Ankara's Great Parks from Altınpark to Harikalar Diyarı

Begin the day by entering through the park's main gate on İrfan Baştuğ Caddesi; beyond the gate the path drops on a gentle slope to the pond at the centre of the park. The story of Altınpark begins on this hollow ground: the site was used as a golf club until 1977, the present park design was chosen in a competition held in 1985, the foundation was laid on 19 October 1986 and the park opened in 1991. Of the 640,000 square metre site, 32,700 square metres are water; the path that circles the pond is the first walking loop of the route. Wikipedia puts the green space at more than 260,000 square metres; the rest is shared by paths, buildings and the pond. The park belongs to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and is run by the municipality's company ANFA. Since the morning sun comes from the east, photograph the pond from its eastern shore; the water stays bright in front of you and the light comes from behind. Towards noon, as the light steepens, the surface of the water goes flat; the best frames are within the first hour. Do not aim for the child-oriented facilities such as the science centre, the ice rink or the funfair at this stop; they belong to a separate route, and here the subject is the park itself.

Most of the benches on the shore of the pond face the water; sit for a while halfway round the loop and watch the wooded slope on the opposite bank. According to Wikipedia, musical and illuminated water shows are also staged on the pond; the shows depend on evening hours and the season, and in the morning you will see only the fountains. According to the Culture Portal, beyond the pond the park also holds an Olympic swimming pool, open and semi-open amphitheatres, a mini golf course and indoor and outdoor sports grounds; most of these lie on the outer edge of the loop and you pass them as you walk. The same list includes a culture centre and a horse stable. Along the path the flower beds change with seasonal planting; Wikipedia puts these beds at more than nine thousand square metres. There are also amusements such as an excursion train and horse carts inside the park, but they run according to the season.

On the northern side of the loop stands the park's second large structure, the Altınpark Fair and Congress Centre. According to the website of ANFA, the metropolitan municipality company that runs the park, the centre consists of two halls: hall A is the fair space and hall B the congress centre, and the building is one of Ankara's two fair grounds. Specialised trade fairs take priority here; events such as camping and caravan, landscaping, gastronomy and provincial promotion fairs follow one another through the year. If your visit falls on a fair day, the hall entrance and the car park in front of it are crowded; if you want to go in, check that fair's admission conditions on the fair calendar, otherwise look at the building from outside and return to the walk. The wide square in front of the fair centre is a good vantage point for the pond and the wooded slopes.

If you have time left, turn onto one of the paths that climb the slope on the eastern side of the loop; from here the pond and the fair centre appear in a single frame. Tea gardens and kiosks cluster around the pond; a breakfast break can be taken here before moving on to the second stop. Fees and opening hours of the facilities change; check current information on the ANFA website. When you finish the stop, leave through the gate on the western side of the park: the Dışkapı and Meteoroloji stations of the Keçiören metro (M4) lie in that direction, and the same line carries you without a change to Atatürk Kültür Merkezi station. Those who prefer not to walk to the metro can board one of the EGO buses heading towards Ulus and get off at the Atatürk Kültür Merkezi stop.

Source: Wikipedia, Altınpark (park); Kültür Portalı, Altınpark; ANFA, Fuar ve Kongre Merkezi.

Atatürk Kültür Merkezi station serves both the M1 and the M4 lines; you come up to the surface at the edge of the site, where İstanbul Caddesi meets Kazım Karabekir Caddesi. The wide flat ground in front of you is Ankara's old Hippodrome, and the garden you will walk at this stop was laid out on its parade track. According to Wikipedia, the hippodrome was built between 1934 and 1936 to a design by the Italian architect Paolo Vietti-Violi, opened in 1937, and horse racing continued until 1979. For many years the ground was also used for national holiday parades; Wikipedia records that the Tenth Anniversary speech of 1933 was delivered on this site. When the parades moved to other grounds the hippodrome lost its importance. A law passed in 1980 decided that an Atatürk Cultural Centre would be founded here for the centenary of Atatürk's birth, and according to the website of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation the site still falls under the ministry's planning authority today. The ministry's website lists Gençlik Parkı, the railway station, the opera house and museums within the site; the garden sits like a wide open space in the middle of these buildings. The parade track was removed in 2019; the national garden built in its place by the ministry and TOKİ opened at the end of October 2021.

