City peculiarities
Antalya and sport
Not only that the Turkish league club Antalyaspor is based in Antalya, the Antalya Marathon has been taking place every year since 2006 in March, the largest running event in Turkey after the Istanbul Marathon. Because of the cozy climate, numerous European football teams come to the city on the Turkish Riviera in winter to train and play friendly matches. Every year since 1999 there has been a football tournament in which Turkish and European teams take part. The tournament known as the Gazi Cup between 1999 and 2003 was called the Efes Pilsen Cup from 2003 to 2007 and the Antalya Cup since 2007.
Antalya Airport (Turkish: Antalya Havalimanı)
In 2007, Antalya Airport overtook Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport for the first time, if you measure the volume of international flights that started or ended here. With this record, Antalya was given the nickname “Capital of Turkish Tourism” for the first time.
Culinary Antalya
According to loverists, the culinary delights of Antalya include Piyaz (made from tahini, garlic, walnuts and boiled beans), spicy Hibeş (with cumin and tahini), Domates Civesi, Şiş Köfte, Tandır Kebap, Şakşuka and many many cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil.. A local specialty is tirmis : these are cooked seeds of the lupine (sometimes called wolf bean) that are eaten as a snack. Fish lovers can to the Grida happy (even Lagos called), a popular fish for local food.
Celebrations and events
Antalya Cup
Every year since 1999 there has been a football tournament in which Turkish and European teams take part. The tournament known as the Gazi Cup between 1999 and 2003 was called the Efes Pilsen Cup from 2003 to 2007 and the Antalya Cup since 2007.
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Turkish: Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festivali)
Since 1963, Turkey’s most important national film festival has been held every year in Antalya. The festival sponsored by Antalya Kültür Sanat Vakfı can be joined in autumn at the Antalya Cultural Center Antalya Kültür Merkezi (AKM). Since 2005 the film festival has been accompanied by the International Eurasia Film Festival.
Antalya Festival
The annual Antalya Festival lasts 18 days and takes place between September 12th and 29th.
Antalya International Folk Music and Dance Festival Competition
This Antalya International Folk Music and Dance Festival is held every year in the last week of August.
Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival
The Turkish State Opera and the Turkish Ballet have been organizing this festival in Antalya since 1994, with international opera and ballet ensembles cooperating. The festival, held in June and July every year, takes place in the ancient Roman theater of Aspendos, which is near Antalya.
International Eurasia Film Festival (or Antalya Film Festival )
Once a year, Antalya attracts streams of visitors with this autumn film festival. They then have the opportunity to experience more than 200 films of various characters.
International Öger Antalya Marathon (also called Runtalya )
The March marathon, also called Runtalya, is the only one in Turkey apart from the Istanbul Marathon. It is organized by the German travel company Öger Tours and traditionally ends in the city’s Ataturk Stadium.
Mediterranean International Music Festival
This annual festival takes place in the last week of September, attracting musicians from all over the world to Antalya.
Antalya: Recommended excursions
Alanya Alanya is
135 kilometers southeast of Antalya, one of the most famous seaside resorts that the Turkish Riviera has to offer. The place is enjoying growing popularity, especially with Germans, which can easily be seen from the conspicuous German signage and the spread of the German language.
Belek
The tourist place Belek spreads out only about 30 kilometers from Antalya, which is determined by various hotels that spread out near the pebble and sandy beach. Belek is one of the most popular places on the Turkish Riviera. European football clubs also train there in the winter months.
Düden waterfalls
You can take a boat from Antalya to the Düden waterfall, a somewhat touristy, but still very worth seeing trip. It takes about two hours, among other things, past the up to 40 meter high cliffs directly to the waterfalls, which got their name from the river that forms them.
Kaş
The town of 10,000 souls at the foothills of the Ak-Dag Mountains is located directly on the sea and an estimated 180 kilometers southwest of Antalya. Kaş, which has been spared from mass tourism so far, is so popular because of the listed town center and the good diving opportunities.
Kalkan It
only takes about two hours to drive to Kalkan, a picturesque port town with cobblestone streets and high-quality restaurants.
Kemer
The popular seaside resort of Kemer is 45 kilometers from Antalya, also on the Turkish Riviera. The city attracts in particular with its (coarse pebble) beach, on which the rocks rise up to 3,000 meters.
Lara
The beach in Lara is one of the longest sandy beaches in Turkey. Numerous 5 to 7 star hotels have settled there, some of which are replicas of famous places on earth (e.g. Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Venice or the Kremlin in Moscow ). That is why Lara is often referred to as Turkey’s Las Vegas.
Manavgat
This district town in the province of Antalya belongs to the Turkish Riviera and is located about 75 kilometers east of Antalya. The city extends in a fertile plain between the Taurus Mountains and the Manavgat River, which is very popular with visitors because of the two waterfalls Büyük Selale and Küçük Selale. The spice market and the bazaar are also well worth seeing.
Pamukkale
You should plan to drive two hours to Pamukkale, one of Turkey’s main attractions. You can either drive your own car or take the train or bus to Denizli and from there continue with the Dolmuş for the remaining 12 kilometers. At the place Pamukkale the imposing and bizarre limestone terraces spread out, which for thousands of years have been formed by thermal springs bearing lime. This Turkish tourist magnet is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Aspendos Roman Amphitheater
The Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival, held every June and July, takes place in the ancient Roman Theater of Aspendos, near Antalya. This impressive amphitheater is considered to be the best preserved Roman theater on earth. The semicircular monumental structure was built in the 2nd century. It has a spectator capacity of up to 15,000 (on 41 rows of seats) and measures approx. 95 meters at the widest point.
Saklikent
Here it is actually the path that is so worth seeing, because the drive to Saklikent leads over mountains that offer excellent vantage points (sometimes over the whole of Antalya). Saklikent itself impresses with a ski area that is more than 2,000 meters high.
Side
The almost 3,500 year old city of Side is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Turkish Riviera. The once important port city of antiquity has numerous ruins from the Roman period as well as structures from the 5th and 6th centuries, many of which were unfortunately destroyed by an earthquake. One of the most important ruins is the theater, which was once designed for around 20,000 spectators.