🗓️ 2 day
📍6 station
💰 Cheap
🌎 General route
☁️ All seasons
👣 Approximately 31.500 step
Isparta is a city located in Turkey's Mediterranean Region. With a history that dates back to ancient times, Isparta has hosted many civilizations and has been exposed to various cultural interactions throughout the ages, resulting in a rich cultural heritage. The city's economy is based on agriculture, rose cultivation, and industry. Isparta is particularly famous for its rose cultivation and rose oil production, which are recognized worldwide. Known as the "City of Roses," it is also renowned for its rose festivals. Isparta is recognized for its natural beauty, with important water sources such as Lake Eğirdir and Lake Kovada. Additionally, Davraz Ski Resort is a popular destination for winter tourism. The city's historical and cultural heritage is notable, with many historical structures, museums, and ancient ruins, including ancient cities, historic mosques, baths, and museums. Isparta is also known as a student city, with Süleyman Demirel University providing educational opportunities to many students and bringing a youthful population to the city.
🚗 Day 1 - 3 stops
1. Golcuk Nature Park
Gölcük Nature Park is covered with newly planted trees and contains Gölcük Lake, a volcanic crater lake. Located 12 km from the city center, it spans an area of 5,925 hectares (83 hectares of lake surface). Access is available via an asphalt road. The lake is surrounded by volcanic ash hills ranging from 150 to 300 meters high. The lake's shore is equipped with all necessary facilities for picnicking. The lake, which resembles a circle, has a diameter of 1,500 meters and a depth reaching up to 32 meters in places. It is one of the two calderas (volcanic craters) in our country, along with the Nemrut Caldera, and the only caldera in Western Anatolia. Therefore, it is a protected area. Gölcük Nature Park is home to a variety of flora, including red pine, black pine, oak, cedar, acacia, and other shrubland plants, as well as fauna such as rabbits, foxes, squirrels, turtles, snakes, and various bird species.
2. Yazılı Canyon
Yazılı Canyon is a remarkable natural wonder that transforms its beauty with each season. Located 20 km from the district of Sütçüler, Yazılı Canyon Nature Park covers an area of 600 hectares. The canyon features an excellent walking trail and is adorned with Byzantine-period worship areas, altars, and inscriptions on its side walls, which is why it is named "Yazılı Canyon" (Written Canyon). The depth of the canyon varies between 100 and 400 meters. The park, located within the boundaries of Çandır Village, was designated as a nature park in 1989. Its rich vegetation and wildlife make it a continually visited site for tourists. The canyon, through which the historic "King's Road" passes, is of historical significance due to its temples and rock inscriptions. Saint Paul passed through this canyon on his way from Perge to Pisidia Antiocheia. At the entrance of the canyon, there is a cafeteria where basic needs can be met, and within the park area, there are suitable camping sites for visitors to relax.
3. Isparta Ethnography Carpet and Kilim Museum
The museum is a 10-story building covering approximately 3,000 m². From the observation tower, visitors can view the entirety of Isparta both visually and through a telescope. The museum features a total of 3,100 carpets and rugs on display. Currently, the collection includes carpets from Isparta, Konya Lâdik, Gördes, Şirvan, Milas, Kars, and Erzurum regions, as well as large and small rugs from Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions, including prayer rugs, saddle bags, sacks, bags, and belts. Additionally, around 2,300 items are exhibited, including traditional clothing used in the Turkish world, old household items, ancient agricultural tools, Yörük tents, cedar seats, old firearms, weaving looms, stills used in rose production, and clay pots.
🚗 Day 2 - 3 stops
1. Davraz Ski Resort
Davraz Mountain-Karlıyayla Winter Sports Tourism Center is located 26 km southeast of Isparta city center. It was designated as a Tourism Center on February 17, 1995. The center aims to diversify tourism, promote sustainable year-round tourism, and serve as a sports tourism hub where not only skiing but also various sports camps and competitions can be held. The ski center offers skiing with a stunning view of Lake Eğirdir. At Davraz Ski Center, beginners can enjoy safe routes with the soft natural texture and excellent snow quality, while professional skiers can experience unique trails ranging from 8 to 10 km in length. The elevation of the ski slopes varies between 1,650 m and 2,344 m, accessible via existing mechanical facilities.
2. Eğirdir
Eğirdir, the capital and jewel of the Lakes Region, offers a wealth of natural and tourist activities in its diverse geography. Activities include bird watching, endemic plant observation, photo safaris, nature walks, orienteering, mountaineering, jeep safaris, paragliding, water sports, highland, camping-caravaning, and hunting tourism. Eğirdir is renowned for its castles, fish restaurants, and world-famous crayfish. It is also known for the finest Starking and Golden apples. The apple orchards along the shore of Lake Eğirdir grow some of the most beautiful apples in Turkey. In September-October, as you drive along the lake, you can immediately smell the delightful apple scent from the orchards. The Isparta apple, known for its size, dazzles with its yellow, red, pink, and green colors, adorning the lakeside like a pearl, and its taste is exceptional. Additionally, the International Eğirdir Triathlon, held annually in August, brings a unique excitement and enthusiasm to the area. Eğirdir and its surroundings came under the control of the Anatolian Seljuk State in 1204. The Seljuk sultans used this beautiful lakeside town as a summer retreat from time to time. After the fall of the Anatolian Seljuk State, Feleküddin Dündar Bey established the Hamitoğulları Principality in 1301, making Eğirdir the second center of the principality after Uluborlu. Eğirdir was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1390.
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