The Bulak cave, also called Mencilis, lies within Bulak village in Karabük, on the boundary with Safranbolu. Its entrance is on sheer rock and the cave runs 6.5 kilometres in total. Be clear about how much of that you can see: 2.5 kilometres have been mapped, and a 380-metre stretch has been lit and given a walkway and opened to visitors.
Inside are underground rivers, pools, waterfalls and notable stalactite and stalagmite formations, and the cave is registered as a natural asset. It is 8.5 kilometres from the centre of Safranbolu and five from Bağlar Degirmenbasi, reached by private or hired vehicle.
Getting there
- Access
- 8.5 km from central Safranbolu and 5 km from Bağlar Değirmenbaşı; reached by private car or commercial vehicle.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Karabük as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 3.3 °C in January to 24.4 °C in July; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in May, June, July, August and September; rainfall is heaviest in May (57 mm) and lightest in August (26 mm). Long-term means for 1965-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
