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Toyooka

Toyooka (豊岡) is a city in northern Hyogo, facing the Sea of Japan.

Tourist information site
The city has an official, partly multilingual guide site. Clicking on "Global" icon leads you to an English site for Kinosaki hot springs area; other areas in the city are covered in Japanese only.

By plane
Tajima Airport serves Toyooka and its area with two direct flights a day to Itami Airport  in Osaka.

By car
This city is connected by Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway.

By train
The Sanin Main Line provides a JR rail connection to Kyoto, and direct trains to Osaka are available via Fukuchiyama. Direct Express trains take about 2.5 hours from Osaka to Toyooka.

Go next

 * Asago
 * Kami
 * Yabu
 * Shinonsen
 * Kyotango
 * Ine
 * Miyazu
 * Fukuchiyama
 * Tottori

title: Toyooka


text:
Toyota

Toyota (豊田) is the largest city in Aichi Prefecture by area, and the sixth largest city in the entire Chūbu region by population. 30 km southeast of Nagoya, it is best known as the home of (it was in fact named after) Toyota Motor Corporation.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By plane
Toyota is served by Nagoya's two airports, Centrair and Komaki.

Meitetsu Bus runs 18 buses a day from Centrair, taking 1 hour 30 minutes and costing ¥1900. These buses take one of two different routes, but they all go to Toyota-shi Station. This is definitely an easier option than taking the train, which will require you to change twice.

In the unlikely event that you use the domestic-only Komaki Airport instead, the easiest way is to take the bus into Nagoya (25 minutes, ¥700). For a direct train to Toyota-shi, get off at Fushimi-chō; for the highway bus, change at Sakae.

By train
Toyota's two main stations are Toyota-shi (豊田市), run by Meitetsu, and Shin-Toyota (新豊田), which is on the Aichi Loop Railway (also known as Aikan: Aichi Kanjo Tetsudo).

The main way into Toyota is the Meitetsu Toyota Line, which is basically an extension of Nagoya's Tsurumai Subway Line. There are usually four trains per hour to Toyota-shi; from Fushimi, these take 50 minutes and ¥780. Note that some Tsurumai Line trains stop short at Akaike. While this is the best way to travel between Toyota and most of Nagoya, the Tsurumai Line serves neither Sakae nor Nagoya Station, and so may be too much of a hassle for long-distance passengers.

An alternative route from Nagoya or Kanayama Stations is to take a Meitetsu Limited Express or Rapid Limited Express train to Chiryū, where you can change to the Mikawa Line towards Sanage; this takes 1 hour and ¥810. For an extra ¥360, you can buy a reserved seat ticket for the Limited Express to Chiryū.

Toyota is not on the JR network. Japan Rail Pass users can get from the Tōkaidō Line to Toyota in 40 minutes for just ¥510 by using the Aichi Loop Line from Okazaki to Shin-Toyota, or Meitetsu from Kariya to Toyota-shi (changing at Chiryū). Going through Okazaki is the best way from Toyohashi, which is served by Kodama and some Hikari trains on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. If coming from the Chūō Line, it is 35 minutes and ¥620 on the Aichi Loop Line from Kōzōji.

By bus
The following buses serve Central Toyota:

 * JR Tōkai Bus runs the overnight Dream Toyota, which connects Shin-Toyota Station to Tokyo Station, taking 6 hours 45 minutes and costing up to ¥7740.
 * Meitetsu Bus runs at least 9 buses a day, usually every hour or two, between Toyota-shi and Nagoya (Meitetsu Bus Center, Fushimi-chō, Nishikidōri-Honmachi, and Sakae Oasis 21), taking 1 hour 15 minutes and costing ¥820.

The following serve Toyota Interchange on the Tōmei Expressway (sometimes known as Tōmei Toyota):

 * JR Tōkai Bus, JR Bus Kantō, and JR Bustech run the Tōmei Highway Bus service (9 buses a day between Tokyo and Nagoya, and 1 bus a day between Shizuoka and Nagoya). From Tokyo this takes 5 hours 10 minutes and costs ¥4970.
 * Ibaraki Kōtsu runs an overnight bus from Tsukuba, Mito and Hitachi, taking 9 hours and costing between ¥7290 and ¥11,700.
 * Meitetsu Bus and Fukushima Transportation run an overnight bus from Tochigi and Fukushima Prefectures (Sano, Kanuma, Utsunomiya, Nishigō for Shirakawa, Sukagawa, Kōriyama, Nihonmatsu, and Fukushima), taking 9 hours 45 minutes and up to ¥11,500 from Fukushima (6 hours 45 minutes and up to ¥10,000 from Utsunomiya).

Tōmei Toyota is connected to Toyota-shi by only 4 Meitetsu Bus services a day (20 minutes, ¥320). More frequent alternatives are to walk 20 minutes north to Toyota-Tōshinchō bus stop, from where it is 20 minutes and ¥270 on the bus to Toyota-shi, or walk 25 minutes south-east to Tsuchihashi Station on the Meitetsu Mikawa Line, from where it is 7 minutes and ¥230 to Toyota-shi on the train.

Get around
Toyota is, atypical for Japan, a car city with a very good road network and very sparse public transportation, which is quite fitting, considering that Toyota is a popular car brand!

See
There is a really nice bridge that looks like it is constructed out of dinosaur bones. It makes for some interesting pictures and a nice stroll in the afternoon.

 * Toyota Automobile Museum is in Nagakute City, not here.
 * Toyota Automobile Museum is in Nagakute City, not here.

Go next

 * Okazaki
 * Shinshiro
 * Shitara
 * Nagakute
 * Seto
 * Nagoya
 * Chiryu
 * Nisshin
 * Kariya

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

title: Toyota


text:
Tozeur

Tozeur is a city in Tunisia. Her architectural style is unique, playing with bricks of sand and clay. The women wear black robes with a bright blue band, unlike those from Nefta to the south with white bands.

By train
An overnight run by SNCFT train connects with Tunis and Gafsa. Trains leave to (and arrive from) Tunis twice a day, usually very early in the morning (at 6AM) or in the evening.

The train station is located close to city centre.

By bus
There are plenty of long distance buses from most major cities in Tunisia. Louages can also be taken to Tozeur (for example, passing by Gafsa and going on to Nefta). The bus and louage station in Tozeur are located near each other, closer to city center than the gare.

Busses run 3-5 times a day direct for Tunis, on a 7-hour, 26-DT drive. Generally, taking the train (in 1st or Confort class, around 30 DT) is a much better option than the bus.

If you are heading south, you can take a bus direct to Douz or Gabes.

By louage
For the louage, transport south to Douz requires a change at Kibilli (Kebili) and from there to Douz. Each leg should take just under 2 hours, though the wait in Kibilli may be 1-2 hours for another louage. Louages are more frequent before mid-day.

Get around
Taxis are unmetered in Tozeur; you will have to agree on a price before the journey begins. Prices should be around 2 DT for a short trip (around a kilometer or less), and more accordingly.

Another option is in horse drawn 'carriage', though this is more of a tourist experience than a typical means of transportation. These can be found in most places although the parking area is near Residence Karim and the hospital in the south.

Bicycle rental is also common, and an excellent way to explore the impressive palmeraie. Test ride the bicycle before paying, and investigate if there are better/newer bicycles then the one offered - you are rarely offered the best bicycle. Haggling and visiting several rental shops is recommended.

There are also a few car rental agencies: These agencies might not have websites or online booking systems, so calling is recommended. Once in Tozeur, your hotel can also help you find a rental agency.
 * Avis, Avenue Farhat Hatched, Tozeur: 76-452-377
 * Olympic rent car, Route touristique, Tozeur: 98-235-345
 * Galaxy rent car, Avenue Chebbi, Tozeur: 93-444-555

See

Nearby villages
Many people who come to Tozeur do so for the three abandoned villages nearby, Chebika, Tamerza, and Mides. These three villages are easily accessible through the numerous local tour operators who sell seats per person to these villages and many other local attractions. For a half-day trip, expect to pay 30-35 DT per person. The 4x4's hold 6 or more people, so if you have a group of four or more, hire the whole 4x4 for yourself - about 120-150 DT.

The allure of these three villages is that they were abandoned during floods in 1969, and offer a window to what life was like in oasis villages back then. In reality, the mud and stone buildings are unoccupied and falling down, tourists swarm the sites in hordes, and local children will offer to sell you crystals throughout your journey. The sites are still worthwhile, though the journey there may be more spectacular than the villages - you drive into the Atlas mountains, and are only 1 km from Algeria.

If you do use a tour operator for transportation, it is recommended you pay half up front, and get a receipt that includes words like 'seatbelts' and 'driver speaks English' and anything else you find important. All this may be promised, but if you pay in advance in full, it will probably not be delivered.

If you have your own car, or a rental car, there is no reason you cannot do most, or all of this journey. All but a 100 m shortcut to Mides is on paved roads, and if you simply do not take the shortcut, you will be fine. Getting lost is nearly impossible, and following the massive number of tour companies will get you to the sites.

Buy
There is a market selling all kind of tourist souvenirs on the central square near the mosque.

Eat
Tozeur has several restaurants that feature camel, or dromedaries. If this interests you, now is your chance. Camel has a flavor similar to that of lamb. Camel is offered with couscous, or as a steak or kebab.

Towards Ras El Ain Along Avenue Abou El Kaccem Chebbi Along Avenue Farhat Hached Medina Area Others
 * Le Palais
 * Pizzeria la Fontana
 * Le Soleil
 * Tozourous
 * Dar dada
 * Tozeriana
 * Aquarium
 * Alkaram
 * La république
 * Le Minaret
 * La Medina
 * Le Sud
 * Chak-wak
 * Les Andalous
 * Le Petit prince

Drink
If you are looking for alcohol, you must head to a bar in a tourist hotel. Try (unverified) either the Hotel Continental or the Grand Hotel de l'Oasis.

Many restaurants serve non-alcoholic beer, including the popular Turkish beer, Efes (which normally has alcohol).

Sleep
Most hotels are located along Ave. Abdulkacem Chebbi, about 700 m south of the bus station. A taxi from the bus station should be no more than 2-3 DT. Once you investigate one hotel, it is easy enough to walk to a few others. Street numbers for this avenue run west to east, with the lower numbers to the west.

