A historical woodland on the city limits

Talk of the town: Named after the 1521 capture of Belgrade – when a group of prisoners-of-war settled in an abandoned village in the forest – the remains can still be seen today.

Once covering the whole distance between Thrace and Mecdiyekoy, Belgrade Forest is still a sizeable piece of woodland. Originally the hunting grounds of the Ottomans, it is now a favourite of metropolitan joggers and cyclists, or day-breakers looking for fresh air and a fresh perspective amidst the vertical infinity of the age-old oaks, pines and beech trees.

Lying 15km northwest of Istanbul, it is best accessed by car. Head to the Buyuk Bend reservoir for a picnic, and then to the Uzun, the Long Aqueduct. Belgrade Forest was the primary source of water for Istanbul for centuries, and this - built in 1563 by Süuleyman the Magnificent - is the most impressive of the many aqueducts, reservoirs and dams here.