Things to Do in Manyas: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Manyas

• 1 Historic
• 3 Nature
• 1 Attraction

1 🌳 Nature

Manyas Lake

A water body in the north of the district, administratively part of the Bandırma district.

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2 🌳 Nature

Kuşcenneti National Park

Declared a national park in 1959 on the shore of Lake Manyas, this park is home to more than 266 bird species that migrate from Africa and Eurasia. It was set up as a nature conservation area in 1938 by the German zoologist Curt Kosswig, and is Türkiye's first Ramsar Site.

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i Photo: Maarten Sepp (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source

3 🌳 Nature

Lake Manyas (Bird Lake)

This shallow freshwater lake, around 3 metres deep on average, is fed by groundwater and four streams. The wetlands around the lake form a critical habitat for water birds that breed and winter here.

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4 📸 Attraction

Bird Museum

Located inside Kuşcenneti National Park, the museum displays stuffed specimens of the bird species observed in the area, as well as migration maps. Observation towers and nature walking trails are also part of the museum complex.

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5 🏛️ Historic

Manyas Castle

The castle ruins on the hilltop in the district centre date from the Byzantine period. Walls of the castle, which was also used in Ottoman times, partly survive.

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While you are in Manyas, 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.

Practical Information for Visiting Manyas

Suggested time

1–2 days

Best time to visit

Spring (bird migration season)

Places to visit

5 places

• 🍽️

  Manyas Kelle Peyniri

  Manyas Kelle Peyniri was registered as a protected geographical indication on 16 December 2020 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 628). Product group: cheeses. Registered by: Manyas District Governorship.

• 🐟

  Göl Levreği (Lake sea bass)

  Freshwater sea bass from Lake Manyas, prepared grilled or steamed. Raised in the clean waters of the lake, the bass is the district's best-known dish for its delicate flavour.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)

  Keşkek is made by cooking cracked wheat and lamb for hours and then pounding them together. In Manyas it is the traditional dish of weddings and festive holiday tables.

• 🫓

  Gözleme

  Thinly rolled yufka dough filled with cheese or spinach and cooked on a griddle. Gözleme is an essential part of Manyas's rural breakfast tables.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Manyas

• 🦩

  Bird-Watching Culture

  Thanks to Kuşcenneti National Park, Manyas is known as Türkiye's bird-watching centre. Every year thousands of Turkish and foreign bird watchers visit Lake Manyas.

• 🌾

  Rice Farming Tradition

  Rice farming, carried on for generations in the Manyas plain, forms the basis of the district's economic and cultural life.

Local Products

• Manyas Kazak Fasulyesi (Manyas Kazak beans) — Manyas Kazak Fasulyesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 5 July 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1401). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruit and vegetables and mushrooms. Registered by: Bandırma Chamber of Commerce.
• Manyas Rice — Rice grown in the wetlands around Lake Manyas, and the most important agricultural product of the region. The Baldo and Osmancık varieties are grown.
• Freshwater Fish — Sea bass, carp and pike caught in Lake Manyas are important local products of the district.

Economy

The Manyas economy is made up of farming, fishing and tourism. Rice production is the district's most important agricultural activity. Freshwater fishing on Lake Manyas is a traditional source of livelihood. Kuşcenneti National Park generates income from ecotourism.

How to Get to Manyas

Manyas is 65 km from Balıkesir and 18 km from Bandırma. Access is by road. There are regular minibus services from Bandırma and Balıkesir.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Balıkesir

Manyas: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Manyas 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
• Gönen 5 places Gönen Hot Springs, Asepsus Ancient City and Gönen Hot Spring Park
• 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
• 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