Guest houses

 * Residence Tozeur. rabah_hayet@yahoo.fr
 * Dar Saida Beya
 * Kastilia Suites. 76 461 133.
 * Diar Abou Habibi. diarhabibi@gnet.tn

Budget

 * Hotel Warda. residencewarda@gmail.com. 76 452 597

Mid-range

 * can book via messenger or f/b .  they do reply in hours sometimes sooner
 * Residence L'oued . 76 463 036.
 * Hafsi
 * Sarra
 * Oasis. info.oasistozeur@yadis.com
 * Ramia. 76 454 555
 * Dar Ghaouar. 76 454 255
 * Borj El Aali. hotel_borjelaali@yahoo.fr
 * Du Jardin

Splurge

 * Dar Chrait
 * Palm Beach
 * Mouradi Tozeur
 * Ksar Rouge
 * Ksar Djerid
 * La Palmeraie. lapalmeraie@fram.fr
 * Palmyre
 * Ras El Ain

Connect
A small internet cafe is located 30 m south of the bus station. 3G signal is strong in the city and also in the entire region, including the desert and salt lake.

Go next

 * Douz
 * Gabes

title: Tozeur


text:
Traben-Trarbach

Traben-Trarbach is one of the most charming wine towns along the Mosel River, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. In addition to its vineyards, it is famous for its castle ruins and fine Jugendstil architecture.

Understand
Traben and Trarbach used to be separate villages on opposite sides of the Mosel River connected by a bridge. In 1904, the cities merged to become Traben-Trarbach. In 1969, the city annexed Wolf, a village 4½ km north of downtown Traben-Trarbach, also located on a bend in the Mosel River.

By plane
Mosel Flugplatz is a tiny airstrip on Mont Royal that serves small private planes.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is  east of Traben-Trarbach. Ryanair and Wizzair operate passenger service to/from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. From the airport, a bus to Bullay operates every 2 hours and trains run regularly from Bullay to Traben-Trarbach.

Luxembourg Airport is  southwest of Traben-Trarbach

Frankfurt Airport is  east of Traben-Trarbach. Trains connect the airport to Traben-Trarbach. Buses (€16, 90 minutes) operate from Frankfurt Airport to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, which is 20 km east of Traben-Trarbach.

Cologne/Bonn Airport is  north of Traben-Trarbach.

Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport is  southwest of Traben-Trarbach and has a few seasonal flights.

By train
Traben-Trarbach is a stop on the Moselwein-Bahn train and a 20 minute ride from Bullay. From there, faster IC or RB trains will take you further to Koblenz (1 hour).

By car
from the directions of Trier or Koblenz, take the A1 to exit 125 Wittlich Mitte. From there, just follow the signs. Alternatively, take the more scenic B53 route along the Mosel River.

By bike
Mosel-Radweg (Mosel Bike Route) is a marked bike route that runs from Metz to Koblenz and passes through Traben-Trarbach. The route generally does not have slopes.

Get around
The dual town can easily be explored on foot. To get to the hill top ruins, or just to the hills above town to admire the view, it's quite a walk up though. The same goes if you want to head to Wolf. A bike or car can come in handy for that.

See
Both the Traben and Trarbach sides of town have a pleasant and typical old flair to it, with timbered houses and many Belle Epoque details all around. Although the origins of both places go back to the Middle Ages, mass fires destroyed most heritage from those days. In 1857, the last city fire left 1400 of all 1700 inhabitants of Trarbach without a roof over their heads. As the town (united since 1904) grew into a major wine trading city - at the turn of the century it was second in the world, after Bordeaux- it was splendidly rebuilt after the latest fashion. Many of the buildings were designed by the famous German architect Bruno Möhring, one of the most prominent Jugendstil architects in the country.

Do

 * Hiking and biking - The tourist office has some maps. Easier paths are in the valley, but the vineyard hilltops have great views.
 * Wine tasting
 * Hiking and biking - The tourist office has some maps. Easier paths are in the valley, but the vineyard hilltops have great views.
 * Wine tasting

Festivals and events

 * Mosel Wine Festival - annually on the second weekend of July

Buy
Even for those who are not typically wine enthusiasts, it will be difficult to leave Traben-Trarbach without a bottle or two. And why not; it's the obvious souvenir and if you don't plan on drinking it yourself, your friends will likely be grateful if you serve them your own import wine.

Eat
Restaurants are scattered all over town, with options varying from 5-course gourmet cuisine to traditional and filling schnitzel and fried potatoes for around €12.

Drink
This is wine country. Some of the river bank vineyards have the names of the "Weingut" (wine house) it belongs to indicated in huge white letters. In town, you can try samples at really every tiny restaurant or café, of which there are plenty. Look for signs indicating Weinprobe or Weinverkauf or anything of the kind. Prices differ, but you'll typically get about 6 samples for under €10. Several of the wine houses also have distilleries, producing brandy and sweet liquors.

Sleep
Traben-Trarbach has a broad scale of lodging options, from top end hotels to lovely cheap camping sites. There are also many bed & breakfast style "Gästezimmer" available. Booking in advance is advised; otherwise, look for signs that say "Zimmer Frei" (Room free).

Go next

 * Cochem
 * Bernkastel-Kues
 * Zell

title: Traben-Trarbach


text:
Trabzon

Trabzon (formerly Trebizond) is the largest city in the Eastern Karadeniz region of Turkey. Trabzon functioned as an independent state or empire during several periods in its long history, ruling over a vast area from Sinop in the west to Georgia in the east, even including territory in Crimea. Within Turkey Trabzon is known as a hospitable, energetic, traditional and patriotic city, which is culturally somewhat distinct from the rest of the country.

History
Trabzon was founded around 756 BC by Greek colonists from Sinope, who hailed from Miletus. They called their new colony Trapezous, ancient Greek for "table", due to the topography of the central hill, squeezed between two rivers with steep cliffs on both sides. While the dominant language and culture in the city remained Greek, the colony attracted many settlers from the surrounding Caucasian, Anatolian and Persian peoples, creating a unique regional cultural blend that still leaves its traces today. Trabzon has been a major trade centre through history — for long, it was a main port-of-call on one of the main routes between Europe and Persia and beyond, which involved taking a ship across the Black Sea from Romania (and later Constantinople). After the Roman conquest, the city was given a new harbor and a paved road towards Persia. The road fostered trade and cultural exchange, and was used for attacks on the Persian Empire during the Roman and Byzantine periods. After a Turkmen attack on the city was repelled by a local force in the 1080s, the city broke relations with the Byzantine Empire and acted as an independent state. The Mongol sack of Baghdad diverted more trade caravans from Tabriz to Trabzon and the city grew in wealth from the taxes it could impose on trade between Europe, Persia and China. The city traded intensely with Genoa and to a lesser extent with Venice during the early renaissance, with some cultural influences going both ways. During this era, Trabzon was visited by many travellers, Marco Polo being among them.

In medieval times, the city served as the capital of the Empire of Trebizond ruled by the Komnenos family, which also provided several emperors to the Byzantine throne in Constantinople. The longest surviving rump Byzantine state, Trabzon was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1461, almost a decade after the fall of Constantinople.

During the 18th and 19th centuries Europeans wishing to explore the Caucasus, Iran and the eastern domains of the Ottoman Empire used Trabzon as a point of departure or return. World War I left deep scars in the city; it lost many of its young male Muslims at the battle of Sarıkamış in 1914, its entire Armenian population in the genocide of 1915, and most of its Greek inhabitants during the population exchange of 1923. Closed borders with the Soviet Union meant that the city could only recover culturally and economically in the 1970s. Trabzon as of 2022 is a city under reconstruction, but offers many historical, cultural and natural sights. The city constitutes the largest urban metropolitan region of Turkey's Black Sea coast, with nearly 1 million inhabitants. Trabzon functions as the cultural capital of the Turkish Black Sea coast, and its inhabitants are very proud of their city and region.

Trabzon has just returned on the tourist radar, and the city is still investing in tourist infrastructure. Like a few other Turkish cities such as Istanbul and Izmir, Trabzon is culturally located somewhat in between Anatolia and Eastern Europe. In the case of Trabzon this is due to the Pontic Mountains, which used to form a cultural barrier. Coming from the Anatolian heartland, it feels like one is entering Europe, while coming from the Caucasus, Trabzon comes across as the first city with Middle-Eastern influences. Tourists who visit Trabzon come mostly from a few countries: nearby Georgia, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Azerbaijan, New Zealand and the Gulf states.

Climate
Trabzon experiences a mild, humid, and very cloudy oceanic climate, like most of the Black Sea coastline. However, Trabzon's sheltered location allows it to stay warmer and drier than most of the regions that surround it, especially in winter. This causes the city to show some characteristics of a humid subtropical climate.

Summers in Trabzon are warm, humid, and often mostly cloudy. Rain is frequent, but often light and brief, owing — as usual — to its sheltered location. This is generally a good time to visit, although high humidity does sometimes become a problem, especially at night.

Winters are cool with long stretches of northerly winds bringing temperatures down to slightly above the freezing mark, and rainy, or less frequently, snowy weather. These periods are bridged by mild to warm, clear days, caused by dry, southerly winds descending the mountains. This can raise the temperature to above 18-19 °C, creating almost summerlike conditions.

Spring and fall are both mild, but they differ in rainfall. Fall is the rainiest time of year, as Western European windstorms, some of which restrengthen in the Black Sea after hitting Europe, are most common during this time. Spring, on the other hand, is relatively dry and often the time with the most sunshine, even though one really shouldn't expect to see sunny skies at any time of the year when traveling to this region of Turkey.

Talk
The Eastern Black Sea Region has its own dialect of Turkish, more influenced by Greek and Persian than the Anatolian varieties. Because of the isolation of the coastal cities, the dialect retained archaic grammar and vocabulary that has been lost in other Turkish dialects. The most striking example is the restricted use of vowel harmony, one of the building blocks of all Turkic languages. This means that the local dialect can sound funny to speakers of 'standard' Anatolian or Istanbul Turkish. Much Turkish low-brow humor revolves around characters from Trabzon, but the locals don't appreciate the jokes that are made at their expense. The western districts of Trabzon province form a gradual transition area to Anatolian Turkish. This Turkish will be more easily understood for tourists who have studied the language.

Next to old varieties of Turkish, there are some minority languages that are spoken, mostly in the rural communities to the southwest and southeast of the city. Romeyka is the most archaic Greek language spoken in current times; its speakers are concentrated in the Of-valley along the Solaklı River in the villages on the mountain slopes in Çaykara district and surrounding areas. There are also small pockets of Greek-speaking Muslim villages in Tonya and Sürmene districts. Most locals don't like being called Greek; instead they use the terms Rum or Romioi (meaning Roman/Byzantine) to describe their heritage. However, they are very proud of their language, and they are happy to use it to converse with Greek-speaking tourists. Speakers of Modern Greek are generally unable to understand the local dialect, while people that have an understanding of Pontic or Cypriot Greek, or those who have an advanced education in Classical Greek, are able to engage with locals in basic conversations. It is still possible to find Pontic Greek speakers in Trabzon city, and tourists should not be afraid to openly speak Greek in public spaces. It is more likely, however, to find a local who is fluent in German, Dutch, French or Russian.

