter days.

By car
Upland is a very automobile-friendly city, with wide streets and plentiful parking. Consider leaving your car in downtown Upland (be aware of time limits) and exploring the area on foot. If heading north to Mount Baldy, be aware of road conditions in advance as winter snows may require chains.

By bus
The city is served by Omitrans, a bus system that serves the Inland Valley region. Routes 63, 66, 67, 68, and 83 all traverse the city and stop at many major sights.

By bike
Many of Upland streets and wide boulevards, including Euclid Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, have bike lanes. The Pacific Electric Bike Trail is another great way to get around on a separate right-of-way. Upland has several bike repair facilities, many of which are in or around downtown.

By foot
A great way to see Upland is by foot. Leave your car in downtown and stroll about the historic core of the city. Or, consider walking on the median dirt path on Euclid Avenue from Foothill Boulevard north towards the mountains.

See
Because of the city's relatively old age when compared with neighboring towns, Upland is home to a wealth of historic homes and landmarks.

Do

 * - amusement park with bumper boats, etc

Buy
Although Upland is primarily a residential community, many neat stores can be found along Foothill Boulevard or in downtown. For those who prefer larger-scale shopping centers, the Colonies Crossroads at Campus Ave and the Foothill (210) Fwy offers many big-box stores. Nearby, Montclair hosts the Montclair Plaza (Nordstrom's, Macy's, Sears), Ontario hosts Ontario Mills (one of the largest outlet malls in the state), and Rancho Cucamonga hosts Victoria Gardens, an upscale outdoor mall with a classic "Main Street" theme.

Eat
Given Upland's relatively quiet character as a residential city, it is unusual that it hosts a multitude of restaurants that cover many ethnic cuisines. The list below is just a sample of what one can find in the city.

Go next
Upland is a great gateway to recreational opportunities in the San Gabriel Mountains. Check out the Angeles National Forest or the Cucamonga Wilderness by taking Euclid or Mountain avenues north towards Mount Baldy.

Next door, the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, and Ontario host numerous sights. Rancho Cucamonga hosts the upscale Victoria Gardens shopping center, Claremont contains the prestigious Claremont Colleges, and Ontario's downtown, airport, and Graber Olive House make it worth visiting. Upland is also 30 minutes from Pasadena and San Bernardino, and within an hour's drive of Los Angeles and the Palm Springs area.

title: Upland


text:
Upleta

Upleta is a city in the Rajkot district of the Saurashtra area, Gujarat.

Understand
Upleta is situated on the bank of river Moj, on national highway no. 8b between Rajkot and Porbandar.

In 1725 king Bha Kumbhaji was living here. After him Sir Bhagavat Shinji became king of Upleta. He was the person who started a girls school for the first time in India. Upleta also was the first city in India to start underground electricity lines. Sir Bhagavat Shinji created the world's largest dictionary Bhagavat Gou Mandal.

Get in
Trains and Buses run daily from nearby cities like rajkot, jamnagar, ahemdabad, porbandar, junagath, etc. Renting care from one of this cities is also viable

Get around
Trains and buses run daily from nearby cities like Rajkot, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Porbandar, Junagath, etc. Renting a car from one of this cities is also viable.

Also rickshaws or local buses are available to go to or near your destinations. Taxis also run to provide traveling to nearby palaces.

See
There are many places to go in Upleta: darbar gadh, raj marg, Janata Baugh, taluka shala, bawala chock, gandhi chock...etc.

Eat
Upleta is famous for its food and cold drinks, ice-cream, gola (made from ice), bhajiya (one type of healthy and very very tasty food), pani puri, ... and its people.

Drink
Drinking is prohibited in this part of India.

Go next

 * Junagadh a historical city, is near Upleta, about 45km away. Junagadh is a famous for its lassi (one type of food made from curd), Girnar mountain, Kesar (special Mango)

 * Gir National Park is only 70km from Upleta.

 * Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, freedom fighter of India. Porbandar is famous for its beach, planetarium, Indian temple, and sandipani vidya niketan (one type of Hindu religious school), arya kanya gurukul (largest girls school of India).

title: Upleta


text:
Upolu

Upolu is the most important of Samoa's islands. The Region of Upolu also includes all other islands of the country apart from the so-called "big" island of Savaii. Upolu was formed by a massive volcano, but there have been no recent eruptions. The island is 75 km long and contains Samoa's capital, Apia, which is in the middle of the north coast and Faleolo International Airport, which is towards the western end of the island. The island is fringed by reefs and has some beautiful beaches. Inland is hilly, with tropical vegetation and numerous waterfalls.

Upolu was affected by a major tsunami on 29 September 2009. Twenty villages in its eastern, southeastern and southern sides were destroyed or badly damaged. Deaths exceeded 100 and more than 3000 people were made homeless. Considerable tourism infrastructure was affected but several facilities have been rebuilt. In addition to its impact on land, the tsunami also had considerable impact on the area's coral.

Cities

 * , the capital of Upolu, situated on the north coast. This is a rapidly modernising city, backed up with considerable history. The population is close to 40,000.

Other destinations
There are many attractive villages throughout the island and on Manono island. Upolu also has some interesting natural reserves, lovely waterfalls, good diving and snorkelling and fantastic beaches. There is more information in the "See" section below.

Understand
Be respectful whilst traveling around the villages and the quiet outskirts of Upolu. Samoa is a very traditional society and it is important to respect Fa'a Samoa, the "Samoan Way". See Samoa.

Talk
The Samoan language is the official language, but many Samoans speak English fluently.

Get in
Most visitors arrive by plane at Faleolo International Airport, which has flights from various countries. The other options are Fagalii Airport, with flights from American Samoa, and boat service from Tokelau and American Samoa. For more information, see Samoa.

Buses
Old traditional buses are a must do. They are quite cheap, but can be uncomfortable. Buses leave from two locations in Apia: behind the flea market on the waterfront and next to the produce market "Marketi Fou". Ask the drivers for information on which buses to catch to your planned destination.

Car rental
You can hire cars from Apia, sometimes for less than WS$50 a day. Rental companies include:

Scooter rental
Scooter rentals are around WST$65 per day.

