page_title: Belgrad Forest
section_title: Recreation and tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Belgrad Forest / Recreation and tourism
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Руины церкви святого Георгия в Белградском лесу, Стамбул, Турция English: The ruins of St. George's Church, Belgrade Forest, Istanbul, Turkey
context_page_description: Belgrad Forest is a mixed deciduous forest lying adjacent to Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after the thousands of Serbs who were deported from the city of Belgrade in 1521 when it fell to the Ottomans. Geographically, the forest is located at the easternmost point of the Thracian Peninsula. Forest terrain is divided between Sarıyer and Eyüp districts. Several historical reservoirs lie within the forest.
context_section_description: Walking, Jogging & Hiking: One of the most popular activities to do in the Belgrad Forest besides looking at the beautiful trees and enjoying nature is the fact that you can easily jog and hike through the trails. There is a jogging track that begins at a fountain by the Neset Suyu (Neset Spring) and weaves a 6 ½ km route with exercise equipment stationed along the way for public use, and the Istanbul Hash House Harriers often runs through this trail. There are many paths and tracks running through the Forest outside of the main recreational areas and a walker can pass hours in the Forest rarely meeting anyone else. The main complication is that there is no available map (satellite maps are useful for showing roads and the wider tracks but not for showing paths and fences) showing the paths and tracks - they have to be discovered. There are also some fenced-off areas and roads running through the Forest which can make finding a good walking route trickier. If going deeper into the Forest, a compass is recommended. A GPS device such as a smartphone is also very useful. The Forest is only mildly hilly and in many places can be walked through even where there is no path or track. The easiest place to start exploring the Forest is the small town of Bahçeköy which is almost in the middle of the Forest. Bahçeköy is well served by public buses. Most of the Ottoman dams and reservoirs are easily reachable from Bahçeköy.
  Atatürk Arboretum: To see the forest’s foliage during the changing seasons, the best place to visit is the arboretum in the area, which is open during weekdays. In the facility, there is more than 2,000 plant species. The main attraction in the gardens is in the autumn when the collection of oak trees from all around the world can be viewed. As of 2016 the Arboretum  is open every day except Mondays and entry is 5TL for students and 15TL for everyone else. The entrance is about a 20 minutes walk from the centre of Bahçeköy. A visit can easily take a couple of hours. Food (not water) is confiscated at the entrance but returned on leaving.
  Eating & Drinking: One of the most common things for locals and travelers to do in Istanbul is to take a trip to the Belgrad Forest on the weekend to escape from the heat in the spring and summer months. There are areas specifically for recreation and travelers are even allowed to use portable barbecues to enjoy with friends and family. There are seven main picnic areas in the Forest; the most popular destination is Büyük Bent. This area has its own cafe where you are able to bring your own food and cook on the long wooden tables; drinks and snacks are sold on-site. If you are planning on cooking your own BBQ, it is suggested that you pay attention and use caution as firefighting facilities are not well prepared to deal with forest fires in the area. There are also a few other cafes scattered around the forest, making the area metropolis in some areas, however, most of the areas in the forest consist of wildlife.
caption: It is common to find historic ruins scattered around the forest, such as this church of St. George.
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