Bergama: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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For about 150 years Pergamon was the capital of the Attalid kings, who wanted it to rival Athens and Alexandria. They built it in terraces up a steep hill: a library, temples, a theatre and an altar that ended up in a Berlin museum. This walk starts at the top and works down the slope. Take the cable car up, allow two to three hours, and bring water and a hat; there is no shade to speak of.

A short history of Bergama

Above the modern town stood Pergamon, capital of the Attalid dynasty, which in the 2nd century BC was one of the most important cities of the Hellenistic world. Its library held, according to tradition, some 200,000 scrolls, and an ancient story says that parchment was developed here when Egypt stopped exporting papyrus. In 133 BC King Attalus III bequeathed the kingdom to Rome. In 1878 the German engineer Carl Humann began excavating the site, and the Pergamon Altar was taken to Berlin, where it is still on display. In 2014 the ancient city and its surroundings were declared a World Heritage Site.

The ten best sights in Bergama

1
Red Hall
The huge brick temple in the middle of town; the river runs right under it
2
Pergamon Acropolis
Go up early: the hilltop has almost no shade from late morning
3
Pergamon Theatre
Steep enough to make your knees shake; sit at the top for the view
4
Great Altar
Only the foundations are left here — the carved frieze is in Berlin
5
Asklepion
The healing sanctuary on the other side of town; drive, it is a separate ticket
6
Bergama Museum
Statues from the Asklepion and a model of the altar; an hour is enough
7
Ulu Mosque
The old Ottoman mosque on the way up from the bazaar; quiet between prayers
8
Lower Agora
The ancient market on the slope; on the way if you walk down from the top
9
Acropolis Cable Car
Saves a hot climb of almost 300 m; park at the lower station
10
Kozak Plateau
Pine forests and stone villages 20 minutes north; cooler than town in summer

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Bergama →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Bergama:

Free walking tours in Bergama

The city on the hill

Acropolis Cable Car · Since 2014 the whole of Pergamon, from the acropolis to the Asklepion and the lower town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as a multi-layered cultural landscape. The cable car is the easy way into the upper part of it.
Library of Pergamon · Pergamon's library competed with Alexandria's, and Pliny tells that when Egypt stopped selling papyrus, Pergamon improved writing on prepared animal skin instead. The word parchment comes from the city's name.
Temple of Trajan · The temple was begun for the emperor Trajan and finished under his successor Hadrian, who was worshipped in it alongside him. The white columns you see standing were put back up by German archaeologists, who have been digging at Pergamon since 1878.
Temple of Athena · Athena was the city's patron goddess, and her sanctuary is the oldest on the hill. Its two-storey gateway was taken apart in the 19th century and rebuilt inside the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Pergamon Theatre · Cut into the hillside, it is one of the steepest theatres of the ancient world, with room for about 10,000 people. The stage was made of wood and taken down after shows; the holes for its posts are still in the stone below.
Great Altar · The engineer Carl Humann began excavating here in 1878, and the marble frieze of gods fighting giants was shipped to Berlin, where it gave the Pergamon Museum its name. Some readers identify this altar with the 'throne of Satan' that the Book of Revelation places in Pergamon.

Gods and healers below

Under the hill lies the town that kept going after the kings were gone: the Romans, the Byzantines and the Ottomans each left something here. The Red Hall sits on top of a river, and the Asklepion was where the sick of the Roman world came to sleep and dream themselves well. This route walks the old town and ends with a short drive. Half a day, best in the afternoon after the acropolis.

Lower Agora · This was the everyday market of Hellenistic Pergamon, laid out under King Eumenes II in the 2nd century BC, while the upper agora on the hill served the court and the temples.
Ulu Mosque · Sultan Bayezid I built this mosque at the end of the 14th century, a few years before he was captured by Timur at the battle of Ankara in 1402.
Red Hall · Built in the 2nd century AD for Egyptian gods, the temple stands on twin vaulted tunnels that carry the Selinus river under it — and they still do. Pergamon is one of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation, and the Byzantines later built a basilica inside the hall.
Arasta Bazaar · The street sign still reads Pabuççular Arastası, the shoemakers' row: Ottoman bazaars were laid out by trade, each craft in its own lane.
Bergama Museum · Opened in 1936, it is one of the oldest museums of the Turkish Republic. It holds the finds that stayed in Turkey, including statues from the Asklepion.
Asklepion · Galen, the most famous physician of the Roman world, was born in Pergamon in 129 AD and trained at this sanctuary before treating gladiators and then emperors in Rome. A vaulted tunnel about 80 m long leads to the round treatment building.

