10 vibes for Bursa
like locals
Take the gondola to Uludağ. In the wintertime, Uludağ is a snowy wonderland. In the summer, the mountain is a cool, refreshing escape from heat and humidity of the city. The recently reopened cable car makes getting up and down the mountain quick and simple.
Explore the downtown bazaar area. Bursa’s sprawling, labyrinth central bazaar area is an awesome spot for shopping, eating, tasting tea, watching people, taking photos, experiencing the culture, interacting with locals, and wandering around. Koza Inn and the Ulu Camii (Grand Mosque) are two features in the central bazaar area.
Visit a couple of the UNESCO World Heritage locations. Bursa’s UNESCO World Heritage listing consists of eight locations scattered around Bursa dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. In addition to the Cumalıkızık Village, these sites include the tombs of Osman and Orhan Gazi and the first külliyes (religious and social complexes) of the Ottoman Empire.
Window shop for souvenirs and handmade crafts. Searching for something slick to purchase in Bursa? Visit the craftsman shops in spots like Kayhan Pazar, Irgandı Bridge, or Balibey Inn. Or visit the souvenir and antique shops in the Yeşil neighborhood or in the central bazaar (our favorite is Anadolu Gift Shop in Yeşil). Handmade goods like silk scarves, ebru painting, filography, ceramics and tiles, calligraphy, metal art, Ottoman-period antiques, and wool clothing make for interesting shopping.
Enjoy Bursa’s thermal springs at a spa or hamam. Bursa’s volcanic natural history has brought about hot, mineral-rich springs that public bathhouses have tapped for quite a long time. Today, you can in any case take advantage of the therapeutic hot spring water at traditional hamams (Turkish baths) or at modern spas scattered throughout the city.
Famous for its impressive nature and healing waters, Oylat Kaplıcaları (Hot Springs) is a spa valley in the beautiful İnegöl district of Bursa. Home to numerous hotels offering half-board service and full entrance to thermal pools and saunas. The palatable 40.5o C waters from the springs have healing characteristics for renal disorders as well as rheumatism, arthralgia, and dermatological disorders. Easily accessible from three major cities, Oylat Hot Springs is surrounded by natural beauties of Alaçam Valley, waterfalls, and hiking paths. A 26-kilometre drive from hot springs, İnegöl’s district centre has diverse attractions such as a city museum, furniture museum and a caravanserai. For those with a keen eye, the covered bazaar offers some great deals for souvenirs.
Walk through a museum or more. Bursa is home to several neat little museums. Museums like the City Museum, Archaeology Museum, Clothing and Jewelry Museum, Ottoman House Museum, Hünkar Köşkü, Atatürk House, Forestry Museum, Karagöz Museum, and others highlight the human and natural history of the Bursa area.
Have a dinner to eat delicious İskender Kebab. Bursa is very famous for its special kebab called İskender Kebab. The meat is cut thin and thin, the pide called İskender Kebab pide are cut into small pieces and fried on the stove, the cut meat is placed between the pide.
Discover Bursa’s natural areas. Even if you don’t make a trip up to the top of the mountain, the area around Bursa is home to some beautiful natural features. Enjoy beaches, forests, waterfalls, streams, caves, meadows, plateaus, and hidden little villages. Activities such as hiking, fishing, caving, camping, mountaineering, birding, swimming, sunbathing, and nature photography can all be enjoyed in the Bursa area. Such areas include village and waterfall, Oylat cave near İnegöl, and the waterfowl breeding grounds of Uluabat Lake, just to name a few.
Relax in a village like Gölyazı, Misi, İnkaya, or Tirilye. An afternoon in a nearby village is an afternoon well spent. Sip tea under a sprawling, centuries-old plane tree in Īnkaya, eat gözleme at a streamside table in enjoy a lakeside stroll in Gölyazı, or wander through ancient winding village streets and alleys in the seaside village of Tirilye.
