This is a much neglected area of Turkey, we hope to put that right in the near future. Tourists and travelers throng to Istanbul and the South Coast but the area in-between seldom finds a place on itineraries. The landscape and the climate are the most European that Turkey has to offer and there are some charming places to seek out if you have the time. Again, the easiest way to travel here is by hire car but the buses are fine if you have the time. You can explore this area using Istanbul as a base but once you've seen Edirne and the Belgrade Forest it might make sense to move down the coast, perhaps via Bursa and Canakkale on the way to Izmir.

On the European side of the Marmara the indisputable highlight is Edirne, formerly Adrianople, formerly Hadrianopolis. Edirne was a centre for military operations for the Ottoman sultans before the fall of Constantinople in 1453. After the capture of Istanbul Edirne continued to be an important city to the Ottomans. It has remained, to an extent, unspoiled has and provides an interesting contrast to some of the more developed towns and cities you will pass through in Turkey. Chief amongst its attractions must be the mosque of Selim II, the Selimiye. Proclaimed by its architect, Mimar Sinan, as his finest work and completed during his 85th year, it really is rather nice. Lacking the heaviness of the mosques built to share a city with Haghia Sofya it seems to stretch upwards to the skies and looks as if the ribbon on it has only just been cut. I caught my first glimpse of it while having my car impounded by customs officials and it still made me smile. There is a at least a days worth of other stuff here to see so don't be afraid to consider spending the night.

The Gallipoli (Gelibolu) peninsula means battlefields and cemeteries to most who come to visit it. The population of Canakkale quadruples in the build up to ANZAC day as travelers come to pay their respects. Friends with Antipodean connections have all made a point of going while in Turkey and seem to have felt the journey worth while. Tours operate out of Gelibolu itself which is accessible by road, south from Istanbul or by ferry from Canakkale. If you are thinking of visiting any time around the ANZAC memorial day it would be a good idea to sort out accommodation and transport in advance as they are at a premium.

Canakkale also provides access to the site of ancient Troy and is a transport hub on the way south to Ayvalik, Assos, Pergamon and on to Izmir. It's not a very remarkable place and certainly pales in comparison with Bursa, further to the East and across the gulf of Izmit from Istanbul. Bursa has a fine collection of buildings dating from its time as capital of the Ottoman Empire and repays a day or two (as long as they've finished the remodeling of the town center which was in progress a few months ago). The mosques, hamams and related buildings are now slap bang in the middle of a busy and developed city but climbing up to the citadel gives you a view of just about everything and you can plan your day from there.