Visitors to Turkey are usually drawn to the mysterious East meets West allure of Istanbul, the magical landscapes of Cappadocia with its balloon spotted blue skies and the clear, luxuriously warm waters of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, but these beautiful distractions of the East draw them away from what is to be found in the West. Thrace is a relatively undiscovered side of Turkey, with so much to offer in terms of rich culture, colorful history and a developing future.
We were invited to the Thrace region of Turkey by the Trakya Development Agency and Go Visit Turkey to explore the area, find out what makes it so special and experience what it has to offer.
If Istanbul is the bridge between Europe and Asia, literally a few steps from one continental plate to another, then Thrace, (Trakya in Turkish) is the final part of the journey. Spreading West from a long, narrow piece of lush green land, then expanding outwards, connecting Turkey to Greece, Bulgaria and onwards to the rest of Europe.
Separating the Black and Aegean Seas, this mystical region has been home to great Greek gods and goddesses and been witness to the rise and fall of powerful civilizations, including tribal Thracians, Romans, Germanic tribes and Ottoman Turks, creating a marble of culture and history spanning more than two thousand years. Unlike the drier regions of Turkey to the East, Thrace is a green land, with gently undulating hills, fertile agricultural land, thick forests and boutique vineyards. In a week here you can feel like you’ve travelled through France, Italy, England and Canada! Next time you leave Istanbul, consider heading West, instead of East.
Ancient mythology tells of a goddess, called Semele, who became pregnant by the god Zeus, angering his jealous wife, who took her baby and burned it. From the ashes grew the very first vines and of course, wine! Boutique, family vineyards produce beautiful wines, almost all of which never leave Turkey.
Our journey through Thrace
Day 1 in Thrace – Tea houses and vineyards
Waking early, we left the hotel and travelled to the nearby Barbare Vineyards for a deluxe Turkish breakfast. The terrace restaurant of this local vineyard and winery sits amongst the gently undulating hills, carpeted with grape-laden vines and overlooked by the great sacred mountains of Ganos, where the great God Zeus is said to have taken a giant, single stride from…
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