Safranbolu is a city in Turkey located in Karabük province on the northwestern Black Sea coast of Anatolia, so summer in Safranbolu is warm and clear, and winters are very cold, snowy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 29°F to 83°F and is rarely below 16°F or above 91°F.
Tourists crowd in Safranbolu seasons
Winter (December – February): less crowd at this time in Safranbolu, as winter, is the coldest season there and the temperature can fall to -20 degrees Celsius. However, there’s no heavy snow in Safranbolu. Mercury fluctuates all the time, but the average temperature is around -5 degrees Celsius.
Spring (March-May): Very less crowd at this time in Safranbolu. Although the weather starts warming up to 15-20 degrees Celsius, Spring in Safranbolu is a very wet and moist season! May is actually the wettest month of the year and there are heavy rainfalls throughout.
Summer (June – August): Don’t miss visiting Safranbolu at this time, when it baths in crisp sunshine! The mercury settles upwards of 25 degrees Celsius. Some clouds may appear for a while, but there are very few rainfalls in Summer.
Autumn (September – November): Tourists number decrease, but you can still enjoy your visit to Safranbolu if you don’t mind the occasional rains. Temperatures gradually drop down to 15 degrees Celsius and it can sometimes go below zero degrees.
Best thing to do in Autumn in Safranbolu
No doubt, visiting Saffron farms is the most beautiful thing to do at this time of the year!
Saffron, the world’s one of the most expensive spices, has been attracting local and foreign tourists to Safranbolu.
Saffron crocuses, where saffron comes from, are grown by 18 farmers in an area of 30 decares in Safranbolu. The purple-flowered saffron crocus grows from a bulb-like structure called a corm. These corms are planted in August and harvested in October and November.
Many tourists from Turkey or abroad come to visit Safranbolu at this time of the year to enjoy the view and take photos of Saffron flowers, and a lot of tour agencies organize trips to Safranbolu during the Saffron season.
Best things to do in Summer in Safranbolu
1. Tour in the Old Town Neighborhood
Safranbolu old town is a UNESCO-protected site, where narrow cobblestone alleyways wind up the hillside, lined by Ottoman wood-framed mansions.
Houses here preserve Ottoman-era architecture. A huge number of visitors come here to explore and enjoy the twisty lanes and fall in love with the lost-in-time ambiance of this old trading city that prospered in the 17th century.
Many of the old houses that were once home to wealthy traders and merchants have been painstakingly restored and turned into boutique hotels and restaurants now.
“Enjoyed a weekend in Safranbolu walking in the old town and admiring the Ottoman houses, the blacksmiths and other handcraft makers working in their shops, sipping Turkish tea in sidewalk cafes, and climbing the hills to visit the museum and other vantage points. We ended the day with a visit to the traditional hammam, where we bathed and were scrubbed and (more or less) massaged. A lovely quiet day with friendly people.” Visitor review
2- Day Trip to the Incekaya Aqueduct
Incekaya Aqueduct was first built by the Byzantines and later restored in the 18th century. It sits 7 km north of Safranbolu, spanning the breadth of the Tokatlı Gorge.
For safety considerations, people are no longer allowed to walk across the aqueduct itself but can take outstanding photos of it.
Then you can take the walkway down into the gorge for an easy 2kms walk amid the lush canyon scenery. If you want to enjoy an even more breathtaking view, go to the Crystal Terrace, a glass balcony suspended over the gorge with an attached café.
Visit this blog to get to know even more astonishing things you don’t want to miss on your trip to Safranbolu.
3- Shopping in Safranbolu Eski Carsi
Safranbolu Eski Carsi is the old market square there, you can find it in the old city. Visitors can find almost everything in the lanes of these markets and buy souvenirs and products made by craftsmen in the shops themselves. Since it’s located in the old city, there is a certain charm attached to this old market. Traditional food in food stalls is absolutely yummy! Locals will advise you to try out the Turkish coffee brewed here. Foodies also recommended the Ottoman sherbet made from Turkish delight (Lokum). Soda bonds are popular amongst visitors too.
In the end, Safranbolu is an astonishing city to visit and explore while visiting Turkey, where you can enjoy fresh air, fascinating places, and absolutely experience Ottoman-era life.