A more detailed version of my article published in Hürriyet Seyahat
Istanbul A few hours away from Bursa, it embraces us in this regard.. Hiking and warm healing waters. Oylat cave, Oylat waterfall and Oylat thermal springs in İnegöl are a wonderful experience for us
It is a route proposal not far away for those who want to purify their soul and body with a few days getaway, while the half-year holiday is here. this text. A few hours away from Istanbul, Bursa embraces us in this regard. First the skiing experience in Uludağ and then the nature walk and the warm healing waters. We wrote about the Uludağ experience in the previous article.. Now it’s time for the second stage. Oylat cave, waterfall and hot springs in İnegöl.
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Oylat Cave
It’s been a long time I am very happy to see the hiking organized to Oylat cave, waterfall and hot springs, which I tried to go but could not go.. When I hear that a nature group from Istanbul is going to go here, I ask if I can join the walk while we are in Bursa.. Of course, I am very happy when I learn that I can participate.
We get up early in the morning and call the group from Istanbul.. We are ahead of them. I want to take a nap on the way and the moment I open my eyes, I see that everywhere is covered with snow.. Just write Oylat cave in the navigation, it takes you. There is no Oylat sign on the way to the main road. Where we need to turn on the snowy road, we cannot turn because we are fast.
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Even though the navigation determines a new route, it seems impossible to enter the country road covered with snow.. Try not to miss the turn. The team from Istanbul passes us until we come back from the front, but we catch it at Oylat cave. They started traveling. Cave entrance 7.5 lira. He was running a private company that leased it for 30 years.. There are shuttles from the center of İnegöl to here.
I’m having a good time because I love caves.. Walk, walk, it’s not over. The inside of the mountain we saw from the outside was a complete cave.. They lit up and made a walkway. For a while I feel like I’ve fallen into the movie Indiana Jones. The climbing does not end, stalactites hang from everywhere. The cave consists of two parts.
Oylat Cave Galleries
The first gallery is narrow, the second gallery is the section with very large collapses and stalactites.. I liked the place like the narrow corridor at the entrance the most.. The cave, which took thousands of years to form, still continues to form.. There were bats living in the cave, but we could not see it.
There is no permission to pass beyond a certain point.. This is the third longest cave open to visitors.. It’s so nice to look at that snowy landscape from the inside out. When we go out, we roll in the snow with the joy of the first snow of the year.. We missed you.
The region with the cave and hot springs is not far away. Everyone was caught off guard. We still have snow socks on our tires and there is no problem.
Oylat Waterfall
We park the vehicles in the spa area and start our walk towards our main goal, Oylat Waterfall’.. You can easily find the waterfall path when you pass through the park.. We are here to join the 7 km round trip and then enjoy the thermal.. Since we do not see the bottom of the snow, we go according to the steps of the one who goes ahead.. We should not slide down because there is a creek on one side of us.. You should never do such a road alone in these weather conditions.
You should not go on that road unless you have good non-slip shoes. We can reach the waterfall, which can be walked in half an hour in normal air, in an hour and a half, but by passing through magnificent snow landscapes.. It’s like we’re in a living painting.
As if the world was in black and white and we were the only thing left in colour.. Reaching the waterfall, the team is jovial. Since they set off from Istanbul at 6 am, their lunch break. They eat the sandwiches they brought against the waterfall.
They all came for the 15km long hike, but on the way back, we had a look and most of the team was with us.. Kamil brother, one of the two leaders in the team, is returning for the safety of the returnees.. Some will continue to walk.
Our return is easier than our departure. We can’t get enough of taking pictures. The smell of snow, the icy air of the air, and the splendor of the scenery still haunt me.
Oylat Hot Springs
Since we learned on the way, the thermal spa will close at 4 o’clock and not open until 7 for cleaning. we move fast. Hotels in Oylat do not accept reservations less than 3-4 days.. Especially on weekends, it does not accept customers from outside.
The fact that the place operated by the municipality will be closed for long hours due to cleaning and it only takes one hour to close makes us lose our enthusiasm.. The location of the municipality is 5 lira. separate men and women. While questioning these, we learn that a hotel adjacent to the municipality’s hot spring has family pools.. We don’t have cleaning and clock problems there. A room with a pool for two people is 100 liras for two hours, 125 liras with a jacuzzi.
For more crowded families, as the number of people increases, the prices increase by 20-30 TL according to the room.. Sauna, steam room has everything. Credit card passes. We’ll finally be able to throw ourselves into warm waters. The water in Oylat hot spring can be drunk without any treatment.
How Oylat Got Its Name?
It is said that Oylat got its name from Tekfur’s treatment of his daughter.. Once upon a time, Tekfur’s daughter fell ill with an incurable disease and was brought here for the last time.. They say “Die“, believing that she is living her last days, but when Tekfur’s daughter is healed in the healing waters here, the region gains fame and its name turns into Olyat in time.. The healing of the spa is endless. In addition, drinking cures are also made.
Our time, which is normally 2 hours, is flexible due to the weather conditions and the absence of anyone.. no one touches us. When a waterfall walk and cold are added to my bones, which were held on skiing the day before, these warm waters, saunas, steam rooms feel like heaven.. After the thermal I went to in Greece, I am very happy with the development and hygiene of the thermal facilities in our country.
They are at least 20 years behind us.. The friends we chatted with at the reception were very pleased with the Arab tourists.. “They have nothing to do with water, they come and take a shower for 15 minutes.. They are not demanding but Europeans or Turks sauna etc.. they want to use everything” gets us a laugh. I wanted everything, I used it. I say “Then let’s go”.
We came out of the warm waters, inside the building It is very hot and there is snow outside, do not think that we will get sick. When you dry your head well and come out, it feels like cold air.. In the small bazaar, everything is sold from the bakery to the town, from the grocery store to the swimsuit.. There is even a pide maker in the area where the hot springs are located, but we do not want to be late due to the weather conditions, so we buy a huge bread from the oven, sausage and meat from the butcher.. Skiing one day, waterfall hiking the next, and then the thermal sends us back with a purified body and mind.. Those who do not go with their own car can reach the hot spring area in 15 minutes by minibus after reaching İnegöl.
