Kentpark

Kentpark is a large city park on the east side of Eskişehir, stretching along the Porsuk River between the New Bus Terminal and the Gökmeydan neighbourhood. The Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism gives the area of the park as about 300 thousand square metres. Turkish Wikipedia speaks of about 270 thousand square metres; both figures show that this is one of the widest green areas in the city after Sazova. What made the park known across Turkey is the artificial beach it brought to a city without a sea. According to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, this was the first artificial beach in Turkey. The beach was built in a special area set aside for it on the part of the park facing the Porsuk River. Its sand is real sea sand. The beach is 350 metres long. Right beside it there are two open air swimming pools, one of them for children. The long turquoise pool running in front of the sand looks like a seashore in photographs. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that the beach gives city residents who cannot go to the sea a taste of the seaside, especially in summer. The ministry's promotion platform Go Türkiye also lists feeling yourself at the seaside in Kentpark among the things not to miss in Eskişehir. Besides the open air pools, the park also has indoor swimming pools. Beyond the beach, Kentpark has all the parts of a classic city park. According to Turkish Wikipedia, the park contains a pond of about 20 thousand square metres with an island in it. Rose gardens, children's playgrounds and sports grounds surround the pond. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism notes that the park also has horse riding areas. Walking paths follow the edge of the pond and wind through the park. In the late afternoon, when the light drops, the surface of the pond reflects the sky and this becomes the quietest corner of the day. The park's restaurants and cafes are used for a rest in the middle of a long walk. The most pleasant way to link Kentpark with the city centre is the Porsuk River itself. According to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the Porsuk roughly divides the city in two, with Tepebaşı district to the north and Odunpazarı to the south. The same source writes that six excursion boats operate on the river. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that scheduled boat services run in both directions between Köprübaşı and Kentpark. The Venetian style gondolas on the Porsuk also operate at Köprübaşı and Kentpark. So it is possible to arrive from the centre over the water and return from the park by road. Boat and gondola timetables and fares can change, so check the current information with the operator. For those who choose the road, the tram is convenient too. According to OpenStreetMap records, there is a tram stop called Kentpark right next to the park. A little further on there is also the Otogar stop. When visiting Kentpark, go first to the beach side and catch the angle where the sand and the long pool appear together. Then walk around the pond and follow the path that looks out on the island. The season when the beach and pools are open and the conditions of use change through the year, so ask the operator for current information. Outside summer, too, the park serves as an open space for walking and resting. Thanks to its closeness to the bus terminal, Kentpark is also an easy first stop for a traveller arriving in Eskişehir by coach.