Hostels in Eskisehir, Turkey

Eskisehir, Turkey, is an alternative stop if you plan to visit Istanbul, Izmir, and/or Ankara. It is just three hundred kilometers from Istanbul, four hundred fifty kilometers from Izmir, and two hundred fifty kilometers from Ankara. You will have to make a small detour, but you will not regret visiting Eskisehir and it will be a great gem in any Turkish tour. Another advantage to visiting this area is that Eskisehir is virtually not known to foreign tourists and you can feel the authentic Turkish spirit in one of the friendliest cities in Turkey. Nevertheless, many Turks consider Eskisehir one of the loveliest cities in Turkey, and not without good reason, as the city is very vibrant with many young people.

In contrast, Eskisehir in Turkish means Old (eski) City (sehir). And historians estimate the city to be older than four thousand years. Eskisehir has not preserved many historical buildings, but you can visit the Kurşunlu Cami Mosque, the Museum of Glassware Arts, and others. Also, Dorylaeum, an ancient Phrygian city, is only a few kilometers from Eskisehir and you can spend an afternoon there. A good local souvenir is a meerschaum pipe, as the city is a major producer of meerschaum (a clay-like material).

There are not many hostels in Eskisehir, as there are not so many foreigners visiting the city. However, the few Eskisehir hostels operate all year long; have great central location; low to moderate prices; and last but not least, friendly staff. As it could be expected, not all people working in hostels in Eskisehir know perfect English, so be ready to improvise -- people are friendly and helpful, so do not be ashamed to be articulate. Also, some hostels in Eskisehir offer a Turkish breakfast and travelers can take advantage of that. Also, be sure to taste Turkish coffee and “lokum” (a sweet confectionary treat known as Turkish Delight). It is definitely a nice city to visit for a day or two.