Kırklareli

This area is close to the border and historically had many Bulgarians (who called it Lozengrad, Лозенград, "Vineyard Town") and Greeks (who called it Sarànta Ekklisiès, Σαράντα Εκκλησιές, "forty churches", rendered into Turkish as "Kırk Kilise"). It was fought over and had spells of occupation by both, the latest by the Bulgarians in 1912 and by Greece after 1918. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne drew the present border and mandated population exchanges, so those others were deported while Turks from around Thessaloniki were re-settled across Turkish Thrace. It obviously no longer needed forty churches and the name mutated into Kırklareli, "Forties Place". That name had also been used from 1363 when 40 assault troops of Sultan Murad I died in taking the town: Thrace was the Ottoman power base for a century before they captured Constantinople.

The town became a provincial capital after independence. It's in the Istranca foothills and has developed industry but is far enough out to escape the metropolitan sprawl of Istanbul. The principal industries of the province are based on food, textiles, plastic and packaging, metal-working, casting, cement and glass.

Kale Seyahat ("Castle Travel") buses run hourly from Istanbul Bayrampaşa, taking 3 hours 30 min via Saray and Vize, for an adult fare of 100 TL.

The 1 bus station is in town centre.

By road from Istanbul city follow O-3 / E80, and from IST airport follow O-7 till it joins O-3. Quickest is to stay on that until branching north on E87; a slower but shorter route is by D567 onto D020 through Saray and Vize.

From west Europe cross the border at Kapikule then head east on E80 to the junction with D020. But from the Bulgarian coast cross at Dereköy and follow E87 south.

Kırklareli lost its railway service in 1992. The nearest station is Edirne.