The variety Turkey offers as a holiday destination is still little known. There is much more to see than the tourist citadels around Antalya, more than sun, sea and sand. The craggy coasts of the Aegean, heavenly landscapes, fabulous towns and numerous well-preserved historic sites in Turkey from Roman and Greek periods.

Places like Ephesus, Pergamon and Troy are familiar to many and are top-quality sights to visit in Turkey. As a link between Europe and Asia, Turkey has a range of climate zones and very varied landscapes. Whilst there are still isolated green landscapes with a mountainous hinterland on the Black Sea, many parts of central Anatolia are more like barren steppes. The west and south coasts (Aegean) are characterized by craggy bays and hilly landscapes until these become the Taurus mountains in the hinterland of the narrower Mediterranean region. Further into eastern Turkey and in Anatolia there are massive mountain ranges with peaks of over 5,000 meters.

The time difference related to Germany is always one hour ahead, and as European summer time is used in Turkey as well, the time difference remains the same in summer and winter.

Turkey is on two continents and combines Europe with Asia on the other side of the narrow straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. The European part (Thrace), north of the Sea of Marmara, borders Bulgaria and Greece. The Asian part, of which large portions are also known as Anatolia or Asia Minor, borders on Syria and Iraq to the south-east, on Iran and Armenia in the east and on Georgia to the north-east. The coasts are washed by the Black Sea in the north, by the Aegean in the west and by the Mediterranean in the south. Turkey's national border has a total length of approx. 9,850 kilometers, including 7,200 kilometers of coastline.

The Turkish climate is one of extremes. It is a land of simultaneous summer and winter. In large swathes of country, one can experience all four seasons up close. On the Mediterranean coast, hot summers up to 35°C are the rule, with mild and rainy winters. The rainiest months on the Turkish Riviera are November to February. In the Aegean, the climate is somewhat harsher. The bathing season in this part of the country is from June to September. In central Anatolia, i.e. the region around Ankara, the winters are colder and the summers less hot than on the Mediterranean. The seasons with the highest precipitation are spring and autumn and the Anatolian plateau has more extremes depending on the season.

Note that Turkey is an Islamic country. Overly revealing clothing should be avoided. We recommend long, light cotton clothing. For the evenings and higher altitudes we also advise packing a few pieces of warmer clothing and a windproof and rainproof jacket. For the many sunny days you should also bring a head-covering and UV-resistant sunglasses.

Turkish cuisine skillfully mixes various influences from Europe and Asia. The meals are characterized by extremely fresh ingredients, careful preparation and harmonious composition. A rich selection of soups, starters, vegetable, fish and meat dishes, flour-based dishes and salads is on offer in restaurants, which are often open round the clock. Seafood such as barbel and swordfish rank high in local cuisine. Specialties such as vine leaves filled with nuts (dolma) or eggplant stuffed with ground meat (karniyarik) should be sampled. There is a variety of tarts and cakes, which usually have one thing in common: they are extremely sweet.

In many places, people drink strong black coffee, apple tea or ayran, a cold yoghurt drink. There are good local beers and wines, but the main alcoholic drink is raki, an aniseed schnapps. The renowned "cay" (tea) is always offered, as is Turkish mocha, and this really does waken all the senses.

In the larger towns and tourist centers there is a large number of hotels of different categories. Holiday resorts usually also have cheaper motels and campsites. In less well-known small coastal towns and villages there are friendly guest houses and small hotels. Away from the sea and larger visitor numbers, one frequently finds only simpler accommodation. It is therefore important to bring your own sleeping bag for these, as well as for the nights spent camping.

The Turkish currency is the new Turkish lira (Yeni Türk Lirasi). Currency abbreviation: YTL, TRL (ISO code). One Euro corresponds to approx. 1.5 Turkish lira. However, the exchange rate fluctuates significantly due to the high inflation in Turkey. For this reason, the Deutschmark used to be and the Euro is increasingly becoming a "reliable" means of payment, especially in tourist areas. In many tourist areas, goods for sale are even marked in Euros. However, you will have to have some Turkish currency if you go out to eat or shop at the market. You should keep your exchange receipts, as you may be stopped and checked. Under no circumstances change your money at home, at the airport in Antalya on arrival or in the hotels - the rates are too poor and the commissions too high. The best exchange rates can be obtained in your resorts at post offices or branches of the following state banks: Halkbank, Ziraat Bank and Vakif Bank. Common credit cards are generally accepted in larger hotels, restaurants and shops in Turkey.

There are no problems telephoning from Turkey to Germany and from Germany to Turkey. The code when phoning Turkey is 0090 and for Germany it is 0049. German mobile phones can be used, but it is recommended that you find out about a cheap roaming partner from your provider beforehand. The number for calling the police is 155 and the emergency number is 112.

There is a high density of doctors in Turkey, especially in larger towns and tourist areas. One foreign language (English, German) is also usually spoken. In general, healthcare can be considered good except in more remote areas in Anatolia. In smaller towns, the chemist often performs the function of a doctor. Bring adequate supplies of drugs you require regularly. In larger towns in Turkey, the water is usually chlorinated and is thus unsuitable for drinking. Mains water should not be drunk. It is recommended that fruit and vegetables be peeled before eating. Anti-diarrhea tablets should in any case be included in your "travel pharmacy".

We recommend checking general vaccination protection – diphtheria, tetanus and polio. The traveler should obtain information and seek medical advice in good time about preventing infection and vaccinations, as well as about other prophylactic measures. We would refer you in particular to the general information available from health authorities, doctors experienced in travel medicine, doctors of tropical medicine, travel medicine information services or the Federal Centre for Health Education [Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung].

Overloaded power networks and other faults mean that power outages are a common daily occurrence. Fortunately these do not usually last long. Mains voltage is generally 220 V, frequency 50 Hz; an adapter is not required for the plug.

Goods imported by travelers in their personal luggage for personal use or consumption are free of duty as long as they are within the permitted free quantities. Travelers in Turkey pay no duty on the following goods: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 200 g tobacco or 200 cigarette papers or 50 g chewing tobacco or 200 g pipe tobacco or 200 g snuff. With regard to alcohol, 1 liter or 700 ml wine or spirits are permitted. Other concessions are 5 bottles of perfume up to 120 ml each, gifts up to a value of 255 Euros, electronic articles up to a value of 255 Euros, tea and coffee for personal consumption. Jewelry and weapons for sporting purposes are permitted for foreign travelers. Duty has to be paid on cassette recorders and transistor radios on arrival.

In the large tourist centers, in the town, in restaurants etc., you can generally move about just as you would at home. Outside these centers, you should adapt to suit conditions, avoiding short skirts, shorts and an excessively revealing look. As a tourist, it is better to avoid discussions with Turks about potentially inflammatory topics such as Ataturk, for example. You should ask people's permission before taking photographs of them.

In Islam, it is customary to give alms to the poor, to the sick and to beggars. However, you should not generally give begging children any money. Poor people in rural areas will only be offended by gifts of money from "rich" tourists.

In the past, there have been several bomb attacks in Istanbul and other Turkish cities. The PKK, which claimed responsibility for these attacks, called an end to armed campaigns in Turkey from October 1, 2006 as long as it did not feel under attack itself. No further attacks have taken place since then.

Turkey has hitherto been characterized as a country with a comparatively low level of violent crime. To avoid problems as a result of pick pocketing or car break-ins, valuables, vehicle documentation and luggage should not be left in cars or otherwise unsupervised. We recommend keeping valuables on your person and always keeping a careful eye on what is happening around you.