Kırklareli is a province and city in the heart of Turkish Thrace, sharing a long border with Bulgaria in the northwest and hugging the Black Sea coast in the north. The provincial capital — a quiet market town of roughly 100,000 — sits amid rolling farmland and oak forests, while the province itself shelters two of Turkey's most extraordinary natural treasures: the İğneada Longoz Forests, a rare lowland floodplain forest complex designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the Dupnisa Cave system, one of the country's most impressive karst caverns. The Black Sea resorts of İğneada and Kıyıköy attract Turkish holidaymakers seeking uncrowded beaches and fresh fish, while the historic Demirköy iron foundry and the walled town of Vize recall a layered past spanning Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Local thyme honey (kekik balı) from Yıldız Mountains — sold at İğneada Sunday market and Kırklareli Saturday market
Trakya beyaz peynir (Thracian white cheese) — vacuum-packed is easiest to travel with
Şalgam suyu (fermented turnip juice) — Thracian fermented drink, available in supermarkets
Handmade wooden items from Demirköy crafts shops
Pressed flowers from İğneada Longoz (sold at the forest entrance shop in summer)
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Kırklareli Haftalık Pazar
Fresh produce, local dairy, herbs
İğneada Pazar
Honey, jams, Black Sea fish
Lüleburgaz Pazar
Largest market, clothing and food
Babaeski Pazar
Thracian produce and local crafts