ST616 Epilogue

The ST616 Epilogue is the closing point-to-point stage of the Sultans Trail in Turkey, the historic long-distance route that runs 2,500 km from Vienna to Istanbul. Carrying walkers across rolling Thracian country toward the Bosphorus, it gains modest elevation across exposed farmland and forest. Rated expert for its remoteness, sparse waymarking and demanding navigation, it ends at Istanbul's Süleymaniye Mosque.

About the ST616 Epilogue

The ST616 Epilogue is the final numbered leg of the Sultans Trail, the trans-European footpath maintained by the Sultans Trail Foundation, a Netherlands-based NGO. Listed within the International Walking Network (IWN), the Sultans Trail is one of the world's most significant long-distance routes, spanning 2,500 kilometres (1,600 miles) across nine countries: Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. The ST616 "Epilogue" stage closes that journey, delivering hikers into the heart of Istanbul.

The trail commemorates the 1529 campaign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (Kanuni), who left Istanbul on 10 May 1529 and reached the gates of Vienna on 23 September 1529 after 141 days on the march. Today the route is deliberately recast as a path of peace and a meeting place for people of all faiths and cultures, threading together Ottoman heritage, Orthodox monasteries, and Thracian farming villages. It follows part of the E8 European long-distance path and is marked with combined hiking and cycling stickers.

As an "Epilogue" rather than a single fixed-distance walk, ST616 functions as the symbolic last push into the Turkish metropolis. The official distance for this specific section is not consistently published, so most walkers treat it as a flexible finishing stage of roughly a day's effort, depending on where they pick up the urban approach. The earlier numbered Turkish stages — such as ST602 Ortakçi - Süloglu through to the Kırklareli sections — feed into it. The expert rating reflects unmarked stretches, summer heat, and the navigational care needed to stitch rural Thrace to a dense city finish.

For background on the wider route, the Sultans Trail Foundation maintains the canonical record of stages and waymarking at its official website.

Route Overview & Stages

The Epilogue is best understood in the context of the Turkish Thracian stages that precede it. The Sultans Trail enters Turkey from Bulgaria and works southeast through Kırklareli province toward the Sea of Marmara. The table below summarises the closing stages, with the Epilogue as the terminal leg. Distances for several Turkish stages are approximate, reflecting the Foundation's stage breakdown rather than a single surveyed measurement.

Because the Epilogue carries hikers off the trail network and into a city of more than 15 million people, the "trail" here is as much a curated urban walking line as a marked footpath. The reward is unambiguous: arrival at the Süleymaniye Mosque, the imperial complex designed by the architect Mimar Sinan, which houses the mausoleums of Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hürrem Sultan.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Süleymaniye Mosque — The trail's terminus, completed in 1557, crowning Istanbul's third hill above the Golden Horn and holding the tombs that give the whole route its name.
• Kırklareli — The Thracian provincial capital, a natural staging town with Ottoman-era mosques, the Hızırbey complex, and reliable pensions before the final push.
• Dupnisa Cave — A multi-level karst cave system near Sarpdere, the largest show cave in Turkish Thrace, an easy detour from the Üsküpdere stage.
• Pınarhisar — A small town with Byzantine and Ottoman fortifications and freshwater springs, the namesake of its stage.
• Strandzha (Yıldız) Mountains — Low, densely forested ranges of oak and beech straddling the Turkish-Bulgarian border, rich in birdlife and the last true wilderness before the plains.
• Historic Peninsula (Sultanahmet) — The approach passes within reach of the Theodosian Walls, the Grand Bazaar, and the Hagia Sophia, layering Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history into the closing kilometres.
• Golden Horn (Haliç) — The natural harbour the route descends toward, with the Galata and Atatürk bridges framing the city's classic skyline.
• Thracian wheat plains — Open, big-sky farmland that defines the walking between villages, golden in early summer and exposed under the sun.

Best Time to Hike the ST616 Epilogue

Turkish Thrace has a transitional climate — humid summers and cool, wet winters — and the exposed farmland that dominates the approach offers little shade. The two clear windows are spring and autumn. The single best month is May, when temperatures sit comfortably around 18–24°C, the wheat plains are green, wildflowers line the verges, and daylight is long enough for the bigger distances between villages.

April and early June are strong alternatives, though June heat can climb toward 30°C on open ground. The autumn shoulder of late September and October brings stable, dry days and cooler walking, mirroring the season Süleyman himself arrived at Vienna in 1529. Avoid July and August, when Thracian temperatures regularly exceed 32°C, water sources run low, and the urban finish in Istanbul becomes oppressively hot and crowded. Winter (December–February) is walkable in the lowlands but brings rain, mud, and short days; the nearby Strandzha mountains can hold fog and frost.

