Edirne
Introduction
Edirne sits in the northwestern part of its province in Eastern Thrace, close to where Turkey meets Greece and Bulgaria. Known historically as Orestias, Orestiada, Adrianople, or Adriana, it served as the second capital of the Ottoman Empire from the 1360s until 1453, when Constantinople took its place.
Before you go
Edirne sits well inland, so its climate is more continental than the Marmara coast: summers are hot and dry, hotter but less humid than Istanbul, with occasional thundery downpours, while winters bring rain, snow and bitterly cold nights. Late spring and early autumn are the best times to visit. The city's sights are compact and can be covered on a day-trip, but if time is short, at least walk as far as the historic bridges — the closest to the centre are the south-side bridges to Karaağaç. The tourist information centre is on Talat Paşa Cd next to the Old Mosque.
Be aware that flooding is a hazard after heavy rain, especially in winter. Districts such as Karaağaç may be cut off when the medieval bridges become inundated, so never attempt to cross a flooded bridge — ask locally about safe alternative routes.
Getting there
Most travellers reach Edirne overland. Buses run from Istanbul's Esenler station at least hourly and take two to four hours non-stop, with Metro Turizm the main operator; services normally run around the clock. Buses also come from Çanakkale via the Gallipoli peninsula, Keşan and Uzunköprü. From Istanbul Airport, Istanbul Seyahat runs direct buses to Edirne several times a day with two stops en route, taking about two and a half hours, and there's good Wi-Fi on board. If you fly into Sabiha Gökçen, you're on the Asian side and face a congested cross-city journey; with a hired car you're quickly on the road to Thrace. Edirne's bus station sits 5 km southeast of the centre at the junction of the D100 and the city bypass, and town buses connect it to the middle of town.
By train, the overnight service between Bucharest, Sofia and Istanbul calls at Edirne in both directions year-round, though everyone has to get off at the border for passport and customs checks. A regional train runs twice daily from Istanbul Halkali via Çerkezköy, Çorlu and Lüleburgaz, taking about five and a half hours; Halkali is west of the city centre and linked by the frequent Marmaray metro. Optima Express is a car-train from Villach in Austria that runs two or three times a week from April to November, taking 33 hours, and also carries passengers without cars. Edirne Gar, the main station, is 4 km east of downtown near the highway to Istanbul and serves international and regional trains; Edirne Şehir, 1 km southwest of the centre by the river, is served by regional trains only. Across the Greek border, Kastaniés has trains from Alexandroupolis. By road, the city sits on the toll-free D100 and the O-3 / E80 motorway between Turkey and Europe, with Istanbul roughly two hours east. The main border checkpoint is Kapikule on the Turkish side, 15 km west, facing Kapitan Andreevo in Bulgaria, with Svilengrad the first Bulgarian town beyond; the minor crossing is Pazarkule, 4 km southwest, facing Kastaniés in Greece. All border crossings are open around the clock.
Getting around
Edirne's centre is compact, fairly flat and walkable, and the old quarter near the riverbank around Edirne Şehir station is likewise easy to cover on foot. The outlying districts are within a long walk, but you may prefer to save your legs and take a bus, dolmuş or taxi at least one way. Taxis are a practical fallback for the outer neighbourhoods, for reaching the bus station or main railway station with luggage, and for short hops when you don't want to wait; they are also how you reach the Bulgarian border at Kapikule if you are continuing onward without a direct bus.
City buses run regularly — roughly every ten minutes — between the centre and the Otogar, as well as to all outlying districts, and town buses carry you from the Otogar into the centre. To board, you can use a Kent Kart city card topped up with credit, or a one-time QR-code ticket sold at some kiosks (büfe); alternatively you can pay directly on the bus with a credit card, which costs more. Bus connections and schedules can be looked up on the Moovit app. Edirne has two stations: Edirne Gar, the main station east of downtown near the highway towards Istanbul, served by international and regional trains, and Edirne Şehir, closer to the centre on the edge of the old quarter near the riverbank, served by regional trains only.
Where to stay
Most of Edirne's accommodation clusters around the Old Quarter and just east of the centre. Be aware that many places are tatty, so it pays to check recent reviews before booking.
- Palace Hotel, in Sabuni, is a clean modern option in the town centre, though you may hear some street noise; secure parking is available.
- Trakya City Hotel, also in Sabuni, is another clean modern choice a short way east of the centre.
- Hotel Balta, on Talatpaşa Bulvarı in Ayşekadın about 500 m east of the centre, is a big block of a place with air-conditioned rooms and satellite TV, but cleaning is erratic.
- Efe Hotel, in the Old Quarter, is a clean central option with air-conditioned rooms, satellite TV, hot water and free Wi-Fi.
- Tuna Hotel, close to Efe Hotel, offers basic but usually clean en-suite rooms with air-conditioning, satellite TV and Wi-Fi.
