The city of Canakkale lies at the narrow entrance to the Canakkale Strait (the Dardanelles) that connects the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Çanakkale is the nearest major town to the site of ancient Troy. Çanakkale was of major strategic importance during World War I; at its narrowest point, it guards the entire straits of the Dardanelles. A constant reminder of its role in the war is the memorial carved into the cliff side on the opposite shore, which is visible from just about everywhere in town.

See:

• Legendary Trojan Horse - The "wooden horse" from the 2004 movie Troy is exhibited on the seafront.
• Canakkale harbour - hotels, restaurants and cafes along the promenade offer a place to enjoy the traffic in the harbor, as well as a view of the Kilitbahir Fortress and the Canakkale Archeological Museum.

Experience:

• Veterans’ Memorial Gelibolu National Park – established to honour the 500,000 soldiers who gave their lives on Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli. The park includes memorials, monuments, cemeteries, the natural beauty of the Ariburnu Cliffs and Tuz Golu (Salt Lake). The beauty of the green hills, sandy beaches and blue waters provides an honourable resting place for the soldiers who bravely fought and died.
• Cimenlik fortress - serves as a military museum dedicated to the World War I Battle of Canakkale.
• Canakkale Archaeological Museum - exhibits finds from Troy and also artifacts dating as early as the Bronze Age.

Secrets of the City:

Many travellers come to Canakkale to visit the World War I Gallipoli Battlefields where in 1915 Mustafa Kemal, later better known as Atatürk, (the first President of Turkey) defended against an invasion by Allied (French, British, Italians, Australians and New Zealanders) soldiers. During this nine months campaign more than 250,000 soldiers lost their life on both sides. Many of them are buried at the cemeteries of the vicinity.