Hız Karting

In Bursa, in the Osmangazi district, Hız Karting offers an open-air track open to all, with no licence or experience. The outdoor layout, on İstanbul Avenue, is driven in the open air once the warm weather arrives, and people gather as a family or with friends to string together timed laps. The track's name, which means speed in Turkish, sets the tone: people come here for a thrill and for racing among friends.

Karting is about the simple fun of racing: a briefing, a helmet, and everyone heads off to post their best time. The short format suits beginners trying it out as much as regulars working on their lines, and groups happily set up short heats to sort out the drivers. As the activity takes place outdoors, it is best to check opening times and prices by season before coming. People rarely leave after a single run, the urge to do better soon taking over.

Bursa, Turkey's fourth city, was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and keeps superb monuments from that era, including the Grand Mosque and the Green Mosque with its dazzling tilework. Backed by Mount Uludağ, the country's main ski resort, the city blends heritage and nature, between thermal baths, gardens and a cable car to the summits. Its cuisine, starting with the famous İskender kebab, makes its name. Bursa is easy to reach from Istanbul, by road and by ferry across the Sea of Marmara, which makes it a fine stop.