Adatepe Village: An Entel Village in the Kaz Mountains

If you think of Kaz Mountains as much as the blue and sparkling sea when you think of the Aegean, you are in the right place. One of the best places to go around Ayvalık, Assos, Küçükkuyu and take a breather towards the Kaz Mountains. Adatepe Village. Only 4 kilometers from the sea, with its stone houses in the pine forests, the beautiful Kaz Mountains air, its delicious food, and its rugged streets, Adatepe Village definitely deserves a visit.

While Adatepe Village was a village where Greeks and Turks lived together, the Greeks left the village with the population exchange and the village, which was engaged in activities such as olive cultivation and soap making, was left to its fate. That is, until it was discovered by artists and writers in the 90s, and old stone houses were restored and used. This is the reason why I call it an intellectual village in the Kaz Mountains. More artists, writers and painters live in the village now than the villagers. Its streets are well-kept and sparkling, and it is used as a place where village school art workshops are held. Let's get to know this interesting village better!

Where is Adatepe Village?

Adatepe Village is a mountain village in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale, only 4 kilometers from the Küçükkuyu coast, on the skirts of the Kaz Mountains.

When you look from the high places of the village, for example, from the school, you can see the Aegean Sea and Lesbos Island. In addition, Adatepe Village is located just 1 kilometer from Zeus Altar, which is one of the must-see places in this region.

Things to do around Assos In my article, I have explained in detail the other places to see in the near vicinity. I'd say definitely take a look.

How to go to Adatepe Village?

If you are coming from the direction of Assos, you will see the Adatepe sign for the village road that turns into the mountains on the left after you see the Adatepe Olive Oil Museum on the right at Küçükkuyu on the coastal road. The road leading to the mountain is winding asphalt, but it is a one-way, one-turn road. That's why I highly recommend not speeding.

• If you want to come to Adatepe from Istanbul with your own vehicle; Approximately 400 kilometers from Istanbul Adatepe VillageYou can reach it in 4.5 to 5 hours by using the Osmangazi Bridge.
• There is no direct way to get to Adetepe Village from Istanbul by bus. You can come to Küçükkuyu by bus and take a taxi from Küçükkuyu to the village.
• If you want to go to Adatepe by plane, the closest airport Balikesir Koca Seyit Airport. By checking the flight times of different airlines, you can choose the one that suits you best.
• Balikesir Adatepe Village is 132 kilometers and takes about 2 hours.
• The distance between Çanakkale Adatepe Village is 95 kilometers and takes about 1.5 hours.
• The best way to visit this region from Balikesir Koca Seyit Airport is to rent a car. To view car rental prices Click.

Places to Visit & Activities in Adatepe Village

Despite the blogs that say you can travel in 1 hour for Adatepe Village, I recommend you to spare at least 4-5 hours or even a day. Because on my last visit, I went in and spent the whole day in the village and its surroundings, hoping to get out in 1 hour. To enjoy the village, take a long time to wander its streets and take photos, visit Taş Mektep and Zeus Altar, taste local dishes with manlama and olive oil in the village square, eat ice cream with herbs, sit in Zeus Altar and enjoy the magnificent view of the bay to the fullest. . This is not a place where you can enjoy your hustle and bustle.

1. Village Square will be tasted

When you enter Adatepe, the road will take you exactly to the village square. Park your car in a place you find in the square and first take a breather and breathe in the air of this beautiful village. Gaze across the tastefully restored village houses. We'll take a closer look at it later.

A huge plane tree welcomes you in the village square. Under the plane tree, sit at the table that winks at you the most, among the tables that we understand have different operators than the colors of the tablecloths. I drank Turkish coffee a few times in Adatepe and didn't like it, you better say tea. In fact, tell me about the sage of the Kaz Mountains, and don't make the mistake I made.

The businesses in the village square do not have toilets. There is a toilet just below the square where you can park your car. A husband and wife run the toilet. There is a table at the entrance where they charge. A woman sits on the women's side and a man sits on the men's side. Their images are so cute, if you have time, you can say hi and break the back of two words. I hope you didn't say what the fuck you're giving information.

2. The Village Streets will be wandered wildly

This is the most important activity to do when it comes to Adatepe. All the streets are entered. Photographs are taken in front of all houses and doors. I mentioned that Greeks and Turks live together in the village. Turks lived on the slopes of the village, and Greeks lived in the part close to the square. You can easily distinguish Greek and Turkish houses from their architectural structure. The completely stone ones were mostly Greeks, and the mansion-type plastered houses were left by the Turks.

3. Hüseyin Meral will visit the Olive Oil House and Art Gallery

If you walk up from the Village Square towards Hoca Rock, the garden of Hüseyin Meral Olive Oil House and Art Gallery will welcome you. Tools used in olive oil making and paintings are exhibited inside the building. There is no entry fee.

