Things to Do in Gönen: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Gönen

• 1 Ancient City
• 1 Religious
• 2 Nature
• 1 Attraction

1 🕌 Religious

Gönen Hot Springs

Old thermal springs within the district's boundaries.

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2 🏺 Ancient City

Asepsus Ancient City

A settlement that was one of the district's names in antiquity.

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i Photo: ismail soytekınoglu (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source

3 🌳 Nature

Gönen Hot Spring Park

A large park area around the thermal facilities, offering a peaceful setting with orange trees and walking paths. Stretching along the bank of the Gönen Stream, the park is ideal for picnics and relaxation.

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4 📸 Attraction

Gönen Museum

The Gönen Museum, which displays the district's history and cultural heritage, contains archaeological finds, ethnographic works and documents from the War of Independence period.

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5 🌳 Nature

Dede Hill

A hill to the west of Gönen, the highest point in the district.

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While you are in Gönen, you can also see the highlights of Balıkesir province. These places are in other districts.

• Ayvalık Old Town — A coastal town of stone houses, narrow streets, old churches and olive-oil factories, on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2017. In antiquity it was known as Kydonia ('wild quince').
• Cunda (Alibey) Island — The only inhabited island of Ayvalık's 22 islands and the fourth-largest of Türkiye's Aegean islands, it is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
• Taksiyarhis Church — A metropolitan church built in 1873 on Cunda by the Greek Orthodox community in the name of the archangels Gabriel and Michael; it is the island's most important monument.
• Şeytan Sofrası (Devil's Table) — A table-shaped hill formed from the lava deposits of an extinct volcano, 8 km south of Ayvalık.
• Ayvalık Islands Nature Park — A 17,950-hectare nature park established in 1995 and covering 19 islands, where 752 plant species and 671 marine species have been recorded.
• Zağnos Paşa Mosque — Built in 1461 by Zağnos Paşa, vizier of Mehmed the Conqueror, this is the largest mosque in Balıkesir and the symbol of the city.

• 🍽️

  Balıkesir Gönen Pirinci (Gönen rice)

  Balıkesir Gönen Pirinci was registered as a protected geographical indication on 6 May 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1734). Product group: other products. Registered by: Gönen Chamber of Agriculture.

• 🫓

  Gönen Pidesi

  Gönen pide, with thin dough and generous fillings, is the district's best-known flavour, in minced meat, cheese and diced meat varieties. It is baked in a stone oven and served.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish)

  Made by cooking and pounding cracked wheat and lamb for hours, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and festival tables in Gönen.

• 🧀

  Höşmerim (cheese dessert)

  Made by melting fresh cheese in butter and cooking it with sugar, höşmerim is Gönen's traditional dessert. It is served warm.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Gönen

• ♨️

  Thermal Heritage

  Gönen's thermal waters have been used for healing since Roman times. The spa tradition from ancient Asepsus to the present day forms the basis of the district's cultural identity.

• 🌾

  Rice Farming Tradition

  Rice farming, maintained for generations on the Gönen plain, is an integral part of the district's economic and cultural life. The harvest season is celebrated with traditional festivals.

Local Products

• Gönen İğne Oyası (Gönen needle lace) — Gönen İğne Oyası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 29 August 2014 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 184). Product group: handicrafts other than carpets, kilims and textiles. Registered by: Gönen Municipality.
• Gönen Rice — The Gönen plain is one of Türkiye's most important rice production areas. Baldo and Osmancık varieties are grown, and Gönen rice has received a geographical indication registration.
• Thermal Water Products — Mineral waters obtained from Gönen's geothermal sources are used in bottled drinking water and cosmetic products.

Economy

Gönen's economy is based on thermal tourism, agriculture and livestock farming. The hot springs attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The Gönen plain is one of Türkiye's most productive rice-growing areas. Livestock farming and dairy production are also important sources of income. Geothermal energy is used in greenhouse farming.

How to Get to Gönen

Gönen is 100 km from Balıkesir and 50 km from Bandırma. Transport is by road. There are regular bus services from Balıkesir and Bandırma. It is possible to reach Istanbul by sea via Bandırma.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Balıkesir

Gönen: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Gönen Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Balıkesir The province's 17 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Balıkesir

• Altıeylül 6 places Değirmenboğazı Nature Park, Zağnos Paşa Mosque and Balıkesir Clock Tower
• Ayvalık 12 places Cunda Island (Alibey Island), Şeytan Sofrası (Devil's Table) and Ayvalık Old Town
• Balya 8 places Balya Mine Workings, Balya Castle and İlyaslar Canyon
• Bandırma 7 places Kuşcenneti National Park, Kyzikos Ancient City and Bandırma Vapuru Museum
• Bigadiç 5 places Bigadiç Boron Mine (Bigadiç Bor Madeni), Bigadiç Hot Springs (Bigadiç Kaplıcaları) and Achyraus Ancient City Ruins (Achyraus Antik Kenti Kalıntıları)
• Burhaniye 7 places Ören Coast, Adramytteion Ancient City and Pelitköy Olive Oil Museum
• Dursunbey 7 places Alaçam Dağları (Alaçam Mountains), Suçıktı Mesire Yeri (Suçıktı Picnic Area) and Ulus Dağı (Ulus Mountain)
• Edremit 8 places Kazdağı (Mount Ida) National Park, Altınoluk Beach and Akçay Beach
• Erdek 5 places Kapıdağ Peninsula, Kyzikos Ancient City and Erdek Beach
• Gömeç 11 places Gömeç Shore, Madra Mountain and Karaağaç Cove
• Havran 5 places Havran Plain, Tebai Ancient City and Havran Castle
• İvrindi 8 places Mount Kaz, Mount Madra and İvrindi Castle
• Kareşi 9 places Balıkesir Castle (Karesi Castle), Zağnos Paşa Mosque and Complex and Balıkesir City Museum
• Kepsut 4 places Kepsut Plain, Çataldağ and Kepsut Plain and Peach Orchards
• Manyas 5 places Manyas Lake, Kuşcenneti National Park and Lake Manyas (Bird Lake)
• Marmara 9 places Marmara Island, Saraylar and Ancient Marble Quarries
• Savaştepe
• Sındırgı 5 places Hisaralan Hot Springs, Yağcıbedir Carpet Museum and Sındırgı Castle
• Susurluk 6 places Susurluk Ayran Stop, Susurluk Bazaar Mosque and Susurluk Plain