Atatürk Arboretum

Located in a relatively easily accessible section of the Belgrad Forest near the village of Bahçeköy (about 15 minutes of walking away from the last stop of public buses 42T from Taksim and Beşiktaş.The entrance of the arboretum is 10 minutes walk down that road, on the left.The arboretum, surrounded by a natural oak forest, is planted with many non-native tree species. It is an almost mystic place during hazy autumn days, but is always highly scenic no matter what the season, anyway. There is also a wooden observation tower  offering a view of the surrounding forests and a spectacular sight of Bosphorus which is seen like a turquoise lake from that point.

  That same tower can also be used for birdwatching during autumn, as these hills are on one of the major routes of migratory birds on their way from Europe to Africa. During weekdays arboretum is open to public for a token fee (about 3 TL, which is not always collected), however weekends are exclusively for members.