Fill the tank in Apia as opportunities for refills are limited elsewhere.

See

Do

 * Surfing. There is good surfing in many locations but it is only for the experienced as the reef can be dangerous. Several resorts specialise in surfing. Check the web before committing to a surf tour operator as one or two do not have good reputations.
 * Fishing. There is an abundance of fish in Samoa's waters. Charter companies mainly operate from Apia's harbour, and one operating from Sinalei Resort on the South Coast.
 * Golf. Two courses are close to Apia: the Royal Samoan Country Club, for a long time Samoa's only golf course, and a more recent development, the Faleata Country Club, which is close to the sports complex constructed for the South Pacific Games. On the south coast the Sinalei Reef Resort has a nine-hole pitch and putt course.
 * Snorkelling. There are around 900 fish species and 200 types of coral in Samoa's waters. One company that rents equipment on Upolu is
 * Beaches. Upolu has lengthy stretches of beautiful beaches. All beaches are Customary Land (owned by a village) and you may be asked to pay a small fee for their use. It would not be appreciated if you tried to argue.

Eat
Most restaurants are in Apia or at the hotels around the island.

The usual kinds of European, Asian and fast foods are available, but be sure to try the "umu", which is made in a traditional pit-oven, using red hot lava stones heated by charcoal. Whole pigs, fruits, chickens, fish, etc., are placed among the rocks for many hours, and covered with banana leaves. The food has an absolutely delicious smoked flavour, and meats are as tender and juicy as possible. Traditional food can be purchased from Apia. If you must, you can also visit the only fast food outlet in Samoa, McDonald's, which is on Centre Road, Apia.

Drink
Vailima was the local beer but now brewed in Fiji. Taula is 100% Samoan owned and brewed beer. Bottled water is recommended.

See Samoa for more information.

Sleep
In addition to hotels in Apia there are some good resorts, guest houses and fales on other parts of the main island and outer islands. Some hotels damaged by the tsunami are still recovering and are not listed here.

Stay safe
Do not walk alone at night, and stay with people you know and trust. Free roaming dogs can be a safety problem in the capital Apia. The Government of Samoa (GoS) passed the Canine Control Act in 2013 as a first step toward addressing dog management. Most dogs ignore you and don't see you as a threat if you ignore them.

Go next
No visit to Samoa is complete without a visit to Savaii. This is the larger but less developed of the two main islands.

title: Upolu


text:
Upper Austria

Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) — as the name implies — is a federal state of Austria.

Cities

 * — site of the Ebensee Concentration Camp
 * at Traunsee in Salzkammergut.
 * with a very lovely Baroque town
 * , notorious as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but its historic old town has witnessed more than 750 year of history and has many more things to offer
 * at Traunsee in Salzkammergut.
 * with a very lovely Baroque town
 * , notorious as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but its historic old town has witnessed more than 750 year of history and has many more things to offer
 * with a very lovely Baroque town
 * , notorious as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but its historic old town has witnessed more than 750 year of history and has many more things to offer
 * with a very lovely Baroque town
 * , notorious as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but its historic old town has witnessed more than 750 year of history and has many more things to offer
 * with a very lovely Baroque town
 * , notorious as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but its historic old town has witnessed more than 750 year of history and has many more things to offer

Other destinations

 * (ex. Fucking) – a small village infamous for its peculiar former name
 * with Attersee and Traunsee.
 * with Attersee and Traunsee.

Get in
Best arrival place is Linz as it is a transportation hub (car, train, airport).

By car
It is easiest to travel around Mühlviertel by car.

By bus
Public buses called Postbus are available to get you from one village to another, prices are reasonable, but schedules can be infrequent.

See

 * is located in the region of the Innviertel area close to the border with Bavaria, the Baroque town of Schärding is a truly extraordinary place. Its architecture is a mix of many styles and periods, the highlight probably being the Baroque “Silberzeile” row of houses, an astonishing ensemble of Baroque buildings . Rich market traders used to live there, lending its name to the place because they had pockets full of silver. The late-medieval colors of the old gates, the narrow and mysterious side streets – all this makes Schärding such a very special place indeed. In summer, it is mainly cyclists that flock to the town, while winter is a perfect time to enjoy the peace and quiet near the River Inn, with a beautiful river esplanade where you can relax and unwind. Or else you could take a beautiful, insightful walk through the old town center and try to imagine what life in the Middle Ages must have been like.
 * (Wolfgangsee) is considered to be the most scenic lake in the Salzkammergut, framed by true mountain personalities. 13.5 km² large and up to 114m deep, Lake Wolfgang has a catchment area of more than 125km². Together with the Mondsee lake, it is the warmest bathing lake in the Salzkammergut (up to 26°C) and freezes shut in front of St. Wolfgang during the cold winter. It really is an experience to glide over the wide ice surface of the lake on skates.
 * The is north of the river Danube. It is a very hilly area and is well known for agriculture, it is very rural and there is no industry.

Eat

 * If you like to try different meats and a hearty farmer's meal try Bauernschmaus.

Go next

 * You can move on to the Czech Republic or Germany.

title: Upper Austria


text:
Upper Bavaria

Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern) is the Bavarian heartland. It's a place of deep forests, beautiful meadows, winding roads and jagged peaks. Upper Bavariais full of festivities. Every few weeks there is another annual fest or event in some town or city. The best time to visit would be August and September when the weather is most predictable and the beer gardens are in full swing. The folks in this region have a good balance of hard work, socializing, playing and just relaxing. But don't expect to notice this all in a quick visit, you need to stay for a while to really understand.

