Abant Gölü Milli Parkı

Where is Abant Gölü?

It is a crater and alluvial lake formed on the Abant Mountains, 34 kilometers southwest of Bolu. There are many hills in the park area with elevations ranging from 1400 meters to 1700 meters. Abant Gölü has a fascinating beauty in every month of the year. Abant is a very popular holiday center preferred both for day trips and sightseeing and for accommodation. The lake, which covers an area of 127 hectares, has an altitude of 1328 meters above sea level. It is fed by underground waters. Its depth is 18 meters. Due to the plant richness of Abant Gölü and its surroundings and because the area has a great open-air recreation potential, a 1196,5-hectare section of the area was declared a "National Park" and placed under protection. The surroundings of Abant Gölü are very rich in terms of flora and fauna. Scots pine, black pine, beech, oak, poplar, ash, hornbeam, willow, juniper trees, and rhododendron, tamarisk, hazelnut, medlar, spindle, hawthorn, holly, rosehip, fern, blackberry, strawberry, mint, raspberry, ivy, nettle, horsetail and meadow grasses constitute the main trees and shrubs. The shores of Abant Gölü are full of various aquatic plants and water lilies. On the slopes rising around Abant Gölü, there is also the Abant Crocus (Crocus Abantensis).

The Small Crested Newt (Triturus Vulgaris Kosswigi), Abant Trout "Salmo Trutta Fario Varyette Abanticus," and Abant Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus Avellanarius Abanticus), which are found in and around the lake and are endemic species, have entered the literature as such. Fishing enthusiasts can fish with a rod during certain periods of the year by paying a fee. Otters are also seen on the lake shores. In the forests around the lake, among wild animals, foxes, jackals, wolves, bears, boars, deer, roe deer, rabbits, squirrels, weasels; among water birds, wild geese, wild ducks, herons, coots, cormorants, cranes; among birds of prey, hawks, falcons, black vultures, golden eagles, sparrowhawks, owls; and as other bird species, larks, alakabak, eagle owls, peregrine falcons, woodpeckers, blackbirds, nightingales, finches and goldfinches can be seen.

Available Services

Activities that can be done at Abant Gölü, which has a circumference of 7 kilometers and has different beauties in every month of the year, can be listed as visiting the free visitor information center and nature museum at the entrance of Abant Nature Park, picnicking around the lake, camping, sport angling, nature walks, touring by bicycle and electric vehicles, and horse riding, phaeton rides and paragliding activities at Çepni Yaylası located in the western part of Abant.

What to Eat? What to Buy?

At the sales counters in the park, local food and souvenirs produced in the region are sold. On the 22-kilometer Abant road, there are various restaurants and buffets as well as places selling sucuk-ekmek.

Where to Stay?

Around the lake, there are also 5-star accommodation facilities, bungalow-type accommodation units, camping and caravan areas, picnic areas and restaurants. In addition, on the Abant road starting from the Abant junction of the D.100 highway, there are accommodation and food and beverage facilities of various classes.

How to Get to Abant?

It is reached by a 22-kilometer road branching off from the 203rd kilometer of the Ankara-İstanbul D-100 Highway and the TEM Motorway. It is 34 kilometers from Bolu, 225 kilometers from Ankara, and 258 kilometers from İstanbul. Transportation to Abant Gölü from Bolu center is provided by private public buses departing from the city center every two hours. (www.boluulasim.com)

Source: Bolu Culture and Tourism Guide (2010), Bolu Governorship Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism / Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Abant Brochure

Places to Visit in Bolu Address: Abant Gölü, 14800 Örencik Yaylası Mevkii / Mudurnu/ Bolu