My aim in this article is to turn the foreign exchange-based travel route into the country and provide information to those who seek alternatives, and those who want to experience places they know little about but hope to be affected when they go. How do you come to Zonguldak, where you can stay, what should you eat, how do you make use of your time, the answers to these questions and more are in the content of the article ... Let's travel to Yılmaz Erdoğan's Dream of the Butterfly together with the Zonguldak Travel Guide. "Which is the First City of the Republic?" If asked, do not ask the audience! Since we, people of Zonguldak, keep this information secret, nobody knows the correct answer except us. Do you have friends who want you to bring something for them wherever you go? Well, if anyone asks you for coal when you go to Zonguldak… Move away quietly and you will find more beautiful things that you can give them as a gift. What comes to mind first when Zonguldak is mentioned? Kömüürr… So known as "Black Diamond", Zonguldak is the only city in Anatolia where hard coal has been mined since the 1800s. Of course, we do not sleep with coal and get up with coal, so it is not like that anymore! T.T.K. The Turkish Commercial Code comes to mind for some people when it is mentioned, and for the people of Zonguldak, “everything” means the Turkish Hard Coal Institution (TTK). Think of it this way, in the early years of the republic, there is a city that sustains the country's industry with its coal and power plants connected to it, and there is such a government that they decide many things about life, from infrastructure services to social assistance, from urban planning to education. They build the roads, they provide electricity to the city, they build the schools, they coordinate the health services. Of course not anymore! Meanwhile, Turkey's first coal-dependent thermal power plant (ÇATES) and iron and steel factories (ERDEMİR, KARDEMİR) were also established in Zonguldak. Power Plants Area - Zonguldak Travel Guide By the way, it included Zonguldak of the period, Karabük you know with Safranbolu and Bartın you know with Amasra. If you want to observe the history of the country's industry, this trip can give you an unforgettable experience. Let's talk about the movie I quoted the title of this article and recommended you to watch it before coming to Zonguldak… The movie "The Dream of the Butterfly", written and directed by Yılmaz Erdoğan, was shot in Zonguldak and tells about Zonguldak of the period. ".. Maybe a butterfly is so pleased with its dream, it never wants to wake up from its sleep." Dream of the Butterfly - Zonguldak Travel Guide It will come to you like a fairy tale, you should watch it. Let me summarize without spoilers. What's in the movie? Living standards shaped by the habits of the British and French who came to mine the coal mine in Zonguldak, the effects of its architecture and culture, the neighborhoods such as lanterns and swords, republic balls, literary magazines, all kinds of artistic and sports activities, the first tennis courts, sea clubs, professional groups clubs and societies that are separated according to (mining engineers' society - lower society & upper society, doctors' club, civil servants' club, etc.) a decent and prosperous life ... On the one hand, the people who live with the limited areas I mentioned above, on the other hand, their families are in the hill villages of the city and they are a "pavilion". Workers who live in workers 'lodgings called workers' lodgings, who are obliged to work in the mine under difficult conditions (see: the period of obligation), mostly retired or martyred due to tuberculosis and lung diseases or mining accidents ... These are Zonguldak, today's conditions and living conditions. not as good, nor bad as the second narrative. I am also a person who grew up in the lodgings of the TTK (Registered French Houses) in the Fener District (Registered Magnolia Trees) I mentioned. I have goose bumps while writing these lines… And here is me… Miner's Daughter Ümran - Zonguldak Travel Guide Zonguldak's Poetry Vein Yilmaz Erdogan's words… "Zonguldak is known for its coal seams, but it has deep veins of poetry". I heard this word by word of mouth, I hope I got it right. When it comes to Zonguldak's poetry vein, the first lines that come to mind are Orhan Vali Kanık's lines: "Black flows Zonguldag's stream, not a disgrace, coal-black is the money of bread" The Butterfly's Dream, Turkey's first donation school Zonguldak Mehmet Çelikel High School It also deals with Behçet Necatigil's relationship with the poet Muzaffer Tayyip Uslu and Rüştü Onur. We used to call the 4114 Year Old Badger Coal, but we have a new discovery. The oldest yew tree in the world and the oldest tree in Turkey were registered at the Natural Monument in Zonguldak Alaplı. Nature lovers will want to see this 4114 year old tree. You can find its location by reading the QR code on the map on the link. Who wants to pose by hugging the huge trunk of that historic yew tree? 4114 Years Old Badger Tree - Zonguldak Travel Guide How to Get to Zonguldak? Transportation by Personal Vehicle Zonguldak is a city where you will enter and exit through tunnels. That's why you can hear semi-closed prison jokes. But don't be afraid! You will see a city with a sea view balcony, which is the standard of every home. Balconies facing the sea are the standard of every home - Zonguldak Travel Guide Zonguldak, 330 km from Istanbul and 275 km from Ankara. You can enter the city from Ankara or Istanbul direction, but my personal advice is to follow the Istanbul-Düzce-Alaplı-Ereğli route and watch the sea from the coastline. You can set up your return route from Bartın (Amasra) - Kastamonu - Sinop or Karabük (Safranbolu) - Ankara. You can come by the Railway to Coal Bus, or if you prefer a nostalgic train journey, you can come by train via Ankara. Do I see those who experienced the Eastern Express, Van Express? Also try the Ankara-Irmak-Karabük-Zonguldak railway line! For this, let me give you a great link to the "Railway to Coal" train travel route. Sea Journey You can see the Zonguldak-Istanbul cruise in the movie, but there is currently no sea transportation to the city. There are ships that usually bring visitors to Ukraine for commercial purposes at the port in the city center, but mostly freight transport is available. For International Passengers Airline transportation from domestic lines to the city is not active at the moment, but unfortunately, you can go to Zonguldak with an airline via Düsseldorf or Dortmund. Due to its proximity to Ankara and Istanbul, domestic flights are not active as there is no demand, but who knows, maybe it will be active again while you read these lines! (See: Zonguldak Saltukova Airport) Let me see those who say what is the relevance of Düsseldorf or Dortmund? Since we were born into a life intertwined with coal ore, we sent half of the city to Germany as expatriates to the Ruhr region in order not to feel foreign. We have an expatriate population equivalent to the population of the central district of Zonguldak in Germany and they visit the city in large groups every year. My advice is if you are really planning a trip between Zonguldak and Germany, look at the return of the flights the expatriates come and go, you can buy tickets very cheaply. Zonguldak Saltukova Airport - Zonguldak Travel Guide When to Go to Zonguldak? I recommend you to go to Zonguldak in spring and summer. There is no black winter, but air quality is better in spring and summer, as coal is mostly consumed. Do not expect scorching heat in summer, you can experience a fresh summer with sea breezes. There is a little moisture, of course, I can't help but tell that! But the spring is beautiful. It rains occasionally, leaves are colored, sea, sun, beach, nature walks and fresh air! In the July-August period, expats in Zonguldak and its surroundings (Safranbolu-Amasra) are the source of the occupancy rate of the city and its facilities, boutique facilities may be full or relatively more expensive during these periods. City Recommendations from a Traveler from Zonguldak Current Travel Maps for Determining Your Own Route If you came to Zonguldak by bus, breathe the smell of the sea, turn your eyes to the sea directly opposite you and take a deep breath. SOURCE: reshontheway.com