P20 Fadıllı - Uluabat - Akçalar
P20 Fadıllı - Uluabat - Akçalar
77 km
Max.: 7,4%/-6,7% - Av.: 1,1%/-0,8%
547
523
The 80 kilometres long trail advancing around the coast of Uluabat Lake and passing upon ancient roads and paths, is in the category of activities that do not demand technical experience but can easily be accomplished by everyone who has experience on long hiking trails. Hiking Trail P20, advaning on its whole at lake water level and including differen types of roads, usses for 22 kilometres a section of the historical Kirmasti road, which advances in the South of the Uluabat Lake towards the town of Mustafakemalpaşa.
The trail which when united with Trans Mysia trails reaches a length of 90 kilometres until Uluabat, and 125 kilometres until Akçalar, can be turned into an adventure of beautiful scenery in a serene geography rich in nature, history and culture.
The starting point of the trail crossing Nilüfer, Mustafakemalpaşa and Karacabey districts is at Fadıllı Quarter, in the West of Akçalar. The trail can be made as a 4-day hiking and camping activity.
You can start walking on the street indicated by the direction signs showing the way to Ayva, Onaç, Dorak and Uluabat at Fadıllı Quarter central square. The road leading Mustafakemalpaşa is very quite quiet and comfortanble as far as vehicles’ traffic is concerned.
At the turn (40.141083K-28.689919D) located 1 kilometre after the turn to Ayva Quarter, turn to the right at the sign you will see there, leave the lake to your right and continue walking in the shortcut path passing among olive groves. The tractors’ road passes from the location Yenibağlar and connects again to the asphalt road (40.133105K-28.674813D) after drawing an arc of 1,8 kilometres. After walking on asphalt road for approximately 700 metres, at the border between Nilüfer and Mustafakemalpaşa districts enter the path descending towards the lake at the forest signs you will see on the right (40.127308K-28.666333D). From this point on, the trail passes on its whole on clear unpaved road at lake water level, advancing as if inside a corridor made of olive and laurel trees. 1,5 kilometres after the point you left the asphalt road in order to enter the trail, the unpaved road for vehicles,, (40.10533K-28.57950D), which you will see advancing towards the left, is the Han (Inn) Road connecting the old Greek village of Akçapınar to the lake coast. If you come to the lake coast at this point, you will see old building remains partly covered with shrubbery next to the remains of a pier, of which only the piles are still preserved today. This is the place where timber cut in the South of Uluabat lake was carried from the mountain and loaded on big vessels, which in their turn carried it via the lake and Kocadere Stream to Marmara Sea and İstanbul. The building remains belong to the inn built for the accomodation of locals carrying the wood.
The 3 kilometres long part of the trail after you exit the Inn Road (Han Yolu) on the foothill of Fırla Hill passes almost from inside the lake among reeds and dense vegetation. At the season when lake water level rises, this region may be the reason to stay away from this part of the trail and prefer to walk on upper levels of the road. In such a situation you can walk inside the olive grove in order to re-enter the trail later.
In the months of April and November you will not feel loneliness along this trail. You will come across local villagers pruning their olive tress, ploughing their fields, gathering olives, black figs or blackberries, cutting laurel leaves or preparing their boats for fishing and you may have with them short friendly conservations. This region is also ideal for bird watching.
1,4 kilometres in the North of Onaç Quarter the unpaved road advancing close to the coast passes after the location İskelebaşi to Kocahayır Stream. On the left, 1 kilometre after the connecting road descending from Dorak Quarter (40.106237K- 28.577709D), you will arrive at the Motopomp (water engine) station on Uluabat Lake coast. This location may be considered the entrance point to the fertile Mustafakemalpaşa plain. During spring time and later, when lake waters recede, in this region you may see hundrends of buffaloes cooling off in the marshy and muddy grounds.
On the left of the station, the bad-quality stabilized road advancing towards the West descends after 3,5 kilometres to Karaoğlan Quarter. If you want to make a stop for your needs or to set your tent you can use this alternative road. At the same time the road on the left is the course of cycling route B14 which starts at Akçalar and advances via Dorak Quarter and Uluabat Lake coastal road towards Uluabat Quarter.
Continue your course on Hiking Trail P20 on the right in the unpaved road for vehicles on the dyke made against lake water overflows. After 2,5 kilometres the road advancing towards the North from the point of Motopomp station is cut by Mustafakemalpaşa Stream. Local villagers use the remains of an old bridge called “Taş Ada” (Stone Island) (40.123136K- 28.530676D) in order to pass to the opposite shore in dry summer months. If one crosses the stream at this point, the trail shortens for approximately 15 kilometres. Don’t take the risk listening to locals telling you “don’t make your way longer, pass from Taş Ada” and continue your way on the normal course of the trail.
