In October the foothills of Uludağ fill with chestnuts. On this walk we gather them along the slopes and follow the old roads up to the summer pastures of the Kızık villages.
- Duration
- Full day
- Distance
- About 12 km, 630 m of ascent
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Season
- October
- Language
- English, Turkish
Along the way
- Walking through chestnut woods, with stops to gather
- A climb of about 630 m from the Kaplıkaya valley to Erikli Yayla
- How the Kızık villages lived with the mountain
- Why chestnuts love these slopes: rock, soil and tree
The story of this route
Chestnuts hold a special place in Bursa's kitchens and memory; candied chestnuts are one of the city's signatures. The reason the tree loves these slopes lies underground: the metamorphic rocks of Uludağ's foothills make the acidic soil chestnuts prefer.
The route passes among the Kızık villages, which go back to the early Ottoman years. As we climb to the Fidyekızık pasture, we talk about the life these villages built with the mountain, the forest and the chestnut.
The route
- Kaplıkaya, about 350 mWe start at the top of the Kaplıkaya recreation area and walk about 1 km up the valley.
- Taş EvA steep forest path takes us up to a small pasture known as Taş Ev, the Stone House.
- Fidyekızık roadAfter about 1 km of level dirt track we join the Fidyekızık road and continue uphill on a broad gravel road.
- Erikli Yayla, about 980 mBy this pasture, also called Fidyekızık Yayla, we have climbed about 630 m over 7 km. This is the hardest part of the day.
- BalabanForest paths take us about 5 km downhill, and the walk ends in Balaban.
Who it suits
Regular hikers who are ready for a long, steep climb.
What to bring
- Hiking boots with ankle support
- At least 1.5 litres of water per person (there is water along the way)
- A cloth bag and thick gloves for the chestnuts
- Trekking poles, if you have them
Good to know
- We may step off the path now and then to gather chestnuts.
- The lunch break is at a spot with drinking water.
