Our smart phone apps have been extended to include new parts of the Via Eurasia. In fact, with the app, you can follow the route all the way from Dürres in Albania, on the Adriatic coast, to Antalya in Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. Only a few short sections are missing and these will be added to the app in due course.
VIA EURASIA
This free application is broken up into sections, each named after the local ancient road or route network. In order, these are:
The Via Egnatia – 863 km of trekking over mainly easy tracks. This follows the ancient Roman road all the way through Albania, Macedonia and Greece to a point close to the Greek border with Turkey at Feres. It follows two guide books (written by Holger de Bruin and available on this site). The route is broken down as follows: 161km run through Albania, 122 km through Northern Macedonia and 580km through northern Greece.
We then recommend that you get a bus to the frontier and cross to Edirne.
The Sultans Trail – 330 km of trekking over mainly easy tracks. This route celebrates the road used by the Ottoman sultans on their way to Vienna. The last part (from Edirne to Istanbul) forms part of the Via Eurasia, then turns to cross the Bosphorus just north of Istanbul.
The route from the Sultans Trail to Izmit will run first along the Bosphorus and Black Sea coast to Şile, then turn south to İznik, the ancient city of Nicomedia. Local groups are working on this route but it’s not yet on the app.
Tolerance Way – 112km of trekking mainly through wooded valleys and hills:
This short route celebrates the document which gave freedom of worship to the Christians of the later Roman Empire. It was carried from the capital at Nicomedia to the city of Nicaea.
Evliya Çelebi Way – 327km of trekking or cycling mainly on old cobbled roads or forestry/tractor tracks through agricultural and forested hillsides. This route follows the journey of the 17th C Ottoman gentleman traveller Evliya Çelebi as he set off for Mecca.
Mysia Ways – 214km of trekking trails mainly on forestry tracks through hillsides. This network of routes is based on Misi village and spreads out between the Ottoman villages in the hills close to Nilüfer.
The link between the Mysia Ways and the Evliya Çelebi Way is not yet complete.
Phrygian Way – 360km over ancient Phrygian roads cut in soft tufa.
The Phrygian civilisation created a network of roads based on the famous Midas monument – a magnificent rock-cut open-air temple. The area is spread with outcrops of volcanic rock and cut by green valleys. An optional branch goes to Gordion, where Midas was buried.
The connection between the Phrygian Way and the St Paul Trail will go through Bolvadin and Çay but is not yet complete.
St Paul Trail – 500km of ancient stone roads through the Toros mountains
St Paul walked from Perge through the Toros mountains to Yalvaç, northern point of the route, using ancient Pisidian paved roads. The route goes through canyons, climbs to 1800m, and crosses lake Eğirdir, before reaching Yalvaç.
Separate app:
LYCIAN WAY
The Lycian Way app is available in free and more detailed chargeable versions. It takes you on the final stage of the Via Eurasia – the harbour town of Demre – once Myra. The app includes all of the the Lycian Way.
Lycian Way – 540km of steep and rocky old road
This route circles the Tekke peninsula, passing through 27 ancient ruins as it dips between beaches and harbours and climbs up to Mount Olympos, at 2366m.
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