Journey's overview

"The St. Paul Trail" is a hike through a technically simple mountain area with moderate elevation gains. The length of the daily sections approximates around 5-8 hours of walking. We will be accommodated in one of the comfortable guesthouses in the charmingly situated town of Eğirdir, from which we will be transported to the start of each daily stage, and then picked up to the place of accommodation after its completion. Thanks to this form, there will be no need to carry heavy backpacks, which will allow us to fully enjoy every day of this extraordinary route!

Journey's description

Pisidia - a mountainous land north of Antalya, in the Anatolian interior. Unlike coastal Pamphylia - flat, fertile and rich - Pisidia has had a reputation for lawlessness since ancient times. Due to the shape and inaccessibility of the terrain, much harsher climatic conditions than on the coast and its sparse population, it was an ideal shelter for all kinds of outlaws. Therefore, no one sane ventured into these lands without a clear necessity.

Therefore, the courage and determination of Paul of Tarsus, who in 46 A.D. decided to set off on his first missionary expedition to Asia Minor, going through these areas. A newcomer from a distant land, without bodyguards or any weapons, preaching extremely innovative, and even controversial theses at the time, during rallies and speeches in pagan towns and villages he passed - to say that it was risky is to say nothing. It can be compared to a parachute jump, only without a parachute, waiting to see what happens. Meanwhile, an extraordinary thing, Paul's fiery speeches won a surprisingly large number of supporters, and his fame preceded him to such an extent that, having finally reached Antioch in Pisidia (today's city of Yalvaç), he was already addressing thousands of listeners there. Paul liked this place quite a lot and returned here twice more, during subsequent missionary trips.

It is amazing that today, after nearly 2,000 years, you can also follow in the footsteps of St. Paul through the beautiful mountainous lands of Pisidia, where time seems to pass much slower. To this day, these lands live their own rhythm, separated from the mainstream of civilization. Human settlements are still widely dispersed, and their inhabitants welcome visitors with an open heart. Only the robbers are gone, but they aren't really missed by anybody.

If you want to feel the atmosphere of Paul's long march through Pisidia, while having all the comforts associated with cozy accommodation and excellent Turkish cuisine, you are in the best possible place! During this trip, in five consecutive daily stages, we will cover the most mountainous, extremely impressive central part of the St. Paul. On the last day, we will climb the beautiful peak of Sivritepe, from which there are extensive views of the huge Eğirdir Lake and the town of the same name, uniquely located on a promontory.

You are invited for an adventure!

Dates: 1-8 July 2023 or 15-22 July 2023

Number of trekkers: up to 8 people

Schedule

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival in Turkey

Meeting at the Antalya airport in the afternoon. The expedition begins with a shared bus transfer to Eğirdir.

ATTENTION! If someone is in another part of Turkey or it was more convenient for them to land at another Turkish airport (e.g. Dalaman, Ankara or Istanbul) and would like to join the expedition, they can reach Eğirdir on their own or ask us to contact us if they need help with the purchase bus tickets and travel arrangements.

Day 2 (Sunday): Sütçüler-Adada

Approximate length and time of walking: 14 km, 5-6 hours

We will start our adventure in Sütçüler, which is something between a larger village and a small town. However, it is still one of the most heavily populated centers on the entire St. Paul Trail, which says a lot about it. Today's march will run through gentle, forested hills and an area so untouched that it would seem unreal. In my diary written during the expedition there was the following entry:

“At 14:30 I took a break in a wonderfully quiet valley behind Hacılar. Total absence of people and their tracks, animals or any noises".

The final part of the day will be the ascent towards the ruins of Adada. It consists of an ascent of about 200 meters of elevation, walking along the best-preserved St. Paul by way of Roman times. This impressive route was built of large rock blocks over a length of about one and a half kilometers, of which about a kilometer has been preserved in surprisingly good condition to this day and walking along this route can definitely be called simply magical!

Day 3 (Monday): Erenler – Serpil

Approximate length and time of walking: 13 km, 4-5 hours

An unusual march through spacious forests diversified from time to time by vast open flat spaces, which the Turks call 'ova'. Although animals occasionally graze on them, meeting any people on this route after leaving the tiny village of Erenler will be something special. On the final descent leading in a zigzag to Serpil, spectacular views of the Aksu river valley and the hills visible on the other side of it, which we will explore tomorrow, open up to us.

