General information
Official language: Turkish
Time zone: UTC+3
Currency: Turkish lira (TRY)
What to do?
If you would like to visit Turkey but you are not sure where to go as the most popular cities are overcrowded or expensive, keep reading to get to know about Balikesir and find the most essential information for you as a tourist.
What to do?
Situated in the Marmara region, Balikesir’s landscape features many bays, islets, mountains and has the ideal conditions for many activities, including trekking and water sports to name but a few. You can also swim in the cooling waterfalls on the bottom of Mount Ida. The region boasts beautiful nature locations, like the Kus Cenneti National Park or the Bird Paradise National Park near Lake Manyas is an ornithological site where you will see as many as 266 species of birds.
The city also attracts people with its historical sites. Some of them are connected to mythology - it is believed that these were the Kaz Mountains, now Kaz Mountain National Park, where the world's first beauty contest between Aphrodite, Hera and Athena took place. The place itself looks divine as its full of waterfalls, streams, creeks and valleys.
The Tahtakuşlar Ethnography Museum dedicated to the lifestyle of villagers of Oghuz Turks origin or the ruins of Antandros Ancient City and are just some of the important tourist attractions. The most popular monuments, such as Saatli Mosque, Çınarlı Mosque, Hamidiye Mosque, Hayrettin Paşa Mosque, Küçükköy Central Mosque, Taxiarchis Church, Ayazma Church, Hagios Triada Church are not to be missed.
What to taste?
Your culinary experience will not be complete without trying papalina fish and the region’s famous toasted sandwiches. Höşmerim is one of the most popular desserts of Balıkesir, made with cheese. Other local dishes include tirit meal consisting of bread, chicken broth and chicken meat or Turkish rice dessert flavored with saffron.
Balikesir is a kind of place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime as it has everything from amazing nature to sports amenities. Will it be your next holiday destination?