Due east of the Heykel is an attractively green area called Setbaşı whose centrepiece is a bridge over the Gökdere river valley (sadly it’s more of a stream these days). On either side of the bridge inviting cafes sit almost lost amid the dense foliage of the plane trees, some of them officially doğal anıtları (natural monuments).
Around Setbaşı
Just to the north a rebulit Ottoman house houses the Kılıç Kalkan Derneği, a foundation dedicated to preserving and popularising a local folk dance for men involving much waving and clanging of swords (kılıç) and sheilds (kalkan).
A little further north is the picturesque Irgandı Köprüsü, a bridge whose supserstructure was/is densely covered with shops rather like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. The original bridge was built in 1442 but was badly damaged by the great earthquake of 1855 and then again during the Turkish War of Independence. In 2004 it was completely rebuilt in Ottoman style and is now lined with small craft shops and cafes, not all of which are open for much of the time. It’s certainly lovely to look at from a distance but might have more life about it if the shops were less categorically aimed at tourists.
It’s possible to follow the Gökdere valley north to Kamberler Park stopping every now and then to look at the other more mundane bridges along the way. In the park you’ll find the restored Sitti Hatun mosque complex, dating back to 1460. The mosque itself survives as does a small primary school topped with two domes and an elegant fountain with what looks like a marble Roman lion reused as a spout.
South of Setbaşı you can follow signs to the TOFAŞ Museum of Anatolian Carriages (closed Mondays), set in a lovely box-hedge-scented park. This is an unexpectedly interesting state-of-the-art museum showing off old carts and other vehicles, mainly from the recent past. There’s also a model of the grave found inside the Unpınar Tumulus.
In the grounds of the museum the Umurbey Hamamı has been restored to make an equally unexpected and interesting Clock Museum. The design of both museums is tip-top, a world away from the sort of dreary museum presentation exemplified by the Archaeology Museum in the Kültürpark.
The hamam was once attached to the 14th-century Umurbey Cami which has been restored. While purists will object to the way the patina of age has been stripped away from it, I was cheered by the sight of old Byzantine columns and capitals reused in its portico. 
Eating
One of the most attractive places to eat in Bursa would have to be the Fayton Cafe (tel: 0224-329 3941) in the grounds of the TOFAŞ Museum, although it’s very popular and making a reservation might be advisable.
Transport info
This is an area that is easy to explore on foot although the TOFAŞ Museum is on a hill so you might want to take a cab up and then walk back down again afterwards.
