Marmara Region in northwest Turkey spans between Europe and Asia, with Istanbul the country's largest city at its heart. It's purely a geographical unit - Turkey doesn't have administrative layers between national government and its 80-some city-provinces - and in 2022 had a population of 27,050,405, a third of the national total.

Istanbul, capital of three empires, is the grand metropolis connecting Europe and Asia. It's the country's main point of arrival.

 Eastern Thrace

This is the European part of Turkey west of Istanbul. 2 Tekirdağ is industrial but has a beach strip.

Edirne near the Bulgarian border is a former Ottoman capital with lots to see.

Gelibolu gives its name to the Gallipoli peninsula; the 1915 ANZAC landings were near the tip at Eceabat.

Gökçeada is a mountainous island with semi-abandoned Greek villages.

Eastern Marmara

Istanbul's industrial sprawl goes all the way out to

Izmit. Iznik was ancient Nicaea, scene of the first and seventh ecumenical councils of Christianity.

Yalova is a workaday ferry port set among verdant mountains with thermal springs and waterfalls.

 Southern Marmara

Çanakkale on the banks of the Dardanelles is the base for visiting ancient Troy.

Bozcaada is a pleasant breezy island, where in legend the Greek fleet hid before the final assault on Troy.

Marmara Islands in Turkey's inland sea range from cramped resorts to remote getaways.

Balıkesir is basically just a transport hub.

Bursa is the highlight, a former Ottoman capital with lots of early imperial history, and with the nearby national park and winter sports resort of Mount Uludağ.