English language courses are immensely popular among the young generation, but it is not yet as commonly spoken as in neighboring Georgia. There are small groups of Georgians and Ukrainians in the city.

One of the most remarkable languages in the Trabzon region, kuş dili, is whistled in several villages straddling the border of Trabzon and Giresun provinces. It is one of a few whistled languages in the world, and it is kept alive through a yearly festival in Kuşköy (Bird village).

Read
Trabzon has long been touted as the "city of tale in the East". Its historical prominence, intellectual independence and trade relations with Italian city-states were elements that earned Trebizond a legendary mythical place in European literature until well after its economic and cultural peak when it functioned as the capital of the Empire of Trebizond in the 14th and 15th century (both Don Quixote and Picrochole wished to possess the city). The most renowned work of modern literature that describes the city is Rose Macaulay's The Towers of Trebizond. Travellers interested in classical history might want to read Xenophon's Anabasis, in which Trabzon enters as the first Greek city the soldiers encounter after their retreat from Persia. For those interested in the Renaissance trade relations of Trabzon, there is The Spring of the Ram, the second book from the series The House of Niccolò by Dorothy Dunnett, and The Burnished Blade by Lawrence Schoonover. Popular Turkish novels which feature the city are Pomegranate Tree by Nazan Bekiroglu and Aleko of Trebizond by Kadri Özcan. L'immortelle de Trébizonde, a French novel about the Armenian genocide by Paule Henry Bordeaux, has been republished, and Anyush is a publication by Martine Madden. Those attempting a round trip along the Black Sea could read Kéraban the Inflexible by Jules Verne; Turkish students recreating the journey concluded the trip was even more difficult a century later (virtually impossible since 2014). Those heading to Georgia might want to read about the myths of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece; those heading west, to Samsun or Sinop, about the Amazons.

View
The Black Sea region, and Trabzon in particular, has an important place in the history of Turkish theater, photography and cinema. The Pontic Greeks of Trebizond were among the first groups in the Ottoman Empire to establish theaters, musical venues and photography studios as early as the 1870s, and they were soon followed by the Armenian and Turkish population of the province. The long history of the city - and that of the Pontus in general - had already led to the creation of musicals and operas in Western Europe, such as Offenbach's The Princess of Trebizond, which is still a popular play for theater groups around the world. The scenic pastoral environments surrounding the city, as well as the diverse local cultures and rich local folklore, has inspired many modern Turkish movie directors. Cinema from the region often addresses issues such as migration, isolation from modern society, dysfunctional or traumatized families, or mental health issues. Some notable films that have been recorded in the region are: Pandora's Box (about a woman suffering from Alzheimer) and Waiting for the Clouds (about an elderly Pontic Greek woman rediscovering her past) by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, Bal by Semih Kaplanoğlu (about a young boy in the mountains who has to learn to deal with grief), Cold of Kalandar by Mustafa Kara (about the struggle of a farmer hoping to strike gold during a strong winter), Zephyr by Belma Baş (about a youg girl who is abandoned by her mother), and Autumn by Özcan Alper (about the struggle of a former convict when he returns to his home soil).

Listen
Trabzon has its own musical culture, which stands apart from the rest of the country in rhythm, instrumentation and lyrical narratives, and has some Caucasian influences. Trabzon music is typically made to dance. Especially the 'Horon' circle dance has been a binding agent between the local people for millennia. The most popular topics of folk singers from Trabzon are melancholy for a lost childhood in the mountains, memories of a deceased friend or parent, or a doomed love affair (such as between a wealthy person and a peasant, or a Muslim and a Christian). Music from the region typically features prominently the local national instrument - the 'Kemençe' violin - and sometimes makes use of minority languages, such as Romeyka Greek or Laz. 'Karadenizli' (Black Sea) music is popular throughout the country, however, and local artists often collaborate with other Turkish artists, and musicians from the Pontic Greek diaspora in Greece. Some of the most popular artists from the region are Kazim Koyuncu, Volkan Konak, Apolas Lermi, Onur Atmaca, Ekin Uzunlar, and Adem Ekiz.

Get in
Not by train: Trabzon is the largest city in Turkey to entirely lack a railway, which it needs for its Black Sea freight. They've been talking about building one for over a century and look set to continue.

Not by boat either: Black Sea ferries no longer sail here.

By car
The largely 6-lane D010 coastal highway is of high quality, and can bring you to Trabzon within 2½ hours from the border with Georgia and within 4½ hours from Samsun. The E97 is the main road connecting Trabzon to the rest of Anatolia, it runs south to Gümüşhane and then eastward towards Bayburt. The D915 from Bayburt to Of via Caykara has been chosen as the most dangerous road in the world and should not be attempted during winter. It does offer beautiful views on the surrounding landscape.

By bus

In high season it is a good idea to book your trip ahead online.

Destinations:
 * Buses from/to all major cities in Turkey. Example (price, journey time, density): Istanbul (120-140 TL, 18 hr, several per day), Kayseri near Cappadocia (12 hr, daily), Kars (daily bus at 09:30 and midnight, 8 hr), Ardahan (45 TL, at 12:30), Doğubeyazıt (leaves at 22:00, arriving 10:00), Ulusoy (4-6 per day, 5 hr), Torul and Gümüşhane (hourly until 20.00).
 * From/to Georgia: Tbilisi (about 12 hr) which serve as a useful point of entry to the country from Caucasus, also hourly leaves a bus to Batumi (if the border crossing is too busy, the bus might turn around at the Georgian border, so be sure to get all your belongings off the bus. On the Georgian side you can take a minibus for 1 lari to bring you the short distance to the center of Batumi—you need a Batumi Card to pay the bus, but just ask some passengers and give em 1 lari. Otherwise, many buses coming from the Caucasus heading to Istanbul pass through Trabzon. The buses themselves are quite good. No toilets on board but they stop every 3-4 hr for breaks, and free hot drinks are served throughout the journey.
 * From/to Azerbaijan: In the morning there are two bus connections heading to Baku.

On foot
The center of Trabzon is walkable; most of its historical sights lie in an area of 1½ km by 500 m. This includes the area around central Meydan square in the east, the bazaar quarter in the center, and the historic walled city towards the west. If one is interested in taking in as many historical sights as possible, it is advisable to plan several walks around these different areas of the city. The historic city was built on a hill between two ravines (Zagnos to the west and Kuzgun to the east), thus there is a lot of height difference between neighbourhoods, and travellers should be prepared to climb up and down stairs and walk streets with steep inclinations. Car traffic has been limited through the historic neighborhoods, making it safer for pedestrians. Since the arrival of the coastal highway the city has been amputated from the sea. To alleviate this the city has started constructing a promenade along most of its 5 km-long western coast. With few restaurants or other facilities, it has yet to regain its historic attractiveness.

By minibus
Notable locations outside the central zone are the Hagia Sophia to the west of the city and Boztepe tea garden overlooking the city towards the southeast. To get to these locations one best uses a minibus (dolmuş). There are dolmuş stops on Kahramanmaraş Street west off Meydan square.

There is also a small minibus station just southeast of Meydan, under the viaduct. For transport towards one of the villages towards the east of Trabzon and in Rize province, there is again a different dolmus station along the coastal road.

Churches and mosques
Trabzon has dozens of churches and mosques dating from the Byzantine period, the Empire of Trebizond and the Ottoman Empire. During the classical period the city at least had temples for Hermes (the god of trade), Apollo (sun), and multiple Mithraeum for the Persian-Greek god Mithras. A bronze statue of Hermes can be found in the basement of the Trabzon Museum. On the places of these temples, which were destroyed for the most part in the 3rd century, Christian chapels were built. The oldest surviving church is the 6th- or 7th-century Armenian church of St. Anna, which was built to the east of the Kuzgun (Tabakhane) valley because Armenians were not allowed to live inside the city walls. After the Ottoman conquest most churches within the walled city were converted into mosques. Many of these buildings retained some elements that hint at their Christian past. During the 18th and 19th centuries there was a boom in the construction of mosques and churches. Most of the historic churches and mosques of the city survived the first world war and the building frenzy of the 1970s onward. One of the most famous churches of the city however, the 19th-century Saint Gregory of Nyssa, which stood on the rocky outcrop at the former Genoese castle Leonkastron, overlooking both harbors of the city, was dynamited in 1930.

Islamic architecture
Much of the Islamic architecture in Trabzon makes use of Seljuk and local Pontic/Caucasian references, instead of Ottoman ones found in other Turkish cities. Baroque Revivalism was also quite popular, and still has some influence on new mosque constructions.

Caravanserai
Three of the historic caravanserai of the city have been restored. They are all near each other in the Bazaar district.

Other buildings of interest

South of Trabzon
A spectacular rock-hewn monastery perched dramatically on the narrow ledge of a steep cliff in the forests south of Trabzon. It was built in the fourth century, just before the Roman Empire split into east and west, by two Athenian priests, Barnabas and Sophronius, who, according to legend, found a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave. The monastery's location in this geopolitically tumultuous corner of the globe naturally saw times of trouble and fell into ruin numerous times throughout its history, with its most thriving times falling under Byzantine and Ottoman rule.

The 20th century, however, was not kind to the monastery. It was abandoned following the chaos and inter-ethnic violence at the end of World War I, and the population transfer of Trabzon's (formerly Trebizond) Greek population back to Greece. Its remote location gave it some sanctuary, but its frescoes still attracted the occasional casually hurled rock by a bored shepherd. The beautiful frescoes today suffer from decades of heart-wrenchingly pointless vandalism by travelers—judging from the various alphabets and names scrawled across these impressive religious works of art, it appears that just about every culture in the world has taken part in the desecration. The buildings have been fairly heavily restored, as the Turkish government has stepped in to protect the monastery and to turn it into a museum. During restoration work in 2017 a passage was discovered leading to a hidden chapel, which has frescoes depicting life, death, heaven and hell. Visitors can view all areas of the monastery, including previously inaccessible spaces such as the library and the newly discovered chapel.

