Türkbalön
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The Türkbalön is a balloon themed restaurant with a large yellow balloon sitting atop. It is located at the southeast corner of the Kadiköy harbor in on the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey. The fully functioning balloon, attached to the restaurant with a tether can carry up to thirty passengers at a time to a height of over 200 meters. It is different from a hot air balloon as it is entirely enclosed and does not require additional hot air to be raised, only the helium already contained within.
The balloon itself is a marvel, and much to the delight of balloon enthusiasts the world over, currently ranks as the largest self enclosed functioning balloon in the world. It is 32 meters high, and 22 meters in diameter, and with its position on the harbor it can be noticed at a distance of over 20 kilometers.
The price of the Balloon ride is 15 New Turkish Lira (roughly 10 USD). The balloon operates daily from 09:00 to 18:00, however it is affected by weather conditions and on windy and rainy days they do not operate.