Polonezköy

Polonezköy - Adampol to its founders - was established in 1842 when Prince Adam Czartoryski, leading Polish emigrants after the failed uprisings against Russian rule, bought land here from a Lazarist monastery and settled Polish families on it. The community kept its language, church and customs for generations; a few dozen residents of Polish descent remain, and the Catholic church, the cemetery and the Zofia Rızaporyan house-museum are what survives of the original settlement. What the village is now is a weekend destination for Istanbul: wooden houses in large gardens, boutique guesthouses, and restaurants that built their reputation on pork - historically hard to find elsewhere in the city - and on very long breakfasts under the trees. There is a nature park with walking trails and a lake next door, and the surrounding Beykoz woodland is good in autumn. It fills completely on Sundays and is close to empty midweek.

What's there

• The Polish church and cemetery - the founding community's fabric.
• The house museum - the restored Zofia Rızaporyan home.
• The garden restaurants - long breakfasts under the trees.
• The nature park - trails and a lake beside the village.

When to go

April to June and September to November, when the gardens and woods are at their best. Weekdays for quiet - Sunday brings the whole city and the restaurants queue.

Good to know

There is very little to see as such - the appeal is eating and walking, not sightseeing. Public transport is poor; a car or taxi is effectively required. Weekend prices are noticeably higher.

Nearby

Şile and Ağva are further east on the Black Sea; Beykoz and the upper Bosphorus are west.

Key facts