Cities

 * (München) — the capital of Bavaria, known for the annual Oktoberfest
 * — large city with gothic and baroque architecture styles

Towns

 * — small skiing resort and spa
 * — a small spa town in the Bavarian Alps near Salzburg
 * — A picturesque and historic town in the Bavarian Alps near Salzburg, ski and summer resort
 * — site of the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany and a nice old town worth seeing
 * — famous for its Weißbier brewery and Europe's largest spa & sauna area
 * — an old bishop's town; Munich International Airport is located here
 * at the north edge of Munich is famous for its research center.
 * — ride up the highest mountain in Germany (Zugspitze) at this ski resort, which has hosted the Olympic games
 * is a large village north east of Munich.
 * — town on the Staffelsee
 * — famous for painted houses, wood-carved sculptures and the decennial passion play
 * — a small city in the southeast of Upper Bavaria near the Alps
 * — wealthiest town in Germany, located on a beautiful lake
 * — known mostly for the resident chemical company it has a lovely old town and a rather large castle complex
 * — Birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI

Other destinations

 * — small village that is mostly known for the Andechs Abbey, a monastery that is famous for its beer.
 * — ski resort and spa near Murnau.
 * - the German part of the magnificent and rough mountain range
 * — including the deepest lake in the Alps near Berchtesgaden.
 * — a baroque small town along the Altmühl River
 * - small village on the picturesque Kochelsee, popular summer and winter destination.
 * — a town of approximately 20,000 inhabitants
 * — famous for its nicely painted houses and violin shops
 * — gateway to the Chiemsee
 * — a village on the Romantic Road
 * — an upmarket mountain lake resort in the Bavarian Alps
 * - Another mountain lake resort in the Bavarian Alps
 * - A wood-rafting destination
 * - A wood-rafting destination
 * - A wood-rafting destination

Understand
Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern in German) is the southernmost district in Bavaria and includes the state capital of Munich. With 4.3 million residents, this is also the largest district in Bavaria. The largest cities are Munich (1.3 million residents), Ingolstadt (123,000 residents) and Rosenheim (61,000 residents). The Landkreis Munich which surrounds Munich in the south, east and north has another 350 000 inhabitants.

It covers an areas of around 17,000 km², with the mountain ranges of Kalkalpen, Ammergebirge, Wetterstein, Karwendel and the Chiemgauer Alps along the southern border. To the north the district reaches the Danube river. 4.5% of Upper Bavaria is designated as protected, with 131 natural protection areas. The highest point is the summit of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugsptize (2,962 metres).

Talk
People from this region of Germany often speak a dialect known as 'Bavarian' or 'Boarisch'. Even if you have a good understanding of standard German, the pronunciation may be very difficult to understand. The exception is Upper Bavaria's capital city Munich, where many people come from other areas in Germany and the world, and standard German is widely spoken.

'Boarisch' has similarities to the Austrian dialect of German.

By air
has good flight connections from within Germany and across west Europe.

Frankfurt Airport is a better choice for intercontinental flights. Trains from the airport reach Bavaria in about 3 hours 30 min.

Salzburg just over the Austrian border may be more convenient for the south of the region.

Memmingen to the west has budget flights from East Europe and the Balkans.

Get around
By train is best choice for all but the shortest journeys. Routes radiate from Munich.

Bayern-Ticket is a bargain day-ticket valid on all regional trains (but not IC/ICE), S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses. It's valid all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, and from 09:00 on weekdays, expiring at 03:00. (The night ticket is valid 18:00-07:00.) It extends as far as Salzburg and within Austria along the track between Kempten, Reutte and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

In 2022 the day ticket costs €26 for one adult plus €8 for every additional adult up to five, and up to three children ride free. Buy it online or from the station machines as there's a €2 surcharge to buy it from the ticket office.

Bayern-Bohemia ticket covers a wider area of Bavaria and Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Similar rules, and it's not valid for IC/ICE trains. In 2022 this costs €29 for one adult plus €8.60 for every additional adult up to five; up to three children ride free.

A public bus network is available throughout the region, although visiting remote areas will be difficult. To visit the mountains and lakes a car would be ideal.

Cycling is a popular activity, and a good way to see the quiet side of life along minor roads in the region.

Itineraries

 * The final stretch of the Romantic Road passes through Upper Bavaria on the way to Füssen.

Do

 * Maibaum aufstellen is the May Day festival, a public holiday in Germany. Bavarian villages erect maypoles, folk gussy up in Lederhosn or Dirndln, the oompah band strikes up, market stalls sell food and drink, and there are tables for guzzling while watching.
 * Oktoberfest is the humonguous beer festival held in Munich over 16/17 days from mid-September.
 * Christmas markets (Kristkindelmarkt or Weihnachtsmarkt) are held in many towns in the four weeks to Christmas Eve. Best known is the market on Marienplatz in Munich.
 * Winter sports: the main resort is Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Eat
The largest Bavarian asparagus (Spargel in German) growing area is around Schrobenhausen. In springtime you can buy white asparagus directly from the farmers, and local restaurants offer special asparagus dishes.

Climate
The region occasionally experiences a phenomenon called the Föhn (pronounced fern), which has no direct English translation and means a downward sloping warm wind. (This is sometimes known as Chinook wind in North America.) It occurs as a consequence of bad weather in Italy, when damp warm air from the south gets pushed over the alps and comes down suddenly onto the region. It occurs mostly during Spring and Autumn and results in thunder and lightning. Many people blame feeling sleepy and experiencing headaches on this weather.

Go next

 * Lower Bavaria is east, bordering Austria. Passau is a lovely old university town.
 * Swabia is west. Augsburg was a substantial city before Munich got started; Füssen to the south has the Disneyesque Neuschwanstein Castle.
 * Franconia is north, with the unmissable old city of Nuremberg.

title: Upper Bavaria


text:
Wikivoyage:Joke articles/Upper Caisse

Upper Caisse (Caissa Superiore) is an island in San Serriffe.

Regions

 * West Upper Caisse
 * East Upper Caisse

Cities

 * Bodoni
 * Port Clarendon

Other destinations

 * Cocobanana Beach

title: Wikivoyage:Joke articles/Upper Caisse


text:
Upper Cape

Upper Cape is the westernmost region of Cape Cod, nearest to the Cape Cod Canal.

Towns

 * includes the villages of Bourne Village, Bournedale, Buzzards Bay, Cataumet, Gray Gables, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore and Sagamore Beach
 * includes the village of Forestdale.
 * includes the villages of Teaticket, Waquoit and
 * (includes the villages of New Seabury and Popponesset)
 * (includes the villages of New Seabury and Popponesset)

Do
There are many great things to do on the Upper Cape from fishing in the Cape Cod Canal to antiquing to dining out at some great Cape Cod traditional spots. There is parking all along the canal where you can drop a line right from the banks. There is also Route 6A in Sandwich, which has many antique shops that would take you an entire day to make it from one end to the other.

title: Upper Cape


text:
Upper Darby

Upper Darby is a city in Pennsylvania.

