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Holiday in Paradise in Antalya

The Turkish city of Antalya is located on the Turkish Riviera which is what this coastal stretch in the Mediterranean is often called. The city belongs to the tourist strongholds in Turkey. Although this is less to do with the tourist sites in the city but rather as a result of the sea and the climate. Approx. 2.2 million people live in the city, there is an even greater number of tourists. The old town of Antalya is above the cliffs, the beaches are long. The city in the South of Turkey has an important harbour.

Journey to Antalya

Antalya has its own airport, the Calkaya Airport of Antalya. It is often used by international airlines. It will take you 3 hours and 20 minutes to get from Frankfurt airport to Antalya. Depending on the airport of departure, the journey from within Germany varies by 10 minutes. From Antalya airport to the city, you will need 20-30 minutes depending on the volume of traffic. You should definitely take a bus because the taxi prices in the region are high and they are even higher for tourists.

The City Structure of Antalya

Antalya has 19 urban districts. It is apparent that there has been a significant increase in inhabitants. Between 2012 and 2013 an increase of 500,000 people was recorded. The smallest district is Ibradi. The municipality is located approx. 80 km from the city-centre of Antalya and it is in the mountains.

Tourist Attractions in Antalya

The history of Antalya stretches back as far as the year 159 before the birth of Christ. Attalos II, the king of Pergamon, founded the city at that time, earlier it was called Attaleia. In the years to follow, the city was captured time and again. First this was by the Romans then from the Byzantines and finally by the House of Seljuk. In the 14th Century, the city was once again part of the Ottoman Empire. With its long and diverse history, there must certainly be a few tourist sites in Antalya which are located away from the beaches. However, given that the city was a small city until the year 1950 and which had only 1/10 of its current inhabitants, there are actually not as many as you would envisage.

The Yivli Minareli mosque is considered to be the landmark of the city. Better still, the Rillenminarett is the landmark. The mosque dates back to the year 1373, previously, however, it is said that an Ulu Cami stood at this spot. The minaret is 38 metres high and it is made out of bricks. The stones are arranged in such a way so as to resemble pillars. In parts you will see blue tiles on the minaret.

The old town quarter of Kaleici also has a few historical buildings. It is located by the old harbour. In this quarter there are still many old Turkish houses to be seen and they demonstrate how people lived here in the past. There are also parts of the city wall which are still visible.

If you go to the old harbour, you can also set out on a boat from here to numerous other  tourist attractions. From here, for example, you can quickly reach Kemer and Olmpos. Another possibility is a journey to the Düden waterfalls.

Museum Visits on a Beach Holiday

If you want to discover more in Antalya, you should go to one of the four museums in the city. Here you can take a look at the findings from the archaeological areas of Turkey. Discover how people lived here in the past and travel far back in time through the history of the nation. You should also go and visit the children ́s exhibition at the museum. You will find toys that originate from all epochs. See for yourself here how everything changed as time went by. The exhibition is topped off with exhibits in the museum garden.

Eating and Drinking Antalya

Antalya is shaped by tourism. If you want to go out for food, you will only rarely find typically Turkish dishes on the menu. If you venture into the districts that are off the beaten track, this is however far more often the case. Turkish food is prepared with a lot of vegetables, grains and meat. The staple foods are honey, yogurt, butter, cheese and meat. A dish that is eaten by locals on a daily basis is Hamsi. These tasty sardines from the Black Sea will also be frequently available to you as a tourist. Even the olives that grow here are very tasty.

A good place to eat is a small fish restaurant which is located directly by the harbour. Here you will not only get fresh fish, if you want something else, there are many options. While eating you can look directly on to the harbour and see how the boats set off to sea. You can also eat well here with children. When converted into euros, here you would pay 6 euros for a salad with seafood and a drink.