After the motopomp station walk towards the North and after 800 metres turn to the left. The road which advances parallely to the irrigation canal is extremely dusty in hot weather, reaches the connecting road (40.101937K- 28.528701D) below Karaoğlan Quarter. At this intersection turn towards the left and walk for 400 metres so as to arrive at Karaoğlan Quarter. As the distance from Fadıllı, which is the starting point of the trail, and Karaoğlan Quarter is approximately 20 kilometres and there is no other settlement on your way, be sure that you are fully equipped for your needs, especially water, before you start your hike. If you do not end your activity here and continue towards Uluabat, you will need to spend the night here on in the vicinity. If you do not have a tent you can talk with the muhtar (head of the quarter) and sleep at the village guesthouse.
You have ahead of you 22 kilometres until Uluabat.
4,5 kilometres after Karaoğlan Quarter, if you pass outside Ayaz Quarter and turn towards the right at the point of the direction signs, you will arrive at Ayaz Bridge (40.100295K- 28.478897D), one of the two bridges upon Mustafakemalpaşa Stream included in Mysia Ways trails. Cross the bridge, turn towards the right at the point of the direction signs keeping Mustafakemalpaşa Stream flowing into Uluabat Lake on your right hand, and walk for 7 kilometres. The remaining part of the trail passes among pastures and cultivated lands. The people of the villages of the plain use generally bicycles or motorcycles for their transports thanks to the comfort given by flat ground. But still in these roads you will come across horse-drawn carriages, tractor trailers or pickup tracks and you will see the tents where seasonal workers stay with children playing around them.
When you get out on the dyke cutting the Western part of the lake in the direction from South to North, you will find a 13 kilometres long unpaved road(40.125745K-28.530879D). Between the two roads advancing parallelly to one a other on different levels, the one on the right offers an imposing view to Uluabat Lake due to its vicinity to lake water.
Along this 13 kilometres long road crossing cultivated areas and pastures you can enjoy a grasping view to Uluabat Lake and watch or photograph the migrant birds of the lake. 500 metres after you pass the intersection (40.167003K- 28.495439D), which you will see on your left after 5 kilometres leading to the villages of Kumkadı and Ormankadı, you will arrive at the observation tower where from you can watch Uluabat Lake and Mustafakemalpaşa plain. The remaining 6,5 kilometres long part of the trail leads to Uluabat Quarter. As you enter Uluabat, you will see on your right inside the river the remains of the ancient bridge (40.204050K-28.441450D). If your want to end your activity here, you can get on one of the municipality buses going to Mustafakemalpaşa terminal station, which pass every hour.
The course of the trail between Uluabat and Akçalar is the ancient road connecting, in the Roman period and following eras, Bursa to Uluabat (Lopadion), Karacabey (Mihaliç) and Mustafakemalpaşa (Kirmasti).
In order to enter the trail the only choice is to walk on the Karacabey-Bursa highway advancing on Uluabat Bridge. The cycling route coming from Akçalar also uses the same road. 500 metres after the bridge enter the path on the right and continue walking having the lake on your right. The part of the coast near Uluabat, except for hot and dry summer months, stays under water as lake waters rise and trail signs are not visible. When the waters recede, many narrow paths become visible among the fields. For this reason there is no distinct trail from the bridge to Gölkıyı road. The only thing you need to do is to keep the highway on your left and the lake on your right and walk carefully for 3 kilometres until you find the road connecting Gölkıyı Quarter.
The asphalt road to Gölkıyı Quarter is of bad quality and is only used for access to fields. The big stone building you will see on the road on your right is Issız Han (“Desolate Inn”), built in 1395 by the Karesi military governor Celaleddin Eyne Bey. You can make a stop and have a rest in this historic caravanserai which has been restorated and is now a boutique hotel. The distance between Issız Han and Gölkıyı is 2 kilometres. The 10 kilometres long clearly seen road from Gölkıyı until the intersection to Eskikaraağaç also advances among fields. After passing from the turn of the road (40.209767K-28.613549D) leading to Eskikarağaç, the “Village of the Storks”, you will reach the point where cycling routes and hiking trails are seperated (40.209722K-28.616635D). While the 7 kilometres long cycling route advances in straight line, the 8 kilometres long hiking trail turns to the right in the direction of the lake shore. If you wish, you can use both trails. Both trails are connected to the asphalt road descending to Gölyazı. At the point where you enter the Gölyazı asphalt road, turn to the left and start walking after the point of the Akçalar direction sign, which you will see on your right. This area is known by locals as the “Royal Road” (Kral Yolu). The part of the trail from then on, advances together with the cycling route parallelly to the water canal. After you pass the outlet opposite Çatalağıl Quarter (40.212286K-28.709317D) the trails seperate again at Aktümsek location. Turn to the right at the point of the direction signs and continue your way until Karacaoba Çayırı (Karacaoba Medow) walking on the clearly seen path. The unpaved road advancing below Hisar Hill will lead you to Akçalar passing from the location Deliler Yurdu.