İstanbul – Edirne

Edirne, another Turkish city shares its borders with Bulgaria and Greece. Known historically as the third largest capital in the times of Ottoman rule, the city has a rich ecclesiastical history that it shares with its tourists, till date with remains that have survived the time ravages for centuries. The city is the third capital of the country with consulates from different European nations, such as Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Solvakia, Romaina, etc. The sister cities of Edirine are Alexandroupolis (Greece) and Yambol and Haskovo (Bulgaria).

The best thing about Edirne is authentic Turkishness that it holds in itself. The place is home to the very Turkish oil-wrestling fests, which is nationally well-known as Kırkpınar. If you visit Turkey in the month of June, you might be fortunate to catch the wrestling show of Edirne. Conducted by the oldest of sports activity organizations, this sport has been brought into existence after many years, purely for public entertainment. Kakava is another international fest that is housed in Edirne every 5 year.

The distance between İstanbul and Edirne is a little over 238 Km, a distance that we cover in less than 2 and a half hours. We take the O-3 that is the shortest way to the place, even though other, rather ancient routes exist. The main highway that links Europe with Edirne cuts through river valleys and mountain ranges and finally takes it along the River Meriç, until it enters Edirne. Following the E-80, the return to Istanbul is faster and safer, not to mention the small road tax.

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