Antalya

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Antalya - a great resort, situated in the central part of Turkish Mediterranean coast, is doubtfully a shiny pearl of Turkish Riviera. It should be said that Antalya is not just a city and a popular resort, but also a whole province that aggregates such famous resorts as Kemer, Alanya, Gonukand many others. So when you hear "Antalya" sometimes it could be referred to any of those cozy places situated in the province.

The city of Antalya is called the capital of Mediterranean coast. And with good reason! In a remarkable manner lots of cultural, historical and natural places of interest are gathered here and around the city. Thereby this area is perfect for people of all ages and interests. It was not for nothing that in old times Antalya was called Pamphilya which means "the land of all tribes".

The city takes its origins in far 159th BC. Its founder, Pergama’s King, Attal the 2nd named the place in his own honor. Further history of Antalya was a chain of empires and civilizations that ruled the town. You can see their traces in architecture if you visit one of historical places in the area or just walk in the streets of an old town, which is a popular touristic place of Antalya nowadays. You can find lots of interesting sights in Antalya’s old town named Kaleici. Due to rise of economic situation of the country, it was restored and rebuilt. Historical landmarks are carefully protected and some other buildings turned to restaurants, pensions, and souvenir shops and at night walls are highlighted with illumination.

However any resort should be famous for its natural features first of all and Antalya is not an exception. One of its top attractions is beaches. There are lots of them in Antalya - very clean, tidy, with wonderful transparent water, trees and necessary facilities. Two biggest beaches - Konyaalti and Lara have Blue Flag, an international insignia of quality and ecology. The first one lies to the West of Antalya and lasts for 10 km. You can always find a free chaise longue and have a wonderful relaxing beach-time under an umbrella or a palm-tree. Outskirts of Konyaalti are embellished with elegant shape of Beydaglari Mountains. Another one - Lara - is situated to the East of Antalya and is also huge,clean and beautiful.

But Antalya is not just a coastline. Living in a sophisticated city, one can easily find wonderful places for walking in a beautiful nature all over the province, in local municipal parks, and natural spots just inside of the city. Duden waterfalls, for instance, are both situated in the city, so you can get there just taking a bus or walking on foot from your destination. You can check all green spots of Antalya using a touristic map.

For lovers of activity holidays there are plenty of tourist attractions in Antalya such as aqua-park, aquarium, dolphinarium, amusement park, a zoo and many others. Among the museums Archeological Museum, Mini City, Ataturk Museum are worth mentioning.

In high season you can see a plain landing almost each minute in Antalya International Airport. If you are thinking of having an unforgettable trip on the Mediterranean Turkish coast, then Antalya is a perfect spot… Or at least a number one in the list!

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