Day 4 (Tuesday): Yukarı Gökdere –  Kasnak  Oak Forest – Yukarı Gökdere

Approximate length and time of walking: 19 km, 7 hours

Today's is quite a long and somewhat demanding stage - it's a beautiful loop centered around the Kasnak forest nature reserve. It lies north of the village of Yukarı Gökdere, which together with its adjoining areas is a veritable apple-growing area. The village itself received the main prize in 1999 in a special election in recognition of its advantages such as an artificial lake, forests, fertile farmland and a favorable climate both in summer and winter.

The heart of the Kasnak reserve spreads at heights oscillating between 1500-1600 m above sea level, and its main attraction is a specimen of the endemic species of volcanic oaks Quercus Vulcanica called Koca. Its age is estimated at nearly 400 years. Regardless, just walking through this spacious and peaceful forest is an extremely soothing experience, and in favorable conditions it can turn out to be a fairy tale like one. Going down a fairly steep slope to the road lying 200 meters below is a fragment where you need to focus a bit more. Then there is a simple return march.

Day 5 (Wednesday): Eğirdir – Beydere

Approximate length and time of walking: 15 km, 5 hours

A relatively easy section, which was led along the slopes of the hills descending towards the lake, partly along the dismantled railway line. Thanks to this, in the right weather, it provides us with extremely impressive views of the aforementioned water reservoir and the peaks behind it. In the final part, we descend again to the road level and, among the orchards, we calmly reach the village of Beydere (Bedre), stretching for about a kilometer. This is the relatively most "civilized" section, during which we have visual contact and sensed proximity to infrastructure and human settlements practically all the time, while wandering through a quite desolate area on our own. Without a doubt, this is an experience worth trying!

Day 6 (Thursday): Beydere – Barla

Approximate length and time of walking: 12 km, 5 hours

Today we will have a much "wilder" part of the march than yesterday. We start from the mosque in Beydere and get to a parallel, slightly higher road. Immediately after leaving the last buildings, we turn north, heading sharply towards the plateau lying about 500 meters above. This route gives an amazing sense of isolation, because after having climbed up to the plateau, and then even gradually lowering the level, we have no contact with the inhabited world, and the village of Bağören appears to our eyes almost at the last moment. Well, unless we meet a shepherd in the mountains, which can happen during the season. The trail in this section is quite comfortable to explore, and the space between small trees is rather sparsely overgrown. Bağören is an atmospheric village in the literal sense of the word. There is no infrastructure, shop or bus stop here. However, there are a lot of stone and wooden huts that give this place the atmosphere of an open-air museum. From here, walking along the old Roman road, we reach the village of Barla, 3 km away, which is a larger and closer to the world version of Bağören. Despite this, Barla, especially from the mountain side, is also a wonderful place, where time seems to have stopped some hundred years ago.

Day 7 (Friday): Akpınar – Sivri Tepe, exploration of Eğirdir town

Approximate length and time of walking: 6 km, 3 hours

The last day will be much more stationary in its nature. It's time to get to know the immediate vicinity of the charming Eğirdir, where we have been stationed for a week. Unforgettable views of this town lying on a spectacular promontory will be provided by the peak of Sivri Tepe (1719 m above sea level). Anyway, it is so outstanding in the immediate vicinity that the views from it in all directions are breathtaking. The road to the top leads through open areas, and on the saddle from which we will start the final summit attack, there are the ruins of the Hellenistic and Roman garrison village of Prostanna. Due to its strategic location, it was an excellent vantage point, especially towards the west. The ascent to the top, which did not require much time or effort, opened up all other directions of potential monitoring.

After returning, we still have the whole second half of the day to relax in Eğirdir - whether it's enjoying the charms of the lake, climbing the walls of the local castle or finally wandering with others along the peninsula on which the city is located.

Day 8 (Saturday): Departure

In the morning we will have to say goodbye to the hospitable Eğirdir, to return with a baggage of memories from the times of St. Paul to the twenty-first century. We come back to Antalya by bus and then to the local airport. See you again!

So if you think that following the mountain trails in the 2000 years old footsteps of St. Paul sounds like an adventure for you or your friends, or you have additional questions - let us know by phone or email (contact details in the upper right corner of the page), via the contact form or by writing us a message on Facebook (icon at the bottom of the page).

VISIT US:

2023 by Moon and Star 

biuro@moonandstar.eu

+48 726 037 773

Trekking tours in Turkey

Moon and Star

Included in price:

• accommodation in double rooms;
• meals (7 x buffet breakfast, 7 x dinner);
• insurance;
• transport in Turkey (buses, minibuses);
• care of an experienced long-distance mountain hiker;
• impressions for the rest of your life from the picturesque and unspoiled mountains of Pisidia.

Not included in price:

• flights (we can help with bookings);
• additional snacks taken to the trail;
• surcharge for a single room in the amount of 120 euro for the entire stay.