A relatively small area with a small amount of interesting places. Shortly after arriving to Velen, during one of the main quests - The Nilfgaardian Connection (5), you have to visit the local tavern.
The Inn at the Crossroads - A sizeable establishment able to accommodate a crowd of travelers and revelers.
SignpostsOnce discovered, signposts allow you to travel directly from one location to another. Walk up to a signpost and use it to open ingame map.
SignpostInn at the Crossroads
Notice BoardsOffers of work for witchers are posted here. Return from time to time to notice boards you've already seen - new contracts might have been posted since your last visit.
Notice boardCrossroads Notice Board
Contract: Missing Brother (33)
Witcher Gear Diagrams / Scavenger HuntIt's always some kind of box, chest or a corpse containing witcher gear diagrams required for scavenger hunt quests.
Scavenger huntGriffin School Gear Upgrade Diagrams - Part 1
Guarded by Forktail (18).
Diagram: Enhanced Griffin boots
Treasures
Guarded TreasuresIt's always some kind of box, chest or a dead body containing some goods and guarded by one or more monsters.
Guarded treasure
Bandit CampsKill all the opponents in the area. There is always a treasure chest somewhere in the camp.
Bandit camp
Quests & EventsYou will find more info about quests further below. Warning: Quest descriptions contain a lot of spoilers!
QuestEvent: Nekker SoupWitcher ContractsWitcher contractMissing Brother (33) - Posted on Crossroads Notice Board
Though Geralt had plenty of other worries, he had not forgotten about his trade - which is, let I remind you, slaying monsters. While striving to practice his profession he came across a contract offering an altogether attractive sum in return for tracking down a certain missing individual. No mention of monsters, true, but Geralt had seen enough incidents of its like to suspect one might turn up - and besides, when it comes down to it, coin is coin...
- Talk to Bruno.
- Find the missing brother in the mine near the Inn at the Crossroads. - Mine is quite far from the inn, in Grayrocks.
- Explore the mine using your Witcher Senses.
- Investigate the arachas' lair using your Witcher Senses. - You need to find a room where you can dive and then swim underwater a bit to the next part of the mine.
- Use witcher Signs to destroy all the eggs. - Try to find and destroy all the eggs before you find Harrisi.
- Kill the arachas.
- Take a trophy from the arachas' body.
- Collect your reward.
Quest completed.