Sapanca & Maşukiye: the back story

About Sapanca & Maşukiye: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Istanbul Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Sapanca Lake lies in a wooded valley east of the Gulf of İzmit, and above it the village of Maşukiye climbs into the forests of Kartepe. For Istanbul families it is the classic weekend escape: lakeside hotels and spas, walks under the trees and trout by a stream.

The lake

Sapanca is a freshwater lake about 16 km long, ringed by villages, orchards and wooded hills. A path and road follow much of the shore, and hotels and cafés sit on the water, at their prettiest in the morning mist or the low light of autumn.

Maşukiye and Kartepe

East of the lake, Maşukiye is strung along mountain streams under the forests of Kartepe. Restaurants set their tables beside the water and over little waterfalls, and the speciality is trout, often from local farms, with village breakfasts at weekends. Higher up, Kartepe has a winter ski area.

Come midweek if you can: at weekends the lake road and Maşukiye’s restaurants are busy with day-trippers.

Staying over

Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa, on the lake at Sapanca, is a hotel built around its spa, and a calm base for a night or two away from the city.

Our advice: make it an overnight trip rather than a rushed day, go midweek, walk by the lake in the morning and save Maşukiye for a long, lazy lunch by the water.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sapanca & Maşukiye: the back story before you go.