What comes first to our minds when we think of Turkey? Picturesque cliffs and waterfalls, the azure sea, tan, thermal waters of Pamukkale and the mysterious ruins of ancient cities ... But this is all summer fun. But there is another Turkey - with ski resorts, fluffy snow and Alpine-style hotels. Do you know about this?
Let's reveal a secret: the Turkish slopes are not so difficult for skiing. Therefore, docks in freeride and snowboarding may be boring. But ordinary skiers will be delighted. After all, they are waiting for a wonderful Turkish service and hospitality, excellent tracks, stunning landscapes, fun après skiing. And most importantly, for all this you will not have to pay crazy money. Let's see what the lucky people who visited the ski resorts in Turkey say.
general characteristics
We can say that this way of attracting tourists is quite new for the country. The industry is only developing, but very rapidly. Every year in the mountains of Turkey, new lifts, hotels are built, tracks are laid. True, there are not so many of them here as in Italy, Germany, Austria or France, and their complexity is not too great. But for beginners, skiing in Turkey's ski resorts is quite within reach. You will enjoy it without putting too much effort into it. And if you want to learn how to ride or put children on skis, then the local instructors will help you. In addition, most of them speak Russian. In Turkish resorts, all the services that other ski resorts provide are provided - these are ski lifts (both ski tows and chair lifts), ski rentals, equipment and the necessary equipment. Almost all of them are located on the picturesque, forested slopes. The elevation difference in these resorts is about three kilometers. The season here lasts four months - from December to April. In total, there are a little more than ten such places for skiing, but below we describe the most popular resorts that deserve the highest score according to reviews of tourists.
Ski resort Uludag (Turkey)
This town is located near Istanbul. Before him, just some 150 kilometers. This is the most popular ski resort in Turkey. He is especially loved not only by foreigners, but also by residents of the capital. Even the name of the Uludag ski resort (in Turkey) translates as “huge mountain”. The tracks here are at an altitude of 1,500 m to 2.5 kilometers. They are wide, so there is no crush and no risk of stumbling upon any of the directors. The tracks are well-groomed and framed by a beautiful pine forest. The reviews write that riding here is a pleasure, especially for beginners. Good snow cover lies here already in mid-December. Tourists like that almost every hotel in Uludag has its own lifts to the peaks. This is one of the positive aspects of the resort. On the other hand, for each lift of another hotel you have to pay separately. Travelers claim that here is the most developed tourist infrastructure among other resorts of this type. There are a total of 14 lifts in Uludag. Of these, 9 chairlift and 5 drag.
Kayseri
This place is known for being on the slopes of Mount Erciyes. At its foot is the town of Kayseri. The ski resort of Turkey with the same name is located above. The nearest major city to it is Mersin. But the thing is that Aigeri is an extinct volcano. Therefore, when you come here, you will ride on the slopes of the sleeping fire-breathing giant. Perhaps that is why Kayseri is so crowded. The resort is located in Central Anatolia, on the Tekir plateau. An extinct volcano is the top of Mount Erciyes, whose height is almost 4 thousand meters. The resort is located near Kayseri, so it is easy to get here. From the city center to the ski lifts, drive about half an hour by car, but there are regular buses to the ski resort of Turkey Erciyes. If the hotels are located not in the ski centers, but in the city, then they organize a free shuttle service for their customers. The season here lasts almost six months, the snow covers the ground with a dry and thick layer. The landscapes are beautiful, and all four lifts are professionally monitored.
Palandoken
But there is also a place for extreme sports lovers in Turkey. If you are a fan of black slopes and sports skiing, head to the Palandoken ski resort. There is hardly any other resort in Turkey where you can get so much adrenaline. Of course, there are trails for beginners and training. There is a whole ski school, so the resort is popular for families. Palandoken has one of the longest runs in Turkey. Its length is as much as 12 kilometers. Freeriders come here, especially among snowboarders. A special zone has been allocated for them. The snow in Palandoken lies for a long time - until mid-April. Therefore, right from here you can already go to the sea. The resort is located in the Arzurum area. Those who came here to ride assure that Palandoken is quite comparable with the alpine slopes. There are so far only seven lifts. But this is the youngest resort in the country, and it, as travelers say, has a great future.
Kartalkaya
This resort is located in the west of the country, in the Kogorlu National Park. The ski resort of Turkey Kartalkaya is located in close proximity to the Black Sea coast. It consists of two resorts - Kartal and Doruk. There are many tracks of varying difficulty. Among them are eight red and four black. The resort hosts slalom and biathlon competitions. The height of the tracks is from 1700 to 2500 meters, and their length is about twenty kilometers. In high season, the snow is friable, and by March it is smoothed out. It organizes ski tours in the mountains, as well as races between catalogers. There are areas for freeriding, but their routes are very confusing. Therefore, if you are a beginner, it is better not to go beyond the fenced tracks. There are seven lifts in Kartalkay, and therefore there are no queues here. True, there are fogs when skiing is impossible. And getting to these places is not so easy. But comfortable hotels with great après ski reward for all possible problems. At least such information can be found in the reviews.
