Ulubey Canyon

The Ulubey canyon system was cut by the Banaz stream and its tributaries into the soft rock of the Uşak plateau, and counting all its branches it runs to a length that puts it among the longest canyon systems anywhere - locally the claim is second after the Grand Canyon, which depends entirely on how you measure and is best treated as a boast rather than a fact. What is not in dispute is the scale: with its side branches the canyon runs some 40 to 45 kilometres, 100 to 500 metres wide and 135 to 170 metres deep, cut by the Ulubey and Banaz streams, tributaries of the Büyük Menderes, through a plateau of scrub, vineyards and villages. A glass-floored viewing terrace has been built out over the edge, which is what most visitors come for, along with a café and a walkway along the rim. Below, the canyon floor can be walked or rafted in places with local guides. Nearby are the Blaundos ruins on a promontory in a side canyon and the Uşak museum's Lydian treasure.

What's there

• The glass terrace - the cantilevered viewing platform over the drop.
• The gorge - walls falling to the Banaz stream far below.
• The rim walkway - the path along the canyon edge.
• The plateau - vineyards and villages on the tableland above.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Spring has the most water in the river; autumn gives colour and clear air. Summer on the plateau is very hot.

Good to know

The "second longest in the world" claim is local boosterism. The terrace is the main built attraction and it queues at weekends. Descending into the canyon needs a guide and proper footwear. A car is effectively required.

Nearby

Blaundos is in a side canyon; Uşak city and its archaeological museum are 25 km north.

Key facts