Friends, today I suggest taking another virtual tour of a vibrant spring park. This time I'll show you what the Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, looks like. This cozy recreation area is located in the European part of the city.
Japanese Garden in Istanbul: How to Get There
I learned about the existence of this garden completely by chance. On that day, I was heading to see Emirgan Park—it's in the same part of Istanbul, but farther from the center. On the way, I came across unusual Eastern-style gates, and I decided to see what was behind them.
If you enjoy walking and come here in good weather, you can walk to the garden from the Aşıyan funicular station (line F4). It takes about 30 minutes. The route from the subway exit to the garden is quite picturesque, along the Bosphorus shore.
If long walks are not for you, you can plan your route to the garden using public transportation. It's convenient to do this in the Moovit app.
Admission to the territory of the Japanese Garden in Istanbul is free.
Strolling Through the Japanese Garden
In Turkish, the garden is called Baltalimanı Japon Bahçesi—Japanese Garden Baltalimanı. This recreation area was established in 2003, which was the Year of Turkey in Japan. The concept was developed by specialists from both countries.
In the same year, Istanbul and the Japanese city of Shimonoseki were declared sister cities. Following the example of the Istanbul garden, a Turkish garden appeared in Japan.
The area of the Japanese Garden in Istanbul is about 6000 square meters. There is a tea house, a pond, a gazebo, and a small waterfall.
Undoubtedly, the best time for a walk in the Japanese Garden is spring. This is when the cherry blossoms. Usually, such a sight attracts a huge number of city residents, but here the situation is different: the garden is located quite far from the metro and tourist routes, so there are no huge lines of people eager to take a few photos with the bright trees.
In summer, the garden is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. In cold weather, the entrance closes two hours earlier.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the Japanese Garden is located on the way to Emirgan Park. The latter is known as one of the venues for the tulip festival in spring. Travelers can easily visit both of these recreation areas in one day.
Have a nice trip!
