Lush Green Azdavay with Unique Natural Beauties – Kastamonu
Kastamonu province
Azdavay, located in the northwest of Kastamonu province, surrounded by rugged and forested lands; It is a Kastamonu town that has been a district since 1946. Azdavay, which is still a district of Kastamonu, has a population of approximately 7500 and consists of 49 villages in total. There are direct bus services between Istanbul and Azdavay. Also, you can reach Kastamonu from Istanbul by plane, and from Kastamonu to Azdavay by minibusses. There are also several options for accommodation.
According to archaeological excavations of the history of Azdavay BC. It is estimated to date back to the Paflagonians in the 8th century. Today, since it was not an industrial center, it could not create employment, and many immigrants made it to big cities such as Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir. As a private sector, mining, apparel, forestry, animal husbandry, and agriculture are carried out in the district.
Houses outside the center of Azdavay generally maintain their original appearance, two-story and wooden. There are built buildings in the center.
It is possible to see the colored clothes worn by women in the villages in the market in the district center, which is set up on Wednesdays. These unique clothes have been accepted as the ideal clothing for Kastamonu folk dances.
Since Azdavay has the Küre Mountains National Park, it has unique natural beauties. Also to the beautiful villages, among the places worth seeing are Çatak Canyon, Çal Canyon, Media Cave, Emerald Village, Asar Rock, Monument Tree, Akçasu, Suğla Plateau, Azdavay Saray Waterfall, Lentillik Rock, Kız Kayası, Tabaklı Rock, Aşar Castle, and the district center. The Bridge of Lovers.
The district, which has given importance to ecotourism recently, has suitable geography for trekking. In fact, in 2011, the “Azdavay Trekking Trails Book” showing the hiking trails in the district was published.
Çatak Canyon
Çatak Canyon, one of Azdavay’s most important tourism assets, is located 7 km from the district center and within the borders of Karakuşlu Village. Being the 4th largest canyon in the world, Çatak Canyon attracts many tourists. The 7 km area inside the canyon can be passed by swimming or boating. It is said that it is not difficult to pass, but you still need to be cautious. At the 900-meter-high observation point, the whole canyon lies under your feet.
Küre Mountains National Park holds the PAN Parks Certificate, an independent protected area certification system unique to Europe; First in Turkey, and has the distinction of having this certificate to be 13 protected areas in Europe. It is known that the PAN Parks logo is regarded as a sign of distinction between both natural values and sustainable tourism for national parks in Europe.
Among the dishes unique to Azdavay, Islama and Delioğlan Sarık can be counted. Islam is a type of pastry dish. Delioğlan Sarığı, , is a type of dumpling with syrup.