Food & drink
Liver (ciğer) is Edirne's signature dish, and it's prepared in a style all its own: whole pieces are dusted with flour, deep-fried in vegetable oil, and served with a fiercely hot dried crunchy pepper. If you're put off by the smell of liver elsewhere, you won't notice it here. Eat it with bread and ayran, the salty yogurt drink that tames the pepper's heat. Small eateries specialising in liver are called ciğerci, and you'll find a cluster of them in the park by the Old Mosque; if someone in your party doesn't like liver, they can fetch something else from a nearby restaurant. Names to look for include Ciğerci Kemal, Alipaşa Köfte ve Ciğer, Serhad Köftecisi and Ciğerci Niyazi Usta, while Balkan Piliç Lokantasi serves good food in small portions. For meatballs and liver together, the smart, efficient places around the Alipaşa and Tahmis markets are the reliable choice. For a sit-down break, the cafés are worth choosing for their setting as much as their menu: along Saraçlar Cd, the pedestrian mall a block east of the old quarter; at the south end of the Maritsa Bridge, especially when sunset bathes the old town in lemon and olive oil; or at Sera Cafe behind the Selimiye Mosque. Finish with badem ezmesi, a soft, cookie-like dessert made from bitter almond — Keçecizade sells it along with other sweets from its main outlet opposite Üç Şerefeli. When you want a drink, Edirne has plenty of birahanes, the cafés that serve alcohol, including a strip along Maarif Cd with Park Pub, Sezen Café & Pub, English Bar, Füguran and Mahzen.What to see and do
Edirne's skyline is dominated by the Selimiye Mosque, the masterpiece of the architect Mimar Sinan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Approach it from the northwest to take in the full effect of the building without the distraction of shops, and note the eight unobtrusive pillars that let the dome hang over a vast interior lit by 999 windows. Four fluted minarets rise above it, and inside you'll find calligraphy and geometric designs in pink and blue, along with the inverted tulip emblem said to honour the previous landowner's tulip garden. If you do want shops, the covered Arasta Bazaar runs along the mosque's southwest flank. Two other imperial mosques are worth your time: the Old Mosque, the oldest and smallest of the three, with nine domes and striking calligraphy, and the Üç Şerefeli Mosque, whose name refers to the three balconies on its tallest minaret, with a colourfully decorated central dome. Nearby stands the crumbling Macedonian Tower, the last remnant of the city's Roman walls, extended in Byzantine times and later topped with a clock tower; it is dilapidated and cannot be entered. The Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Hamamı, another work by Sinan, still operates as a bathhouse, though it is better seen than used. Behind the Selimiye you'll find the Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, strong on the Thracian period with a dolmen, a reconstructed Thracian hut and Roman and Ottoman tombstones in its gardens, and the Museum of Islamic Arts in a former madrassah, entered past a statue of Sinan.
In the old quarter, Kaleiçi, the walls and gates are long gone but many wooden houses survive along Maarif Caddesi, some artfully crafted and others derelict. At its south end stands the Grand Synagogue, built in Moorish Revival style after the great fire of 1905 and restored and reopened in 2015, with a small museum inside. The district also holds numerous small Ottoman mosques and, at the north end, a former Catholic church tucked in an alley by a primary school. Further out, the Muradiye Mosque has beautiful tile work in its mihrab, and the Şükrü Pasha Memorial on the city's highest hill commemorates the commander who defended Edirne during the Balkan Wars. Bulgarian Orthodox churches include the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen and St George Church, the latter usually locked except for services. The House of Baháʼu'lláh, where the religion's founder lived during his Ottoman exile, can be visited by prior appointment. Across the rivers, historic stone bridges lead to Sarayiçi, where scraps of the Ottoman palace remain along with the intact Justice Tower, an oil-wrestling arena with statues of past champions, and the Balkan Wars Memorial and cemetery. Further west, Yeniimaret is home to the Health Museum.
When to go
Edirne has hot, moderately dry summers and chilly, wet, often snowy winters. Summer brings the warmest conditions of the year along with relatively little rain, making it the season for outdoor sightseeing.
Winters are chilly, wet and often snowy. Snow can fall and rain is frequent, so pack for cold, damp conditions.
Three days in Edirne
Day one: Base yourself in Edirne, the city at the heart of Eastern Thrace, and start with its Ottoman heritage. Begin at the Old Mosque, then wander the surrounding streets to get your bearings. In the late afternoon, head out along Talat Paşa Cd towards Karaağaç, the leafy quarter on the edge of the city.
Day two: Use Edirne as your base for a wider look at the region. Buses connect the city with Istanbul, including services from Esenler and from Istanbul Airport, with operators such as Metro Turizm and Istanbul Seyahat. If you are coming from the Asian side, Sabiha Gökçen is another option, and Istanbul Halkali is a rail gateway. From Edirne you can also reach Keşan, Uzunköprü and the Gallipoli area, or cross into Greece at Orestiada, the town known in older times as Orestias, and into Bulgaria towards Sofia or Bucharest.
Day three: Slow down and take in the layers of the city. Edirne was known as Adrianople and, earlier, as Adriana, and it served as an Ottoman capital before Constantinople. Spend your last hours in the districts around the centre, then plan your onward travel: west into Greece or Bulgaria, or east back towards Marmara and Istanbul. Wi-Fi is widely available in cafés and hotels if you need to check schedules.