Getting there:
 * The simplest way to get to the monastery is by tour, and you can find a tour in town by just asking any other traveller there (no tourist visits Trabzon without seeing Sümela). For instance, Eyce Tours offers round trip to Sumela for about 30 TL (address: Atatürk Alani, at Taksim İşhanı sk. 11. (462) 3267174). The Metro and Ulusoy bus companies run minibuses to the monastery during summer months from their Atatürk Alani offices.
 * The monastery lies close to Maçka, about 30 km south of Trabzon, and those preferring to get to the monastery on their own means instead of taking a tour can get to Maçka by taking minibuses heading for Gümüşhane, Erzurum or other destinations south from Trabzon. There is also a direct bus connection run by Maçka municipality from Cemil Usta street south of Meydan square. The rest of the way, approximately 17 km to the actual site of monastery, can be done by hitchhiking. The dolmuş from downtown Maçka have the same price than if you would buy it from Trabzon (20 TL) and departs at 10:30, which will take you to the entrance of Altındere National Park (Milli Park). Then, the monastery is about half an hour walk away, which can be done through a forest trail, which has been widened in order to cope with the ever increasing numbers of visitors, or along the tarmac road leading to the monastery.
 * Those approaching with their own vehicles can get as near as 300 m to Sümela, where there is a car-park in front of Hagia Barbara Chapel. There is an additional fee of 20 TL for cars, paid at the entrance of the national park.

Since Sümela is closed for the moment (but you still went to Maçka village for some reason), you can explore Altındere national park. Upstream along Altındere (Golden River) above the tree line are beautiful landscapes with ice cold lakes. An alternative route could lead eastward towards the ghost towns of (Dumanlı, in far northern Gümüşhane province), dispersed over a number of valleys high up the mountains. The ruins are of a collection of mining towns abandoned when their Pontic Greek inhabitants were forced out during the population transfer. Santa is accessible by a car, although getting there is an adventure in itself. Otherwise, these are multi-day treks for which you need an experienced tour guide. The best place to arrange this would be in Trabzon at one of the tourist offices off Meydan square.

East of Trabzon

Mansions
In the rural districts of Trabzon one can find many historical 18th and 19th century churches, mosques and mansions.

Sports

 * Watch football at
 * Go climbing or bouldering at

Hamams, beaches and swimming pools
Trabzon city has been left without a beach since the construction of the coastal highway. However, there is a small public beach called Kaşüstü Plajı at Yomra town, some 10 km east of Trabzon. Larger public beaches can be found at Akçakale, 25 km to the west, and at Kalecik, 25 km to the east of the city. The water of the Black Sea is not suitable for swimming during the colder months of the year. Also, these shingle beaches don't offer the comfort or facilities that one finds in the Turkish riviera. The nearest beach holiday destinations are Giresun to the west and Batumi to the east. Within the city are 4 historical bathhouses (hamams). Two of them have retained their function and are open to the public. The central Hamam is continually operational for both sexes, while the 'Eight columned bath' in the lower part of the old town has specific days for male and females.

Festivals

 * Black Sea Theatre Festival Mostly (but not exclusively) groups from countries around the Black Sea participate in this festival.
 * International Painting Festival Promoting painting in the wider area of Trabzon.
 * Kadirga Festival (third week of June, Kadirga Yaylası, southwest Maçka district) The largest and oldest folk festival of Turkey. On the Pontic Alps near the Gümüşhane province border. Locals, European Turks and Pontic Greeks meet on the mountain pastures to celebrate their shared culture in folk costume, music, dance and cuisine. On other summer pastures (yayla's) there are similar (but smaller) festivities.
 * Sultan Murat Festival (Sultanmurat Şenlikleri) After the Kadirga Festival this is the largest folk festival of Trabzon. It is held in the end of August on the Sultanmurat yayla, 25 km southwest of Çaykara village.
 * Ramadan The Islamic holy month (called Ramazan in Turkish) is very visible in Trabzon. While most liquor stores and restaurants close during the day, in the evening it can be hard to find a free spot on the many sidewalk cafes surrounding central Meydan square.
 * Assumption Day (August 15, Sümela Monastery) Every year since 2010 the Greek Orthodox patriarch has led a 'divine liturgy' at the Sümela Monastery (Moní Panagías Soumelá) in Maçka district, south of the city. Because of the size and location of the monastery, only a few hundred people are allowed to join the liturgy. In Maçka village screens are set up for other pilgrims.
 * Kalandar (Calendar Night, 13–14 January) In some villages in Maçka, Tonya, Sürmene and Çaykara districts, similar to Pontic Greek Momogeroi, the "old-new year" of the Julian calendar is celebrated. The tradition goes back to pre-Christian Dionysian rituals. Locals wear traditional clothing, or guise themselves as the 'village doctor', a herder and his sheep, the demons Karakoncoloz or Momoyer, or (less frequently) as the blackfaced 'Arab traveller' Haji Firuz/Arápis. It is similar to trick-or-treating festivities in other European countries, such as Halloween or Sint-Maarten. Youths go house to house, singing songs and collecting sweets or ingredients for a shared meal around a campfire. In the recent past, Trabzon welcomed Pontic Greek cultural organizations to participate in the festivities, but since 2019 the national Turkish government has denied visa applications to these groups.
 * A historically important festival in Trabzon was Epiphany on January 6. Thousands of Christians and Muslim onlookers gathered at Kalmek point, the place where the city protrudes the most into the Black Sea, to see the Christian ceremony. With the departure of the Greek Orthodox population, this tradition was lost to the city.

Outdoors
Trabzon is well known in Turkey as a destination for nature tourism and outdoor sports activities. The mountainous districts in Trabzon and neighboring Giresun and Rize provinces offer plenty options, but most areas are hardly developed for (international) tourism. However, this is also what makes the region attractive to adventurous travelers and Turkish families fleeing the hordes of tourists in Istanbul or the west coast. The beauty of Trabzon really lies in its alpine nature and remote, independent village life; Waking up in a traditional timber shed by the sound of cowbells and the scent of morning dew drawing the endless flower fields into your bed. Having fresh milk, corn bread, eggs and cooked green vegetables and spring water straight from the tap. To have this experience, you have to leave Trabzon, leave Uzungöl, and move higher up the mountain slopes, to the villages with their typical architecture and beautifully ornamented timber mosques, or even higher, where there are 'open air mosques', similar to the very first mosques in the world. Even though the people here are devout, they are not conservative in the traditional sense. It is normal for men and woman to mingle, make jokes, etc. Sufism has had a strong influence on these remote districts, and many people still grow up speaking minority languages like Romeyka Greek, Laz or Hemsin Armenian. As the region has grown in popularity amongst foreign tourists during the past two decades, the amount of trash left behind in nature has likewise increased. If you are planning to spend time in the mountains, you could consider taking extra waste bags with you.

Kervan Yolu (Caravan Road)
One of the historic routes connecting Trabzon to Persia across the Pontic Mountains was the caravan road from Sürmene to Bayburt. Multiple inns, castles, mosques and churches line the road. As it climbs up the mountains you pass scenic villages and landscapes. The area is popular with bird watchers and nature photographers, as it is one of the most important routes for migratory birds in Turkey. The road also takes you to Mount Madur (Theches in antiquity), where Xenophon and the 10,000 first spotted the sea and shouted "Thálatta! Thálatta!", 2400 years ago. The local tourism board is promoting the route for eco-tourism.

Hiking & mountain biking
The traditional rural life in Trabzon province revolves around transhumant seasonal migrations with cattle. Even before the summer starts villagers head up from the agrarian settlements in the bottom of the valleys to the summer pastures above the tree line, which are called 'Yayla'. There are many hamlets on the yayla's from which one can make hikes through the surrounding alpine landscape. The higher parts of the province are popular with bird watchers and have a rich flora. Mountain biking along the relatively flat, connected pastures, is fun and doable. You will see a lot of Turkish tourists on their mountain bikes. Mountain bikes will not be available for rent in most rural villages, so the best option would be to rent them in Trabzon or Uzungöl. Some better known yayla's in Trabzon province are (from west to east):

Trekking & bikepacking
The densely forested mountain slopes and vast plains above the tree lines of Trabzon province are ideal for multi-day trekking adventures. However, for most districts there are no maps available in print or online. The exception is Çaykara district, which is the most detailed area of Turkey on OpenStreetMap. Incidentally this is one of the most densely settled valleys along the Black Sea coast, which means you will never be farther than a few kilometers from the nearest village. Some villages have small hotels or home-stays, especially near Uzungöl lake, but you are always free to camp in the wild. In some villages you can also rent a traditional chalet or herder's shack on the yayla. Expect to be invited for tea in every village, especially if you have children with you. The most important languages for communication in the villages are Turkish and Greek, but especially during the summer you might also find people that speak German, English, Arabic, Dutch or Russian. The highest peaks of the Pontic Mountains in Trabzon province lie in the southeast of Çaykara district near, and reach to just over 3 km. This area is also known as Yedigöller, referring to the 'Seven Lakes' that lie between the mountaintops (not to be confused with the national park bearing the same name in the western province Bolu). It is possible to trek from Haldizen in Çaykara to yayla and  plateau in Rize province, and then further eastwards to the Kackar mountains (the highest peaks of the Pontic Mountains). It is also possible to do a part of this route before returning to the coast via Ikizdere. Along the way you will pass small villages with traditional architecture. Especially the village of Çamlık - downstream from Ovit - has maintained the tradition of timber construction. These are multi-day hikes.

However, most mountaineering enthusiasts instead go directly to the Kackar mountains in next-door Rize province. Kate Clow popularized this area through her book, which includes detailed routes with coordinates.

Because dense fog can obscure a clear day within a few minutes in these mountainous areas, it is ill-advised to wander around alone or without GPS. Brown bears, wolves and other wild animals can be found in the forests. It is legal to set up camp in the wild, but be sure not to leave any trash.

Rafting
Fırtına valley in upper Hemsin district of Rize province is ideal for rafting in Fırtına river, with its many centuries old arch bridges.

Winter sports
Although many valleys in the Trabzon region are suitable for winter tourism, for a long time there was no development in this direction. There is however a long tradition of locals using a contraption similar to a snowboard, called a petranboard, for transport down snow-covered slopes. There is just one small ski-resort, at the Zigana-pass between Trabzon and Gümüşhane, though it is being enlarged. The only way to experience the higher pristine slopes of the Pontic Mountains to the southeast of the city is by helicopter. Heliskiing trips can be arranged from Uzungöl, Ikizdere and Ayder, but are expensive and can be dangerous for the inexperienced. There were plans for a ski-resort with pistes and lifts around lake Uzungöl, but as of 2020 they have not materialized.

Buy
As an important trade node, Trabzon also developed its own refined export produce. The area is rich in mineral deposits and it is thought that even in its early years as a Greek colony, part of its exports to the Agean were valuable metals. The ultra-fine handwoven gold and silver bracelets of Trabzon are a popular wedding gift throughout the country. Other local trades that still survive in the market quarter are copper-smiths and leather-workers. An exceptional souvenir would be a Kemençe (Pontian Lyra), the national instrument of Trabzon. A half-decent playable Kemençe violin will cost at least 1300 TL (Feb. 2022). There are also clock and keyring (chain) versions.

