Photo: Makalp (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Karabük is the province of Safranbolu, which entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 and preserves its 18th- and 19th-century Ottoman townscape intact, as well as Cinci Han, the İncekaya Aqueduct and Tokatlı Canyon, Mencilis, one of the longest caves in Türkiye, and the Yenice forests, which WWF counts among 100 hotspots needing protection. With Kardemir, whose foundation stone was laid in 1937, it is Türkiye's first heavy-industry city. Safranbolu saffron and Turkish delight are registered.
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12 places worth seeing in Karabük, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Makalp (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A historic town that preserves its 18th- and 19th-century Ottoman townscape as a whole, with whitewashed mansions with timber overhangs. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on 17 December 1994. It consists of the Çarşı quarter, with its winter houses, and the Bağlar quarter, with its summer houses with gardens.
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Photo: Uğur Başak (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A large caravanserai in the centre of Safranbolu Çarşı, built between 1640 and 1648 by Cinci Hoca (Hüseyin Efendi), the tutor of Sultan İbrahim. Today it is used as a hotel, and from its roof there are views over the Çarşı.
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A covered market street in Safranbolu Çarşı dating from the 17th century, where yemeni (leather shoe) makers once worked. Today it is full of handicraft and souvenir shops.
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Photo: Muhammet Dilmaç (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source An aqueduct with one main arch and five supporting arches, spanning Tokatlı Canyon north of Safranbolu. It was extensively repaired in the 18th century in the time of İzzet Mehmed Paşa and used to carry water to Safranbolu.
View on mapA Roman and Byzantine city in the region of Paphlagonia, near the village of Çaylı in Eskipazar. With its mosaics with animal figures on the church floors, it is known as the "Zeugma of the Black Sea".
View on mapA museum house in Safranbolu Çarşı that uses tableaux to show the room, sofa and kitchen layout of a traditional Safranbolu house.
View on mapA deep canyon just north of Safranbolu, with a glass viewing terrace extending over the canyon and a walking path along the valley.
View on mapOne of the longest caves in Türkiye, in the village of Bulak, made up of three interconnected levels; Safranbolu's drinking water comes from its lowest level. The section open to tourism is reached by 148 steps.
View on mapOne of Türkiye's largest unbroken forest blocks; in 1999 it was chosen by WWF as one of 100 hotspots in Europe in urgent need of protection. It contains an Open-Air Forest Museum and monumental trees.
View on mapA viewpoint overlooking Safranbolu Çarşı, with the Hasan Paşa Tomb; the finest panorama of the houses is seen from here.
View on mapA village 6 km from Safranbolu that preserves its traditional stone and timber houses; visitors see the Sipahioğlu Mansion and the village laundry.
View on mapThe Karabük Iron and Steel Works, Türkiye's first heavy-industry plant, whose foundation stone was laid in 1937; it is at the heart of the city's founding story.
View on mapKarabük lies in the interior of the Western Black Sea region, in the valley where the Araç and Soğanlı streams join to form the Filyos (Yenice) River. The present provincial centre is a young city born with the Republic’s first heavy-industry investment, the Karabük Iron and Steel Works (Kardemir): the foundation stone of the factory was laid on 3 April 1937, production began in 1939, and a small village quickly turned into an industrial city. Karabük became a province in 1995.
The historic and tourist heart of the province is Safranbolu, 8 km to the north. Set in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, the town was known as Dadybra in the Byzantine period and Zalifre under the Seljuks; in the 14th and 15th centuries it was a border town between the Ottomans and the Candarids. It takes its name from the saffron plant grown in the area. Safranbolu grew rich in the 17th to 19th centuries thanks to its position on the Istanbul–Sinop caravan route; people lived in the stone houses of the Çarşı in winter and in the timber mansions of the Bağlar quarter, with its gardens, in summer. Because industrialisation was concentrated in Karabük, Safranbolu’s historic fabric survived unspoilt, and on 17 December 1994 the town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Yenice forests in the west of the province are one of Türkiye’s largest unbroken forest blocks; in the south, at the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Eskipazar, Roman and Byzantine mosaics have been uncovered.
