Kastamonu travel guide

Kastamonu, Turkey

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Kastamonu

Introduction

Kastamonu is a city in northern Turkey, lying at an elevation of roughly 900 metres in the southern part of Kastamonu Province, of which it is the seat. It is also the administrative centre of Kastamonu District.

Before you go

Kastamonu sits inland from the Black Sea coast, and its history runs deep: the town may date back to the 18th century BC, when Greeks and Romans knew it as Timonion. It controlled one of the valleys leading down to the coast, and in the 10th century it was fortified by Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, earning the name "Kastra Komnenon" that became Kastamonu. From the 13th to 15th centuries it was the capital of the Candaroğlu petty kingdom, and it became a provincial capital after the Ottomans took it in 1461. Knowing this layering helps you read the town as you walk it.

The city's modern history is worth keeping in mind too. During the Turkish War of Independence it served as a supply hub: with western navies enforcing an embargo on the shipping lanes, munitions were smuggled into the port of İnebolu and carried up to Kastamonu before going on to the frontlines. That route between coast and interior is part of how the town connects to the wider region.

Getting there

Kastamonu Airport (KFS) sits about 12 km south of the city, with a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul most days taking roughly 75 minutes; from the terminal you'll need a taxi to reach downtown. By bus, services from Istanbul run every few hours and take the better part of a day via Gebze, Bolu and Safranbolu, often continuing through Boyabat to Sinop or Samsun on the coast. From Ankara, several buses a day make the four-hour run. Metro Turizm and Flixbus operate on these routes. Local buses also run along the valley from Karabük, which sits on the railway line from Ankara to Zonguldak and is close to Safranbolu.

The bus station (otogar) is about 7 km north of the centre, and local buses and dolmuşes run downtown; these are usually included in your ticket price, so confirm when buying. If you're driving from Istanbul, the route heads east on the tolled O-4/E80 past Gerede, then north on the D755 to Karabük and east on the D030 via Araç — the final stretch winds, though it is mostly divided highway. From Ankara, take the D140 east to Kalecik, then the D765 north via Çankırı and Ilgaz; the last section crosses the Ilgaz Mountains at around 1800 m, so check the weather outlook in winter. Satnav may try to route you this way from Istanbul.

Getting around

Kastamonu sits in a river valley, and the main road follows both banks of the river that bisects the city — one-way northbound on the east bank, southbound on the west. Orient yourself by which side of the river you are on, and use the buses for the central river corridor. The city centre is compact, so walking is a practical way to cover the central area: Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Dumlupınar Caddesi and Kışla Caddesi are all centrally located, and many places you are likely to want to reach are within reasonable walking distance of one another. Keep the valley setting and the city's elevation in mind when planning longer walks.

Public buses, operated by Kastamonu Özel Halk Otobüsü, are the main form of public transport, with stops concentrated along the main arteries including Kastamonu-Sinop yolu (D030), Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Dumlupınar Caddesi, Kışla Caddesi and Kastamonu-Çankırı yolu (D765). Local buses and dolmuşes also connect the Otogar, north of the centre, with downtown — when buying your ticket, check that this connection is included. There is no metro or tram, and no direct train to Kastamonu; practical rail access is via Karabük, from where local buses run along the valley to Kastamonu. Taxis are the standard fallback for journeys that do not suit foot or bus, and you will need one to get from Kastamonu Airport into the city centre. If you arrive by road over the Ilgaz Mountains in winter, check the weather before setting out.

Where to stay

Kastamonu has a modest stock of places to sleep, and it pays to book ahead: whenever the nearby military garrisons hold public parades, families from across the country descend on the town to watch their conscripted sons, and accommodation fills up fast. The most central options cluster around Cumhuriyet Caddesi, where you'll find simple, clean rooms and a comfortable business hotel opposite Republic Square. A short walk away, a charming old mansion offers more character, while an atmospheric former caravanserai is memorable for its setting—though be warned that live music can blast out until the early hours, so it isn't the place for an early night.

Food & drink

Kastamonu's signature dish is etli ekmek, a large local style of pizza topped with cheese and spicy bacon. It's often served as part of a set meal with a soup and a salad, so come hungry. For dessert, look for çekme helvası, a type of halva available in cafes or sold loose to take away.

To find places to eat, wander the streets on either side of the creek, where the eating places cluster. Cafes may serve alcohol, so you can pair a meal with a drink.