Get in
Upper Darby's main public transit hub, the is located on Market and 69th Streets. Situated directly west of the city, Upper Darby is moments away from Philadelphia. Coming from Center City, one would simply get on the Market-Frankford Line and take it westbound to the last stop, which is 69th Street.

Get around
To get in, around, and out of the town, you can use SEPTA buses, trolleys, and buses serving Philadelphia and all of its suburbs. You can purchase tokens at the terminal. You can buy a ten pack for $15.50. Buying tokens will save you money as they cost $1.55 each; purchasing on the bus/trolley cost $2.00 for a one way ride (note that the drivers do NOT give change, so it is best to have $2.00 exactly).

See

 * Sellers Memorial Library is located on State Road. The local municipal branch is located on chestnut and Garrett Roads. The local branch is within walking distance of the terminal. To get to the main branch you can take the 110 or 111 bus, which stops in front of it. These are historical buildings with much history to learn.
 * The Tower Theater is located on 69th and Ludlow Streets. This historical famous theater continues to hold concerts, performances, and shows to this day.
 * The Swedish Log Cabin is North America's oldest log-built structure still in existence. If you call ahead, you may be able to get a short tour from one of the very enthusiastic historians who maintain the building. The park that surrounds it is both a local teenage stomping ground and the original forest. The cabin is located on Creek Road and is easily accessible by the 102 trolley line which runs from 69th Street to Sharon Hill.

Do
Visit one of the numerous parks within the neighborhoods of Upper Darby, where you can play sports, have a picnic, or walk the field.

Naylors Run Park is different from the rest of the parks because this one is full of nature. Enjoy a seat on the rocks by the running stream or hike through the trails. Afterward, enjoy a round of tennis on the courts. This park is located on Garrett Road. To get from the terminal to the park, you can take the 101 or 102 local trolleys to the Barclay Square Stop. Here, the park will be visible on the right hand side of the road.

Go Bowling! Located on Market and Powell Lane, there is Gehris Lanes. They have a very friendly staff and good prices.

Billiards! Alpha Billiards is located on Garrett Road, just a two minute walk from the terminal.

Movies! See a movie at the United Artist/Regal Theater located on 69th Street.

Buy
Complete all of your shopping needs at the 69th Street Shopping Strip. There are many clothing and shoe stores, such as Sears, Dots, Marshalls, Footlocker, Modell's, City Blue, Lady Blue, Z-Boutique, Easy Pickins, and Lola. There are drug stores, nail salons, and grocery stores as well.

Eat
A Chinese Buffet is located in the Barclay Square Shopping Center on Garrette Road. Take the 101 or 102 local trolley to the Barclay Square stop.

There are many fast food choices, such as McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, and Leondro's Pizza which are all located along 69th Street.

There are many ethnic restaurants located around market and 69th Streets. There are Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Caribbean places spread out throughout the area.

Drink
Brownies Pub is located at 26 Garrett Road.

There are many bars along main streets, such as Garrett Road.

Go next
Make your way back home from the terminal back to Philadelphia. Or make your way back to the airport. The 108 bus from the terminal goes straight to the Philadelphia International Airport.

title: Upper Darby


text:
Upper Egypt

Upper Egypt (Arabic: صعيد مصر Sa'id Misr) is a region of the Nile Valley in Egypt, between Luxor and Aswan and the historical region of Lower Nubia, characterised by a number of ancient settlements and temple towns that draw thousands of travellers every year.

Cities and towns
The most important cities and towns, from north to south:
 * has direct flights from Europe and is the main resort. It is very touristy, but its sights are remarkable: Karnak within the city and the Valley of the Kings and of The Queens nearby across the Nile.

 * has a beautifully-preserved sandstone temple to the god Khnum.
 * consists of prehistoric and ancient Egyptian settlements including the Temple of Nekhbet.
 * has the Temple of Horus.
 * has the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, and the royal quarries of Silsila, north of the town.
 * has many sights, several relocated from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, such as Kalabsha and the Philae Temple.
 * near the border with Sudan is where the Great Temple of Ramses II was moved uphill from the waters of Lake Nasser.

Other Destinations

 * are a range of sandstone hills with the popular royal quarries.
 * is the colossal reservoir lake, 479 km (298 mi) long and up to 16 km wide, created in 1971 by the completion of the Aswan High Dam. It stretches from Aswan past Abu Simbel to Wadi Halfa in Sudan, where it's called "Lake Nubia". See those cities for lakeside facilities, but there's very little shoreline development.

Understand
Most of Egypt sits on limestone bedrock, so this was the usual building material. But upriver south of Esna this changes to sandstone, which was used for local building, but was also worth transporting long distances because you could decorate it with much finer yet hard-wearing inscriptions. The sandstone pinches the upper Nile into a narrow valley, so the fertile strip becomes a corridor. The river current is stronger but it is still navigable by sail and by thrashing the slaves to row harder upstream—until you reach Aswan. Here a bar of granite crosses the valley to create the "First Cataract", the lowest of a series of rapids. The Nile cannot be used for long-distance transport above there so the upriver regions were less important. Still the granite was valuable so it was quarried and shipped north; there was even some gold. The First and Second Cataracts are now buried by dams and Lake Nasser. Downriver between Edfu and Esna the limestone terrain resumes. The valley and irrigated land broaden out around Luxor, marking the landscape transition to middle Egypt.

By plane
Aswan and Luxor  have flights at least daily from Cairo; Luxor has direct flights from Europe.

By train
Sixteen trains run daily from Cairo to Luxor, taking 10 hours; some start from Alexandria or Giza. A dozen of them continue south, stopping at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, and taking 13 hr in all to reach Aswan. This means you can avoid arrival or departure at strange hours. Five of them are called "Ordinary trains", very cheap and basic, and stopping at multiple wayside halts. They are misery for an overnight journey but fine for day-time travel. There are many restrictions on what tickets a visitor can buy, but they all have workarounds, see Egypt for more.