For those heading to Iran or the Caucasus by bike, Trabzon is a good stop for maintenance, or to find supplies at one of the bike shops or outdoor supply stores. It will likely be many hundreds of kilometers before you have the opportunity to repair or restock. Alternatively, you might also find supplies at one of the many hunting or fishing shops of Trabzon.

Local cuisine
Typical ingredients for a Black Sea meal differ greatly from those of Anatolia. Vakfikebir ekmegi is the local sourdough bread similar to Italian Pane Casareccio. It is baked in a stone oven and can weigh up to 7 kg. Because the Black Sea coast is too moist for the cereals that grow so abundantly in the rest of Anatolia, the main grain variety used in rural communities surrounding Trabzon is maize. Thus cornbread is also a popular dish. Hamsi (Anchovies) are a main staple for the region. They are typically fried and eaten whole. Fishermen from Trabzon catch about one-fifth of the Turkish total. There is even an Anchovies bread (Hamsikoli). The Black Sea region grows 70% of the worlds hazelnut production, and they are also often used in dishes. Some fruits that are grown in the region are cherries, persimmon and kiwi fruit. The Black Sea cuisine is heavy on stews and soups of vegetables and beans. It also includes many dairy dishes such as Kuymak/Muhlama, fresh cow milk and Ayran, and different types of cheeses.

The pide (pizza) and köfte (meatballs) of Trabzon are famous in Turkey for their distinctive taste. Trabzon pide is a kind of pizza with cheese and eggs, similar to Adjarian Khachapuri, but there are many varieties. Many places sell these typical dishes, a cheap but good example near the city center is.

Eating out
There are a few restaurants at the northern side of Meydan square on the street "İskele Cd.". Most menus revolve around meat or fish dishes. Fast-food stores and kebab shops can be found at the western end of the square.

If you are fond of pastries, sweets and ice-cream, there are many places along Uzun Sokak selling baklava, helva and dondurma. The most famous pastry store is Beton Helva, where they combine helva and ice cream.

Most food in Trabzon is cooked to a high hygienic standard, and additionally most restaurants give you free hand wipes to clean your hands before and after eating food.

Akçaabat specialties and restaurants
Akçaabat, the historic village Platana, some 10 km west of the city, is renowned throughout Turkey for its special kind of meatballs, called Akcaabat koftesi. Made with ground meat, garlic and bread it's very delicious with ayran(yogurt mixed with water) and piyaz (beans,lettuce). There are plentiful quality restaurants in Akcaabat town such as, , , . You can have a walk and drink tea after dinner in Akcaabat Fisher Port. You can also try "kiymali" which is made with meat and served with butter. Don't forget to visit the historic neighborhood with its dozens of timber mansions when you are in Akçaabat.

Drink
There are only a few restaurants that serve alcohol in the city center. Among them being and  in Nemlioğlu Cemal Sokak (sidestreet of Uzun Sokak). Other options are a bit further from the center, between Trabzon and Akcaabat, such as or. A lot of the more traditional restaurants offer non-alcoholic cocktails. Luckily, because Trabzon is a student city, there is still quite a broad choice between music venues compared to other Turkish cities.

Coffee & tea
They are hidden within the shopping complex Canbakkal İş Merkezi, a few blocks to the west of Atatürk Alani square. Kahve Durağı and offer many kinds of coffee and cakes. Cinema-themed, next to Royal Cinema also offers western (and Turkish) coffee and tea. It is a kind of hip place where young Trabzonites come to play games after going to the movies. You might need to make reservations (like for most popular or trendy restaurants in the city). on Kahramanmaraş Cad. offers coffee and more with a rooftop view of the city. It is on the 7th floor of the Silk Road Business Center. A hot glass of locally grown black tea is served at the many tea gardens throughout the city, most of them located in public parks. The gardens with the best views can be found on Boztepe hill, just southeast of the city center. Other notable tea gardens are located in Fatih park just south of meydan square, and at Atapark just west of the historic walled city. As of Feb 2022, the Ganita tea garden, with its seaside location and view of the old Genoese fort, is closed due to renovation work.

 * As of writing (Feb. 2022) this area is undergoing major renovations, and is closed to the public.
 * As of writing (Feb. 2022) this area is undergoing major renovations, and is closed to the public.

Sleep
The cheapest hotels are down from Atatürk Square towards the port, but they usually function as unofficial brothels. By European standards the area is safe, and the prostitutes quite discreet. Some of the more upmarket hotels in Trabzon are DoubleTree, Zorlu Grand Otel and Novotel. Zorlu Grand Otel is in central Trabzon, at Maraş Street. Novotel is some distance out of Trabzon, in Yomra (a town close to Trabzon) but it takes only ten minutes from city centre with a car or dolmuş (bus) to get there.

Learn
Trabzon has a long educational history; after the Pandidakterion of Constantinople it had one of the first universities in the world teaching in subjects such as astronomy, mathematics, philosophy and medicine. Trabzon has remained a place of higher learning. Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) is the oldest university in the Turkish Republic outside Istanbul and Ankara. It has nearly 50,000 students (about 20% of the urban population of Trabzon city). The university is growing in popularity amongst foreign students, but is not yet as popular as universities in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir or Eskişehir. The university participates in the Erasmus program for European students. Avrasya University is a new private university.

Stay healthy
In general the quality of food and drinks in Trabzon is fine, but tap water in the city is heavily chlorinated. In the mountain villages tap water has been connected to local springs and is absolutely safe to drink. Fresh dairy produce are delicious but if you are unaccustomed to this, it could upset your stomach. Very few local dishes contain a large amount of oil (or are wrongly prepared that way), but butter and cheese are a staple. Most of the vegetables and fruit that you can buy at markets in the province are grown locally in an organic way, so they are perfectly safe to eat. If you see wild fruit next to the road while on a hiking or biking trip, it is placed there for travellers to enjoy. But be aware of the local poisonous 'mad honey' (deli bal), which is derived by bees from the flowers of poisonous Rhododendron species. This hallucinogenic honey is legally sold in Turkey and can be acquired from roadside stalls. Most beekeepers are, however, unlikely to sell it to tourists.

Stay safe
Trabzon is generally a safe city for visitors and has low crime rates. As the city is not touristic, you will not be bothered by pushers of restaurants or shop owners in the bazaar quarter. During the 1990s and early 2000s there was a problem with street prostitution around the harbor due to the collapse of the economies of the neighboring ex-Soviet states. This problem has mostly been tackled, and the city's nightlife is now also safe and comfortable for women. The mountainous hinterland of the city is also safe, but rather sparsely populated. It is not recommended to travel in these remote areas alone, but if well prepared it is possible to do a bicycle camping trip by yourself. If you plan on hiking in the forested mountains, be sure to read about how to deal with bear encounters.

Internet

 * Internet in hotels and internet cafés (costing 1-2 TL/hour) is glacially slow and unreliable, with a tendency to drop connections for high-bandwidth programs, such as Skype. Trabzon municipality provides internet to folks free of charge at central parks (with registration via SMS / SIM card). The city has a high-speed internet connection.

Consulates

 * Georgia
 * 🇮🇷 Iran
 * 🇷🇺 Russia

In Turkey

 * Rize — capital of the province to the east of Trabzon in the heart of Turkey's tea growing region. The deeply pious city has some touristic attractions, such as a historic neighborhood and a castle, but mainly functions as a stop-over for those heading to the Firtina-valley and Ayder - a village near the Kaçkar peaks, the highest point of the Pontic Mountains. The local people are known for the quality of their dairy produce, honey, and variety of pastries, which you may find at stores in the city, and at other major towns in the province.
 * Giresun (W 175 km) — capital of the province to the west of Trabzon, standing out with its lively nightlife; trips to a nearby island with lush vegetation can be arranged from here. The mountains behind Giresun don't reach as high as those in Trabzon province, but offer much of the same natural and cultural beauty - without foreign tourists.
 * Gümüşhane - via the Zigana Pass and Torul. Take the same path as many famous travellers before you like Xenophon and Marco Polo and cross the Zigana Pass to the south of the city.
 * Kars — via Bayburt and Artvin. Cross the Pontic Mountains to the mountain fortress city of Bayburt, visit the hidden Georgian churches along the Çoruh river towards Artvin and end up in Kars - a good jump point to the nearby ancient ruins of Ani. From Kars you can either head to Georgia or south-eastern Turkey. During this trip you will see very different landscapes.
 * Tonya to escape the heat and visit the surrounding green mountains.

Abroad

 * Georgia via Batumi. Follow thousands of Trabzonites to their favorite weekend destination, the Georgian beach holiday resort town Batumi, with its clubs and casinos, 3 hours drive east.
 * Iran via Doğubeyazıt - Historically Iran was reached by Europeans through the Trabzon-Tabriz route via the Zigana-pass south of the city. This is still the main route connecting the city to Anatolia.

title: Trabzon


text:
Tracunhaém

Tracunhaém is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil

This small town of 14,000 inhabitants (2014) is 63 km northwest of Recife, in the heart of Pernambuco's sugar-cane growing region. The name of the city comes from the native Tupi-Guarani language, and stands for "Ants Pot".

Get in
Fly to Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) in Recife.

From Recife, you can rent a car or take a bus from the TIP Bus Terminal.

Interstate highway BR-408 (via Carpina) leads you to Tracunhaém.

Expresso 1002 serves the Recife-Tracunhaém route, with stops in-between. .

See
Tracunhaém is one of Brazil's main ceramic and clay art production centers. Half of the population is either directly or indirectly employed in the production of ceramic artifacts. Visit artisans and local fairs.

Buy
Ceramics, ceramics, ceramics! This is the place to be if you enjoy ceramics. You can also find good quality tapestry and handicrafts.

 * ASSOCIATRA (Associação dos Artesãos de Tracunhaém), the Association of Tracunhaém Artisans. Rua Antônio Felipe de Souza, 181 (Centro), tel.: +55 81 3646.1672 / 8801.3251
 * Tracunhaém Artisans (in conjunction with Imaginário Pernambucano):
 * Amaro de Tracunhaém Studio
 * Carlos Sivini Studio
 * Dona Maria Amélia Studio
 * Ivo Studio
 * Jair Studio
 * Josafá Studio
 * Leydson Studio
 * Lourdes Studio
 * Manuelzinho Studio
 * Seu Nuca de Tracunhaém Studio
 * Severino de Tracunhaém Studio
 * Sussula Studio
 * Tibúrcio Studio
 * Zezinho de Tracunhaém Studio

Sleep

 * Eco Resort Ruc - Fazenda Engenho Cordeiro, State Highway PE-090, in the direction of Lagoa do Carro/Carpina, tel.: +55 81 3621-8188 / +55 81 9984-1056,.
 * Eco Resort Ruc - Fazenda Engenho Cordeiro, State Highway PE-090, in the direction of Lagoa do Carro/Carpina, tel.: +55 81 3621-8188 / +55 81 9984-1056,.

