For some people Istanbul is torture, for others a place you cannot live. Many will disagree with us, and with good reason. We love Istanbul most for its empty streets, before the city wakes and the rush begins.
What is Istanbul like early in the morning?
When it is not crowded, it is a great love for us. On an early Sunday morning, empty streets turn the city into a huge place that belongs to you and waits to be discovered. It is more beautiful when plain and quiet. We also went out on Istiklal Avenue in the morning. Without people it feels different, but there was still a rush: during the hours when vehicles may enter, everyone was busy loading and unloading goods, along with those left over from the night before.
What can you do in Kuzguncuk?
One Sunday morning we left home for Kuzguncuk. The weather was lightly rainy: a romantic city, empty streets and a lovely Bosphorus ride. We rode our motorcycle as far as Anadolu Hisarı, then wandered the streets of Kuzguncuk:
- The famous historic bakery
- A few cookies and tea
- Plane trees and colourful wooden houses
- Lovely, chubby cats
Our tip: try the sugar-free, flour-free mushroom cookie and the white princess cookie at the historic Kuzguncuk bakery.
Kuzguncuk is a small neighbourhood on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus, known for its wooden houses and calm streets.
What is there in Anadolu Kavağı?
It is one of our favourite places. It does not cover a large area, but it has history, atmosphere, peace, lovely streets, waterside restaurants and tiny houses. Escaping here once in a while does us good, and we rode there by motorcycle. Anadolu Kavağı is a fishing settlement near the Black Sea end of the Bosphorus, with the ruins of Yoros Castle above it.
Educated Moto Riders offers trips and motorcycle tours for those who prefer to explore the city and its surroundings with a group.
Read the full story in Turkish with photos and videos: İstanbul sabah gezisi.