By bus
Long distance buses ply all the way up the Nile valley to Aswan.

By road
As well as the route up the valley, highways cross the desert from the coast, e.g. from Hurghada. If you use a taxi, which is often a good deal, then negotiate with the driver for a stop-off at one or more of the temple towns along the way.

By boat
There are no scheduled ferries along the Nile, but a felucca cruise on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan will include stops at the temple towns between. Larger river cruisers also sail, but are often suspended because of insufficient water in the Nile.

A dilapidated ferry sails once or twice a week across Lake Nasser to Wadi Halfa in Sudan; you will need to sort out your visa well in advance. Remarkably, there is no road between these two countries, so this is the only surface connection. The ferry does not call at Abu Simbel.

Get around

 * There are flights from Aswan to Abu Simbel, and it is often done as day-trip by air.
 * Road and railway link all the towns along the Nile. It is not worth flying between Aswan and Luxor.

See

 * Tombs of the pharaohs are built west of the Nile, like the pyramids at Giza, because the west signified death—it was where the sun god Ra died at the end of each day. The finest collection are in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens a short distance from Luxor. They are magnificent unless you are trying to see them at the same time as a coach party—the interiors are small.
 * Temples line the valley: Karnak at Luxor is the best-known (and often crowded) whereas you might have Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo to yourself.

Do
Sometimes the temples put on sound-and-light shows at dusk, check locally.

Buy
Nothing in Luxor if you can help it. It is overpriced tourist tat with much hassle, which becomes turbo-charged hassle if you display the least interest. Aswan and the other small towns are not as bad, and have genuine souks, though inevitably you are overpaying.

Drink
Water—it is a desert climate and your sweat evaporates fast, so you do not feel sticky and may not realise how much fluid you are shedding.

Sleep
Luxor and Aswan have the widest range of accommodation. The other towns along the valley have very simple basic accommodation, but you will probably prefer a day-trip.

Go next

 * Downstream through Middle Egypt to Cairo is the obvious next step.
 * Highways cross the desert to the Red Sea Coast, for instance Luxor to Hurghada is a 4-hr drive.
 * Terra nullius: neither Egypt nor Sudan acknowledge Bir Tawil on their border. It won't be touristy, that is for sure.

title: Upper Egypt


text:
Tornado (West Virginia)

Tornado, also called Upper Falls, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kanawha County, Metro Valley, West Virginia. Its official name has switched between Tornado and Upper Falls several times since its discovery in 1742 and both names are in common use today.

Understand
The U.S. Census Bureau, with the approval of the Kanawha County Commission, renamed the CDP to Upper Falls for the 2010 census. The commission then decided in 2013 that the community favored Tornado's distinctive name over Upper Falls and requested that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names change the name back. The Census Bureau followed by replacing the 2010 Upper Falls CDP with the Tornado CDP in 2020.

History
During an exploratory expedition in 1742, John Peter Salling discovered the Upper Falls of Coal River, which gives the community its historical name. European settlers first arrived after the Revolutionary War, but many left after conflicts with natives.

Timber harvesting began in the region in the 1830s. A sawmill and later gristmill, established around 1850 by Joseph Thomas at the Upper Falls, operated until the 1930s. Locks and dams were constructed on Coal River in the 1850s to transport coal and timber, but commercial steamboat traffic ended in 1881 because of various interruptions caused by ongoing flooding and the Civil War. The Coal River and Western Railway, completed in 1904, is now operated by CSX Transportation to transport bituminous coal to global markets.

While timber extraction largely ended in the 1920s, the community grew rapidly during and after World War II to house workers for the weapons and chemical manufacturing industries. It is today a residential suburb of Charleston.

Get in
Coal River Road provides access from the city of Saint Albans to the north and from the community of Alum Creek to the south. Falls Creek Road enters from the community of Garretts Bend to the west. Smith Creek Road provides access from the city of South Charleston to the east.

Get around
With portage around the Upper Falls of Coal River, the adventurous can circumnavigate Upper Falls from watercraft on the Walhonde Water Trail.

See
The Upper Falls of Coal River adjoin the community and give it its historical name from their cascading waters.

Do
Big Bend Golf Course (151 Riverview Drive) is a championship, 18 hole, par 71 golf course of 6,237 yards. Opened in 1965, the course was designed by Claude Evans to be easy enough for beginners and yet challenging for the pro. Trees line the fairways and water is in play on three holes. Larger greens are sloped enough to test putting skill. Big Bend is nestled within its namesake Big Bend of Coal River, which flows around the course and compliments its scenic beauty. Features include a pro shop and a snack bar that serves hot sandwiches and beverages.

Meadowood Park (292 Pettigrew Lane) features soccer fields, volleyball, picnic shelters, children's play structures, fishing and boating. The park is home to the Upper Falls Landing on the Walhonde Water Trail, a natural landing on Coal River that supports watercraft portage around Upper Falls Dam and Upper Falls Lock. Upper Falls Point provides a spectacular view of the Upper Falls. The Upper Falls Walking Trail is here, one of a series of autonomous trails that comprise the Walhonde Walking Trail system. Parking and restrooms are available. Admission is free.

Mountaineer Radio Control Flying Club (8004 Smith Creek Road) maintains a flying field that is very busy on summer weekends. New fliers are always welcome.

Go next
Walhonde Trail Byway is a planned scenic byway that will transverse Upper Falls.

title: Tornado (West Virginia)


text:
Upper Franconia

Upper Franconia (Oberfranken) is a region in the state of Bavaria in Germany.