Go next

 * Lagoa do Carro, famous for its tapestry. You can also visit the Cachaça Museum.
 * Caruaru, another major ceramic art and handicraft production center in Brazil.
 * Recife, vibrant capital of Pernambuco state.
 * Olinda, beautiful colonial town in the Atlantic coast. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 * Igarassu, colonial town, home to Brazil's oldest church and Latin America's largest collection of baroque art.
 * Porto de Galinhas, consistently voted Brazil's best beach.

title: Tracunhaém


text:
Tracy

Tracy is in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Understand
Tracy is 20 miles south of Stockton, 65 miles from both Sacramento and San Francisco, and 325 miles from the state's largest city, Los Angeles. It's on the western side of the Central Valley, and is fairly close to the Diablo Range; on the other side of this range is the Tri-Valley. Tracy is most famous for railroads, agriculture, and wineries.

The Central Valley to the north and east of Tracy is large and flat, and most of the land in this valley is either farmland or ranching land.

By car
The I-580 freeway goes from Livermore over the Altamont Pass to Tracy. There are a couple other country roads that also connect Tracy and Livermore, like Northfront Road/Altamont Pass Road to the north of I-580, Tesla Road/Coral Hollow Road to the south of I-580, and Patterson Pass Road to the south of I-580.

Also, in the Central Valley, there are some freeways, like I-5.

Get around
Tracy Boulevard goes through Tracy north-south, along with two Interstate 205 routes through the city.

Go next

 * Pleasanton and Livermore are towns in the Livermore Valley, just over the hills from Tracy on I-580. Livermore is the closest to Tracy, while Pleasanton is farther away to the west. Both of the towns have fairly large populations approaching 100,000, hiking opportunities in the Diablo Range, and mark the eastern edge of the East Bay.
 * Stockton is 15 minutes along Interstate 5 north from Tracy. It's close to the Sacramento Delta, a low-lying region to the west of Stockton.
 * Sacramento is 60 miles north on Interstate 5 and about an hour away, if there is no traffic. It's the capital city of California, and has a growing metropolitan area that extends northeast toward the Sierra Range.
 * San Francisco is on I-580 west; it's about 1 hour away if there's no traffic (which is basically never), and up to 3 hours during peak hours. Being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, it really doesn't need a description, but among the most important sights are the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39. Make sure you allow a lot of time during peak hours when getting to the city.
 * To get to San Jose, take I-580 west to California Route 84 in Livermore. Then go south on Route 84 past Livermore and over the hills to I-680, and then take I-680 south. San Jose is about 1 hour to 2 hours from Tracy, depending on the traffic.

title: Tracy


text:
Tracy City

 * Not to be confused with the much larger city in California.

Tracy City is a town of 1,400 people (2019) in Grundy County in central Tennessee. There are many hills, rock faces, and beautiful streams in the countryside surrounding Tracy City. The town is built around a few streams that flow through its limits.

Understand
It's along US Route 41 near Interstate Route 24 in Central Tennessee, a region of the South that is, for the most part, thickly forested.

History
Tracy City was incorporated in 1915, and named after financier Samuel Franklin Tracy. The city developed out of railroad and mining interests after coal was found in 1840. In 2010 the people of Tracy City elected a dead man, Carl Robin Geary, as mayor.

Get in
U.S. 41 connects Tracy City with Jasper and Monteagle, and Tennessee Route 56 connects Tracy City with Coalmont and Altamont.

See
'There are many beautiful waterfalls near Tracy City because it is on the edge of the Appalachians, and many canyons dramatically cut their way through the side of the mountain range. However, the canyons themselves are hard to view because the region is thickly forested in most places.

Although you might expect to see a lot of historic houses in the South, Tracy City was founded in the early 20th century, so there are not many historic buildings.

Do
The most well-known hike in the Tracy City area is the Fiery Gizzard Trail.

Buy
Most of the restaurants and stores in the town are between Colyar Street and Railroad Avenue, although there is a shopping mall in the east. The main supermarket near the center of Tracy City is a Dollar General store.

Lodging
There are no hotels or motels in Tracy City, so if you want anything close to luxury as a place to sleep, go to Kimball, Monteagle, or Chattanooga. However, there are multiple lodging services in Tracy City.

Camping
For those who want to camp in this area, go to the southern end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail, where there is at least one campground.

Go next

 * Chattanooga had a strategic location during the Civil War near the Deep South between the Alabama-Mississippi region and the Carolinas. It is to the southeast.
 * Manchester is a small city northwest of Tracy City that is near the Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park.
 * Monteagle is a few miles west of Tracy City. There are more hotels and motels in Monteagle than there are in Tracy City because Monteagle is close to Interstate Route 24.

title: Tracy City


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Trail

Trail is a small city of 7,700 people (2016) in the West Kootenays region of interior southeast British Columbia. The city is about 10 km north of the USA border at Waneta and about 25 km from Castlegar, a town also on the Columbia River. Another neighbouring community is Rossland. The main employer in Trail and the most prominent feature on the city's skyline is the smelter operated by Teck Cominco.

Understand
The city was named after the Dewdney Trail, which passed through the area.

Employing approximately 1,800 people, Teck Resources (formerly Cominco) is the region’s largest employer.

The City of Trail is also home to the largest hospital in the West Kootenay region.

Climate
Summer climate in Trail is generally hot and dry with moderately cool nights. Temperatures often exceed 35 °C during summer afternoons, average 29 °C. Thunderstorms are common during the late-Spring and Summer season, often moving into the valley from the south. The fall months bring dense river fog, especially overnight and in the morning, as a cold air inversion lingers above the relatively warm river surface. Winters are mild to cold with periods of moderate snowfall. Nearby villages such as Warfield and Fruitvale often receive greater amounts of snow due to higher elevation.

By car
Trail is on Hwy 3B, the main route through southern BC, and extends out on both sides of the Columbia River. A private vehicle is the most common and most convenient way to reach Trail, but there are a few other options:

By plane

 * West Kootenay Regional Airport, about 25 minutes from Trail, has commercial flights from Vancouver, the Okanagan and Calgary with Air Canada. This airport regularly has flight cancellations due to fog.
 * Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, is about  south of Trail.
 * Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, is about  south of Trail.

Get around
Although the downtown is reasonably compact and easily walkable, some outlying areas of the city are at some distance and require a car or a bike.

By public transit

 * Route 43 operates between Trail and Fruitvale (55-60 minutes) from Monday to Saturday.
 * Route 46 operates between Trail and Rossland (24-27 minutes) from Monday to Saturday.
 * Route 98 operates between Trail and Rossland (25-30 minutes) from Monday to Saturday.
 * Route 98 operates between Trail and Rossland (25-30 minutes) from Monday to Saturday.

Hike
Besides producing hockey and baseball talent, the area around Trail offers many excellent hiking biking and nature walk trails within 5 to 20 minutes from downtown Trail, such as the following:

 * Hike up to any of the four Canadian flags that have been placed on various mountain peaks around the Trail area by members of the 44th Field Engineering Squadron.
 * Hike up to any of the four Canadian flags that have been placed on various mountain peaks around the Trail area by members of the 44th Field Engineering Squadron.
 * Hike up to any of the four Canadian flags that have been placed on various mountain peaks around the Trail area by members of the 44th Field Engineering Squadron.

Reaching Canadian viewpoints flags around Trail

Each hike offers excellent 1-hour to 2½-hour hikes up to the flag viewpoints, and the trails can be accessed by novice to avid hiking enthusiasts. You can hike to the via the McQuarrie Creek trail route. The one-hour hike to the top sees hikers viewing across the Columbia River towards West Trail, Warfield, and Rossland. The flag can be seen waving in the wind above the regional hospital near the viewpoint. Park in the and follow the McQuarrie Creek hiking trail up alongside the creek that comes down to meet the road where it intersects to the J. Lloyd Crowe Secondary School or the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. The McQuarrie Creek hiking is a fairly easy trial if you take your time. Parts of the trail can be steep.

An alternative route to the East Trail Flag viewpoint above the hospital is to take the easier trail leading from the upper Miral Heights area of Trail. At the Shavers Bench/Miral Heights traffic lights turn up to Miral heights sub-division and follow McBride Street. to Albert Drive. The trailhead is at the end of Albert Dr. and it is equally enjoyable and scenic route to the flag viewpoint.

Another good hike is the Upper Sunningdale Sandhill viewpoint hiking trail. The trail-head can be reached by driving to the Upper Sunningdale Park on Marianna Crescent where you can safely park your car at the park entrance. Walk west down Marianna Crescent until you reach the Sandspit Road. Walk up past the chain link fence, and look for the trail-head on the right just past the granite rocks which can be seen in the water runoff ditch. This 40 minute, easy level rating hiking trail is clearly marked, and the steepest part of the trail heads up past the pine trees at the start of the trail, and then you follow the trail along the sandhill ridge until you reach the viewpoint just below the Sandhill plateau above the Upper Sunningdale Park.

Another Canadian flag waves above Sunningdale, and can be viewed from most areas of Upper and Lower Sunningdale. If you want to take a longer hike than the Upper Sunningdale Sandhill viewpoint, you can hike further, by taking the trail that heads from the Sandhill viewpoint, towards the rock cliffs. Take the clearly marked trail up past a number of rock cliffs to the Sunningdale Canadian Flag viewpoint to reach the Canadian Flag.

The hike rating for the Sunningdale Canadian Flag viewpoint on Mount Heinze is an intermediate level, and you can make it up to the viewpoint in approximately 2½ hours, as most of the hiking trail is clearly marked, but sections of the trail up near the swamps below the flag viewpoint on Mount Heinze can be thick with brush. Leave enough time to hike back down, so the best time to make this hike is in the early morning. Be bear and wild animal aware, and make lots of noise if you startle a bear. Always pack enough water, or 1 to 2 litres of your favourite hiking drink, and pack a lunch and your digital camera for this hike, as the views of the local area are spectacular from this viewpoint.

From each of the Sunningdale hiking trail vantage points, you'll get a beautiful view of the sub-division of Sunningdale, Bingay Bay (Sandy Island), the Columbia River as it flows towards Gyro and past downtown Trail, Teck Cominco's lead and zinc smelter property (which is relatively green and clean looking), Tadanac, Rivervale, and up towards Warfield, Rossland, and Red and Granite Mountain ski hills.

Buy

About 6 km east of downtown on Hwy 3B you can also find a few, such as No Frills, Canadian Tire, and Walmart.

