Şirince Tour From Kuşadası

Main Info

Today Şirince is hardly a forgotten village in the mountains, especially during the summer season when lots of tourists visit it. In the middle of summer, the streets of the village are full of travellers seeking the lost charm of the village. Its main street turns into a promenade with the ubiquitous souvenir stalls. Therefore, it is far better to visit Şirince in spring or autumn and avoid the weekends.

The village is an interesting example of the synthesis of Greek and Turkish influences. The old Greek houses have preserved their traditional appearance on the outside, but their interiors are now decorated in Turkish style. Many of these houses can be visited, as some have been turned into hotels, restaurants, or venues for the vacation rental.

In Şirince, there are two historical Orthodox churches. The first one, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was restored around the year 2000 with the funds provided by a Christian association from the USA. In its interior, you can see faded frescoes, which date back to the Byzantine era. There is also a wishing well. According to the local lore, the basement of the church was traditionally used for maturing locally produced wines.

Church of Saint Demetrios (tr. Aziz Dimitrios Kilisesi) was built as the second church of the village, after the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Unfortunately, the exact date of its construction is unknown. Most often it is stated that the building was erected in the seventeenth century, and the foundations and basement are even older. The church was given the name of Saint Demetrios of Thessaloniki who was born around 280 and died around 304-305. He is a martyr and a saint of the Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, and Armenian Churches.

Wine! Şirince owes its current popularity largely to its wine production. In Şirince, you’ll be seeing a wide range of fruit wines and classic grape wines produced at their finest taste by winemakers adherent to the old methods.

If you are a wine lover, you’ll hit the jackpot in Şirince with some very unique and rare flavors. Raspberry, plum, banana, chocolate, pomegranate, blueberry, apple, strawberry and mulberry are some of the many flavors that Şirince wineries boast. The winehouses in Şirince are ever-excited to offer their finest wines to their guests. Wine tasting is complimentary in Turkey, so you must not feel obliged to pay for it, however, it is typically followed by selecting the wine you enjoyed the most and ordering yourself a glass of it to enjoy.

Maps