Eastern Approaches

Introduction

I came, I saw, I conquered. Julius Casear’s statement is one of the most familiar in history. But what is not so commonly known is that he was not referring to Britain as many think, but to the little known hill town of Zile in northern Turkey at the conclusion of his Pontic campaign.

Zile itself is just one of many astonishingly picturesque towns of the Western Pontic Alps, one of the most unexpected but spectacularly beautiful regions in Turkey. It is a region of high mountains, wild flowers, alpine meadows and pine forests, of wooden architecture and craggy castles. Its traditional old hill towns are perhaps the loveliest – and the least known – in the entire Middle East: Amasya has been described as the most picturesque town in all Anatolia, and the superb half-timbering of Safranbolu has made it a conservation area (and now a UNESCO World Heritage town), while along the Black Sea coast lie forgotten ancient walled ports such as Sinop and Amasra. But the other hill towns are equally picturesque with outstanding features of architectural interest: Kastamonu, Zile, Mudurnu – all little known and so far undiscovered, but rivalling the better known hill towns of Umbria or Andalusia.

Indeed, it is forgotten history such as this or Julius Caesar’s unknown but oft quoted campaign that is Anatolia’s greatest appeal. At its heart in northern Turkey is the Hittite civilisation, one of the greatest of the ancient Near East whose ancient Empire challenged Egypt and whose remains we see in Ankara’s outstanding Museum of Anatolian Civilisations. Their ruined capital city of Hattusas, an area of stone remains and rock reliefs spread out over a vast upland plain, is one of the loveliest ancient sites in the Middle East. For more ancient civilisations have left their mark in Anatolia than anywhere else in the entire Mediterranean and Near East. This alone makes Turkey an amazing repository of architectural and archaeological remains – and an inexhaustible source of fascination for the traveller who is always seeking something new and unexpected.

Information

Extra Notes

Visas are not included in the tour price  (currently £10 payable at the airport on arrival).

Accommodation

Good comfortable hotels throughout, all 3-4 star apart from one night in a simple but perfectly comfortable and clean pansiyon in Bögazköy, all with private ensuite amenities. Hotels in Kastamonu and Safranbolu (2 nights each) are lovely converted former mansions. All except 2 overnight stays are for 2 nights

Travel

Comfortable air-conditioned full sized coach

Local Conditions

This must be considered moderately strenuous, as there is a certain amount of walking around old town centres and sites over rough ground for up to 2 hours at a time. The climb up to Boyabat is a steep one up a rough track. The coach takes us to all sites. The food is generally of very high quality, with local specialities where possible - at no point will standard ‘tourist menus’ be served. Weather is expected to be mild, warm along the coast and cooler inland. However, showers can occur on the Black Sea coast at any time of the year.

Whilst every effort will be made to cover the programme as advertised, some minor alterations to the order of sightseeing might be made on the spot according to local conditions. In particular, there might be some changes following a reconnaissance of the area in November 2011.