Go next
Visit nearby Rossland, 6 km west on Highway 3B. Rossland is well-known for its mountain biking during summer and skiing during winter.

title: Trail


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Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is a long trail that follows the route of the forced westward migration of many American Indian tribes in the 1830s, including the entire Cherokee Nation. It is part of the National Trails System.

Understand
The Trail of Tears is the name given to the route followed by members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations as they were forcibly relocated from their homelands in the eastern United States to present-day eastern Oklahoma. The forced migrations were carried out by the U.S. government in the 1830s, in order to clear the land for white settlers. Those who walked on the Trail of Tears suffered from disease, starvation and death; 2,000-6,000 of 16,542 relocated Cherokee died on the trail. The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates their route and this tragic series of events.

The five tribes that were relocated also owned black slaves, and would bring their slaves with them on the Trail of Tears. These slaves were frequently mistreated by their masters, and were for the most part subject to even more brutal conditions than the Native Americans themselves.

Prepare
There are no fees for using the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Fees may be charged at some trail-related historic sites and interpretive facilities.

Route
The Trail of Tears is not a single route: it encompasses many routes and destinations through these states (and cities and towns): Maps of the trail can be found here.
 * the southwest corner of North Carolina:
 * the northwest corner of Georgia:
 * northern Alabama:
 * central and western Tennessee:
 * the southwest corner of Kentucky:
 * southern Illinois
 * southern Missouri:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * central and western Tennessee:
 * the southwest corner of Kentucky:
 * southern Illinois
 * southern Missouri:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the southwest corner of Kentucky:
 * southern Illinois
 * southern Missouri:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * southern Illinois
 * southern Missouri:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * northern and central Arkansas:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:
 * the eastern end of Oklahoma:

Do
There are several parks and historic sites along the trail routes that commemorate and mark the trail.

title: Trail of Tears National Historic Trail


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Rail travel in New Zealand

New Zealand by rail can be a great way to see both the North and South Islands. New Zealand's passenger rail lines include both the government-owned KiwiRail, as well as heritage and steam lines throughout the country. Commuter train services operate in the Auckland and Greater Wellington region.

Understand
Although rail travel had historically played a much more prominent role in New Zealand's transportation system, with the advent of private car ownership and commercial air travel in the decades following World War II, the popularity of rail travel declined sharply. Today, New Zealand's rail network is only a shadow of its former self, and is primarily used for freight transport. Many former passenger lines have either been dismantled, or are now used exclusively for freight.

New Zealand's long-distance rail network is considerably underdeveloped by the standards of the developed world. There are no high-speed services — the intercity lines aren't even electrified, and driving yourself often works out to be faster than taking the train. The rail network is also limited, with only 3 long-distance passenger lines, all operated by state-owned KiwiRail. That said, the trains have been designed with tourists in mind; passenger carriages are built with exceptionally large windows to maximise the amount of scenery you can see from the train, and there are also outdoor viewing platforms where you can go to get some fresh air. There is no fixed rail (or road) link between the North and South Islands, with passengers and freight wagons transferred by ferry between Wellington and Picton.

A train ride from Auckland to Christchurch, however, with a ferry for crossing between islands, is undoubtedly a unique way to experience New Zealand's stunning landscapes, and would allow you to take in the sights from certain stretches that are difficult to access by car.

History
New Zealand's first railway opened in 1863 between central Christchurch and a temporary port at Ferrymead; the full line opened to Lyttelton in 1867 with the completion of the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel. Over the next 100 years, the rail network expanded to cover the country, however progress was slow due to difficult terrain. The line between Auckland and Wellington was completed in 1908 when railheads met between National Park Village and Ohakune, and the line between Christchurch and Greymouth was completed in 1923 with the opening of the Otira Tunnel under the Southern Alps main divide. Two world wars, the Great Depression and difficult terrain meant it took until 1945 for the line between Christchurch and Picton to be completed. The final link in the rail network came in 1962 with the commencement of roll-on-roll-off rail ferry services between Wellington and Picton. The first mainline diesel locomotives were introduced into service in 1954, with the last steam locomotives withdrawn from revenue service in October 1971.

Many rural branch lines closed in the latter half of the 20th century due to competition from road transport. Passenger services were cut back as car ownership rose and air travel became more affordable, although several services were retained and re-branded as tourist services. Auckland's suburban rail network was nearly scrapped in the late 1980s due to low passenger numbers. Wellington's suburban network experienced a decline, but passenger numbers remained strong. This was due to the city's geography being ideal for rail transport and the fact the network was electrified (completed 1938-40 and 1953-55).

In 1993, the government under Prime Minister Jim Bolger privatised the whole rail network. Privatisation was soon deemed an abject failure and it brought worsening quality of service and state of infrastructure, swinging the political consensus in favour of renationalisation. In 2004, the government under Prime Minister Helen Clark bought back the rail infrastructure assets and later in 2008, bought back the remainder to form the present day KiwiRail.

In 2003, the rail renaissance in Auckland began with the opening of a new underground central terminus, Britomart. In 2014-15 the Auckland network was electrified and for the first time, total passenger boardings exceeded those of Wellington. The renaissance has caused demand to outstrip the capacity of Britomart station, and in 2016, works started on a new rail tunnel through central Auckland to turn Britomart into a through station.

Pros & cons
The advantages of train travel in New Zealand are many:

 * You can enjoy the unique New Zealand scenery, including some vistas unavailable by car.
 * You can bring large equipment, such as surfboards, mountain bikes, or gear that would be too big to place on a bus or in a small car.
 * In the South Island, trains offer daily service through many small towns. It is possible to get off, enjoy the town, then continue your journey by train the next day.
 * You can get a snack or a drink -- on board the train itself.
 * New Zealand trains are designed with photographers and sightseers in mind, with outdoor viewing platforms and panoramic viewing lounges in each train.
 * All long-distance New Zealand trains have an automatic audio guide who explains, via supplied headphones, the history of each area and points out special things to see. Commuter trains have a train manager (conductor) who collects tickets and can provide you with some local information.
 * You can enjoy the ride without the hassles of driving. The Wairarapa Connection service between Masterton and Wellington has survived largely due to the advantage of the Rimutaka Rail Tunnel through the Rimutaka Ranges compared to having to drive the narrow and winding  Rimutaka Hill Road over it (and then getting caught in Wellington rush hour traffic).

The disadvantages of train travel in New Zealand:

 * Lack of routes - there are basically only four long-distance passenger train routes in New Zealand; most other routes were cancelled by 2001-2 (i.e. during privatisation) due to allegedly being uneconomical.
 * Travel time - Trains can only go up to and they often run slower due to track conditions and can even stop briefly between stations. If you are in a hurry to get somewhere, take a plane or drive a car. For example, the Auckland-Wellington route takes 11½ hours, while you can drive it in about 9 hours.
 * Lack of flexibility - on the Northern Explorer, there are only three trains in each direction a week. If you stop anywhere en route, it will be two or three days before you can continue in the same direction.
 * Financial cost - as well as being quicker and more flexible, flying between Auckland and Wellington costs less than the train.

Long distance

On both the North and South islands, long distance passenger rail service is provided by state-owned KiwiRail under the brand Great Journeys New Zealand. New Zealand has three main passenger lines.

The Northern Explorer provides service three times per week from Auckland to Wellington and back. The Coastal Pacific provides service on the South Island from Christchurch to Picton and back, timed to meet the Interislander ferry service between Wellington and Picton.

The TranzAlpine, one of the most popular routes, provides service between Christchurch and Greymouth, including a stop inside the Arthur's Pass National Park. Passengers may pay extra to upgrade to Scenic Plus, in which meals made using local produce are included.

KiwiRail also operates a weekday commuter service known as the Capital Connection between Palmerston North and Wellington (departing Palmerston North in the morning and returning in the evening).

There is also the Wairarapa Connection between Masterton and Wellington, which operates five services in each direction on weekdays and two services in each direction on weekends. Operated by Wellington commuter operator Metlink, this train blurs the line between long distance and commuter rail - it operates a commuter-orientated timetable and doesn't have the snack servery, open air carriages, checked luggage or reserved seats of long distance services; but it has the luggage room, long-distance seats, tray tables, power outlets and toilets which commuter services in New Zealand don't have.

Station stops for all lines, with links to relevant city articles, are as follows:

Northern Explorer takes you in one day the 681 km (423 mi) length of the North Island Main Trunk between Auckland and Wellington. Construction of the line begun in 1885 and only completed in 1908, including marvels of Victorian engineering such as the Raurimu Spiral, Turangarere Horseshoe and Makatote Viaduct. As ever in New Zealand, this exhilarating journey traverses ever-changing scenery; from rocky coast to volcanoes through uplands, passing lush green pasture lands and thick native bush.

Auckland Strand - Papakura in South Auckland - Hamilton - Otorohanga (for Waitomo Caves) - National Park - Ohakune - Palmerston North - Paraparaumu - Wellington

The Coastal Pacific is a 5.5-hour 348 km (216 mi) journey along the Main North Line between Christchurch and Picton, connecting with Cook Strait ferries to Wellington. The line only opened to through traffic in December 1945, having been delayed by difficult terrain each side of Kaikoura, plus two World Wars and the Great Depression. The line was damaged in the 14 November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake and the Coastal Pacific service in December 2018 is running a little slower than normal. Picton - Blenheim - Seddon - Kaikoura - Mina (for Cheviot) - Waipara - Rangiora - Christchurch

The TranzAlpine is a 4.5-hour 223 km (139 mi) journey along the Midland Line between Christchurch and Greymouth. The train travels across the Canterbury Plains and up the Waimakariri Gorge into the Southern Alps, before tunneling underneath the main divide and travelling down river valleys to the West Coast. The Otira Tunnel (1923) under the main divide is 8.5 km long, with the Arthur's Pass end 250 m higher than the Otira end: some trains require five diesel locomotives to haul them up the tunnel, which explains why they close the viewing platforms.

Christchurch - Rolleston - Darfield - Springfield - Cass - Arthur's Pass National Park - Otira - Jacksons - Moana - Kokiri - Brunner - Greymouth

Capital Connection (Commuter Service - one return service on weekdays only) Palmerston North - Shannon - Levin - Otaki - Waikanae - Paraparaumu - Wellington

Te Huia (Commuter Service - two return services on M-W, Sa and three on Th-F) Auckland Strand - Puhinui - Papakura - Huntly - Rotokauri - Hamilton. This follows the route of the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Hamilton, taking 2 hours 40 minutes. The train has a cafe, useful for breakfast on the 6AM departure from Hamilton. There are connections to the Auckland rail network at Puhinui and Papakura, which may be convenient to use Britomart on Queen Street, rather than the more isolated Strand station. There is a significant discount for using a Bee card to buy your ticket, so use this rather than cash if you are going more than a single stop.

