Sapanca and Kartepe, from Lakeside to Snowy Peak

130 km east of Istanbul, ninety minutes by motorway, there is a place where you can breakfast by a lake in the morning and stand on snow in the afternoon. Lake Sapanca and Kartepe rising above it are the day trip Istanbulites make most often in winter; in summer the lake and forest carry the same route. Getting there: By car take the Sapanca exit off the TEM motorway; the exit gets busy after 8 a.m. on weekends. For train lovers, the high-speed train from Pendik or Söğütlüçeşme reaches Arifiye in ninety minutes, then a 20-minute minibus to Sapanca; reaching Kartepe without a car is hard and needs a taxi or hotel shuttle from Maşukiye. Chains or winter tyres are compulsory in winter; the mountain road may be closed at the checkpoint on snowy days. The day: Start on the Kırkpınar shore of Sapanca: a lakeside walkway, piers and breakfast gardens set among the trees. Queuing for weekend breakfast is normal; arrive before 9. Bikes can be rented on the shore and boat trips run in summer. Towards noon move to Maşukiye: this village at the foot of the mountain is known for trout restaurants along the stream and its waterfall. From here a winding 25-minute climb leads to Kartepe; the summit is at 1,600 m and from December to March the ski runs, sledding area and chairlift operate. Non-skiers can settle for sledding and snow walks; equipment is rented at the top. In summer the same road leads to the forest picnic area at Kuzuyayla and mountain hikes. Food: Lakeside breakfast in Sapanca, grilled trout and village bread in Maşukiye, hot soup and sahlep in the summit cafés at Kartepe. Prices rise at weekends. Return: On snow days descend between 3 and 4 p.m.; the single-lane road is hard in darkness and ice. Around Gebze the TEM gets heavy in the evening on the way back to Istanbul. Practical notes: Fog descends suddenly on Kartepe and the lift may stop; check the forecast. For overnight stays there are bungalows by the lake and hotels on the mountain, which fill months ahead on snowy weekends. In summer the lakeshore is thick with mosquitoes, so bring repellent for the evening. The lake lies in Sakarya province, not Istanbul, but for an Istanbulite 'the weekend' very often means here.