Çanakkale

If you thought Çanakkale was worth visiting only as a launching point for Gallipoli's battlefields, think again. The presence of the highly regarded Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University endows this small city with a sizeable student population that loves nothing more than to eat, drink and party in the atmospheric cobbled lanes around the saat kulesi (clock tower; 1897) and along the sweeping kordon (waterfront promenade). Joining their revelries is a highlight of any visit.