Lake Gölcük

Gölcük Lake, an artificial lake located 13 km south of the center of Bolu province. Its area is 4.5 hectares, its perimeter is 1,300 meters, and its elevation is 1,217 meters. The lake and its surroundings have been placed under protection by being declared a nature park. The building on the lake shore is a state guesthouse belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

History

The area covering the lake and its surroundings was registered as a recreation area in 1958. The status of the area was changed to a nature park in 2011 and it began to be managed according to the National Parks Law. The lake and the surrounding region were leased to the Bolu Municipality for 22 years in 2012. The Bolu Municipal Council, with a decision taken in 2016, opened the area for construction.

Features

Around the lake there is a forest consisting of trees such as pine, beech, cedar, and hornbeam. The area includes a cafeteria, restaurant, bungalow houses, as well as a prayer room and a kiosk. The road around the lake is used as a walking and bicycle path and is closed to vehicle entry. It has been recorded that the area, which attracts visitors for purposes such as recreation, sightseeing, photography, cycling trips, picnics and angling throughout the year, receives about 500,000 visitors each year.

The lake is within the Black Sea climate zone. It is located on the Bolu‑Seben road and has a 14 km asphalt road. The lake inside the nature park is a later‑created set lake.

Transportation

The lake is 13 km from Bolu city center, about 250 km from Istanbul, and about 200 km from Ankara. Transportation to the lake can be provided by municipal public buses departing from Bolu city center and by district minibuses from Seben and Kıbrıscık.