Taraklı is located in Sakarya province in Marmara region, with a population of 6970. It is an authentic Ottoman settlement with a spectacular view of graceful wooden houses and narrow streets on the historical Silk Road, offering a cozy, slow and relaxing experience to visitors.  Moreover, it is a registered CittaSlow (2011) destination, which was also declared as Turkey’s national EDEN destination by Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT) in EU Commissions’ European Destinations of Excellence Program (EDEN), 2013.

Taraklı is a protected urban site (1989) and an archaeological site (1992), also hosting Hisarlık Archaeological Site and over 100 registered immovable cultural assets. Upon discovery of thermal water resources, it was declared a thermal tourism center in 2013 by MoCT. Taraklı’s historical, cultural and natural resources are managed calculatedly by a partnership of national and local authorities, firmly taking into account balance of protection and use. Taraklı has many offerings as a nature, culture and thermal tourism destination including; Taraklı houses and landmark buildings as examples of authentic Ottoman civil architecture, accommodation in restored traditional mansions, health and wellness tourism facilities, gastronomic and handicraft products, and trekking, canyoning and camping in untouched Karagöl Plateu.

In Taraklı, with the development of tourism women and youth found opportunities for decent jobs, income and life chances, where villagers usually make a living with agriculture and animal husbandry. Investments and infrastructure improvements to facilitate tourism increased quality of life and wellbeing.

Taraklı’s vision as a tourism destination is “to maintain its peaceful atmosphere characterized by inspiring cultural texture, green and healthy nature, and traditional life style, as well as to improve infrastructures, services and partnerships to maximize the contribution of tourism to rural development and community wellbeing.”