6 Locations for a Colorful Weekend

Lake Eymir is a paradise that harbors the unique beauties of nature. While the diverse vegetation around the lake shows the richness of natural life, it has also become a paradise for birds. Numerous species of birds such as coots, Hungarian ducks, little grebes, bahri species, hazel-headed ducks and green-headed ducks shelter among the reeds around the lake and continue their lives. With a surface of 1.09 km² and an area of 108.8 hectares, Lake Eymir offers a perfect environment for exploring wildlife. With an average depth of 3.8 meters, the deepest point of the lake was measured as 5.5 meters. We saw that the 9-kilometer shoreline around Lake Eymir is a great route for those who want to take a walk on its 12-kilometer track. Along this long shore, there were areas where we could both enjoy the natural scenery and relax. In addition, this location, where Ankara residents bring their guests for breakfast, cycling and hiking, is like a retreat from the noisy and gray city of Ankara. You can enjoy the beautiful view with your guests and friends, either around the lake or by going up the hills through this unique nature…

Eymir Bağevi came to life as an Old Ankara house in the early 1990s. Since then, since 2001, it has been welcoming its guests with great joy and sincerity. The Bağevi is located on the shores of METU Eymir Lake and offers its guests unforgettable moments accompanied by magnificent views throughout the four seasons. During the summer months, pleasant conversations are held in the gazebos on the shore of the lake, and when the weather gets colder, next to the stove in the stone house.  

When we stepped into Eymir Lake from the gate of TRT, we took our first step into an unforgettable experience in the heart of nature. After a 30-minute walk, we found ourselves in the warm and inviting atmosphere of Bağevi, where we had a great start to the day. On the shore of the lake, next to a freshly brewed tea, while tasting fragrant pancakes and omelettes prepared with organic eggs, in the midst of birdsong and tranquility, away from the chaos of the city, in this beautiful place embraced by nature, we feel refreshed. This place is not just a place, but also a living space that will rest your soul and leave you with unforgettable memories. In the warm atmosphere of Bağevi, full of warmth and delicious food, you will not realize how time passes.

​It is possible to sweep your out-of-town guests off their feet and show them the whole city from a single point. Of course, no tour of Ankara is complete without a visit to Atakule, one of the symbols of the city. The 360-degree panoramic view of Atakule, which is also the inspiration for our name, “reflects every detail of Ankara” as the attendant says, and with this unique view, your guests can explore the city from the summit with a single glance. So how do we get to Atakule? To get to the 125-meter-high observation deck, you buy your ticket from Atakule’s website or from the information desk. A panoramic elevator carries you up to the sky and you can already start enjoying the view. You arrive at the 30th floor. A mesmerizing view of Ankara welcomes you. You can offer your guests a unique view with the magnificent silhouette of Anıtkabir, the stone walls of Ankara Castle and the architecture of Kocatepe.

If you wish, we recommend you to take a ride in the Ankara Simulation capsule on the same floor and let your guests discover Ankara by flying in virtual reality. But be warned, fasten your seatbelts! At the exit, you can make your memories everlasting by purchasing many products from the Artsy gift shop like us and you can also experience the “Jumping Simulation” for free and challenge your friends. We had a lot of fun in this simulation and you should definitely try it. Afterwards, you can complete your visit to Atakule, Ankara’s first shopping mall, with a little shopping and proceed to your next stop.

We can hear you gasping for breath on the slopes of Ankara after a few full hours. Our next stop is a cafe that will first calm your rhythm with its spacious space design and then make your heart beat again with the pleasure of handmade desserts: Kakule Fırın. Kakule, which compensates for the small size of the space with the size of the flavors, has been coloring Büklüm Street since 2020. Artisan desserts, where art is reflected in the kitchen, are assertive in both appearance and taste. The smell of cinnamon from the ‘cinnamon roll‘, one of the favorite flavors, fills your lungs as soon as you enter the door. The glossy surface and vivid texture of the desserts confirms the owner who says “the products are produced daily”. This is an ideal café to take your guests from outside Ankara on a flavor journey.

We couldn’t resist this tempting showcase any longer and ordered different desserts. Our first dessert was ‘Lemonberry Cheesecake’ with its unique appearance born from the contrast of purple and white. The aroma of blueberry and lemon with sour notes enchants as it spreads across the palate. We can say that this dessert passed our test with its soft cream that makes you feel like you are touching the clouds and its biscuit base that crunches with the same freshness with every fork. Our other dessert, ‘Berry Mousse’, is a visual feast. The outer chocolate layer of the dessert, which is invisible inside, is like a ticket to a mysterious world. The soft mousse under the hard shell is enriched with blueberry sauce. Even the complimentary water that comes with the desserts is not enough to erase these unique notes from your palate.