As of 2026, regional weather patterns continue to favour the May and late-September windows for comfortable conditions, and these months also coincide with the lightest tourist pressure at the Süleymaniye finish outside of peak summer. Check current forecasts before committing, as spring storms can swell Thracian streams.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Along the Turkish stages, hotels, pensions and private rooms are available in the larger settlements such as Kırklareli and Pınarhisar, typically costing €25–€55 per night for a simple double. Village guesthouses and homestays, where they exist, run cheaper at around €15–€30. Wild camping is informally tolerated in rural Thrace but should be discreet and done with permission near villages; carry a tent for the gaps where no beds exist, as the Sultans Trail Foundation recommends for the wilder sections of the wider route. In Istanbul itself, hostels in Sultanahmet near the Süleymaniye finish start around €18–€35 for a dorm bed, with budget hotels from €45. Book the city accommodation ahead, especially in the May and September shoulders.

Getting There & Back

The natural finish point, Istanbul, is served by Istanbul Airport (IST), one of Europe's largest hubs, and by Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. From IST, the M11 metro and HAVAIST buses reach the historic peninsula in roughly 60–90 minutes. To reach the start of the Turkish stages, the city of Kırklareli is connected to Istanbul by intercity coach in about 3 hours, departing from the Esenler and Alibeyköy bus terminals; from Kırklareli, dolmuş minibuses serve the smaller trailhead villages such as Üsküpdere and Pınarhisar. There is no direct passenger rail to Kırklareli, so coaches are the practical option. Within Istanbul, the tram (T1) and metro deliver walkers to within a short climb of the Süleymaniye complex.

Permits & Fees

No permit or trail fee is required to walk the Sultans Trail in Turkey; it crosses public roads, farm tracks and forest paths freely. Entry to the Süleymaniye Mosque is free, though modest dress and removed shoes are required and visiting hours avoid prayer times. Some optional sites, such as Dupnisa Cave, charge a small entrance fee of a few euros. Non-Turkish nationals should confirm visa requirements before travel; many nationalities enter Turkey visa-free or via the official e-Visa system. Always verify border and visa rules, available through the relevant national authority, before departure.

Gear & Packing List

The Epilogue and its feeder stages demand self-sufficiency across exposed terrain with long gaps between resupply, so pack as you would for a hot-weather, multi-day point-to-point. A comfortable, well-ventilated pack in the 35–55 litre range is the foundation. The Arc Blast 55L is an ultralight option with a ventilated frame that suits the warm Thracian climate, while the Aether 65 offers more support and capacity for walkers carrying a tent and several days of food. For those moving fast and light on the shorter urban-approach days, the Abisko Hike 35 is a durable, lower-volume choice.

Beyond the pack, prioritise sun protection — a brimmed hat, high-SPF cream, and a long-sleeve layer — because shade is rare on the wheat plains. Carry a minimum of 2–3 litres of water capacity, as village fountains are reliable but spaced out. A lightweight tent or bivy covers the accommodation gaps, and sturdy trail shoes handle the mix of farm track, forest, and city pavement. For choosing a pack that balances weight and comfort, our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares seven tested models. Plan your food carefully too: long, hot days burn calories fast, and our guide to how many calories you need hiking a full day helps you ration energy across the stages.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the cultural depth and Thracian landscapes of the Epilogue appeal, Turkey and the wider Sultans Trail network offer plenty more. The country's flagship long-distance path, the Likya Yolu (Lycian Way), trades inland farmland for the turquoise Mediterranean coast and is a natural next objective. To walk the Sultans Trail's Turkish stages in sequence, follow the expert-graded legs that build toward this finish: ST602 Ortakçi - Süloglu, ST603 Süloğlu - Kırklareli, ST604 Kırklareli - Üsküpdere, and ST605 Üsküpdere - Pınarhisar. For a complete contrast in scenery — alpine valleys instead of plains — our guide on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania covers one of the Balkans' finest day crossings.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the ST616 Epilogue?
May is the single best month, with mild temperatures around 18–24°C, green plains and long daylight. Late September and October form an excellent autumn alternative with stable, dry weather. Avoid July and August, when Thracian heat exceeds 32°C and water is scarce, and skip winter for its rain and mud.

How difficult is the ST616 Epilogue?
It is rated expert, reflecting sparse waymarking, exposed terrain with little shade, and the navigational challenge of linking rural Thracian paths to a dense urban finish in Istanbul. The physical climbing is modest, but self-sufficiency, heat management and confident route-finding are essential, especially across the open wheat plains between villages.

How far can I expect to walk each day?
The feeder Turkish stages run roughly 20–24 km per day, a comfortable full day for a fit hiker carrying a multi-day pack. The Epilogue itself is a flexible finishing leg into Istanbul rather than a fixed distance, so daily mileage depends on where you join the urban approach and how much sightseeing you fold in.

Where can I sleep along the route?
Hotels, pensions and private rooms are available in towns like Kırklareli and Pınarhisar for around €25–€55 a night, with cheaper village guesthouses where they exist. Carry a tent for the rural gaps, as the Sultans Trail Foundation advises. In Istanbul, Sultanahmet hostels near the finish start around €18–€35 for a dorm bed.

Do I need a permit or pay any fees?
No permit or trail fee is required to walk the Sultans Trail in Turkey, and entry to the Süleymaniye Mosque finish is free with modest dress. Optional sites such as Dupnisa Cave charge a few euros. Non-Turkish nationals should confirm visa or e-Visa requirements with the relevant authority before travelling.