Lycian way
The Lycian Way (also: Lycian Way ) is a long-distance hiking trail in Turkey . It runs over 509 km from Fethiye to Antalya , mostly along the coast of ancient Lycia , past numerous ancient cities and beaches. These include Oludeniz Beach, Patara Beach with its archaeological ruins and historic Xanthos .
history
The origins of the Lycian Way go back to antiquity, because it was used in parts as a trade route for camel caravans. Since 1999, thanks to the pioneering spirit of Kate Clow , there have been markings along the path that enable hikers to find their way around the sometimes very wild terrain. Signs with distance information have been put up at larger crossroads.
course
After walking inland for a while, the landscape surprises again and again with views of the sea and the Taurus Mountains . The individual stages can usually be accomplished within three to four days and generally lead to the next larger town.
The marking of the path is based on the French system: red and white lines, with doubles for changing direction and x-signs for a wrong turn. In the course of the hike it can happen that one loses sight of the signs. For better orientation, previous hikers have piled up little cairns , which show the further way even in confusing areas.
Water supply
Mainly in the summer months it can lead to massive drinking water problems. Here it is advisable to organize sufficient water supplies in advance. In some areas (for example between Üçağız and Simena ; from Finike - Mavikent via Karaöz , the ancient Melanippe to just before the lighthouse ) at "Cape Gelidonya" there are above-ground water pipes with water taps and beach showers in places. Otherwise you have to be content with cistern water , which does not always meet European standards. Some of the mapped cisterns have not had any water for years. Under no circumstances should you drink the water untreated. Chlorine tablets, other water treatment tablets or boiling are absolutely necessary.
The cultural routes of Turkey
As the first marked long-distance hiking trail in Turkey, the Lycian Way developed into one of the most popular cultural routes in the Mediterranean. Since the beginning of the noughties, a large number of other trails have emerged in Turkey that can be explored on foot, by bike or on horseback. The paths known as cultural routes follow old trade routes or are based on the footsteps of famous travelers. The Evliya-Çelebi-Weg in the northwest of the country traces the route of the Ottoman Evliya Çelebi from the 17th century. The Paulusweg , which runs a few kilometers east of Antalya with a total distance of 500 km to Lake Eğirdir and on to ancient Antioch , follows the path of the Apostle Paul . The routes were developed with the aim of making Turkey's cultural heritage accessible to hikers and other trail users "in passing". The Association of Cultural Routes in Turkey, founded in 2012, is a non-profit organization in which the founders of the routes have joined forces with local tour operators, pension operators and other partners. The aim of the association is to develop the paths in terms of sustainable tourism and to preserve the routes for future generations.
literature
- Kate Clow, Terry Richardson: The Lycian Path. The first long-distance hiking trail in Turkey. Karli, Antalya 2005, ISBN 0-9539218-3-2 .
- Melanie Heinle, The Lycian Way - on the trail of antiquity. Vienna, Phoibos 2014, ISBN 978-3-85161-106-9 .
- Michael Hennemann: Turkey. Lycian way. From Fethiye to Antalya. 4th revised edition. Stein, Welver 2014, ISBN 978-3-86686-475-7 ( Outdoor manual 171 The path is the goal ).
Hiking guide
- The Lycian Way by Kate Clow: In summary, to be called "The standard work". It is largely thanks to Kate Clow that the Lycian Way even exists. The hiking guide contains precise directions, a lot of information on sights, places and sections of the route, as well as a map for rough orientation. ISBN 0-9539218-3-2
- Turkey: Lycian Way by Michael Hennemann: small, handy guide with essential information on the route, sights and accommodation in German. ISBN 978-3-86686-475-7
- The Lycian Way - on the trail of antiquity by Melanie Heinle, ISBN 978-3-85161-106-9
cards
Due to the fact that large-scale maps in Turkey are kept under lock and key by the military, there are correspondingly few derivations. On March 1, 2015, two hiking maps on a scale of 1: 50,000 were created on the basis of remote sensing data. Together they cover the entire route of the Lycian Way and contain all the topographical features that are important for orientation as well as information on accommodation, supplies and sights:
- Lycia East Hiking Map 1: 50,000 MapSite Verlag, Marburg, ISBN 978-3-9817216-0-7
- Lycia West Hiking Map 1: 50,000 MapSite Verlag, Marburg, ISBN 978-3-9817216-1-4
Based on the old Soviet General Staff maps, there are three more maps that cover the east, the middle and the west of Lycia in different scales:
- Mount Olympos Region - Eastern Lycia EWP, ISBN 9781906449209
- Map of Central Lycia (Kaş to Finike and Gömbe) EWP, ISBN 9781906449247
- Map of Western Lycia (Fethiye to Kalkan) EWP, ISBN 9781906449223
Web links
- The Lycian Way in Zeit Online, April 20, 2009
- The Lycian Way on Trekopedia.com (Engl.)
- The Lycian Way of the Association of Cultural routes in Turkey (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ On the history and origin of the Evliya-Çelebi-Weg (English)
- ↑ Today's Zaman on the concept of the Saint Paul Trail ( Memento of the original from March 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ↑ The Association of Cultural Routes in Turkey on its goals ( Memento of the original from February 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
