Sultans Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Sultans Trail is a long-distance walking route of about 2,500 km from Vienna to Istanbul, created by the Dutch foundation Sultans Trail – A European Cultural Route. It follows the road that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent took with his army to Vienna in 1529, through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. This guide covers only the last part, the Turkish section (Section 6 of the trail): about 336 km across Eastern Thrace from Edirne, near the Greek and Bulgarian borders, to the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, where Suleiman is buried. Walkers who complete at least this section can apply for the trail's certificate, the Ferman.

The route

The trail leaves Edirne past its great Ottoman mosques and heads north-east through the wheat and sunflower fields of Thrace to Süloğlu and Kırklareli, a provincial capital with an Ottoman mosque and bath complex (Hızırbey). It then follows the southern foot of the Istranca (Strandja) mountains through Üsküpdere, Pınarhisar and Vize, a small town with a Byzantine church that became a mosque, a Roman theatre and old walls. From Saray the route enters the oak forests and rolling hills of the Istranca foothills, through Binkılıç, Gümüşpınar and Dağyenice, then passes close to Lake Terkos (Durusu) and west of Istanbul Airport. The last days cross the forests and reservoirs north-west of the city, past the Alibeyköy dam, to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque on the Golden Horn, and along the water to the Süleymaniye Mosque. An optional 4 km epilogue continues to Topkapı Palace.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap from the official stage list and splits it into the 15 official stages, about 22.4 km each. Stages run from 7 to 32 km. The land is low and rolling: the highest point is under 300 m, and the whole section climbs only about 3,600 m in total.

Highlights

• Edirne: the Selimiye Mosque (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Old Mosque and the Ottoman bridges over the Tunca and Meriç rivers
• Kırklareli: the Hızırbey complex, with its mosque, bath and covered bazaar
• Vize: the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, and the Roman theatre
• The Istranca foothills: quiet oak forests and villages between Saray and Dağyenice
• Lake Terkos (Durusu): one of Istanbul's main drinking-water lakes, near Boyalık
• Eyüp Sultan: one of the holiest mosques in Turkey, on the Golden Horn
• Süleymaniye: Sinan's masterpiece and the tombs of Suleiman and Hürrem Sultan, the end of the trail

When to walk

The best months are April to mid-June and September to early November. Spring brings green fields and flowers but also rain, which turns field tracks to mud. July and August are hot, often above 30 °C, with little shade on the farm roads. Winters are cold and wet, with snow possible in the Istranca hills. In summer the provincial governors may close forests to visitors because of fire risk; check before you go. During Ramadan (in 2027 roughly February to early March) village cafés and restaurants may be closed in the daytime.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers take 15 days, one per official stage. The last stage, from Eyüpsultan to Süleymaniye, is only 7 km, so you can add it to stage 14 or walk it as a slow half day with time for the mosques. Fit walkers sometimes join the two short stages after Kırklareli (Üsküpdere and Pınarhisar). Add a day each in Edirne and Istanbul.

Accommodation and logistics

Edirne, Kırklareli, Pınarhisar, Vize, Saray and Istanbul have hotels. Several stage ends do not: Ortakçı, Üsküpdere, Gümüşpınar, Dağyenice, Boyalık, Sazlıbosna and Pirinççi are villages with a mosque, a tea house and a small shop, but no hotel. There you need a tent, village hospitality (ask the village headman, the muhtar, or at the mosque) or a taxi to a hotel nearby. The trail's foundation says that in Turkey "some improvisation may be required", and the Turkish hospitality is part of the experience. Book town hotels a day or two ahead, and call ahead for the few village places listed on each stage page.

Edirne is about 2.5 to 3 hours by intercity bus from Istanbul. Walkers arriving on the trail from Greece reach Edirne over the Kastanies–Pazarkule border crossing and the village of Karaağaç; check before you plan it that you can cross there on foot. District towns have bus links to Istanbul, and villages have a few minibuses (dolmuş) a day, mostly on weekdays. Istanbul Airport is close to stages 11 to 13. At the end, Süleymaniye is a short walk from the Vezneciler metro and the Eminönü trams and ferries.

Money and phone signal

The currency is the Turkish lira. There are cash machines in the towns, but villages and small shops take cash only, so carry enough for two or three days. Mobile coverage is good on almost the whole route. A Turkish SIM card is sold with your passport; a phone bought abroad works with a Turkish SIM for a limited period (120 days) before it must be registered.

Waymarking and navigation

The trail is not fully waymarked. You will see the occasional Sultans Trail sticker or red-white mark, but you need the GPS track on your phone. The official Digital Information Package (GPX tracks and addresses) is sold on the Sultans Trail website, and the route is also on OpenStreetMap.

What to pack

Light hiking shoes are enough for the lanes and tracks. Bring sun protection and a hat, waterproofs for spring and autumn, a power bank, a first-aid and blister kit, and a stick or poles against dogs. A light tent and sleeping mat make the village stages much easier. Water fountains (çeşme) are common in villages, but carry 1.5 to 2 litres on the long forest stages. Dress modestly to visit mosques.

Difficulty and safety

The Turkish section is an easy to moderate walk with no technical ground, but the days are long and much of it is on hard surfaces, with stretches on busier roads near Istanbul. The main risks are traffic, heat, shepherd and stray dogs, and getting lost where tracks are overgrown. Keep away from military zones (signed "Askeri Yasak Bölge"), and do not fly a drone. In an emergency call 112. The nearest hospital for each stage is listed on the stage pages.

History

Suleiman the Magnificent left Istanbul on 10 May 1529 and reached Vienna on 23 September, but failed to take the city; a second campaign in 1532 also stopped short. He died in 1566 during his last campaign in Hungary and was buried at the Süleymaniye Mosque, which his architect Mimar Sinan had built for him. Edirne, the Ottoman capital before Istanbul, was the first great stop on the army's road west. The Sultans Trail was first walked as a test in 2009 by Sedat Çakır and is maintained by volunteers. Today it presents itself as a route of peace that links the cultures of south-eastern Europe.