Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is hard to miss from downtown Istanbul. When you look across the river to Beyoğlu, you'll see it jutting out into the sky. I'd suggest crossing the Galata Bridge on food, checking out the morning fisherman, and stopping to have a quick tea at the shaded cafe at the intersection across the bridge. Head uphill (it's steep, but the small, winding corridors leading up the hill are charming in their own right) and you'll find the tower. The Galata Tower, in and of itself, is nothing special architecturally, but the views it offers of Istanbul and the Bosphorous, with the minarets dotting the horizon, will leave you speechless.

I believe this tower on the right bank of the Golden Horn was built by the Genovese in the 14th century. You take an elevator to the top floor and then climb a spiral staircase to a cafe that's surrounded by a viewing deck that offers a simply amazing view of the city. Ordering a Turkish coffee and sitting down at a window-side table was an awesome experience.

Galata Tower has one of my favorite views of the city, both the European and Asian sides, thanks to its setting on a hill which dominates the landscape. I'd suggest visiting in the late afternoon. It closes at 7pm in the summer and at 6 in the wintertime.