Kentpark (Turkey's First Artificial Inland Beach) and Traditional Thermal Baths

For decades, the friendly joke about landlocked Eskişehir, sitting 250 kilometres from the nearest sea on the central steppe, was: "Eskişehir has everything a European city could want except a beach." In 2010, the municipality answered the joke by trucking in tonnes of fine sea sand to build Turkey's very first artificial urban beach inside Kentpark, while right in the historic centre bubble the natural 45°C geothermal hot springs (Sıcak Sular) that have warmed the city since Phrygian and Roman times.

1. Kentpark and the 350-Metre Artificial Sand Beach (On the Otogar Tram Line)

Located three kilometres east of the Porsuk river centre right next to the Intercity Bus Terminal (reached in 10 minutes on the Estram Tram towards Otogar, getting off at Kentpark or Gökmeydan stop; park entry is free), Kentpark spans 270,000 square metres around a bend of the Porsuk River and a central 20,000-square-metre lake:

• The Artificial Beach (Yapay Plaj, Open June to September): along the edge of the lake stretches a 350-metre crescent of real golden sea sand shaded by woven reed beach umbrellas, with two large freshwater swimming pools (one for adults, one for children) Separated from the lake water so swimmers enjoy clean, treated water while looking out over the sand and island restaurants.
• What to do year-round in Kentpark: walk across the wooden bridges to the two lake islands, visit the equestrian riding centre, feed the giant koi carp and black swans, and stop at Kırım Tatar Kültür Çibörek Evi's Kentpark pavilion for lakeside çibörek.

2. Eskişehir's Natural Thermal Baths (Hamamyolu & Sıcak Sular)

Look down at the pavement as you walk along pedestrianised Hamamyolu Caddesi ("Bathhouse Road", linking the Porsuk River to Odunpazarı): in winter, steam rises from the grates because the entire downtown commercial quarter sits directly over a geothermal fault line. Called Sıcak Sular ("The Hot Waters"), more than a dozen historic and modern thermal bathhouses (such as Yeni Kaplıca, Has Termal, Ferah and Alpu/Kızılinler, plus the luxury contemporary spa inside the Tasigo Hotel in Odunpazarı) pipe natural 42°C to 48°C sodium-bicarbonate mineral spring water straight into domed communal hot pools and private rentable family marble bath cabins (özel aile banyoları). Before leaving town, pick up a bottle of Eskişehir's famous natural mineral spring water, Kalabak Suyu, piped from Mount Türkmen since 1936 on Atatürk's personal order.