Çamlık

Railway history and a vineyard route come together in Çamlık. The historic railway station tells the story of the line between İzmir and Aydın; a technical maintenance area of the railway complex serves as a steam locomotive museum. There are also two different ways to explore routes around Çamlık: the 13 km route to Şirince and the 25.5 km Selçuk–Çamlık–Gökçealan vineyard route. Before your trip, you can consider whether you mainly want to discover historic railways or also include a route through the vineyards in your plans.

Railway Station and Steam Locomotive Museum

The historic Çamlık railway station was opened on 1 July 1866 by the Ottoman Railway Company as part of the railway line from İzmir to Aydın. It remained in operation until 1976. Its history can therefore be traced through two specific milestones: its opening in the 19th century and the end of its operation in 1976. The historic railway station is about 600 m north of the current station. If you look at the two locations on a map, bear this approximate distance in mind.

The Çamlık Railway Museum acquired the former Çamlık railway station in 1991. The technical maintenance area of the railway complex is used as a steam locomotive museum; the museum opened to visitors in 1997. Both the area’s former function and its current use as a museum are part of the town’s railway history. Alongside the history of a railway line, Çamlık also offers a dedicated focus on steam locomotives and the technical side of the railway complex.

Another historical connection is with Atatürk: during the “Aegean Maneuvers,” he spent a day in the village of Aziziye (Çamlık) in 1937. Çamlık is also home to an Atatürk House owned by the state railway system. This makes Atatürk part of Çamlık’s railway history as well.

Routes Around Çamlık

The Çamlık–Şirince route is 13 km long and follows a paved road. Another option is the 25.5 km Selçuk–Çamlık–Gökçealan vineyard route. It can be travelled on foot, by bicycle or by vehicle. If you want to compare distances first when planning your outing, you can choose between these two routes of different lengths; the road surface is also specified for the route to Şirince.

The vineyard route runs along the Çamlık–Gökçealan stretch. Vineyards cultivated by local producers lie on both sides of the route. This gives the route its distinct landscape and agricultural character: it follows a stretch where vineyards on both sides are part of the scenery. If you are interested in local production, you can make this section a focus in its own right alongside the railway sites, rather than centring your trip exclusively on the museum.

The start of the vineyard route can be reached from central Selçuk by dolmuş routes to Çamlık and Gödence. When choosing where to stay and looking for a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether you want to include the route’s starting point from Selçuk or make Çamlık’s railway history the focus of your trip.

More Destination Pages

More places at this level: Bergama, İzmit, Yağcılar, Yılanlı Köyü, Kuşçular, Aliağa, Tire, Izmir.

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