Karabük has a climate in transition between the Black Sea and continental types: summers are hot, winters cool and rainy. Averages for 1965–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.8 °C | −0.2 °C | 51 mm | 9 |
| February | 10.7 °C | 0.6 °C | 35 mm | 8 |
| March | 15.0 °C | 2.8 °C | 44 mm | 9 |
| April | 20.5 °C | 7.0 °C | 50 mm | 9 |
| May | 25.7 °C | 10.9 °C | 57 mm | 9 |
| June | 29.3 °C | 14.1 °C | 45 mm | 7 |
| July | 32.6 °C | 16.7 °C | 26 mm | 4 |
| August | 32.9 °C | 16.7 °C | 26 mm | 4 |
| September | 28.5 °C | 13.0 °C | 29 mm | 4 |
| October | 21.9 °C | 9.0 °C | 38 mm | 6 |
| November | 14.8 °C | 4.0 °C | 35 mm | 7 |
| December | 9.3 °C | 1.2 °C | 52 mm | 9 |
The best periods are April–June and September–October. Saffron blooms in late October and early November, in a short period lasting a few weeks; the time when the purple flowers are picked is worth seeing. The Yenice forests burst into colour in autumn. Safranbolu is also very photogenic under snow in winter, but night temperatures fall below zero.
By air: The nearest airport is Zonguldak Çaycuma Airport (about 90 km). Ankara Esenboğa Airport is about 200 km to the south.
By train: Karabük is on the Ankara–Zonguldak railway line; regional trains stop at Karabük station.
By road: It takes about 3 hours from Ankara via Gerede and Eskipazar and about 5 hours from Istanbul. Municipal buses and dolmuş minibuses run frequently from Karabük city centre to Safranbolu; most intercity buses also call directly at Safranbolu bus station.
Day 1 – Safranbolu Çarşı: In the morning, views of the houses from Hıdırlık Hill; Cinci Han, Yemeniciler Arasta and Kaymakamlar House. In the afternoon, Turkish coffee and saffron Turkish delight in a mansion; spend the night in a mansion hotel.
Day 2 – Canyon and villages: The glass terrace of Tokatlı Canyon and the İncekaya Aqueduct; then the Sipahioğlu Mansion and the laundry of Yörük village. Mencilis Cave on the way back.
Day 3 – Yenice or Hadrianopolis: A walk in the Yenice forests for nature lovers; the Hadrianopolis mosaics in Eskipazar for history lovers.
The best-known product of Safranbolu cuisine is Safranbolu lokumu (Safranbolu Turkish delight), enriched with saffron and hazelnuts. The products with a registered geographical indication are Safranbolu safranı (Safranbolu saffron), one of the world’s most valuable spices, Safranbolu kıtırı (Safranbolu crispy pastry), Safranbolu çavuş üzümü (Safranbolu Çavuş grapes), Safranbolu maniye domatesi (Safranbolu maniye tomatoes), Safranbolu Yazıköy sirkesi (Safranbolu Yazıköy vinegar), Eflani hindi bandırması (Eflani turkey dish) and Yenice ıhlamur balı (Yenice linden honey).
Local specialities include Safranbolu’s zerde (saffron dessert), bükme (rolled pastry), yaprak sarması (stuffed vine leaves) and etli pilav (rice with meat); the tradition of serving Turkish coffee in Safranbolu’s mansions is also famous.
The traditions of leather shoe (yemeni) making, coppersmithing and blacksmithing are kept alive in Safranbolu’s Yemeniciler Arasta. Eflani çember bezi (Eflani çember cloth) is a woven cloth with a registered geographical indication; Eskipazar’s sarı traverten taşı (yellow travertine) is registered too.
Karabük province has 6 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Turkish delight made with saffron and hazelnuts, with a registered geographical indication.
A crispy pastry with a registered geographical indication.
A turkey dish with a registered geographical indication.
A traditional dessert made with saffron, rice and sugar.
The main stops are the houses and Çarşı of Safranbolu, Cinci Han, Yemeniciler Arasta, Hıdırlık Hill, Kaymakamlar House, Tokatlı Canyon and the İncekaya Aqueduct, Yörük Village, Mencilis Cave, the Yenice forests and Hadrianopolis.
It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on 17 December 1994.
It takes its name from the saffron plant grown in the area. Safranbolu saffron has a registered geographical indication.
It blooms between late October and early November, in a short period lasting a few weeks, and is picked early in the morning.
Safranbolu Turkish delight, saffron, the iron and steel industry and the houses of Safranbolu.
April–June and September–October are the best periods; late October is ideal for saffron.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.