Bolu Mountain Pass (D655)
🇹🇷 Turkey
The Bolu Mountain Pass road in northwestern Turkey crosses the Bolu Mountains between Ankara and Istanbul, climbing to approximately 1,500 meters through dense forests of black pine, fir, and beech. While the modern O4 motorway now tunnels beneath the mountains, the old D655 road over the pass remains one of Turkey's most enjoyable mountain drives, winding through Abant Nature Park and the Bolu Mountain forests.
The region around Bolu is known as one of Turkey's greenest areas, with a climate more reminiscent of Central Europe than the dry Anatolian steppe. The road passes through the Yedigoller (Seven Lakes) National Park, where seven small lakes formed by landslides sit in a forested valley. The autumn colors here rival those of New England, with the mixed deciduous and coniferous forest creating a spectacular palette of reds, oranges, and golds. Bolu is also famous throughout Turkey for its cuisine and its culinary school, making it a destination for food lovers as well as drivers.