Cities

 * - is famous as the host of the Richard Wagner Festival, furthermore the Markgräfliches Opernhaus is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * — tiny town which the Guinness Book of World Records recognises as the town with the most breweries per capita! There's even a beer trail that you can hike with stops at all the local Biergartens
 * - the whole old town of Bamberg is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * - with ten breweries
 * - it has been the household name for some royal dynasties in Europe
 * - known for the Kulmbach Beer Festival
 * is a tiny border hamlet divided between Bavaria and Thuringia, placing it directly on Cold War Europe's East German border. A wall divided the village in two; the site is now an open-air museum.
 * - in the heart of Franconian Switzerland with Cave Teufelshöhle and a Sommerrodelbahn (a kind of summer-only dry toboggan)
 * is a tiny border hamlet divided between Bavaria and Thuringia, placing it directly on Cold War Europe's East German border. A wall divided the village in two; the site is now an open-air museum.
 * - in the heart of Franconian Switzerland with Cave Teufelshöhle and a Sommerrodelbahn (a kind of summer-only dry toboggan)

Other destinations

 * — is arranged like a horseshoe around an inner hill-landscape; the highest mountain is the "Schneeberg (Snow Mountain)" with 1053 m above sealevel
 * (Fränkische Schweiz) — breweries, castle ruins, hiking, canoeing

Understand
There are three holy hills that are important for Upper Franconia. Those were already populated in prehistoric times. The Walberla near Kirchehrenbach, the Staffelberg near Bad Staffelstein and the Kreuzberg near Hallerndorf with a pilgrimage church built in 1463 and beer cellars of three breweries.

Tradition An old tradition in Upper Franconia is the Stärk’ antrinken (drink force) on the evening before 6th January or on 6th January itself. The force in this context stands for health and strength for the new year to be aware of upcoming contrarieties.

Talk
You can find a great variety of franconian dialects. There are differences in every village. The “breite Brett” (broad board) is named e.g. in the Bayreuth area as “braades Breed” and in the Coburg area as “breedes Braad”. Half a liter beer is commonly known as “Seidla”.

See

 * Deutsch-Deutsches Museum (Mödlareuth)
 * Dom (Bamberg)
 * Festung Rosenberg (Kronach)
 * Internationale Hofer Filmtage (Hof)
 * Wagner Museum (Bayreuth)
 * Wagner Festival Theater (Bayreuth)

Do

 * Botanical Garden (Hof)

Drink
Breweries in Franconia lists breweries, beer cellars, brewery museums.
 * Schlenkerla Brewery (Bamberg)

Stay safe
In regular statistics of the police Upper Franconia is named the area in Bavaria with the least felonies per habitant. Bavaria is one of the most secure areas in Germany.

title: Upper Franconia


text:
Upper Galilee

The Upper Galilee (Hebrew: הגליל העליון HaGalil HaElyon, Arabic: الجليل al-Jalīl) is a northern region of Israel.

Cities and villages

 * – this fascinating city is filled with artists and mystics. Since the 16th century it has been a main center of Kabbalah study.
 * – a small quiet city known primarily for the successful merger between Jewish and Arab communities
 * – a stylish tourist town with multiple restaurants and a 19th Century reconstruction site

Understand
The Galilee, apart from the Western Galilee, the Galilee Panhandle and the Sea of Galilee region, can be separated into the Upper Galilee and the Lower Galilee. It is generally a forested highland area with relatively sparse population. Its landscape and historical associations make it a great draw for the traveller.

The Upper Galilee consists of rugged forested hills, of which the highest of Mount Meron, with an elevation of 1208 m. From Mount Meron, the landscape gradually slopes down on the east and west towards the Mediterranean Sea and Sea of Galilee. To the north, the Upper Galilee continues (geographically speaking) into Lebanon. To the south, there is a sudden descent to the Lower Galilee, where the highest peaks are around 500 m. Route 85, the east-west road running at the foot of this descent, is generally considered the practical boundary between Upper and Lower Galilee.

Get in

 * The closest train stations are in and.

 * Many bus routes cross and serve the Galilee, e.g. between Tiberias and Haifa, Akko or Nahariyya.

By bus
There is frequent bus service between each of the 10 or so significant cities in the Galilee. However, if you want to go to a village, kibbutz, or out-of-the-way natural or historic site, bus service can be quite sparse and inconvenient.

By car
The Galilee has a good road system. But expect traffic even in rural areas, particularly on weekends and holidays when many people from central Israel drive here for a quick vacation.

By thumb
Hitch-hiking is definitely an option and easy along the non-highway roads, also where buses are sparse. Due to high concentration of Arab and Druze villages, it is also more likely to get picked up. Jewish Israelis are more wary nowadays, which in other parts of the country can be an issue when hitch-hiking.

See

 * A number of Druze villages have an interesting culture.

Hiking
The picturesque Galilee landscapes are covered by a dense network of hiking trails. See Hiking and backpacking in Israel for more details.

Sleep
Many visitors to the Upper Galilee sleep in a tzimmer - a kind of bed-and-breakfast place run out of a private house. Pretty much every town and village in the Galilee has a few of these.

Go next

 * The Western Galilee at the coast, the Lower Galilee with Nazareth, the Galilee Panhandle just before the Golan Heights and of course the Sea of Galilee region are must sees closeby.
 * In the south the Jezreel Valley which is an extensive inland valley, largely rural, extending inland from east of Haifa, and the Beit Shean Valley, which is the core of the north Jordan River valley.

title: Upper Galilee


text:
Wellington/Upper Hutt

Upper Hutt is a city in the upper (northern) Hutt Valley, near Wellington, in the Greater Wellington region of the North Island of New Zealand.

Understand
Upper Hutt is not part of Hutt City, another name for nearby Lower Hutt.
 * Upper Hutt City Council website

Get in
There are five roads into and out of Upper Hutt. State Highway 2, which runs the length of the upper Hutt valley, is known as River Road as it runs along the banks of the Hutt River, effectively bypassing the city.

By bus
The Upper Hutt – Petone (route 110) bus travels from Petone Station via the Lower Hutt Queensgate bus interchange to Upper Hutt every 15 minute during weekdays and half hourly in the evenings and at weekends.