Out to the Aegean

Bergama is 25 km from the sea, and a car turns that into a beach day. This loop goes up through the pine woods to the north, out to the islands of Ayvalık, and back down the coast past two ancient towns that are now villages. A long day of about 200 km: swim at Çandarlı at the end, or stop at Şeytan Sofrası for the sunset and drive straight back.

Kozak Plateau · Kozak is one of the main pine-nut regions of Turkey: the stone pines here are harvested for their cones, and the nuts are sold on the roadside and in the Bergama market.
Ayvalık · Ayvalık means 'place of quinces' in Turkish. Until the population exchange of 1923 it was a largely Greek town called Kydonies — which also comes from the word for quince.
Alibey Island · After the 1923 exchange the Greeks of the island left for Greece, and Muslims from Crete and Lesbos were settled in their place; Cretan dishes still turn up in the island's tavernas.
Şeytan Sofrası · The name means 'the devil's dinner table'. A hollow in the rock at the top is said to be the devil's footprint, and visitors toss coins into it for luck.
Atarneus · In the 340s BC Hermias, ruler of Atarneus, hosted Aristotle at his court, and the philosopher married Pythias, a girl of Hermias' household.
Çandarlı Castle · Çandarlı stands on ancient Pitane, birthplace of the philosopher Arcesilaus, who went on to head Plato's Academy in Athens.

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Getting to Bergama and getting around

Bergama Bus Station · On the highway 7 km south-west of the centre; a dolmuş or taxi takes you into town
Dikili Ferry Terminal · The nearest harbour to Bergama, half an hour west; summer boats cross to Lesbos
Ayvalık Ferry Terminal · Boats to Lesbos leave from the old harbour; bring your passport

Cheap eats in Bergama

Bergama eats like an Aegean market town: köfte and döner by the bazaar, kokoreç off the charcoal, and lokantas with trays of olive-oil vegetables. Most of it is packed into the few streets between the Red Hall and the Arasta. Prices are well below the coast, and a lunch with tea rarely goes past a few hundred lira.

Pehlivan Kokoreç · Kokoreç in bread, about 200-300 lira for a half
Köfteci Uğur · Grilled köfte with bread and salad, about 300-450 lira
Meşhur Dönerci · Döner in bread or on a plate, about 200-350 lira
Küçükhan Lokantası · Ready dishes from the counter, about 150-300 lira a plate
Arzu Pide Döner · Pide from the oven, about 200-350 lira
Yeni Gün Kahvaltı · Turkish breakfast before the acropolis, about 250-400 lira

Museums in Bergama

Bergama Museum · Finds from Pergamon and the Asklepion; an hour
Red Hall · The temple over the river, a short walk from the bazaar
Pergamon Acropolis · Library, temples, theatre; two to three hours
Asklepion · The Roman healing centre; an hour

Nature and day trips near Bergama

Kozak Plateau · Stone-pine woods and villages; 20 minutes north
Kestel Dam · The lake right behind the acropolis; a view from the top
Şeytan Sofrası · Sunset over the islands of Ayvalık
Alibey Island · Island lanes and seafront; reached by road

Things to do in Bergama with kids

Acropolis Cable Car · A short ride over the hill; children enjoy it more than the ruins
Asklepion tunnel · Walking the dark vaulted passage is the fun part
Çandarlı beach · Shallow water by the castle
Ayvalık town beach · Long sandy beach south of Ayvalık

Where to eat in Bergama

Kervan Restaurant · Kebabs and grills in the bazaar streets
Paksoy Restoran · Turkish dishes near the Red Hall
Han Pergamon · Dinner in an old courtyard in the bazaar
Asklepion Restaurant · On the road to the Asklepion
Sarmaşık Lokantası · Home-style stews, early dinner

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Frequently asked questions about Bergama

What is there to see in Bergama?

The top sights in Bergama are Red Hall, Pergamon Acropolis and Pergamon Theatre. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Bergama?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Bergama without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Bergama?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Bergama, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The city on the hill.

How do you get to Bergama and get around?

The main ways are Bergama Bus Station, Dikili Ferry Terminal and Ayvalık Ferry Terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Bergama, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Bergama that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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