4. Soap, Cologne and Olive Oil Will Be Purchased Even If It Has Been Pigged

You have come to a very sweet village, you have wandered the streets, now that you have a good consistency, you can go to the souvenir shops and shop even though there is a tourist price. Do not think that I will help the villager, most of the people living in the village came from outside. If you really want to benefit Adatepe, buy your souvenirs, soap or olive oil from Adatepe Olive Oil Museum in Küçükkuyu.

5. Eat Garlic Manlama Till It Cracks

If you sit on the blue tablecloth in the village square, you have several options for food. Pancakes, olive oil dishes and manlama. Of course, I asked what the meaning of meaning I had not heard before, because I had to try something I had not tried. It was made by pouring yoghurt sauce on the minced meat flatbread. I said exactly the flavor I was looking for, I didn't feel bad, I said it from garlic, I really liked it. A storm of flavors for pastry lovers like me, okay, I may have exaggerated a bit.

6. Won't We Come to Adatepe and Eat Herbed Ice Cream? Of course we will!

No one had mentioned manlama, but everyone had mentioned herbed ice cream. Grassy down, grassy up. I would love to eat ice cream with herbs, I was also curious, but unfortunately they did not do it because I went out of season. I also enjoyed my favorite black mulberry and gummy ice cream. By the way, if you are in the North Aegean, black mulberry will never leave you, you will definitely eat water, jam, ice cream or something.

7. The Fierce Cat Will Be Loved

When Adatepe is a village rich in cat population, you can't stay far away from the cats lying around in various parts of the village and looking at you saying "Will you not love me?" Especially if you are a cat lover like me, you will definitely get close to someone, do not resist, love them.

8. Going to Taş Mektep and Giving Cool Poses

I mentioned that there was an intellectual extraction in the village. Taş Mektep serves as a part of this extraction. When the village school, which was opened in 1945, could not stand the lack of students for a long time and closed, writers and illustrators who came to the village transformed this place into a center where art workshops were held. It was closed because I went during the corona period, but the previous year's program was still hanging on the door. Many artistic activities such as exhibitions, interviews, film screenings and trainings are held here.

Also, the view of the village from Taş Mektep is very beautiful. Since the school is located higher than the village, you can look at the village from the opposite side.

9. Climbing Hodja Rock and Seeing the Aegean Sea View

One of the places where you can look at the village and the Aegean Sea is Hoca Rock. The view from Hoca Rock, which draws attention with its interesting rock formation on the hill on which the village rests, is very beautiful, especially at night. I can't comment as I didn't stay overnight.

10. Walk to Zeus Altar, Enjoy the View

When you walk 300 meters from Adatepe Village to Küçükkuyu direction, you reach the entrance of Zeus Altar. You can come here by car or on foot. However, you have to leave your vehicle at the entrance of the area where the altar is located, there is no vehicle entrance. After the entrance, you walk between pine trees on an earthen path to the place where the altar is for 700 meters. While walking on this path, magnificent views of Adatepe Village and the Aegean Sea accompany you.

In ancient times, Altar was used to mean a place where offerings were made to the gods. It is estimated that this altar was also built for Zeus. The German archaeologist Heinrich Schlieman, who made excavations in many places in the North Aegean during the Ottoman period, believed that this altar was the Gargara Hill on Mount Ida, where Zeus watched the Trojan War, but no finds were found to prove this.

Although the altar itself is not a very impressive structure, the magnificent view of Edremit Bay is extremely impressive.

11. Adatepe Olive Oil Museum to be Visited

Although it is not in Adatepe Village, I added this place to the list because it is both on the road and Adatepe Olive Oil Museum. The museum is on the Küçükkuyu coastal road just before returning to Adatepe. Entry is free. An old two-storey stone building has been turned into a museum. There is a lot of information in the museum about how olive oil and olive oil products are made, such as tools, cubes and history. Souvenirs in the museum's own store are both affordable and stylishly bottled and packaged. You can find various products such as soaps, creams, colognes, olive oils, kitchen supplies. Don't say that the cookies in the cafe of the museum are also delicious.

12. Go to Antique Soap Shop to Buy Soap

You will see the Ancient Soap Shop 200-300 meters after you turn to Adatepe from the Küçükkuyu coastal road. There are many options from breakfast to dinner in the cafeteria of the soap shop in a huge garden. Inside, you can find all kinds of products made from olive oil, especially soaps.

There are also many cats and dogs in the garden of the soap shop, they are feeding them voluntarily. You may want to consider taking baby food with you.

13. We Can't Go Back Without Goat's Milk Rice Pudding!

Are we back to Adatepe Village, the village square again! If you want to eat something sweet after your meal and don't want to eat ice cream, you can taste the rice pudding made from goat's milk. To be honest, I wasn't shot, I've had better rice pudding. still my favorite Rice puddings I ate in Ağrı.

Adatepe Village is a small but promising village that you should definitely add to your North Aegean route. Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult to find a beautiful village in our country, so let's appreciate it while we find it.

Speaking of beautiful village Sirince It is impossible not to mention his village. If you haven't been, add it to your list.

Stay healthy!