By car

 * From Wellington, State Highway 2 (SH2) travels along the Hutt Road past Lower Hutt and the intersection with State Highway 58 (SH58) at Haywards/Manor Park to the Silverstream Bridge.
 * From the Wairarapa, State Highway 2 travels over the Rimutaka Hill to Upper Hutt.
 * There are major intersections and bridges along River Road that provide ready access to most Upper Hutt suburbs. At most times of the day, this means it is about a half-hour trip from Wellington CBD to Upper Hutt, a distance of about 40 km.  During rush hour, the journey can take an hour or more.
 * The Eastern Hutt Road provides an alternative route between Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt via Stokes Valley.
 * Moonshine Hill Road provides a rural alternative route from State Highway 58 at the western end of Haywards hill at Judgeford to State Highway 2 at the Moonshine Bridge in Upper Hutt.
 * Akatarawa Road provides a scenic drive between Waikanae and Upper Hutt. The road is single lane for about 30 km, and may take an hour of cautious driving at 30-50 km/h, well below the 50–70 km/h posted speed limit.  There are a number of places of interest along this road, including Staglands wildlife park.

By train
Metlink suburban train services run between Wellington and central Upper Hutt at 30-minute intervals for most of the day. The journey time to Upper Hutt from Wellington is typically 45 minutes. Single adult fares to Upper Hutt station are $9.00 at peak and $7.50 off peak.

See

 * Bartons Bush in Trentham Memorial Park is the last remaining stand of native bush that once covered the whole of the Hutt valley.
 * California Park in the suburb of Totara Park and the Wellington Fault that runs through the middle of the park and the suburb. To find this feature drive the loop around California Drive. When you come to the wide section with the large grassed traffic islands in the middle realise you are driving on an earthquake fault.
 * Harcourt Park, the main entrance is about 500 m up Akatarawa Road from the State Highway 2 intersection. You can also see the Wellington Fault escarpment right by the main carpark. There is an information board here about how the park was formed by the Wellington Fault. This park was one of the scenes for shooting the Lord of the Rings films. There is also a 18 hole disc golf course, maps are available from the city council information store.
 * Silverstream Railway, a short preserved section of the original 1870s Wellington-Wairarapa line, which bypassed in the early 1950s when the new Silverstream Rail Bridge opened. Steam trains operate on Sundays. Malcolm Campbell is Upper Hutt's most famous train enthusiast with a love for all things "rail". Incidentally, Mr Campbell's mother also has a claim to fame as she featured as one of the Orcs in all three of the Lord of the Rings films.
 * Take a scenic drive up Akatarawa Road to Staglands farm park.
 * At the top of the Rimutaka Hill you can take a break in your trip to the Waiarapa and climb up to the Rimutaka Trig and see the Wairarapa instead. Choose a calm sunny day as this part of the country can be very windy.

Do

 * Tunnel Gully and the Rimutaka Incline walkways. Walk or mountain bike the old railway route over the Rimutaka ranges.
 * The Hutt River is easily accessible for most of its length. It is even able to be fished for trout - a fishing licence is required.
 * Mountain bike the Karapoti! Every year mountainbikers from around the country and around the world come to take on the Karapoti Challenge - a classic mountain bike race. Mud, steep hills and crazy people. http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/karapoti/

Buy
The central shopping centre runs the length of Main Street, with the block on either side also having some shops. There are 3 supermarkets in this area, as well as the oddly named Trentham City Plaza. Generous amounts of free off-street parking can be found in carparks accessed from Fergusson Drive or Queen Street.

There are smaller groups of shops dotted along the length of Fergusson Drive, between Silverstream and Brown Owl, as well as a supermarket in Silverstream and a small shopping centre in Totara Park.

Eat
Several restaurants and fast food outlets can be found in Main Street or nearby. The ubiquitous New Zealand Fish and Chip shop, or perhaps a burger bar, dot the suburbs, often near a dairy or one of a group of shops.

Drink
There are many great pubs and clubs in Upper Hutt. Amongst these the Totara Lodge is the most widely known. Situated at Trentham adjacent to the train station and Wellington Racing Club the "Tote" has a strong racing connection. The best day of the year in Trentham comes on the 4th Saturday of January each year when the Wellington Cup is run. This race is one of Australasia's premier 2 mile events with previous winners including the great Carbine and Kiwi who went onto success at the Melbourne Cup. The Tote is definitely the place to be come Wellington Cup Day.

title: Wellington/Upper Hutt


text:
Upper Lusatia

Upper Lusatia (German: Oberlausitz) is a geographic and historic region that is mostly located in modern-day land of Saxony in Germany. In this guide, it is used to refer to the territory of the Bautzen and Görlitz districts of Saxony, although what is referred to as Upper Lusatia by historians would usually include parts of what is now Dolnośląskie in Poland, as well as lands now belonging to the Czech Republic.

The Saxon Upper Lusatia is known for its picturesque hilly and mountainous landscapes covered with dense forests, as well as cities and towns with rich, long history. Many of the settlements in the region have been recorded as existing for over a thousand years and have played a vital role in the history of Saxony, Bohemia, Poland and Central Europe in general. The natural beauty of the region is also a major draw, and the region is a popular holiday destination for the nature-loving Germans.

Upper Lusatia is also the home of the Upper Sorbian ethnic minority in Germany. Sorbs use a Slavic language that is not immediately related to German, and it has an official status in Saxony. There are 40,000 active speakers of Upper Sorbian in Upper Lusatia, and many municipalities feature bilingual (German / Upper Sorbian) signage. A related Lower Sorbian ethnic minority is mostly concentrated in southern Brandenburg

Regions and destinations

 * The Bautzen district is the western part of Upper Lusatia, containing the historically important cities of Bautzen and Hoyerswerda.
 * The Görlitz district is the eastern part of Upper Lusatia, bordering Poland. Historically, it used to blend seamlessly with what is now a part of Poland on the other side of the border-marking river Neisse (Nysa in Polish).

