Ankara, is the second-largest city in Turkey. I was wondering if anyone has had the chance to see this city and what advice would you have for visiting. It's easy to get from Istanbul by rail or highway, and there's plenty to do once you arrive in Ankara. What's your favorite thing to do here?
what to do around Ankara and Istanbul i've been to both Ankara and Istanbul, and although Ankara is the capital there isn't as much to do as in Istanbul. I'd suggest going to Istanbul if you're visiting Turkey for the first time. Places you should visit are Bursa (former capital of the Ottoman empire), Iznik (where the Ottoman empire started), Sakarya, Karasu beach and Safranbolu (to see the old Ottoman houses). Near Ankara, you must visit Kizilcahamam to enjoy a Turkish bath experience!
must sees in Ankara while in Ankara you gotta visit the Ataturk Mausoleum, which was the founder of the Turkish Republic), and the Anatolian Civilizations Museum, which houses cool exhibits on Early Bronze Age statues and Neolithic wall paintings. if you want to learn more about Turkey and old Turkey it's also worth visiting the Ethnographic Museum.
Turkey helpful tips here it's some useful info that may come handy while in Istanbul and Ankara: 1. The main train operator in Turkey is TCDD (Türkiye Cumhuryeti Devlet Demiryollan) 2. To check any European train time visit bahn.hafas.de 3. Dialing code is (+90) 4. Currency is Turkish Lira. $1 = 1.5 YTL. 5. If you're coming from UK & EU you do need a Turkish tourist visa, but you can get it once you land there.
Ankara, although it seems really grey and dull, is a fun city to hang out in since you can do a lot of things in the city. Moreover, arts&culture events are really frequent. I was a student there and I had to buy the tickets for any play at least 1 month in advance. There are also a few cinemas where you can see independent Turkish films, which doesn't exist in many cities in Turkey. Lovely city, if you can go into it.
I was able to visit Ankara way back in 2014 and the thing I love the most about this destination is that they have a lot of Pizza places spread across town.