What to see and do

The old town straggles along both sides of the Karaçomak River, its southern sections holding Ottoman half-timbered houses, stone mansions, ancient mosques, caravanserais and bazaars. Be prepared for a scrappy mix, though: much of the fabric is modern and many older buildings are in poor condition, so you won't find the atmosphere of a cohesive old quarter. Among the monuments, the Ismail Bey Mosque anchors a religious complex built in the 1440s, and the Nasrullah Mosque dates from 1506 and was restored in later centuries. The Nasrullah Bridge crosses the river east of that mosque, now a footbridge with two arches remaining after the outer three were clipped off in 1946 to clear the modern streets along the banks, which gives it a lop-sided look. Just west of the mosque stands the Aşir Efendi Hanı, also called the Urgan Inn, a caravanserai built in 1748 and now occupied by small shops in run-down condition. Cumhuriyet Meydanı, historically the market place, is now a plaza lined with public buildings including the late Ottoman-style Governor's Office and the City Museum, whose local history exhibition is free; the monument here commemorates the effort to supply the front line during the Turkish War of Independence, with Şerife Bacı as its foremost figure, who perished from the cold doing so. Elsewhere in town, look for the sturdy sandstone Clock Tower of 1885 and the Liva Paşa Mansion, a 22-room house built in the 1880s for a military commander's harem and now an ethnographic museum depicting town life and handicrafts of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Archaeology Museum displays finds from the area, and the Hat Museum holds a large collection of hats, though without signage or explanation even in Turkish. Above it all, Kastamonu Castle perches on an outcrop reached by a 20-minute hike up the old town alleys; built by the Byzantines in the 10th century, it is the "castra" that gives the city its name, later captured and repaired by the Seljuks, the Candars and finally the Ottomans, and you're free to explore it at any hour.

Further out, the Mahmut Bey Mosque in the village of Kasaba, 17 km northwest, is a remarkable wooden mosque built in 1366 without nails — hence its nickname Çivisiz Cami, "the nailless mosque" — so its elaborately carved pieces were slotted into position and the surfaces dyed. It is one of five mosques in Anatolia inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is generally accessible in daylight hours; to get there, take the road towards Daday as far as Göçen, then follow the lane north for 3 km, with a dolmuş able to get you to Göçen. Back in town, you can visit a hamam: the Dede Sultan Hamamı on Atatürk Cd was established in 1524 and is still in business, while others in the old town include the Çifte Hamam, Arabapazarı Hamam and Yeni Hamam. The Lunapark at the north end of town is a rusty, crumbling amusement park that is supposed to open daily till midnight but will probably be closed. History buffs may also note that it was in Kastamonu, on 27 August 1925, that Atatürk made his famous speech banning the fez and religious garb, wearing a panama for the occasion.

When to go

Kastamonu has a humid continental climate, so the season you choose shapes what you can do. Winters are cold, with snow and freezing conditions rather than mild weather, and wintry roads can slow travel; come prepared for genuine cold if you visit then. Spring brings a noticeable increase in precipitation, making it the wettest stretch of an otherwise evenly wet year, so pack for rain.

Summers are warm and the most comfortable stretch for outdoor exploring, though rain still falls at times because precipitation is spread through the year. Whatever the season, expect some wet weather during your stay.

Three days in Kastamonu

Day one: Start in Kastamonu itself, getting your bearings in the city and its district before ranging further afield. Kastamonu sits within Kastamonu Province, with the Black Sea shaping the region's character. As you walk, keep in mind the layers of history behind the streets: the city's story runs from the Greeks and Romans through Timonion, the Komnenos era of Manuel Erotikos Komnenos and Kastra Komnenon, then the Candaroğlu and the Ottomans, and on through the Turkish War of Independence.

Day two: Look outward across Kastamonu Province, keeping the Black Sea in view as the region's frame. The province's reach extends toward the coast, and the surrounding towns give you a sense of how the area connects: Safranbolu, Boyabat, Sinop and Samsun lie within the wider network, while Karabük, Ankara and Zonguldak are the other centres you may hear named. If you prefer to stay closer to the city, treat the day as a slower one and save the longer excursions for later.

Day three: Give the final day to the practical side of leaving or extending your stay. Kastamonu Airport (KFS) is served by Turkish Airlines, with Istanbul as a connection; by road, routes run through Gebze, Bolu, Safranbolu, Boyabat, Sinop and Samsun, and from Ankara you can travel with Metro Turizm or Flixbus. Local services link Karabük, Ankara and Zonguldak. If your time is short, use the morning to revisit whatever in Kastamonu you most enjoyed, then set off.

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