Uludag National Park
Uludag is a national park in Turkey, established back in 1961 in the middle of the mountain range, which was formerly called Olympus Mission. According to legend, the gods of Olympus watched the battle of Troy from this mountain. During the period of early Christianity, hermit monks lived here, and with the arrival of the Turks, the dervishes took control of this area.
Nowadays, Mount Uludag (2,543 m) is favored by outdoor activities. Most travelers come here in May and June, when the mountain slopes are covered with colorful floral carpets. Due to the huge influx of tourists, the Otteler ski resort was organized here. Almost every hotel here has its own ski lift, and the length of the ski slopes is more than 16 km. The period from December to March is best suited for skiing.
During the summer, Uludag offers hiking and cycling routes for travelers, and many nightclubs open at night. Not far from the park is the ancient city of Bursa, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire. There are many historical districts and places worth visiting in the city. Yalova Thermal Spring and Botanical Garden are located 80 km from Bursa, surrounded by Turkish baths.
The Uludag mountains are made of granite slabs and crystalline shales, and the crown is made of marble. Among the trees, the slopes were occupied by forests of beech, chestnut, linden, alder, and needles. In addition to them, there are rare plants and shrubs, such as laurel, phylorea, strawberry tree, maquis, Greek oaks, turpentine trees, German medlars, calico broom, Nordman firs. There are more than 100 endemic plants in the national park, 30 of which grow on the mountain. Among the lush vegetation, 46 species of butterflies can be seen, including the amazing Apollo, which is found nowhere else.
The forests have a favorable environment for many mammals and birds. In Uludag Park you can meet a bear, a jackal, a roe deer, a wolf. More than 90 species of birds have found shelter here, of which almost 20 are predatory. The most rare are: snake-eating eagles, goshawks, black cataracts, lesser spotted eagles, peregrine falcons, red-bellied swallows, and short-toed pipits.
Every year, Uludag Park is visited by at least 700 thousand people, who are attracted here by mountain tourism, ski resorts, as well as 9 lakes formed by glaciers.
