5 Top Winter Destinations to Visit in Turkey
5 Top Winter Destinations to visit in Turkey
These 5 Top winter destinations are a must visit in Turkey because of they are wondrous and beautiful. Every season in Turkey has its own specialties and beauties. Turkey is where every season is attractive. During winter, it has a unique charm and offers you a lot of fun and adventure. Skiing, canoeing, hiking, sea cycling and many other winter sports are available in Turkey. You can also enjoy the fact that there will be much less crowd and you wouldn’t need to worry about the endless queues and rush everywhere. Traveling in winter screams nothing but a discount, discount and more discount!! Hotels and restaurants are much cheaper during this season. Winter is when you realize how generous nature is.
1) Ağva, Istanbul
Ağva is a small coastal village located in the north of Istanbul. It is one of the most attractive and popular resorts of Istanbul. This village is located between the two magical rivers “Yeşilçay” and “Göksu” which pours in to the Black sea. Starting your day with a delicious traditional breakfast, you can then go for canoeing in the river or even sea cycling. Hiking and walking around this small ancient village are another great way to enjoy its unique nature in winter.
During your walk you might even come across some historical remnants as Ağva is a village with a 2000-year-old history. It is also an ideal destination for those who are interested in hunting and or fishing. After an interminable day full of adventures sitting near a fireplace, enjoying the snow fall outside and having a traditional Turkish dinner will make your day even more special.
2) Uludağ, Bursa
Uludağ is the best place for winter sports and is one out of 5 Top Winter destinations to must visit in Turkey. Located just 32 km in the south of the historical city, Bursa is one of Turkey’s most visited places in winter. It is the lead winter destination in Turkey and is famous for its ski resorts and the beautiful scenery. It has Skating Rinks that can host up to 10 thousand skaters. The ski centers have ski schools for beginners, and they are also suitable for experienced skaters. If you have no equipment, there are shops where you can hire all the equipment you need.
These enclosed skating areas are very well designed and the tourists can enjoy ice skating, snowboarding, biking and much more. The Uludağ Teleferik or tramway was the world’s longest cable car when it reopened in 2016, starting from Tefferuc to Kadiyaylathen Sarialan and finally stops at Otteler. Sarialan is where you can explore the tea houses or have a delicious Turkish barbeque. Oteller is where the Uludağ hotels and snow-sport centers are located. When you are around Uludağ, you can also visit Cumlikizik, Tirilye, and Mudanya.
3) Cappadocia, Nevşehir
The unique landscape of Cappadocia is in the central Anatolian region of Turkey. Under the white winter snow, Cappadocia and the fairy chimneys spectacular looks amke it one of the 5 top winter destinations to visit in Turkey. One advantage of visiting Cappadocia in winter is that there is much less crowd and you might even get a good discount. Near here is Mount Erciyes, where you can find one of Turkey’s major skiing centers. The location, accessibility, the budget friendly policies, mechanical facilities, and the length of its ski tracks are some major factors that have turned Erciyes Ski Center to one of the best in Turkey.
In Cappadocia, you can enjoy your stay at the cave hotels, have a hot air balloon ride, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Göreme open-air museum and take a walk in the underground cities such as the Derinkuyu, Acigol, Kaymakli and many more. Hiking is also a popular activity in Cappadocia during both winter and summer. Some of the most beautiful and popular hikes in Cappadocia are Love Valley, Pigeon Valley, and Rose Valley. The view, the sunsets and the sunrises are just charming during the winter.
4) Sarıkamış, Kars
Kars is one of the coldest regions in Turkey, but it is also one of the most famous winter destinations. It is located in the Eastern Anatolian region and is famous for the SARIKAMIŞ ski center and the Eastern express. Taking the Eastern Express from Istanbul to Kars is one of the most exciting train trips you can ever experience. SARIKAMIŞ Ski Center is pretty famous its good quality of snow. It has an altitude of 2500m with a large area of wonderful natural beauty. SARIKAMIŞ Ski center has 5 ski runs, the longest is 12 km long. For six months of the year it is covered with crystallized snow, making it a perfect skiing spot for professional skiers and beginners too.
If you don’t know skiing or don’t have any equipment, there you can experience ski instructors that can help you and shops where you can rent the equipment you need. The ski center is surrounded by huge Pine forests. While you are around SARIKAMIŞ and interested in history, you can visit the ruins of the former capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom known as the city of the 1001 churches.
5) Abant, Bolu
Abant lake is another truly wonderful destination in Bolu, Turkey. At an altitude of 1500, between lovely alpines and surrounded by beech trees, it has created an amazing scenery. it offers a perfect adventure for nature lovers. It is somewhere you can capture glorious memories during the winter as the alpine trees and everywhere around you covered with mystic snow. You can walk around the lake, rent a horse or a bobsleigh.
Horse riding is one of the famous activities here in Abant. You can even rent a horse-drawn carriage to have a ride around the 4.5 miles of the stunning Abant Lake. You can have an amazing stay in the pleasant hotels, you can even find some 5-star hotels in this popular and relaxing resort and enjoy the local cuisines and cozy rooms. An abundant number of visitors come here every year in the winter, as it is close to both Istanbul and Ankara.
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