The size of the garden varies by source: Anadolu Agency gave 637,000 square metres in its report on the opening, and the Directorate of Communications gave 760,000 square metres in a piece written during construction; what is certain is that the area exceeds 600,000 square metres. According to Anadolu Agency, 601,700 square metres of this is green and open space; there are 154,000 square metres of woodland, 91,400 square metres of plant and flower beds, 78,700 square metres of lawn and 67,800 square metres of meadow event ground, and the number of trees planted is 10,133. Begin the walk on the main path that enters the garden from the station and join the 2.7 kilometre running and cycling path; this loop circles the garden and is the backbone of the stop. Completing the loop takes forty minutes at an easy pace; there are separate lanes for runners and cyclists, so keep to the right as you walk. On the inner side of the path lies the biological pond; its reedy shore and the timber walkways over it are the quietest corner of the garden. The water show pool next to the pond runs at set hours; the hours change with the season, so check current information from official sources.

As you walk the southern half of the loop, the trees of Gençlik Parkı appear on your right and the roof of Ankara Station further on; the Directorate of Communications writes that the garden was designed to link the two ecological corridors on the south and north sides of the city. The meadow event ground is reserved for open air concerts and gatherings; on empty days sitting on the grass is allowed. If you are visiting with children, the play areas and the children's club are close to the loop; the skate park covers 1,320 square metres and was built to Olympic dimensions, while the ice rink covers 1,007 square metres and opens only in the cold season. The garden also has a 700-seat conference hall, an open air cinema, a market area, an equestrian area, a health centre and a mosque. Anadolu Agency also mentions a 1,110 metre zip coaster line. The Directorate of Communications adds art workshops and a seed centre to the list. The nostalgic tram line is 2.7 kilometres long and is an option for those who do not want to walk the loop; check its operating days and fare.

To rest, go to the 7,661 square metre people's café with the green roof, the millet kıraathanesi; its roof is a viewing terrace rising in the middle of the garden. The best moment for photographs is late morning, from the angle that looks across the pond out of the shade of the woodland. When you finish the stop, return to the same station and take the M1 towards Batıkent; the line ends at Batıkent, and from there you change to the M3 for Eryaman. Buy water from the kiosks around the station before heading west; the next two parks are large and shade is scarce.

Source: Anadolu Ajansı ve İletişim Başkanlığı, AKM Millet Bahçesi; Wikipedia, Ankara Hipodromu; Çevre ve Şehircilik Bakanlığı MPGM, AKM Alanı.

Once you get off at Eryaman, the remaining way to Göksu Park is covered by bus or car; the park lies in Etimesgut district, in the Göksu neighbourhood north of Eryaman, and the rail network does not reach the park gate. According to Wikipedia, the park opened in 2003 through the landscaping carried out around the Susuz pond, and its design belongs to the architects Hüseyin Bütüner and Hilmi Güner. The Culture Portal writes that construction was completed in as little as a hundred days. Depending on the source, the area is between 508,000 and 550,000 square metres. The lake itself exceeds 120,000 square metres and covers more than a quarter of the park. According to the Culture Portal, the green space is 250,000 square metres and 98,700 trees, saplings and shrubs were planted in the park. Wikipedia gives the park's altitude as 831 metres; on clear days the wind blows cool across the lake, so a light jacket is useful.

After the entrance go straight down to the lake and step onto the timber boardwalk. This walkway circles the lake for 1,600 metres; it is the finest walk of the route and takes half an hour to complete at an easy pace. Along the way you will see small islands covered in reeds in the water; it is easy to stop at the edge of the boardwalk and watch the water birds. There are nine floating docks on the shore of the lake; some are for feeding ducks, others for the businesses and boats. The Culture Portal writes of a steamboat-style lake cruise and rowing boats, while ANFA, which runs the park, mentions pedal boats; find out at the dock which of these is running and what it costs. The symbol of the park is the 15 metre lighthouse. The Culture Portal says the lighthouse was built for panoramic viewing; ask on the spot whether the climb is open. Because the lighthouse stands on the shore of the lake, the best frames are taken from the opposite bank across the water; in the afternoon, as the sun moves west, the lighthouse and the lake catch the same light.

