"The Enchanting Town of Safranbolu" a Safranbolu Travel Page by June.b

Safranbolu is one of those picking-up on the popularity list. May not be always on the usual tourist itinerary but starting to gain momentum, especially among backpackers and those who have a lot of time to spend in Turkey.

But if you have the opportunity, this place merits your valuable time in Turkey.

Safranbolu is one of UNESCO World Heritage site and when you get there, you’ll find out why. It’s well preserved ottoman houses, historical monuments, buildings and shopping area. Safranbolu is an important caravan stop on the east-west silk-road during the 13th century, and some of the buildings, the caravanserai, mosque, etc... are surviving witness of those era.

When you arrive at the bus terminal in Kirankoy and travel down to the old part of the town, it’s like (and believe me) you’ve just step back in time. Old wooden houses, big old mansions, fascinating alleyways, truly a charm.

So how do you get to Safranbolu?

So you’re coming from Istanbul. Buy a bus ticket, I prefer Metro, from any of those travel agencies that issues Metro bus tickets. It’s advisable to buy it in advance to make sure that you have a seat on the exact date that you want to travel than buying it on spot on the day of your travel from the main Otogar terminal.

There are two near the Sultanahmet tram stations, easy to spot the Metro logo at their front doors. Then go to the main Otogar station, you could find the detailed instruction on how to get to the Istanbul Otogar at the FAQ section of my Istanbul page here, General Tip .

Jump in to your Safranbolu bus, it’s about 6 to 7 hours trip, stopping at the town of Karabuk just before Safranbolu.

Getting back to Istanbul is the reverse of the above. You have to take the same Metro bus back.

You may want to do a sidetrip to the beautiful seaside town of Amasra which is in Bartin and can be reached from Safranbolu in approx. 2 hours.

December 25, 2007 – Christmas day for many, Bayram festival is still in the air in Turkey – I left the hotel in Istanbul too early to catch the 9:30AM Metro Bus to Safranbolu.

The trip took a little longer than expected. It was supposed to be a 6-hour trip but turned out to be around 8 hours, passing by scenic views, getting colder as it nears the destination. Everytime the bus stops at terminals or stations, you will be a witness to sad goodbyes among passengers and their friends or relatives. Passing by the town of Bolu which has really nice mountains with pine trees enveloped in snow, I should have stopped over there but twas too quiet and off the tourist beaten track I guess as there were noone’s getting off the bus. Though there are lots of hotels around the area.

The bus arrived at the smoggy town of Karabuk with those huge factories emitting so much smoke, means, we are very near our destination. Past 6:00PM we reached Safranbolu bus terminal, not much people. Called up Bastoncu Pansiyon where I booked days ago and the owner picked me up at the bus terminal. Less than a quarter of an hour we reached their pansiyon which is situated down the valley in Carsi. Twas so cold and quiet, not much people around. A little creepy, reminds me of ghost town in movies where all of the inhabitants are wolves or zombies. A really nice location shooting for a horror movie with those old houses and deserted streets and winding alleys.

(Check my Safranbolu Travelogue )

I braved the coldness of the early morning, the place really is so fascinating, well preserved old houses in harmony with the unadulterated totality of the town. So much character, no massive buildings, malls or anything that would give you a feeling of modernity. You would even notice old customs and traditions amongst the people who are by the way very helpful, very willing to give you directions, information and advise about the place. Cobbled stone streets and alleys that goes up and down with dried vine leaves crawling above you as you walk along. It must have been so nice during summer when the vine leaves are so green and in huge layers. But it was winter, so expect dried leaves and trees. I pass by the Caravanserai (now, Cinci Han Hotel) everytime I went out and back to the pansiyon, massive edifice, huge courtyard with a fountain in the middle – no water flowing though.

I braved climbing the way up the old town hall or government house which is now a museum. From there, you could see the whole town below, the sun is just about to give a comforting warmth, but failed miserably, as I really have to go back to the pansiyon to seek a little warm refuge from the room heater.

People in the old part (Carsi) are so friendly, reminds me of that Reese Witherspoon and Toby McGuire black&white movie, Pleasantville, where people in the whole town are unadulterated and everyone’s nice and wholesome.... and in black and white! Well, somehow Carsi looks B&W during winter.