Independence Way hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Independence Way, in Turkish İstiklal Yolu, follows the old ox-cart road that carried arms and ammunition from the Black Sea port of İnebolu to Kastamonu during the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922). The whole historic road ran about 344 km on to Ankara, but only the best-preserved part, between İnebolu and Kastamonu, was surveyed by GPS and waymarked as a walking route by the Kastamonu Governorship in 2007–2008. That is the trail described here. Beyond Kastamonu the old road is now mostly the main road to Ilgaz and Çankırı, and there is no waymarked footpath to Ankara.

The route

The walk starts in front of the Türk Ocağı building opposite İnebolu harbour, goes through the old town of painted wooden houses and climbs south past the villages of Uğrak and Yukarıçaylı, through hazelnut gardens and then cherry, beech, chestnut and pine forest, to Çuhadoruğu, a pass at about 950 m. The second day drops into the İkiçay valley, with views of the Karacehennem gorge, and climbs by Alacık to Küre, an old copper-mining town; the official camp is the Ayrancı picnic area just before it.

From Küre the cart road goes south through forest to Ecevit Han, a rebuilt caravan inn on the old road and the only one of its 16 hans that you can sleep in today. Then it crosses the Ambarlı bridge, runs through the forest of Çataltepe, the highest ground of the walk at about 1,300 m, and comes down past an old bridge and mill to Ödemiş. A flat stretch by Gücü and the İmrenler mound leads to Seydiler, home of Şerife Bacı, the best-known of the women who carried ammunition on this road. The last day crosses the high pastures of Halkacılar, then follows earth and asphalt roads past Ahmetbey, Oyrak and Kırcalar to the Şeker Köprü bridge and the old town of Kastamonu, ending at Cumhuriyet Meydanı.

This guide follows the route as mapped on OpenStreetMap, about 94 km, and splits it into 6 stages of about 15.7 km, the walking days of the official seven-day plan. Waymarks are red and white paint marks with signposts. About 10 km is footpath; the rest is the old cart road, forest roads, village lanes and some stretches of asphalt. In total you climb about 2,900 m and descend about 2,100 m.

Highlights

• İnebolu: the harbour where the ammunition was landed, and streets of old wooden houses
• Çuhadoruğu: the forest pass high above the sea
• İkiçay valley and the Karacehennem gorge: the wildest scenery of the walk, and old milestones beside the cart road
• Ecevit Han: a caravan inn on the original road, where you can still spend the night
• Çataltepe to Ödemiş: the longest stretch of forest, with an old bridge and mill
• Seydiler: the Şerife Bacı monument and the village granaries around İmrenler
• Kastamonu: the castle, the Nasrullah Mosque, Ottoman mansions and the Kurşunlu Han

When to walk the Independence Way

The route author gives April to November as the season. May, June, September and October are best; July and August can be hot on the road sections. In winter snow lies on the ridges above Küre and on the Çataltepe forest, and the cart road turns to deep mud. In the fire season the governorship can close forests to visitors; Kastamonu had a forest-entry ban in 2026, so check before a summer or early-autumn walk. Every year from 9 to 12 June the governorship's walk brings several hundred walkers from İnebolu to Kastamonu in four days; beds in İnebolu fill up that week.

How many days do you need?

The 6 stages here follow the official plan, from 7 to 33 km a day. The official seven-day plan adds a loop on day four: a short transfer to the Çatak reservoir and a walk back via Belören to a second night at Ecevit Han. Its last day, Seydiler to Kastamonu, is long and partly on roads, and the plan rides part of it. Fit walkers do the route in four days like the annual walk: İnebolu to Çuhadoruğu, Çuhadoruğu to Küre, Küre to Seydiler (about 28 km), and Seydiler to Kastamonu.

Getting there and logistics

Kastamonu has an airport (KFS) about 13 km from the city with flights from Istanbul, and long-distance buses from Istanbul and Ankara (about 245 km) serve both Kastamonu and İnebolu. The D765 road links İnebolu, Küre, Seydiler and Kastamonu, so a taxi can always reach you at the end of a road section.

Beds are few. İnebolu and Kastamonu have hotels and restored mansion hotels, Küre has one licensed pension, Ecevit Han has nine rooms and Seydiler one small hotel. There is nothing bookable at Çuhadoruğu or Ödemiş: the official plan camps there or stays in a village house if one is offered, so carry a tent or plan a taxi to the nearest bed. There is no baggage transfer. Bring Turkish lira in cash; ATMs are in İnebolu and Kastamonu, and Küre and Seydiler have small shops and a pharmacy. Fill water at village fountains (çeşme). Mobile signal is good in the towns and along the main road but drops in the deep forest valleys.

The İnebolu–Küre–Kastamonu road is being rebuilt as a dual carriageway, and in October 2026 there were works at its İnebolu end. Where the trail follows or crosses the road, expect machinery and diversions, and walk facing the traffic.

Difficulty

This is a moderate walk with no technical sections, but it is not easy. The first two days climb steadily from sea level to about 950 m and then go down and up again, and the forest stretches around Ecevit Han and Çataltepe reach about 1,300 m. The cart road is rough, and after rain it is muddy and slippery. Waymarks date from 2007–2008 and are faded or missing in places, especially in the forest, so carry the GPS track and an offline map. Shepherd dogs guard some villages; keep calm, do not run and call to the owner. In an emergency call 112, the single number for ambulance, gendarmerie and AFAD rescue.

What to pack

Boots with good grip for mud, trekking poles, waterproofs and a warm layer for the ridges, and sun protection. To camp at Çuhadoruğu or Ödemiş, carry a tent, sleeping bag, stove and a day's food; light no fires in the forest. Add a first-aid and blister kit, a power bank and the GPS track.

History

During the War of Independence, İnebolu was the main port for supplies to the Ankara government. Arms and ammunition brought by sea from Istanbul and from Soviet Russia were landed by rowing boat and carried inland by ox-cart, horse and camel, and on the backs of village men and women, over the mountains to Kastamonu and on through Çankırı to Ankara and the front. The journey from İnebolu to Kastamonu took about six days. Hans for the carters stood every 15 to 30 km. The best-remembered carrier is Şerife Bacı of Seydiler, who froze to death in the winter of 1921 while covering the ammunition on her cart with her blanket. İnebolu was later awarded the Independence Medal. In 2018 historic sites on the road were declared the İstiklal Yolu Historical National Park.