After the walk you can move on to the sports grounds. According to the ANFA website, the park has beach volleyball, tennis, basketball and artificial turf pitches; the beach volleyball court on the lakeshore is a rare sight in Central Anatolia. For children there are two play areas with 14 play figures, an excursion train that circles the lake and a go-kart track. The Culture Portal mentions a mountain toboggan run applied here for the first time in Turkey; check whether it is operating. The amphitheatre for a thousand people opens for events on summer evenings. For those who want a picnic there are gazebos and barbecue spots; the Culture Portal also writes that there is a cinema hall inside the thousand square metre picnic area. The tea gardens on the lakeshore and the restaurant on the hill are suitable for a rest; find out the opening hours of the businesses on the spot.

Wikipedia writes that in May 2022 an extension of the park towards the north was announced and that the second phase, with sports grounds and cycle paths, was still not complete in mid 2026; if you see traces of construction on the northern shore, that is the reason. The transfer from Göksu to the last stop is short. Harikalar Diyarı lies to the west, a few kilometres away, on the edge of Sincan. Those coming by car arrive after a short drive along the Ayaş road; those on public transport return to Eryaman, board the M3 and get off at Harikalar Diyarı station. Since both parks have large car parks, combining the two western stops by car is the most comfortable solution.

Source: Kültür Portalı, Göksu Parkı; ANFA, Göksu Parkı; Wikipedia, Göksu Parkı.

When you leave Harikalar Diyarı station the park is right in front of you; the station is on the Sincan extension of the M3, and according to Wikipedia this extension opened on 12 February 2014. The Culture Portal gives the park's address as Ayaş Yolu Caddesi, Sincan, and writes that there are two metro stations nearby; EGO buses from Kızılay also come to the gate. The park was built by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and opened on 5 October 2004. Its area is 1,300,000 square metres; the Culture Portal and Wikipedia count it among the largest parks in Europe, while ANFA, which runs the park, calls it the largest in the country and in Europe. According to the Culture Portal, 771,000 square metres of this is green space, 330,000 square metres roads and squares, and 92,000 square metres water. ANFA, on the other hand, gives the green space as 650,000 square metres. Wikipedia writes that the park is in the Fatih neighbourhood of Sincan and adds mini golf areas to the list of facilities. A park of this size cannot be seen in one go; for the last stop of the route choose three zones: Masal Adası, the lakes and the surroundings of the amphitheatre.

Go first to Masal Adası, the Fairy Tale Island; the 25,000 square metre island is the symbol of the park, and the light before sunset is best used there. On the island there are twelve small cinemas devoted to the heroes of Turkish and world fairy tales; the Culture Portal gives a list running from Keloğlan and Karagöz to Asterix and Gulliver, and writes that the screenings are free. The largest figure on the island is Gulliver; the photograph on Wikipedia shows the Lilliputians surrounding the giant, and this is the best known spot for a picture. The sinking sun lights the figures from the side; that is why coming towards evening is the right decision. If you are visiting with children, the three large and nine small play groups listed by ANFA are scattered around the island; the play areas with Asterix, Lucky Luke and Keloğlan figures are the busiest.

The second zone is the lakes. The artificial lakes cover 92,000 square metres, and according to ANFA you can pedal across them on water bikes; walking and cycling paths run along the shore. The Culture Portal writes that the park has open and covered swimming pools suitable for disabled access; check the season of the pools and the admission conditions. For sport, ANFA lists two tennis courts, two mini football pitches, two basketball courts and two artificial turf pitches. There is also a 700 metre walking course with exercise equipment, a go-kart and skateboard track, and model boat and model car racing areas. Since there are long distances between the corners of the park, follow the main road when passing from the lake to the amphitheatre.

The third zone is the Nejat Uygur Amphitheatre; the open air stage for 5,000 people hosts concerts and shows in the summer months, and the programme is learned from the Metropolitan Municipality's announcements. The picnic areas around the amphitheatre are suitable for closing the day; ANFA writes that there are kiosks and businesses in the park, and the Culture Portal that there are cafés. At weekends the car park fills early; for that reason the M3 is the most comfortable way back for those who finish the route in the evening. Two lines, from the station to Batıkent and from there by M1 to Kızılay, take you back to the city centre. The park's opening hours and the fees of the facilities may change; check current information on the ANFA website.

Source: Kültür Portalı, Harikalar Diyarı; ANFA, Harikalar Diyarı; Wikipedia, Harikalar Diyarı (Ankara) ve Ankara Metrosu.