On our tour through Türkiye, we found ourselves in Eskişehir, looking for things to do. Eskişehir was a convenient stop on our itinerary from Ankara back to Istanbul. Yet it’s not exactly a well-known tourist destination. The last statistics I can find (which are from years ago) report that around 500,000 tourists come to Eskişehir every year. While that is surely even more now, I doubt it comes anywhere near the 4.8 million tourists that descend on Cappadocia each year!
And that’s why visiting Eskişehir is worth it: it is the place to not be catered to as a tourist but to see where people really live. It is the place to sit in the afternoon sun with bearded Turkish 60-year-old men who know every person that walks by and are willing to guide you to their favorite simit shop while smiling the whole time.
It’s a smaller place, with a population of under 900,000 in the entire urban area, and it sits on the Porsuk River. There are canals and beautiful sparkling waters downtown. Some have gone as far as to call Eskişehir the Venice of Türkiye. But having been to Venice, that’s a stretch. (I enjoyed this blog post about Eskişehir that also addresses that title.)
That said, Eskişehir is quaint and fun. It felt safe and comfortable even though we didn’t know the language and were far from home.
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Eskişehir was officially established in 1000 BC, but by all accounts people have been living there for 4,000 years.
There are currently three universities in Eskişehir: Anadolu University, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, and the Eskişehir Technical University. Because of this, it is called a “college town.” This is reflected in the rambling streets with lots of people milling about. It feels welcoming and warm. There are shops and restaurants and people of all ages.
Things to do in Eskişehir, Türkiye :
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Odunpazarı
Odunpazarı is a district in Eskiişehir, an easy walk to the south from the canals and main area of town. Odunpazari is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites and is worth the visit.
The buildings here are from the Ottoman Empire and fantastically preserved. They abut one another and were built with structural processes that are no longer in use. Today, the buildings have been painted bright colors (which we are told are not authentic colors the Ottomans would have used but nevertheless create a Dr. Seuss-like vibe I enjoyed).
There are still many buildings here that are undergoing renovations. But meandering through the area was interesting. Inside a courtyard square is a hidden area full of souvenir shops. Many of the colorful buildings house art museums from various artists and of various mediums. Take your time to go in these.
Sit Outside and Drink Turkish Tea
The pace of our travel slowed in Eskişehir at the same time the weather was marvelous. This all combined to create a bit of travel magic.
I sat at a sidewalk cafe, enjoying the Turkish tea that is such an integral part of culture here.
While taking time, luxuriating, and stepping out of the role of tourist for a bit, we experienced some moments of genuine connection. The Turkish gentlemen surrounding us helped my travel companion find some simit. Another group of locals, seeing we were tourists and interested in food, offered up a special pastry for us to try. Despite a language barrier, we laughed, smiled, gesticulated, communicated and generally felt so welcomed by the Turkish people surrounding us over the tea tables.
Visit the Market
While Istanbul has the Mother of all markets, this was our first experience with a Turkish open-air market. And it was a great one!
Since Eskişehir doesn’t receive the hoards of tourists the Istanbul Grand Bazaar gets, this was a place where locals shopped for their daily bread and fish (and T-shirts and socks). It was a cacophony of activity and a hive of community. There was so much to see and smell.
Eat and Drink
Turkish coffee is, I believe, an acquired taste. We had our first sips in Cappadocia at a very upscale coffeehouse and couldn’t finish. But pounding the pavement with our Intrepid guide during this stop, we were taken to a local store where an elderly Turkish woman behind the counter smiled and handed me a Turkish coffee I actually liked. Drinking it before heading into the train station, I finally understood why the Turks like the thick, filling coffee.
Up in the hills of Odunpazarı, we tried halva from a shop dedicated to the creation of this sugary, lightweight dessert for over a century. I brought halva home, and my kids were smitten. There are many different kinds and flavors, so t’s worth tasting to see what you like.
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See the Canals, Walk the Streets
As mentioned above, some have called Eskişehir a Venice. It isn’t. There are a limited number of canals (and plenty of roads, sidewalks, and modern buildings). But the canals do make Eskişehir unique.
In 1999, the city began its Eskişehir Urban Development Project. At the time, the Porsuk River was polluted, flooding happened, traffic was terrible, and Eskişehir was in decline. The improvements made during the project have been impactful — today Eskişehir is a lovely place to hang out. The canals make the city charismatic, and the sidewalks are peppered with outdoor bars.
(You can take a gondola through the canals, but don’t get your expectations too high! It is a fun excursion, but short.)
Take a Cooking Class
I loved the food in Türkiye – read about some of my favorite tastes here. In Eskişehir we experienced even more and different tastes. There are many regional differences in cuisine across the country.
Our cooking demonstration was provided through our Intrepid Travel tour, but you can can search for your own cooking class.
With More Time
- Visit a park: Kent Park, Science Arts & Culture Park, Kanlikavak Park or Sazova Park.
- Visit the Modern Museum.
- Visit the MSO – the Air & Space Museum.
Would we have picked Eskişehir as a place to stop had we been sitting at home on our couches putting together our own itinerary? Probably not. The city isn’t full of glitzy lights, streets suffering from Instagram fame, or a history of deep impact to Western civilization.
But that is precisely what made Eskişehir and our experience there so endearing. It felt real. For twenty-four hours we were lifted from the tried-and-true path of every other tourist and saw what Türkiye is like when people just live, work, go to university, eat, and celebrate life. It was beautiful.
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