Let us imagine a bridge between Istanbul and Ankara. In its place with the best view, there would be Sapanca with its still undiscovered beauties and unwritten poems. This hidden beauty is a land of stories deserving poems, songs and nice words.
People who are looking for a different place shall turn from the Sapanca exit and continue towards Sakarya, they will experience an unforgettable mini journey between gardens of sapling producers and elegant houses.
Sapanca can be visited in any time of the year. Many different options wait for the visitors depending on the season. Fish near the lake, picnic in the heart of the nature, trekking, fishing, shopping from local vegetables-fruits, resting in silent ambiance with your most beloved ones.
Offering many accommodation alternatives such as hotels and pensions of varying size, Sapanca continues to be the first choice for a high quality holiday and for big organizations.
Sapanca is alive not only in the summer but also in the winter. Kartepe Skiing Center which is one of the most important skiing centers in Turkey is very close and efinitely it will captivate your attention. If you stay in Sapanca and seek excitement in the summit of the mountain, there is another wonderful opportunity as well.
Kurtköy and Kırkpınar regions are worth seeking because of their natural beauties that are open to tourism, wide picnic areas, trout farms, picnic areas with lake and mountain views. Other paradises are the villages that lay in valley, mountain skirts and plains. Akçay, Hacımercan, Şükriye, Mahmudiye, İlmiye, Fevziye and Yanıkköy are some of them. When you climb to the highlands and enter into the villages, the geography exhibits itself differently. In this fairytale land, the color, smell and shape of every flower presents different kind of life joy.
If you come to Sapanca just for one day, you should not miss the green houses and the tree nurseries. Because since Sapanca has a convenient climate for plant production, it is a natural environment for most kinds of plants. With its trees and flowers, it ornaments the cities and contribute beautifully to the world landscape architecture.
When it comes to the history of Sapanca, according to the known written documents, there is settlement since B.C. 1200 and the city has been a mosaic of culture. One of the properties that grants privilege to Sapanca is that it is on the Silk Road. There is Vecihi Gate on this road and it was constructed by Mimar Sinan. Today it is on the Kemer Road in the county center. Rahime Sultan, Rüstem Paşa, Hasan Fehmi Paşa and Cedide Mosques are the other valuable works that can be visited. There are two important events that carries Sapanca to international fame culturally;
The first one is Sapanca Poetry Evenings, which have been going on for more than ten years. This events lasts for three days, every year many poets from the Balkans and important poets and authors from Turkey join it. For three days, they read poems and talk on poetry at coast of the lake and in different places.
The second event hosts 40 painters and sculptor from around the world for 21 days in the nature farm at the coast of Sapanca Lake. The artists lives here for 21 days, produce art and exhibition their works of art in different exhibitions throughout the year.
Important activities such as Ashure Day and Holy Birth Week as well as folkloric dance, competitions of water sports, trekking and the annual Sapanca Art Evenings which hosts many important artists are among the important activities of Sapanca.
Paintball which is pretty popular recently is also very common in Sapanca. In a natural ambiance, among the trees and water, you can find the excitement and joy that you are looking for.
Another activity is ATV. With this four-wheeled and easy-to-use vehicles, you can have a safe and exciting nature tour; you can plan wonderful trip routes to the depth of nature and realize them. And offroad activity is the choice of the trained experts. Sapanca is a great place for the people who like to reach their limits in natural courses.
Sapanca is also an important place for weekend and daily tours. It is very close to Istanbul which has a population of 20 million but it seems like a far heaven. You can taste delicious fish here in the morning, in the brunch, in the afternoon and at the evenings, it is priceless for the region. It is difficult to tell and finish all aspects of life in Sapanca. The best thing is to discover it on your own.
You are invited to Sapanca to take the green into your eyes, the mild breeze into your body, the love and serenity to your soul.