cultural trips
I will describe a route for you to easily visit İğneada and its surroundings;
Pleasant hours are waiting for you where you can walk in the floodplain forests, buy local products, wave goodbye to Bulgaria, see with your own eyes that the Earth is round, eat delicious fish and visit the lakes.
First of all, I would like to point out that you will complete the cultural tour by drawing a circle around İğneada, a distance of 50 km, which will take around 3 hours with your vehicle without a guide.
From the entrance of İğneada, we turn to the Sislioba (left) sign. After 3 km, the road splits into two and we follow the Sislioba (right) sign again. You can stop at Şahindere Bridge and start exploring the Longoz Forests. Prominent forest roads and paths on the right side provide you with a safe walking environment.
Floodplain Forests have a completely flat ground in terms of landform. The most important feature is that during the winter months, the water coming from the mountains overflows from the streams and floods the forest. Longoz Forests, which merge with Erikli Lake after 7 km, consist of different types of tall, thick-trunked and old trees. It is one of the rare examples in the world where wildlife is alive and natural life continues in the depths of the forest. It was declared a national park and taken under protection within the scope of the GEF2 project in 2007. Longoz Forests, located in 3 different places in İğneada, are a set of different ecosystems that everyone from 7 to 70 can easily walk.
After our walk, we continue on the road. After 6 km, Sislioba (Pulaça) Village welcomes you.
Sislioba Village: It is the oldest settlement of İğneada. It is a Balkan village located very close to the Bulgarian border. The houses in the village are 300-year-old buildings with stone masonry on the bottom, adobe plaster on a wooden frame, and roofs covered with reeds and gypsy tiles. It is a small village with a population of 125 in 36 households where concrete does not penetrate. There is a large castle built on the hill near the village, whose history is unknown. The castle is called the Genoese Castle in the region. It is thought that it was used as a hunting palace during the Byzantine period. İğneada bays can be observed from the high tower of the castle. The people of Sislioba are very hospitable and friendly people. I recommend buying local products, especially honey. At the same time, we do not leave the village without drinking tea at the café.
