To all who have heard the name, Istanbul creates a romantic picture in our heads. A place of mystery and charm, Istanbul is as spectacular as it is culturally different from what we have come to know.

Istanbul is absolutely unique in that the city actually straddles not two countries, but in fact two separate continents. Part Asia, part Europe, to say that there is an interesting cultural landscape is an understatement!

For most people, the thing that strikes them about Istanbul is the beauty. The buildings will take your breath away, and for some, just walking the streets and taking in the bustling scenes and the wonderful architecture will be enough. If you stop for long enough though, you will also discover that Istanbul is a wonderful place for those with a culinary bent. With restaurant upon restaurant of great quality and individuality, there is a perfect place to eat for every day of the year. For more information on restaurants in Istanbul click here.

Of course, there is a wonderful amount of history for you to over turn in this remarkable city. As you would imagine, with inhabitants numbering 14 million, and with ancestry from the Greeks, Romans, Ottoman’s, Turkish and Byzantine civilisations, it is a real melting pot of cultures, although some would day that these magic ingredients have been blended to make the culture of Istanbul all its own. To understand this place is to see it with your own eyes, and until that day, you will be left wondering what it would be like to visit somewhere truly remarkable.