Wellington suburban
Wellington, despite being smaller than Auckland, has the larger (in route kilometers) and the more patronised (in trips per capita) suburban system. The trains are part of the Metlink network and are operated by Transdev. There are five lines serving Greater Wellington as far north as Waikanae and Masterton. Electric multiple unit trains operate all services except the Wairarapa Line service (also known as the Wairarapa Connection) between Masterton and Wellington, which uses diesel-hauled carriage trains due to the lack of electrified track beyond Upper Hutt.

Services typically operate half-hourly seven days a week on the Johnsonville, Kapiti, and Hutt Valley Lines. Melling Line services typically operate hourly on weekdays; the line does not operate on weekends. Services are more frequent at peak times. The Wairarapa line operates five-times daily (three peak, two off-peak) each way on weekdays and twice daily each way on weekends.

Single-trip tickets can be purchased with cash from the train manager on board. Ten-trip tickets and monthly passes for regular trips between two stations can be purchased at ticket offices at major stations and some retail outlets across the region. Day explorer and bus-train combined passes are also available.

Bicycles can be carried free on off-peak services on a first-come-first-served basis. Most peak services will not take bicycles in the peak direction (to Wellington in the morning, from Wellington in the evening).

Auckland suburban
After facing near closure in the late 1980s, Auckland's suburban network had a major turning point in 2003 when the new Britomart central terminus opened. As a result of extensive track works and electrification in 2014-15, Auckland's network has overtaken Wellington's network in passenger numbers.

There are four lines, stretching west to Swanson and south to Onehunga, Manukau and Papakura. Weekday off-peak services typically operate every 20 to 30 minutes. An hourly diesel shuttle service connects Pukekohe with electric trains at Papakura. An underground city centre extension, the City Rail Link, is under construction and is expected to open in 2025.

Heritage lines

There are some shorter sections of railway which are more suited to a day out than as a regular form of passenger transport. These often operate preserved steam or diesel locomotives and carriage stock.

Boarding the train
New Zealand trains are about the same size as British mainline trains, despite operating on a narrower gauge (1067 mm compared to 1435 mm in most of North America and Europe). The smaller size of the trains is reflected in the baggage policy. Although the trains do have overhead racks, they are really not intended for anything larger than a handbag or hat. If your bags can't fit in the overhead racks or by your feet, you will need to check them into the baggage van, and you'll need to pick them up immediately upon getting off at your stop. The baggage van will either be at the rear of the train or at the front directly behind the locomotive.

If you are getting on a train from anywhere other than its starting point, it is a good idea to call Tranz Scenic's recorded arrival times information line at 0800-ARRIVAL. Trains almost always do start on time, but delays at the middle stations do happen. Calling ahead to see what time the train is expected is a good idea can save you from waiting.

On board
The Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine all use the AK class carriages, introduced in 2010-12 to replace the old 1940s "56-foot" carriages. Each train includes a café carriage, an open air-viewing carriage, and a baggage/generator van. The Capital Connection and Wairarapa Connection use the S and SW class carriages respectively, both of which are refurbished 1970s British Rail Mark 2 carriages. Neither train has an open-air viewing platform and there is no café aboard the Wairarapa Connection (a cafe servery is fitted but disused). The services are hauled by diesel locomotives, although they may swap the diesel for an electric locomotive on the Northern Explorer between Hamilton and Palmerston North.

All trains in New Zealand are single class, with seats in a 2+2 layout. Seats come both in "airline style" with a fold-out tray in the seat in front of you, and in "table bay" with two sets of seats facing each other with a table between them. All long-distance trains are heated and air-conditioned. Each carriage is fitted with a toilet at one end of the carriage; a wheelchair-accessible toilet with baby-changing facility can be found in the café carriage. Toilet waste goes into a retention tank, not onto the tracks, so you may flush while the train is standing at a station.

All long-distance trains have a café carriage, serving sandwiches, hot meals, snacks, hot and cold drinks, beer and wine.

The trains also have an open air viewing carriage, at the opposite end of the train to the baggage car. The viewing carriage has a covered roof, but the sides are open air. It's the ideal place to take photos from the train, as taking photos through a window will result in glare. It's probably not the best place to relax, and can be quite noisy. For safety sake, always keep your arm, head, etc. inside the train. Due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, the viewing carriage may occasionally close during journey if the train is about to go through a long tunnel. These were closed for safety modifications and re-opened in June 2019 with higher handrails.

Smoking is forbidden anywhere on the train, including the open air areas. As all trains are licensed premises, you can't bring alcohol on board unless it is stored in the baggage car.

title: Rail travel in New Zealand


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Trakai

Trakai is a town in the Dzūkija region of Lithuania, 28 km west of the capital Vilnius. It's on the shores of Lake Galvė and its star attraction is the Island Castle - this and the Peninsula Castle are from the 14th century, when the capital moved here and was fortified against attack. In 2020 Trakai had a population of 4141.

Get in
Buses from Vilnius run at least hourly: buy tickets from the driver, for €2.60 each way in 2023. Most are direct buses terminating here (run by Trakų Autobusai), though an occasional bus takes 40-50 min via the back lanes. A few (run by Busotas) continue west to Alytus or to Birštonas, Prienai and Marijampolė. For timetables and fares see Autobusubilieta.

is the new bus station opened in Nov 2022, replacing the previous tatty rain-shelter not a day too soon. For the castle head 3 km north, a pleasant walk through the old town to the footbridge.

Trains from Vilnius take 35 min, running hourly morning and evening but with a long midday gap, for a single fare in 2023 of €2.40. They stop in Senieji Trakai, for Old Castle, 7 minutes before reaching Trakai. (Trains for Varėna and Marcinkonys also stop at this junction.) The last train back to Vilnius departs from Trakai around 20:30. For timetables and fares see LTG Link.

is a simple platform terminus with no facilities. It's south edge of town so you've an extra 500 m to walk each way compared to the bus.

By road from Vilnius follow A16 west, but don't come into town, where parking is limited. At Ostruvka turn north onto the 4751 to Varnikai and follow it till it dead-ends at a free parking lot. From here footbridges take you to the north tip of Old Town then to the castle, 1 km in all.

Get around
The town is small enough for everything to be reached on foot. Footbridges link town, Island Castle and nearby peninsulas.

See

 * Bernardine Monastery ruins are 300 m northeast of the bus station. Just a few scraps of masonry, don't spend too long seeking them out, the Bernardines have better structures in Vilnius and Kaunas.
 * Bernardine Monastery ruins are 300 m northeast of the bus station. Just a few scraps of masonry, don't spend too long seeking them out, the Bernardines have better structures in Vilnius and Kaunas.
 * (Švč. Dievo Motinos Gimimo cerkvė) is a dinky little church of 1863: the Orthodox community here was never large. It was wrecked in World War I but rebuilt in 1938.
 * Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo mažoji bazilika) is a baroque RC church 150 m north of the Orthodox church on Vytauto gatve just before you reach Peninsula Castle.
 * Imperial Russian Post Office (Buvęs Rusijos imperijos pašto pastatas) is an attractive blue wooden building just outside Peninsula Castle. You can't go inside.
 * is an earthwork on the peninsula north of Varnika village and parking lot, reached by footbridge. It's of unknown date, described as a hillfort but more likely a motte-and-bailey: an artificial mound fortified by a long-gone wooden stockade, never converted to a stone castle.
 * (Angelų Kalva) is a grouping of religious sculptures. Lithuania has a tradition of wooden crosses and shrines but these are modern, and as a group somewhat macabre.
 * (Senųjų Trakų piliakalnis) was built before 1321, when Lithuania's capital moved here from Kernavė. The Teutonic Knights destroyed it in 1391 and the Duchy opted to build anew in better defensive positions - the Island and Peninsula castles - and this one was never rebuilt. Trakai town also migrated then to the lakeside. The Benedictine monks acquired the site in 1405 and the castle ruins lie somewhere beneath the church and cloisters. It's free to explore.
 * Medininkai Castle is also managed by Trakai Museum but is easier to reach from Vilnius: take Highway A3 southeast towards Minsk, and turn off 2 km before the Belarus border.
 * (Senųjų Trakų piliakalnis) was built before 1321, when Lithuania's capital moved here from Kernavė. The Teutonic Knights destroyed it in 1391 and the Duchy opted to build anew in better defensive positions - the Island and Peninsula castles - and this one was never rebuilt. Trakai town also migrated then to the lakeside. The Benedictine monks acquired the site in 1405 and the castle ruins lie somewhere beneath the church and cloisters. It's free to explore.
 * Medininkai Castle is also managed by Trakai Museum but is easier to reach from Vilnius: take Highway A3 southeast towards Minsk, and turn off 2 km before the Belarus border.

Do

 * Boat trips and hire: several operators are based along the shore facing Island Castle.
 * Vilnius Yacht Club are based on the promontory west of Varnikai Mound. Their annual regatta is May / June.
 * Olympic Sports Centre is on the lakeside 200 m northwest of town. It's for serious rowing and other open-water training, the only facility for casual visitors is to be screamed at for entering their waters.
 * Golf: Aluona Golf and Country Club is 10 km south of Trakai near Anglininkai village.

Buy

 * Rimi is the supermarket within the new bus station complex, open daily 08:00-22:00. Locals find it overpriced.
 * Others are Norfa on the main road 500 m east of the railway station, and Iki has three branches near the bus station, similar hours.
 * A slew of souvenir shops and kiosks line the lane towards the castle.

Eat

 * Turkiškas kebabas is next to the bus station, open M-Sa 10:00-20:00, eat in or takeaway.
 * Argo is a Georgian restaurant within UAB Business Centre at Vytauto g 89, open daily 11:00-22:00.
 * Kibinene is a cafe for Karaite food at Vytauto g 69, open daily 11:00-22:00. Cash only.
 * Mojo is Asian food at Vytauto g 17, open Sa Su 13:00-20:00, cash only.
 * Kiubėtė does Karaite food at Trakų g 2d, open daily 10:30-22:00.

Drink
The restaurants serve local and international beers, there isn't a free-standing pub.

Sleep

 * Most visitors come on day-trips, but staying over lets you enjoy Trakai once the tourists have departed.

Connect
Trakai and its approach highways have 4G from all three national carriers. As of Aug 2023, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Most public transport routes bring you to Vilnius, where you probably started.
 * However buses every hour or two continue west to Alytus or to Birštonas, Prienai and Marijampolė.
 * With your own vehicle cut north on Hwy 107 to join the A1 to Kaunas.

title: Trakai