Zonguldak

As conveyors and rails everywhere at the entrance of the downtown mark, this bleak industrial town leaning against a steep mountainfoot with just a small section of downtown lying on flat ground is surrounded by coal mines, which indeed are the reason of town's existence. While the city itself may have little to offer to a passing by traveller, it may serve as a convenient hub for surrounding resorts and sights. Also, the lush mountains around the city can easily make you forget the smog and the grey ambience of Zonguldak.

• Buses from Istanbul and Ankara. Both journeys take about 6 hours.
• A daily train from Ankara.
• The ferries operating between Istanbul and Trabzon also used to call at Zonguldak harbour, but the current situation is not certain.

Since most of the city cascades down from a steep mountain side, be ready to climb up and down lots of stairs. The (flat-ish) land is so scarce that some of the alleys you may come across at the residential neighbourhoods are actually rooftops of the houses lined at the street one level below!

• Akçakoca is a seaside resort one hour bus ride away from Zonguldak in the west.
• Safranbolu is a nearby town inland to southeast, noted for its preserved traditional architecture and is in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Amasra is a historical town on the Black Sea coast to the east.