7 Exciting Things To Do In Tokat – The Hidden Gem Of Turkey

When most of us plan a trip to Turkey, our obvious choices of places to visit remains the same – Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia and some other major touristy cities. Not many dares to take that off-beaten path which often leads to tiny fairytale towns with small cute markets, extremely hospitable locals and places very close to nature. One such small hidden gem in Turkey is Tokat, lying in the heart of the Central Anatolian region.

History, religion, nature – this wonderful town buzzes with everything to offer a complete experience to the visitors. A special mention of the famous Tokat Kebab, which is a definite must-eat Turkish food to eat when in Tokat. The city was an important center during the Byzantine era and has its own share of Roman ruins, which was later overtaken by the Ottomans.

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 I visited Tokat on the familiarization trip with Travelshop Turkey this summer and here is a complete round-up of all the best things to do in Tokat.

Tokat Museum

The Tokat Museum is located in a beautiful cobbled street neighborhood of the city. There is a flea market right outside the museum every Friday where locals sell off their second-hand stuff. The museum displays artifacts from the 15^th century and before. Most of the artifacts and relics displayed in the museum were excavated from the area around the city of Tokat and were found to be belonging from the Roman times to the Ottoman era. For all the history buffs – the Tokat museum has to be on the first spot of that ‘things to do in Tokat’ list!

Cherry Picking

Tokat is the agricultural capital in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. The city has extremely fertile land and a majority of the locals are farmers. One of the most popular home-grown fruit of Tokat is Cherry! Just a short 30 minutes ride away from the town center – there are huge plateaus of agriculture and many cherry farms as well. If you’re planning your Tokat trip with Travelshop Turkey, then your guide will take you to the best cherry farm with freshly grown cherries. You can collect as many cherries as you like from the farm! Cherry-picking is perhaps one of the most fun things to do in Tokat and it was the highlight of my 10-days travel in Turkey.

Lake Almus

Lake Almus is an artificial lake in Tokat which is also a trout breeding spot. The lake is situated between lush green mountains that surround it from all sides. It can be reached after a ninety minutes’ drive from the city center. Lake Almus is the perfect place is Tokat to disconnect with the world and rejuvenate within nature. You can take a boat ride across the lake to see the beautiful nature and mountains that surround the lake more closely. There is a chic waterfront café right in front of the lake with contemporary décor – one of the best places in Tokat to sit and relax with a coffee and a book!

Roman Ruins

The town of Niksar near Tokat homes to one of the important sites during the Roman times, which is now known as the ‘Roma Arsenal’. The ancient ruins supposedly used to be the military center during the Roman Empire. Lying beneath the main street of Niksar now, the administration of the area has just left open a small part of the ruins which is free to enter for the visitors. The ruins have many galleries and gateways inside leading to unknown passages. A small part of the ruins is also believed to be the military graveyard, which will definitely give you chills!

Tokat Castle

To get a panoramic view of the lovely city of Tokat, a visit to the Tokat castle should absolutely be in your things to do in Tokat list. Just a short uphill drive from the main market of Niksar is the Tokat castle on top of the hill. The castle used to be a ‘Madarassah’, meaning an educational institute back in the day. Now it serves more like a small museum for the visitors to walk around the old classrooms and to get a complete 360 degrees look of the valley surrounding the city of Tokat.

Ballica Magarasi – Underground Cave

Ballica Magarasi is one of the largest underground caves in Turkey. The cave is believed to be millions of years old when it was formed due to rock formations in the ground. The Ballica Magarasi cave is inhabited with millions of bats, who serve as the main source of air ventilation inside of the cave. Only a small portion of the cave is open to the public, the rest of it is left dark for the bats to reside there. When the bats fly, they generate air ventilation inside of the cave. People with asthma and other respiratory disorders come and sit in the cave for hours. It is believed that inhaling the air inside the cave helps in healing respiratory issues.

Best Place To Stay In Tokat

During my stay in Tokat, I had the opportunity to stay at the lovely property of Dedeman Tokat, which is 5* hotel in Tokat. Located right in the heart of the city, Dedeman is a luxury hotel with huge indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a recreational center and a fitness gym for the guests. The hotel is at a walking distance to the contemporary Nevada Mall of Tokat and also near to the popular ‘I love Tokat’ sign – clicking a picture in front of which is one of the must-do things to do in Tokat.

To discover more of Turkey, how about one of my other posts?

• Traveling As A Brown Solo Girl In Turkey
• An Honest Review of Ramada Hotel & Suites Istanbul Golden Horn

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