Sarykamysh
This is the most “children's” ski resort in the country. It is fifty kilometers from the airport of Kars. It is even called "Turkish Innsbruck." Around - pine forest Sarycham, the slopes are not too steep. There are many beginners and those who like relaxed skiing. But at the same time, Sarykamysh is located at an altitude of more than two thousand meters. Therefore, it is very clean and healthy mountain air. There are two tracks for cross-country skiing. The snow here is deep - the thickness of the cover reaches two or more meters. It falls already in the second half of October, and you can ride until April 15. Snow is very dry and fluffy, like in the Alps. There are 9 slopes for skiers, of which 3 are black and three are red. But even the latter are not too complicated. Sarykamysh is also good because, according to tourists, there is always snow, there are no strong winds and mostly excellent winter weather.
Where to live
In Turkish ski resorts, most often at the peak of popularity, chain hotels. This is the Radisson Blue and Ramada in Erciyes. In Palandoken, the Dorukkaya Hotel has the best rating, where it has the most delicious and varied food, and the all inclusive system includes the use of not only the pools and the hammam, but also all eight ski lifts of the resort. Russians often like to stay at the Dedeman Hotel. He is the actual owner of all the lifts and cable cars. There are only three hotels in Sarykamysh, but they will offer you all possible amenities. Unfortunately, 14 hotels of Uludag cannot agree among themselves in any way to make a single ski pass. But according to the living conditions, they are all about the same.
Where and how to eat
Great news for skating enthusiasts! Ski resorts in Turkey will offer you the famous "all inclusive" system. Meals and drinks, as well as the use of ski lifts, are usually included in the package of services at the hotel. In the ski areas at different resorts, a bistro is open where you can enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee while enjoying the clouds floating underneath and the snow shining. There are also traditional restaurants. There you will be offered full Turkish cuisine with panoramic views.
Après ski
Since we are talking about entertainment after skiing, here it is not a problem at all. The best ski resorts in Turkey are ready to offer you everything for which they go to the luxury hotels of this country in the summer on the sea. This evening shows, and hammam, and spa centers, and thermal springs, pools and concerts, discos and nightclubs. There are many gyms. For small guests, literally every hotel has a mini-club. There are ski schools and rental points at the hotels. Uludag discos are not inferior to Istanbul nightclubs. Here you can see not only Turkish pop stars, but also European celebrities. Although, of course, the set of entertainments may seem a little poor to sophisticated wheelchairs.
What to see in the surroundings
If you want something informative, then at your service - excursions. Some resorts are close to popular attractions. Uludag, for example, is located near the city of Bursa (Turkey). This ski resort, although it offers a lot of entertainment, but if you wish, you can go to the lowland, on an excursion. Bursa's Turkish baths, surrounded by a medieval botanical garden, is one of the travelers' favorite attractions. From Sarykamysh, tourists go to Kars, where they watch historical monuments of the times of the state of Urartu and Byzantium. From the Kayseri resort in three hours you can get to Mersin, located on the sea. In April, you can loung on the beach and then go on night skiing. That is, at this resort you can enjoy winter and summer at the same time. And in the city of Kayseri there is something to admire. There are fortresses, palaces, ancient mosques, and amazing bridges over mountain rivers. And 50 kilometers from Kayseri is a unique area - Cappadocia. There, thanks to the volcanic landscape, many caves and underground cities were formed, as well as cloisters in the rocks, which arose in the time of early Christianity.
Reviews about ski resorts in Turkey
Of course, local resorts are far from Austrian. Most skiers come here for 5 days, for a maximum of a week. But then Turkey is much more interesting than many East European resorts and, no doubt, more budget-friendly. Tourists really like the fact that most hotels provide guests with so-called ski pass cards, with which you can use the ski lifts for free. As a rule, they act one day, and then at the reception they are replenished again. The rooms in the ski hotels are not as large as in the seaside resorts, but they are comfortable and equipped with everything necessary. Tourists like the resort closest to Antalya - Beidaglari. It is located just 50 kilometers from the sea. Therefore, those who come here in April can ski at the same time during the day, and after lunch they can already sunbathe on the beach. And tourists called Sarykamysh one of the most beautiful resorts. Compared with the Caucasian ski resorts, Turkish win both in money and in terms of service and safety.