Things to Do in Kızılcahamam: 4 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Kızılcahamam

• 1 Religious
• 1 Nature
• 1 Cultural
• 1 Other

i Photo: SAİT71 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

1 🌳 Nature

Soğuksu National Park

One of Kızılcahamam's most important natural areas and an important draw for tourists.

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i Photo: bynyalcin (CC BY 3.0) · Source

2 📍 Other

Kızılcahamam Hot Springs

Used since the Roman period, and has won nationwide renown in Türkiye.

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3 🕌 Religious

Martyrs' Tree

A monumental cedar tree representing soldiers who have lost their lives on duty since 1980, on which the dog tags of the soldiers are hung.

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4 🎭 Cultural

Cinereous Vulture Observation Station

A station built in 2009 on Kayabeleni Hill within Soğuksu National Park. It allows the observation of the cinereous vulture, a species at risk of extinction.

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While you are in Kızılcahamam, you can also see the highlights of Ankara province. These places are in other districts; Kızılcahamam is about 80 km from the provincial centre.

• Anıtkabir — The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, designed by Emin Onat and Orhan Arda and built on Rasattepe between 1944 and 1953. The Lion Road leads to the ceremonial square; the Hall of Honour holds the symbolic sarcophagus, and Atatürk's body lies in the tomb chamber on the lower floor.
• Museum of Anatolian Civilisations — Housed in the Mahmud Paşa Bedesten and Kurşunlu Han, the museum began at Atatürk's wish as a 'Hittite Museum' and today displays Anatolia's civilisations in chronological order.
• Ankara Castle — The exact date the castle in Altındağ was built is unknown; it is known that the Roman emperor Caracalla had its walls repaired in AD 217. Repaired in the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, it is the historic core of Ankara, with narrow streets inside and views of the city from the walls.
• Arslanhane (Ahi Şerafeddin) Mosque — A Seljuk mosque at the southern end of the castle, dating from the 13th century, with wooden columns and a wooden ceiling; it is one of the oldest and most important buildings in the city.
• Hamamönü — This district takes its name from the Karacabey Hammam in the complex of Karaca Bey, the Beylerbey of Anatolia, in the 1430s.
• Temple of Augustus — The temple beside the Hacı Bayram Mosque was built in the name of the emperor Augustus in about 25–20 BC. Its walls bear the Res Gestae inscription, known as the Monumentum Ancyranum, which recounts Augustus's deeds; it has been protected with the support of the World Monuments Fund.

Practical Information for Visiting Kızılcahamam

Suggested time

1–2 days

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

4 places

• 🫓

  Kızılcahamam Pidesi

  A pide specific to Kızılcahamam, known for its thin dough and generous fillings. The minced-meat and kaşar-cheese varieties of pide baked in a stone oven are the most preferred.

• 🐟

  Alabalık (trout)

  Trout raised in the district's cold-water springs, served grilled or fried in a pan. It is the flavour most preferred by spa visitors.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)

  Cracked wheat and meat cooked for a long time and pounded is the traditional dish at weddings and festivals. Keşkek, an essential at wedding tables, is prepared in a communal spirit.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Kızılcahamam

• ♨️

  Spa and Thermal Tourism Tradition

  The spa tradition, which has continued since the Roman period, forms the basis of Kızılcahamam's identity. The district has attracted visitors for centuries as Ankara's most important thermal tourism centre.

• 🌲

  Forest Village Culture

  Kızılcahamam is one of Ankara's most wooded districts. Forestry, beekeeping and the gathering of natural products form the basis of its traditional way of life.

Local Products

• Kızılcahamam Bazlaması (Kızılcahamam flatbread) — Kızılcahamam Bazlaması was registered as a protected geographical indication on 14 December 2018 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 400). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Kızılcahamam Municipality.
• Çam Balı (pine honey) — Produced in Kızılcahamam's extensive pine forests, pine honey is one of the highest-quality honeys in Türkiye, known for its dark colour and distinctive aroma.
• Orman Mantarı (forest mushrooms) — Various mushroom species gathered in the forests in autumn are sold fresh at local markets and used in regional dishes.
• Thermal Water — Mineral water obtained from Kızılcahamam's thermal springs, bottled and sold.

Economy

Kızılcahamam's economy is made up of thermal tourism, forestry and agriculture. Spa facilities and thermal hotels attract visitors all year round. Pine honey production and forestry are important sources of income. Wheat and fruit are grown in farming.

How to Get to Kızılcahamam

Kızılcahamam is 80 km from Ankara city centre. It lies on the Ankara–Bolu highway (D-655). There are regular bus services from AŞTİ.

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Kızılcahamam: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Kızılcahamam Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Ankara The province's 21 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Ankara

• Akyurt 7 places İdris Mountain, Akyurt Castle and Karacaören Köyü Kaya Mezarları
• Altındağ 11 places Ankara Castle, Hacı Bayram Mosque and Temple of Augustus
• Ayaş 6 places Ayaş Hot Springs, Ayaş Castle and Ayaş Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)
• Balâ 10 places Kesikköprü Dam, Afşar Höyüğü (Afşar Mound) and Yavaşlar Höyüğü (Yavaşlar Mound)
• Beypazarı 13 places Hırkatepe, Beypazarı Historic Houses and Taş Mektep (Stone School)
• Çamlıdere 13 places Şeyh Ali Semerkandi Tomb, Çamkoru Forest Camp and Çamlıdere Fossil Forest
• Çankaya 7 places Anıtkabir, Kocatepe Mosque and Cengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum
• Çubuk 10 places Karagöl Lake, 1402 Battle of Ankara Battlefield and Çubuk Dam (Çubuk-1 Dam)
• Elmadağ 4 places Vezir Pınarı Fountain, Elmadağ Ski Centre and Elmadağ Ammunition Factory Historic Site
• Etimesgut 5 places Eryaman Gölbaşı Park, Turkish Air Force Museum (Aviation Museum) and Etimesgut Atatürk Forest
• Evren 4 places Evren Castle Ruins, Evren Çayı Valley and Evren Central Mosque
• Gölbaşı 4 places Mogan Lake, Eymir Lake and Tulumtaş Cave
• Güdül 12 places Kirmir Stream Valley, Sorgun Pond and Güdül Canyon
• Haymana 7 places Haymana Thermal Baths, Gavurkale Ruins and Battle of Sakarya Historical National Park
• Kahramankazan 7 places Mürted Air Base, Kazan Museum and Saray Höyük
• Kalecik 5 places Kalecik Castle, Kızılırmak Valley and Hasbey Mosque
• Keçiören 5 places Estergon Castle (Keçiören), Keçiören Botanical Park and Kalaba Park and Pond
• Mamak 7 places Mount Hüseyin Gazi, Hatip River and Mamak Castle (Kayaş Castle)
• Nallıhan 9 places Sarıyar Dam, Nallıhan Bird Sanctuary (Davutoğlan Bird Sanctuary) and Rainbow Hills (Girl's Hill)
• Polatlı 10 places Gordion Ancient City, Battle of Sakarya and Gordion Ancient City (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Pursaklar 3 places Saray Köşkü Park, Pursaklar Municipality Culture Centre and Altınova Park
• Sincan 5 places Temelli, Sincan Tulip Festival Area and Temelli Mound
• Şereflikoçhisar 7 places Tuz Lake (Tuz Gölü), Koçhisar Castle and Şereflikoçhisar Castle
• Yenimahalle 5 places Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ), Ankara Zoo and 75th Year Ankara Hippodrome