As the cool breeze lingers over the country’s heartland, Türkiye dons its winter best and prepares to impress.
Ancient landscapes transform into storybook scenes, where snow-dusted fairy chimneys rise like enchanted castles, frozen lakes shimmer under pale light, and mist-wrapped monasteries cling to mountainsides as if suspended in time.
This season, let’s journey through charming surroundings in Türkiye in the hopes of holding onto the winter magic a little longer.
Portal inside a storybook in Türkiye
Kars and the Eastern Express
Start your voyage in the east, where Kars offers a rugged, haunting beauty. Getting there is half the magic, thanks to the Eastern Express (Doğu Ekspresi), a roughly 26-hour journey from Ankara that covers 1,310 kilometers of transforming geography.
A nostalgic saga
Unlike the blur of high-speed travel, the Eastern Express moves at a gentle pace, allowing you to savour the shift from vast steppes to dramatic mountain slopes. Whether you choose a wide “Pullman” seat or a cosy “wagon-lit” sleeper, watching the train snake through snow-covered canyons while sipping tea feels like a dream.
Join the growing tradition of travellers who decorate their compartment tables with fairy lights and local delicacies, turning the voyage into a private, moving feast against a backdrop of snow-covered canyons.
Crystal snow and ancient ruins
The route culminates in Kars, the gateway to three distinct wonders:
- Sarıkamış Ski Resort: Famed for its dry ‘crystal snow’, often compared to Alpine powder, a fine powder that is a paradise for skiers.
- Ancient City of Ani: A Unesco World Heritage Site nicknamed the “City of 1,001 Churches.” Its reddish volcanic ruins stand in stark, haunting contrast to the endless white plains on the Armenian border.
- Lake Çıldır: A frozen marvel where you can take a traditional horse-drawn sleigh ride and watch fishermen catch yellow carp (sarı balık) through holes in the ice.
Bolu: The romantic lakeside retreat
Located on the main route between İstanbul and Ankara, Bolu’s forest-and-lake escapes are a sanctuary of pine-scented air and crystal clear waters.
The lonely house of Gölcük
Capture one of the most iconic images of Türkiye at Gölcük Nature Park: the solitary state guesthouse often nicknamed the ‘Lonely House (Yalnız Ev). This red-roofed guesthouse sits on the edge of the lake, offering a picture-perfect reflection in the icy water or a striking contrast against a white expanse.
Lake Abant and the Seven Lakes
Nearby, Lake Abant sits at around 1,328 meters, which can freeze over in extreme cold. Take an electric phaeton or a horse-drawn carriage ride around the 7-kilometer loop or walk the wooden piers into the white abyss.
For deeper immersion, venture to Yedigöller (Seven Lakes) National Park. Though the road is challenging, the reward is a secluded valley of landslide lakes where oaks and alders create a canopy of white lace.
The Black Sea Highlands: A misty alpine dream
The highlands of Rize and Artvin, or the “Turkish Alps,” offer steep valleys and cloud-piercing peaks.
Ayder and the Fırtına Valley
The Ayder Plateau looks like a fable come to life with its snow-buried wooden chalets and smoking chimneys. The road there takes you through Fırtına (Storm) Valley, lined with historic Ottoman stone bridges arching over icy turquoise waters.
Çamlıhemşin and the sea of clouds
Ascend to high plateaus like Huser or Pokut to witness the “sea of clouds,” where Kaçkar peaks rise like islands in a white ocean. The terrain is dotted with traditional serender, which are wooden storehouses on stilts, adding a unique texture to the blinding white scenery.
Unesco highlights (& other classics)
Cappadocia: A lunar panorama
In Central Anatolia, nature and humankind have collaborated across millennia to craft this mystical “open-air museum.” Sculpted by ancient volcanoes and erosion, Cappadocia showcases millennia of history, preserving traces of civilizations from the Assyrians and Hittites to the Romans and Early Christians.
Mini Cappadocia Tour
Float above the frozen vales
Drift over Göreme National Park in a hot-air balloon to witness a landscape that resembles the moon through a telescope. The snow softens the jagged terrain into rolling white waves, creating a profound silence at 2,000 feet broken only by the balloon’s burner.
For photographers, the colorful balloons against the monochromatic snow create a momentous masterpiece.
Meet the guardians of the snow: Ürgüp and Ortahisar
- The Ortahisar Castle rises dramatically as one of the region’s largest fairy chimneys, its cave-riddled face resembling an ancient fortress guarding the valley.
- In Ürgüp, you can wander the winding streets to discover cave hotels and admire the “Three Beauties,” the iconic trio of fairy chimneys that symbolize the region.
- Continue the route to Paşabağları to walk among snow-capped pillars and Devrent Valley to see frost-covered rock animals, before finally warming up in Avanos with the ancient tradition of pottery making.
Ürgüp-Soğanlı Tour
Wander through a time capsule
If you are seeking solitude and a deeper connection to the past, the Ürgüp-Soğanlı tour is a journey through time. Begin your trip in Mustafapaşa Village, where ornate Greek masonry and the Church of Constantine and Helena stand out against the snow.
Secrets of the quiet valley
Venture to Soğanlı Valley for serenity and rugged fairy chimneys topped with dovecotes. This route offers hidden gems for the true explorer: the monastery at Cemil Village, the Taşkınpaşa complex, and the Sobesos Archeological Site, where Roman mosaics lie protected beneath the landscape.
Göreme-Ihlara Tour
Escape into the deep
This winter retreat into the earth, literally. Visit the Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu Underground Cities, vast subterranean labyrinths that descend up to eight levels deep.
These ancient shelters, used by civilizations to hide from invaders and harsh weather, provide a cosy, historic counterpoint to the biting cold outside. Wandering the narrow tunnels, you can almost feel the presence of the thousands of people who once lived, cooked, and prayed in these hidden stone corridors to be safe from the snow above.
Trek the oasis of Ihlara
For nature lovers, the Ihlara Canyon offers a spectacular trek. Adjust your camera settings as you slowly hike up to witness the 14-km gorge carved by the Melendiz River, which transforms from a leafy paradise into a peaceful haven.
Complete your trip along the Göreme-Ihlara route by visiting the imposing Nevşehir Castle, which stands as a sentinel over the city. Don’t miss the Aşıklı Höyük Archeological Site, one of the oldest settlements in Central Anatolia, where the history of the region’s earliest inhabitants is preserved under the open sky.
Safranbolu: The Ottoman tale
A Unesco World Heritage City, Safranbolu serves as an open-air museum where history breathes through the architecture.
Gingerbread houses in the snow
The town’s preserved Ottoman mansions, with their whitewashed walls and red-tiled roofs, resemble gingerbread houses. The massive 17th-century Cinci Han dominates the skyline, recalling the days of the Silk Road.
Wander the winding alleys of the Old Town to see coppersmiths at the Arasta Bazaar, then warm up with a glass of local saffron tea in a restored mansion while watching the smoke rise from hundreds of chimneys.
Erzurum: The land of ice and fire
Known for the world-class Palandöken Ski Center, Erzurum is a destination for the true cool-weather enthusiast.
Frozen falls and red fairies
Visit the Tortum Waterfall, which is spectacular in flow season, and striking in winter when the cliffs can glaze with ice. For a striking contrast, see the Fairy Chimneys of Narman, which are a terracotta red, creating a mesmerizing visual against the white snow, the “Red Fairies” of the east.
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This article was first published in Wego.
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