Mansions, Silver and 80-Layer Baklava in Beypazarı

Drive an hour west of Ankara, let the steppe suddenly open into a valley, and a town of tiled roofs, bay windows and whitewashed walls appears before you. Welcome to Beypazarı. This is the capital's favourite day trip, and not only because of the old houses; with its silversmiths, carrot fields, mineral water and buttery kurusu bread it is a living town that stands on its own feet.

How do you get there? By car the Ankara–Ayaş–Beypazarı road is about 100 km and takes 1 hour 20 minutes. Without a car, take EGO bus 548 from Ulus or the hourly district buses from the Etlik terminal; allow 1.5 to 2 hours. The only way to beat the weekend crowds is to leave at 8 am, so take that seriously.

Start your day in the bazaar. Leave the car at the car park by the town entrance and walk in along Alaaddin Street. In the morning the silversmiths are at their benches and you can watch a filigree bracelet being woven; do not be shy about asking. Then the City History Museum (closed Mondays) and the Living Museum, which recreates daily life in the rooms of an Ottoman mansion; together they take about ninety minutes. Before noon climb Hıdırlık Hill, where the sea of tiled roofs, the mountains behind and the rock tombs of the İnözü Valley fit in one frame.

For lunch, sit down at one of the mansion restaurants. Beypazarı clay-pot stew, stuffed vine leaves and tarhana soup are the classic order. For dessert, the 80-layer baklava, and yes, it really is rolled that thin, plus carrot delight. Before leaving, buy Beypazarı kurusu from a bakery; it keeps for months and will become your tea-time habit.

If you have energy in the afternoon, spend an hour on the walking path of the İnözü Valley; the stream rushes in spring and the poplars turn yellow in autumn. For something calmer, see the Suluhan caravanserai and the historic bath.

Should you consider staying the night, the restored mansions work as guesthouses. Staying Saturday night and wandering the empty streets on Sunday morning before the visitors arrive shows you a Beypazarı the day-tripper never sees; the queue outside the bakeries and the silversmiths raising their shutters belong to that quiet hour.

On the way back stop for an hour in Ayaş, and in mulberry season (June) the roadside stalls are waiting for you. A few practical notes; the pavements are stone and steep, so wear comfortable shoes. Car parks fill by noon at weekends. Museum hours change with the season, so glance at the municipality website before you go.