With the quality service and flavors it offers, we can say that Kakule Fırın deserved to be on our Ankara trip list. If you can leave the tempting scents of Cardamom, we are waiting for you at our next stop!

Undoubtedly one of the first places visited by everyone who comes to Ankara from outside the city is Anıtkabir , the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. As we enter the mausoleum, we can see various writings on the walls such as Atatürk’s last speech and his Address to the Youth. When we enter, the Hall of Honor welcomes us and we see the symbolic sarcophagus of Atatürk. After spending a few minutes full of gratitude and longing in this hall where the intensity of emotion is incredibly high, we leave the mausoleum and head towards the tomb of İsmet İnönü, one of the founders of the Republic of Turkey, Atatürk’s comrade-in-arms. On the left and right sides of the sarcophagus when viewed from the front, there are telegrams that İsmet İnönü and Mustafa Kemal sent to each other after the victory of İnönü II. The fact that the tombs of the two great leaders who founded our country are facing each other and visiting one after the other increases the intensity of emotion.

​After visiting the tombs, we visit Anıtkabir Museum. Built in a U-shape, the museum is designed to have a flow within itself. Atatürk’s personal belongings, the equipment he had to use during the war, photographs and information about the turning points of his life and our country constitute the first parts of the museum. Halfway through, we come to a long corridor and realize that we are passing under the mausoleum. In this long corridor, there are small pockets where various events from both the War of Independence and the early years of the republic are described, supported by visuals, figures and sculptures. Towards the end of the museum, we enter a huge room where Atatürk’s library is exhibited and admire the endless shelves and the variety of books. At the end of our visit to the museum, there is a section where visitors can buy various souvenirs. We believe this is a visit that anyone visiting Ankara for the first time should never skip, both emotionally and in terms of understanding Atatürk’s life and vision.

Located just behind Kentpark Shopping Center on Dumlupınar Boulevard, the experience that the Reverse House gives to its visitors is a dizzying one. From the furniture inside the house to the doors, from the architecture of the outside to the car outside the house, it is completely upside down. Immediately after buying your ticket and passing through the box office, we were welcomed by the upside-down car on the ceiling and the upstairs window that was open for you to enter the house. Once inside, we see an upper floor entirely dedicated to a child: a bedroom with a desk and a racing car-themed bed, and a playroom with dozens of toys spread across the ‘ceiling’. It’s a floor where we believe families with children can capture some very creative photographs during their visit.

​When we go ‘downstairs’, we are greeted by the living room, kitchen and hallway. While the upside-down door has confused our perception enough, the seating set on the ceiling and the television fixed to the ceiling unit in the open state make us dizzy. It is only when we get here that we realize that the music playing in the house comes from this television. After taking photos of us reaching for something from the inverted fridge, doing handstands on the living set and peeking through the doorway, we set off to examine the rooms that we didn’t recognize at first sight. We end our visit after taking some creative photos in the bathroom and the master bedroom. The reverse house, which we left with pleasure, is a location in Ankara where you can collect pleasant memories and take much more creative photos, especially if you come with your friends.

​Aspava, Ankara’s unique brand in the world of gastronomy, was first opened in Küçükesat in 1964 by the famous wrestler Mahmut Atalay. Since then, these flavor points have spread all over the capital and have become the symbol of the city. The first question newcomers usually ask is “Should we go to Aspava?” Aspava culture has spread in the capital under various names since 1964. With names such as Şimşek, Gülçimen, Orhan and Yıldız, it has become a flavor stop on every corner. Well, if you ask what Aspava means; It means “May God Give Health Money Affluence, Amen”. Aspava culture also means unlimited and constantly renewed treats.

​Gülçimen Aspava, which has gained a solid place on the flavor map of Ankara, has continued to be one of the most popular and expected spots. This Aspava, which is the favorite of Ankara residents with its quality and taste, is almost the perfect place to host the guests of the capital. 
When we go to Gülçimen Aspava, which maintains its popularity with its constantly renewed treats, exquisite flavors, desserts, samovar tea and cigarettes, we feel that it is one of the most important representatives of Aspava culture. From the moment we sit down, we find ourselves wondering how we will save room for dinner after seeing the cigköfte, cacık, potatoes with sauce, potatoes with butter, salad, pate, pickles, mushrooms with kashar, semolina halva with ice cream, künefe, samovar tea and Turkish coffee. 
We taste SSK, beyti and kebabs, which are among the prominent flavors of Gülçimen Aspava. It doesn’t take long for us to understand why these flavors are among the most preferred choices of Ankara residents and visitors to the city. In short, we finish our dinner at Gülçimen Aspava with a warm welcome and a little bloating in our stomachs: “May God grant us good health and money, Amen…”