Places to Visit in Kastamonu: The 7 Most Beautiful Places and More

Kastamonu is one of the prominent cities of the Black Sea Region with both its historical texture and natural beauties. Among the places to visit in Kastamonu are Ilgaz Mountain National Park, where you can be in touch with nature, Gideros Bay with its peaceful atmosphere and Küre Mountains National Park with its rich flora and fauna. In addition, natural wonders such as Horma and Valla Canyon and historical structures such as Ilgarini Cave are among the places you should see in Kastamonu. The city also offers many activities such as nature walks, camping and skiing.

The places to visit in Kastamonu are not limited to nature; historical and cultural riches such as Kastamonu Castle, Clock Tower and Pompeipolis Ancient City are waiting for you in every corner of the city. For those looking for a quiet and peaceful holiday, the calm beaches in Cide and Inebolu offer a pleasant resting opportunity. We have created a detailed route in this article for those who want to discover the historical and natural beauties of Kastamonu.

1. Ilgaz Mountain National Park and Ski Resort

A part of Ilgaz Mountain, which gained national park status in 1976, is in Kastamonu, while the other part is in Çankırı, one of the neighboring provinces. Ilgaz Mountain National Park, which is especially beautiful in the winter months, can witness the awakening and beauty of nature live in the summer and spring months.

Ilgaz Ski Resort is one of the places to visit in Kastamonu for those who love winter sports and skiing. There are two ski slopes, 800m and 1500m in length, in the ski resort. The winter season starts in December and continues until March and April.

For those who love spring, summer and nature, Ilgaz Mountain National Park is the first place we can recommend for Kastamonu trips. You can do many activities such as picnics, nature walks and camping in the forests where trees such as black pine and fir are predominant. You can also join bicycle tours. In addition to predators such as wolves and bears roaming the mountains, you can also observe many species of birds and reptiles such as red deer, black storks, kestrels, and magpies.

You can also participate in the İstiklal Yolu Hike event organized by the Kastamonu Governorship every year in Ilgaz Mountain National Park. Don't forget to take lots of photos at Ilgaz Mountain National Park and Ski Center, where the unique beauties of nature are presented.

2. Gideros Bay

Located in the Cide district of Kastamonu, Gideros Bay will be a great option for those who want a quiet holiday away from the city crowds. This bay, which was mentioned even in ancient epics, reveals the meeting of green and blue with all its beauty. You can enjoy your holiday by staying at the hotels located in Gideros Bay. You can eat fish in the cute restaurants located in this beautiful bay. If you wish, you can both camp and catch and cook your own fish. Compared to the well-known, rough sea of ​​the Black Sea, the part of the bay that opens to the sea is quite narrow, so the sea here is very calm and crystal clear.

We definitely recommend that nature lovers, those who are tired of the city crowds and want to have a quiet holiday go to Gideros Bay.

3. Horma Canyon

Located in the Pınarbaşı district of Kastamonu, Horma Canyon is located in the Küre Mountains National Park. It allows you to watch the canyon from many different angles for about 3 km on a wooden walking track. You can also reach the famous Ilıca Waterfall by passing through wooden balcony-style, railed roads.

We recommend that you be careful if you are afraid of heights on this walk, which you can also do with guides. In addition, there are food and beverage points and buffets at certain points of the journey. We definitely recommend you to try the delicious barbecued meatballs at the restaurants in Horma Canyon.

4. Küre Mountains National Park

Küre Mountains, which has taken its place among the notes of many travelers throughout history, was declared a national park in 2000. Having many different species and attracting attention internationally, Küre Mountains has earned the title of Turkey's first and Europe's 13th PAN Park.

Küre Mountains National Park, one of the first places that comes to mind when Kastamonu is mentioned, is definitely among the places we recommend you to see with its clean air, picnic and excursion areas. There are also nearly 100 caves in Küre Mountains National Park.

5. Valla Canyon

With a length of 12 km and walls ranging from 800 m to 1300 m, Valla Canyon is the largest canyon in Turkey... One of the deepest canyons in the world, Valla Canyon is the end of the confluence of Devrekani and Kanlıçay rivers.

It was formed in the cunda. Valla Canyon, located in the Pınarbaşı district of Kastamonu, has a viewing terrace positioned at an altitude of 720 meters. This viewing terrace, which reveals the unique beauty of Valla, has a very solid structure with a steel construction. You have to climb the steps to reach the terrace. You can watch the endless view to your heart's content on the terrace with a wooden cladding.

You should not forget that you have to overcome quite difficult and dangerous roads to reach this canyon, which is perfect for our adventure-loving readers.

6. Ilgarini Cave

Ilgarini Cave, one of the natural wonders of Kastamonu, is 1250 meters above sea level and 800 meters long. With these features, the Ilgarini Cave, which is the fourth largest cave in the world, contains many historical artifacts that have survived from the Roman and Byzantine periods. You should definitely see the giant stalactites in this cave, where history and nature are intertwined.

7. Kastamonu Castle

Kastamonu Castle, which is the symbol of Kastamonu, was built by the Komnenos in the 12th century. Due to the additions made to the castle by various civilizations living in Kastamonu in the following years, there are various architectural elements belonging to different civilizations in the castle. You should definitely visit the castle, which is located in a very easy location in terms of transportation, and enjoy the magnificent Kastamonu view.

Other places we recommend you to visit in Kastamonu are as follows:

Kastamonu Clock Tower

House Rock Tombs

Martyr Şerife Sister and Martyrs Monument

Pompeipolis Ancient City

İnebolu Houses

Kastamonu Archaeological Museum

Kastamonu City History Museum

Nasrullah Kadı Mosque and Fountain

İsmail Bey Inn (Kurşunlu Inn)

Çifte Hamam

Places to Swim in Kastamonu

You can enjoy both nature and swimming to your heart's content on the beaches of Kastamonu, which also has very good options in terms of beaches. We definitely recommend Gideros Bay, which is located in the Cide district, which we also mentioned in our article.

Other places to swim in Kastamonu are;

Municipality Beach, Cide

Kumluca Yolu Beach, Cide

Liman İçi Beach, Doğanyurt

Boyranaltı Beach, İnebolu

Özlüce Beach, İnebolu

Yakaören Beach, Bozkurt

Hacı Veli Village Beach, Abana

Ginolu Beach, Çatalzeytin.

We tried to introduce Kastamonu, which is perfect for our readers who want a quiet and peaceful holiday, with its places to visit and beaches to swim. We hope you have a nice holiday.

If you liked this content and want more, you can start exploring it lively with GeziBilen's thematic Kastamonu Routes.

Written by: Berkay Yenidünya