Things to Do in Araç: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Araç

• 2 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 2 Nature

1 🏛️ Historic

Araç Castle

Castle on the Araç Stream, to the south of Araç.

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i Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source

2 🌳 Nature

Araç Plateaus

The plateaus are home to a variety of trees.

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

3 🌳 Nature

Araç Çayı Valley

Valley stretching along the Araç Stream. Its green vegetation and natural beauty make it a good route for walking.

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4 🏛️ Historic

Akhisar (Agsar) Kalesi

Castle north of Araç, near the village of Üyükveren (İyören).

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5 🕌 Religious

Küre-i Hadid (Demirli) İsmailbey Camii ve Tatlıca Köyü Mosque

In Araç district: the İsmailbey Mosque in the village of Küre-i Hadid (Demirli) and the Tatlıca Village Mosque.

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

• Kastamonu Castle — Standing on a rock about 860 metres high south-west of the city centre, the castle is believed to have been built in the 10th century by the Byzantine Komnenos family and was repaired in the Candaroğulları period.
• Kasabaköy Mahmut Bey Mosque — Built in 1366 in the Candaroğulları period in the village of Kasaba, 18 km from Kastamonu, the mosque is known as the "Nail-less Mosque" because no metal nails were used in its wooden roof.
• Nasrullah Mosque — Built in 1506 by Kadı Nasrullah in the reign of Bayezid II, with its square, ablution fountain and bridge it has the character of a complex; it is the largest mosque in the city from the Ottoman period and its symbol.
• Kastamonu Archaeology Museum — In the former Committee of Union and Progress club building, a work of the architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey, the museum displays finds from the Hittite to the Ottoman period.
• Valla Canyon — At Pınarbaşı, the canyon cut through the Küre Mountains by the Devrekani Stream is about 12 km long and 800 metres deep, among the deepest canyons in Türkiye.
• Küre Mountains National Park — A national park on the Kastamonu–Bartın border protecting the canyons, caves and old-growth forests of the Western Black Sea karst belt; the Horma Canyon walking trail and Ilgarini Cave are the best-known stops.

Practical Information for Visiting Araç

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Summer months

Places to visit

5 places

• 🍽️

  Araç Akdene Göce Çorbası (Araç soup)

  Araç Akdene Göce Çorbası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 22 June 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1153). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Araç Municipality.

• 🍖

  Etli Ekmek

  Thin dough topped with minced meat and baked in a stone oven, a traditional flavour of Araç.

• 🥘

  Keşkek

  Made by cooking wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them together, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding feasts. Serving it with melted butter drizzled over it is part of the tradition.

• 🍽️

  Araç Kül Çöreği

  Hard wheat flour, water, salt and a dough with baking soda are baked in oak ash, producing a thick-crusted, slightly soda-flavoured pastry. It takes its name from the ash-baking method.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Araç

• 🏡

  Village Life Culture

  Araç is one of the districts that keeps traditional Black Sea village life alive. This tradition is passed down from generation to generation as an important part of the local people's cultural identity.

Local Products

• Araç Kül Çöreği — Araç Kül Çöreği was registered as a protected geographical indication on 9 December 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 970). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Araç Municipality.
• Araç Balı — Flower honey from the forest and plateau areas of Araç, known for its natural character.

Economy

Araç's economy rests on agriculture, livestock farming and forestry. Grain, fruit and vegetables are the main agricultural products.

How to Get to Araç

Araç is 50 km from Kastamonu. Minibus services run from Kastamonu.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Kastamonu

Araç: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Araç Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Kastamonu The province's 10 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Kastamonu

• Kastamonu Central District 5 places Kastamonu Castle, Kastamonu Archaeology Museum and Nasrullah Camii ve Meydanı
• Abana 5 places Hacıveli Canyon, Abana Beach and Abana Harbour
• Ağlı 2 places Ağlı Plateaus and Ağlı Historic Mosque
• Azdavay 6 places Küre Dağları National Park, Aşıklar Bridge and Çatak Canyon
• Bozkurt 2 places Bozkurt Beach and Bozkurt Forests
• Cide 5 places Gideros Cove, Ginolu Beach and Cide Castle
• Çatalzeytin 3 places Çatalzeytin Beach, Çatalzeytin Forests and Cinolis (Ginolu) Ancient Settlement
• Daday 4 places Daday Forests, Daday Castle and Daday Tarihi Çarşı
• Devrekani 11 places Devrekani Stream Valley, Devrekani Castle and Devrekani Historic Mosque
• Doğanyurt 2 places Doğanyurt Coast and Doğanyurt Forests
• Hanönü 4 places Hanönü Castle, Hanönü Forests and Hanönü Tarihi Hanı
• İhsangazi 3 places İhsangazi Castle, İhsangazi Forests and İhsangazi rock tombs
• İnebolu 9 places İnebolu Historic Houses, İnebolu Castle and İnebolu Seafront
• Küre 4 places Küre Dağları National Park, Ilıca Waterfall and Küre Bakır Madeni Ruins
• Pınarbaşı 9 places Ilıca Waterfall, Pınarbaşı Plateaus and Pınarbaşı Springs
• Seydiler 5 places Seyyid Zülfikar Mosque, Seydiler Forests and Seydiler Plateaus
• Şenpazar 11 places Şehriban Canyon, Değirmenbaşı Spring and Şenpazar Plateaus
• Taşköprü 5 places Pompeiopolis Ancient City, Taş Köprü and Taşköprü Castle
• Tosya 3 places Tosya Castle, Tosya Tarihi Çarşı and Gavur Kayalıkları