Exploring Turkey Beyond the Best-Known Destinations

Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Ephesus are among the places most closely associated with international travel in Turkey. They represent important parts of the country, but they are only a small part of a much larger geographical and cultural landscape.

Across Turkey, smaller cities, districts, villages and rural regions offer very different surroundings and local traditions.

The Black Sea region provides some of the clearest examples. Beyond major cities such as Trabzon, mountain roads lead toward forested valleys, lakes and highland settlements.

Places around Şavşat, Çamlıhemşin and the Kaçkar Mountains combine green slopes, traditional villages and rivers within a landscape very different from Turkey’s southern coast.

Western Turkey contains another range of smaller destinations.

Historic towns such as Safranbolu preserve traditional streets and houses, while coastal settlements around the Aegean combine stone architecture with olive-growing landscapes and small harbours.

Amasra, Assos, Cunda and Datça each have different settings despite all being associated with western Turkey.

Inland Anatolia also contains destinations that receive less international attention.

Small districts and towns may be connected with a particular local food, agricultural product, archaeological site or natural landscape.

The countryside around Isparta, for example, changes with seasonal rose and lavender cultivation. Kastamonu Province contains forests, canyons, historic villages and regional food traditions.

Eastern Turkey presents another side of the country.

Kars combines open plateau landscapes with the medieval remains of Ani, while the area around Lake Van brings together a large inland lake, mountains and historic sites.

Further south, Mardin and Midyat are characterised by stone architecture, narrow streets and the cultural heritage of southeastern Anatolia.

Villages can also reveal aspects of Turkey that are less visible in larger cities.

Traditional houses, agricultural landscapes, local food production and seasonal activities often remain closely connected with village life.

Places such as Şirince, Cumalıkızık and some Black Sea highland settlements have become known partly because their built environment and surrounding landscapes retain a strong local character.

Natural areas provide another reason to move beyond major tourism centres.

Turkey contains mountain lakes, forests, waterfalls, canyons, wetlands and national parks across almost every region.

Yedigöller in Bolu, Munzur Valley in Tunceli, Borçka Karagöl in Artvin and Lake Salda in Burdur illustrate how different these landscapes can be.

Exploring beyond the best-known destinations does not mean ignoring Turkey’s major landmarks. Instead, it reveals how much more exists between them.

The country’s character is also found in provincial towns, coastal roads, highland villages, local markets, agricultural fields and landscapes that rarely appear on a standard first itinerary.