"Peace and quiet." Sapanca by Tdiver

If you find yourself wanting to get away from the craziness of Istanbul then try and get down here to Sapanca Lake.Lots of good restaurants along the lakeside or in the various towns in the area.
It takes about an hour and a half to drive down but there are also buses from somewhere so i'll try and find out.
The train also passes this way and

Sapanca lake.

Luckily for me and my wife we have several friends with summer houses here so have an excuse to visit.

Signs of litter on Sapanca lakeside.

Unfortunately the local area seems to be affected by the national obsession of dumping litter any and everywhere which although not excessive tends to spoil what would be a lovely place.

• Pros:Quiet retreat from Istanbul.
• Cons:The occasional train whistle.
• In a nutshell:Enjoyable and quiet.