Cities
Note that many of the towns mentioned here have bilingual town signs; the name linked here is their German name with the Sorbian name mentioned in parenthesis where applicable
 * (Budyšin) – cultural and political centre of the Lusatian Sorbs; lovely old town with many medieval towers
 * (Wojerecy) – one of the "socialist model cities" of East Germany, dominated by plattenbau buildings, however there is also an old town that is worth seeing; close to the Lusatian lake district
 * (Kamjenc) – located in the Western Lusatian hill country, this old town is home to the famous German playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
 * (Mužakow), a spa town which contains half of the Muskau Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the other half is across the border in Poland)
 * – most populous city of the region; undestroyed during World War II and carefully renovated after the end of communism, Görlitz is one of the most beautiful demonstration pieces of architectural history in Germany: ranging from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau
 * – origin of the Protestant-pietist Herrnhut Brethren church
 * – close to the German-Polish-Czech border triangle and the small Zittau Mountains ridge
 * – close to the German-Polish-Czech border triangle and the small Zittau Mountains ridge

Other destinations

 * – giant strip-mining excavators once transformed this area into a "moon landscape" as lignite was East Germany's main source of energy; after the end of mining, it was recultivated as a recreational area with the gravel pits flooded to become dozens of clean lakes
 * , UNESCO biosphere reserve – home to several protected bird, amphibians, mammal and insect species as well as rare plants; can be discovered on foot or by bike, and offers products of sustainable agriculture and fishing
 * – small mountain range (up to 793 m high) on the German-Czech border with picturesque rock formations, popular for hiking and winter sports

Understand
While Upper Lusatia has been linked to Saxony for centuries, it has maintained a distinct cultural identity. Parts of the region did not belong to Saxony until 1945, but were part of the Silesia province that was—except for this little piece—annexed by Poland after the Second World War. While the majority of inhabitants are ethnic Germans, the region's most particular feature is the existence of an indigenous, Slavic-speaking minority group: the Sorbs. Most of them are Catholic and regular church-goers, another distinctive feature in the otherwise Protestant and irreligious Eastern Germany.

Talk
While the local population generally speaks German, Upper Sorbian—a Slavic language—is in active usage, too. People speaking Upper Sorbian will be able to understand Czech and, to a lesser extent, Polish, while speakers of both those languages may be able to understand spoken and written Upper Sorbian to some extent.

By plane
There is no airport in Upper Lusatia. The nearest major airport is in Dresden, airports in Leipzig , Berlin Brandenburg Airport , Wrocław and Prague  are also within 1.5 to 3 hours of the region.

By train
There are no intercity trains serving Upper Lusatia. The closest station with intercity service is Dresden. From there "regional express" and local trains connect to Bischofswerda, Bautzen, Görlitz, Zittau, Hoyerswerda, Königsbrück and Kamenz.

By bus
Some Intercity buses connect the area to other parts of Germany, mostly Berlin. Flixbus has a near monopoly and is the only company serving the area.

By car
Upper Lusatia is intersected by the A4 motorway Dresden–Görlitz–Wroclaw.

Get around
In all regional and local trains and buses, ZVON combined tickets are valid. EURO-NEISSE tickets even allow you to cross the border to the adjacent parts of Poland and the Czech Republic.

See

 * Muskau Park (or Fürst-Pückler-Park) in Bad Muskau – the largest English-style landscape garden in continental Europe, carefully designed and rich in variety, with several castle and manor buildings, UNESCO World Heritage site
 * Azalea and Rhododendron park Kromlau (6 km west of Bad Muskau) – another beautiful landscape garden with artificial rock formations, caves, grottos, pyramids and exotic plants
 * Muskau forest railway – a historical narrow-gauge railway, connecting Bad Muskau, Krauschwitz, Weißwasser and Kromlau
 * Nochten boulder park (20 km southwest of Bad Muskau)
 * Görlitz old town – barely any other city in Germany tells you its story like this one, as historic buildings from almost all eras have survived, from late Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque town houses to complete 19th century quarters and Art Nouveau buildings; the town was left almost undamaged by World War II and restored in an exemplary manner after the end of communism. Therefore it is often used as a filming spot for period movies.
 * Bautzen old town – still has a mostly medieval face, with a cathedral that is simultaneously used by the Catholic and Lutheran church, Ortenburg castle and many old towers (therefore Bautzen's epithet as the "city of towers")
 * Kleinwelka labyrinth and dinosaur park (5 km northwest of Bautzen)
 * "House of thousand ponds" – visitors information centre of the Upper Lusatian biosphere reserve, in the middle of the heath and pond landscape (16 km northeast of Bautzen)
 * "Krabat" mill, Schwarzkollm (8 km west of Hoyerswerda) – site of a well-known folk legend of a poor country boy who comes to a mysterious mill looking for work. After pledging as an apprentice, he finds out that its shadowy "Master" is in fact a dark magician. Having tried to escape, the apprentices are transformed into birds. In the end, they are redeemed by the power of love. The mill houses an exposition on the tale, related novels and films, and informs about Sorbian language and customs, mainly targeting children and youths. There is a themed theatrical festival in July of each year.

Do

 * Hiking and winter sports (mostly cross-country skiing) in the Zittau Mountains
 * Cycling tours along the Oder-Neisse trail and other regional cycling paths
 * Water sports in the Lusatian lake district
 * Swimming, sauna and spa at Erlebniswelt Krauschwitz
 * Watch the particular Sorbian Easter riding processions

Eat
The regional cuisine, at least in the eastern part of the region, is quite distinct from the rest of Saxony. It reflects Silesian, Sorbian and Bohemian (Czech) influences. Typical dishes include Teichelmauke (or Deichelmauke; mashed potatoes with beef, broth and sauerkraut), Stupperle (a kind of potato dumplings, as a side dish) or elderberry soup.

A special product of the region is linseed oil that can be eaten with a bread roll and sugar, or with curd and potatoes. Another widely known product is Bautzen mustard. During the pre-Christmas season, you should try Pulsnitzer lebkuchen (gingerbread).

Drink
The region's major brewery is Landskron of Görlitz. A local beer specialty is Lausitzer Porter from Löbau, a very malty, almost sweet black beer, that is also available with cherry flavour.

Stay safe
The border area with Poland and the Czech Republic is said to have a somewhat higher crime rate, when it comes to burglary and car theft, but this is rather a nuisance to locals than a danger to tourists. Lusatia is one of the few regions of Germany that has a population of wild wolves, that are however harmless to humans (while local farmers complain about wolves killing their cattle).

Go next

 * Saxon Elbland with the world-famous state capital Dresden
 * Southern Brandenburg with the Spreewald meadows and forests
 * Cross the border to either Dolnośląskie (Poland) or North Bohemia (Czech Republic)

title: Upper Lusatia