Eskişehir

Eskişehir may well be Turkey's happiest city – and with a massive university population, it is certainly among its liveliest. An oasis of liberalism in austere middle Anatolia, Eskişehir is increasingly popular with Turkish weekenders, and even boasts a small community of dedicated foreigners.

Eskişehir’s progressive spirit is associated with mayor Yılmaz Büyükerşen, who realised the potential of the city's Porsuk River, adding walking bridges and a sand beach, while building pedestrian thoroughfares and a smoothly efficient tram system. In summer you can even explore the Porsuk by gondola or boat.

The cumulative result is Turkey’s most liveable city, and a place where you can engage with the friendly and open-minded locals. With an atmospheric old quarter, roaring nightlife, cultivated cuisine, two parks and a fascinating science centre for kids, Eskişehir truly has much on offer.

Explore Eskişehir

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Eskişehir.

  • Area

    Odunpazarı

    Eskişehir's protected heritage district is crammed with cobblestone alleyways of timber-framed konaks (mansions) with overhanging upper stories. Many of…

  • Gallery

    Odunpazarı Modern Museum

    This ambitious art museum, with its highly contemporary wood-slat facade riffing on Eskişehir's history as a major wood-market town, opened in 2019…

  • Historic Site

    Kurşunlu Külliyesi Complex

    This religious complex, once used as a Mevlevi lodge by Eskişehir's Sufi community, was built between 1517 and 1525 by a leading master of classical…

  • Museum

    Archaeological Museum

    This modern museum showcases artefacts from the Chalcolithic era to Ottoman times. Downstairs is devoted to bigger pieces such as sarcophagi, milestones…

  • Park

    Kent Park

    Manicured to a tee, Kent Park is a civic masterpiece of liveable city urban planning. During summer, the artificial sandy beach and swimming pool is…

  • Museum

    Eskişehir Science & Experiment Centre

    If you're travelling with kids, this colourful complex makes for an entertaining break from all the historical ruins. Like a cross between a science…

  • Park

    Sazova Park

    West of the centre on the Küthaya road, this area of cleared sazova (cane field) has been turned into a family friendly paradise of fresh air and rolling…

  • Museum

    Museum of the Republican History

    This museum celebrates Atatürk and the Turkish Republic through hundreds of photos, paintings and collages covering seminal events such as the battles of…

  • Gallery

    Meerschaum Gallery

    Inside the Kurşunlu Külliyesi Complex, this small gallery displays items made from meerschaum stone, which is mined locally. Meerschaum pipes are famous…

  • Museum

    City Museum

    The heart of the collection here is Eskişehir's Museum of Contemporary Glass Art, a unique display donated by about 70 Turkish and foreign artists. The…

  • Museum

    Osmanlı Evi

    This former inn opened in 1890, and Atatürk stayed here in 1920 during his military campaigning. The rooms have been restored and host exhibits on Atatürk…

  • Museum

    TÜLOMSAŞ Museum

    The garden area beside the TÜLOMSAŞ Factory (Turkey's biggest manufacturer of railway locomotives) is devoted to an open-air museum of TÜLOMSAŞ'…

  • Museum

    Railway Museum

    A compact museum adjacent to the railway station that's really only for train buffs, but it's worth a look if you're waiting on a departure.