Short Breaks in Istanbul
Turkey’s far northwest corner borders Greece and Bulgaria and is the country's only foothold in Europe. The town of Edirne is the gateway to Turkey from the western world and is famed for its many mosques - elegant domes and minarets dominate the skyline of this bustling border town. On the Gallipoli peninsula, visit now peaceful cemeteries, resting place for the fallen of WWI. South of the Sea of Marmara, beneath the slopes of Uludag (Great Mountain) lies the energetic and modern city of Bursa, often referred to as Green Bursa due to its numerous parks, gardens and the lush forests. Bursa is also rich in Ottoman architecture as well as being known for its famous Turkish dishes, in particular candied chestnuts and Ishkender kebab.
This western corner is also home to the country’s largest and most recognisable city, Istanbul. The city is where East meets West and the traditional and modern live side by side. With the Western half of Istanbul in Europe & the Eastern in Asia with the Bosphorus Strait flowing between them, it is the only metropolis in the world situated on two continents. Surrounded on three sides by water and spread over seven hills it is easy to see why the city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010.
To discover this fascinating city, we have a suggested holiday itinerary for Exploring Istanbul in a long weekend and combining Istanbul and Cappadocia. Both itineraries contain the very best the regions have to offer, visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, barter your way through the labyrinthine bazaar, wander the cobbled streets of the ancient Jewish, Greek and Armenian neighbourhoods, take a ferry trip on the Bosphorus or just relax and enjoy the skyline from one of the rooftop bars.