Maybe in Istanbul! Tulip Festival in Istanbul April 2023. I have been to Istanbul many times, but usually in autumn. I wanted to go to the Tulip Festival for 3 years in a row and last year my dream came true! This year the festival starts on April 3 and will last until April 20! But the flowers in the flower beds have already been planted and almost all have blossomed! I will add to my story my photos of flowers from different parts of the city, which I took in 2022.
Well, this is not really a festival, it’s just a flowering period, so there are no strict dates, just like there is no specific specific venue either. The Sultan’s favorite flowers will bloom all over the city! By the way, for the first time tulips were brought to Turkey, not to Holland, as is commonly believed. In Europe, tulips appeared much later!
The coolest places where you can take good photos, and where there will be the most impressive flower beds, are the Gulhane and Emirgan parks. Also, a tulip carpet will be on the main square of Sultanahmet, in the historical center of Istanbul. It is very difficult to get to Emirgen Park by land transport, not a convenient route and terrible traffic jams. The best option is by water. Ferries depart from Eminenu Pier, Rumeli Kawagy line. If you don’t want to travel far, but you don’t have enough carpet on the square, go to Gulhane Park, which is located near the walls of the Topkapi Palace.
Spring in Istanbul is not only about tulips. It’s also shopping! Now in Istanbul there is a sale of the winter collection of goods and a huge variety of goods of the new season, summer 2023! And in the spring, the city hosts many different fairs where you can buy unusual handicrafts from local craftsmen.
And if you don’t think there are enough flowers for a spring mood, head to the Sakyrbey Museum of Garden Art – it displays various types of plants and trees from around the world, as well as very beautiful sculptures and fountains. Fountains in the city are already working everywhere.
What else is a must-do in spring in Istanbul? Definitely Will go for the whole day to the Princes’ Islands. It is in the spring that one feels a special charm, the magical atmosphere of this place. The first thing to do is to visit Buyukada, the main island of the princely islands, where all ferries sail.
If you visit the islands in the summer, then you should stay here for another day and continue your vacation on the island of Calogre. There are beautiful beaches where you can swim and sunbathe. As for places to eat, there are many restaurants and cafes on the princely islands where you can taste traditional Turkish cuisine. Especially worth paying attention to fresh seafood. here the food is different from Istanbul, here it is more traditional. There is an unreal atmosphere on the Princes’ Islands, you feel like a hero of Orhan Pamuk’s books, no less.