On the Anatolian Shore from Uskudar to Yoros

Come off the ferry and start at the mosque facing the square; this building on the pier square was set up as a welcome for those arriving by sea. Step inside and look at the double portico of the outer prayer area, an arrangement found in few buildings. Then walk south along the shore, past a run of tea gardens and fish stalls. Opposite, the Maiden's Tower and the historic peninsula sit in the same frame; in morning light the European side is lit, so photographs come out better early.

Turn inland from the shore into this district with its single main street and walk it end to end; it takes ten minutes but do it slowly. The colourful wooden houses have been restored and most are still lived in. The market garden at the end of the street is one of the oldest continuously cultivated plots in the city and you can look in from its gate. That a mosque, a church and a synagogue stand side by side on the same street is the district's known feature; seeing them from outside is enough, as all are in use with different visiting hours. For breakfast, go on a weekday morning.

Right under the bridge, with its entrance off the coast road. Visits are guided along a set route and take about an hour. See the hall with the pool and the shore pavilions, and ask about the reed matting on the floor. On the way out, sit under the magnolias in the garden and watch the bridge and the ships passing beneath it. The car park is small and fills at weekends, so coming by bus is easier. Before heading north, buy water and snacks from the kiosks on the shore, as choices thin out at the next stop.

A small, showy pavilion at the mouth of the Goksu stream. The interior takes half an hour; the real pleasure is on the quay. Look closely at the marble stair and the eaves carving on the sea side, as the pavilion's display faces outward. People picnic on the meadow around it and on weekdays it is nearly empty. From here walk fifteen minutes along the shore to Anadolu Hisari; the path is flat and by the water, with rows of anglers along the way.

Built about fifty years before Rumeli Hisari, it is smaller and plainer, amounting to a keep and a curtain wall. The interior is usually closed to visitors, but you can walk around it and photograph it together with the wooden waterfront houses at the stream mouth. Cross the bridge over the Goksu and follow the stream, where people take rowing boats. Look across at Rumeli Hisari; from here the logic of two fortresses closing the strait is obvious.

The yoghurt sellers on the pier square are this district's known stop; the yoghurt comes with icing sugar, which you add to taste. Sit under the plane tree on the square and watch the ferries come in. It is a small place and half an hour is enough. Ferries cross from the pier to Emirgan and Bebek, so ending the route here and switching to the European side is an option. If you carry on, the bus to Anadolu Kavagi follows the coast road and takes about forty minutes.

The last pier before the Bosphorus opens into the Black Sea; if you come by ferry, the journey itself is the finest part of the route. From the pier, turn up the hill between the fish restaurants and climb to Yoros Castle; the walk takes about twenty-five minutes and is steep, but from the top you can see where the two seas meet. Entry to the castle is free and the ruins are unguarded, so keep away from the edges. On the way down, eat fish at the restaurants by the pier, asking about portions and prices first.