TURKEY: Top 3 Day Trips from Kars

April 25, 2022November 27, 20222021, COVID-19, KARS, TRAVELS, TURKEY Catie

IMPORTANT: This post covers only the day trips from Kars City. Check out our other Kars post below:

Part 1 – TURKEY: Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars
Part 2 – TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Kars City – YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE
Part 3 – TURKEY: Top 3 Day Trips from Kars – THIS ONE!

Intro/Little Recap:

After completing our 2 week Black Sea road trip, I wanted more of Eastern Turkey! I have always has a list of places to visit, but due to some crazy COVID restrictions, it’s put us behind on our travels. COVID has forced us to last minute travel plan, and I have to say… I am loving it. Our Black Sea Road Trip was Road Trip was planned just a mere 10 days before we left. And this trip was somewhat similar!

Each winter we try to get to a more ‘wintery’ area, wether it’s been Germany for Christmas or Uladağ with friends. I love my warm winter Izmir but it’s fun to go play in the snow and ski for a few days a year!

Over 2019 Christmas, our family headed up to Uludag to ski with some friends. We plan to do the same this year but there wasn’t any snow in Uludag yet! We still had the itch, ok – more so Catie did, and we decided to head out east instead! This way we can see more of Eastern Turkey AND get our ski fix in!

Our 2020 trip to Uludağ with friends didn’t pan out this year, leaving us wide open to exploring other locations. Some other friends of ours are prolific skiers and they suggested we look into ski resort over near Erzurum and Kars. So we did and picked KARS!

And of course… in usual ‘Catie’ fashion, we can’t just ‘go skiing’! We wanted to see some of the other sites around Kars as well!

More about Day Trips from Kars!

IN THIS POST:

Where is Kars?
Little bit of history
Top 3 Day Trips
Videos and extra links

Where is Kars

Kars is the capital of the Kars province is located in the far northeast region of Turkey. Situated on a plateau 5,740 feet (1,750 metres) above sea level on the Kars River, the city of Kars is only an hour drive to the border with Armenia (which, by the way, you can not cross).

The 3 places I am suggesting to visit are all within a 1-2 hour driving radius by car as you can see in the second picture.

Bit of History

The city’s name of Kars is said to be derived from the Armenian word hars, meaning “bride” or possibly theGeorgian word kari meaning “the gate” since it was a border stronghold.

For the full history of Kars, check out my other complete guide to Kars city – START HERE with your TOP 5 Sites in Kars post!

Here are our Top 3 Day Trips from Kars City, Turkey:

1. UNESCO ANI HABARLERI – ANI ÖRENLERI

Only 42 kilometers distance to Kars, the most notable and popular site for both Turks and foreign tourist is Ani Heberleri. Why? In Ani’s prime time, this thriving ancient capital of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia grew to be one of the four biggest cities of the world, having a population of over 100,000 while hosting 24 different civilizations.

Being located on the Silk Road, Ani was established on a volcanic landscape to the West of Arpaçay River separating Turkey and Armenia (which you can not cross over into). But you can stand at the edge of the site and see the river below with its destroyed brides and see the land of Armenia and its boarder watch towers!

This site holds 21 historical building: a temple, church, palace, caravansary, mosque, bath, and mill. If you are an historic junkie and want to know the ins and out of this place before you go, check out the UNESCO post explaining everything!

After the kingdom collapsed, Ani experienced a long history of war, looting, vandalism, capture, and transfer of power. Situated on the eastern Turkish province Kars and bordering Armenia, the Ani site is open to the public for visiting.

This archeological site is very large and all the sites are spread out. This means a LOT of walking! If you are coming on the busy season and the weather is nice, after entering the city walls, we recommend that you walk to the right. The tours usually generally start from the left making the right side very calm. BUT if you come during the cold winter, TURN LEFT so you get to see the cool stuff first before you freeze!}

Here are the places you must see at Ani:

Tigran Honents Church: This is why we say to turn left if you can. This Church is the one you DO NOT want to miss. Unfortunately it is one of the furthest from the entrance and you can’t see it either! You have to walk the path to the end and then take the steps down the hill to see it. However, you will be rewarded with the most beautiful interior space completely decorated with frescoes of scenes from the Bible and particularly the lives of Jesus and Mary.
Ani Cathedral: There is a walking path that goes straight from the entrance directly down the middle to this church. It is the largest structure by far and the one you see first. Everyone, including us, seemed to gravitate towards it. There isn’t much on the inside though, outside of its impressive size.
Ebu’l Manuçehr Camii/Mosque: Built in 1086, this mosque is located at the southwest part of the city just before the road leading into the citadel.
St. Gregory of Abumarents: This is the pics everyone see for Ani. The Armenian style architecture, similar to the Kümbet Camisi in Kars City. The inside is in a sad state, but the outside is beautiful, and a great shot for getting Armenia in the background.

Getting There: Ani is located 45 km southeast of Kars. It takes about a hour to get there by car. While we had a car, you would join an organized day tour from the center of Kars. The ruins are open between 09.00-19.00 in April-October and between 08.00-17.00 in November-March. Also, the entrance to the ruins is a Müzekart. If you do not have a museum card, check the entrance fee via their website.

Check out video sharing our explorations of this area!

2. FROZEN LAKE ÇILDIR

Lake Çıldır is about 40 to 60 minute drive from Kars and is a great place to spend your time partaking in some regional winter activities. At an altitude of 1959 meters above sea level and covers 123 square kilometers, Lake Çıldır is the second largest lake in East Anatolia after Lake Van, and you can spend lots of time walking on the frozen lake. The area of Lake Çıldır contains a few lake-side restaurants, few short and flat trails, and the lake itself.

Just a 1.5 hours drive away from Kars, Çıldır Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Eastern Anatolia and the second largest lake in the region (to Van Lake). Whatever praises people make about Çıldır, they are completely right. Especially when the winter comes and the lake freezes completely, the beauty of this place becomes more visible.

Çıldır Lake begins to freeze in mid-December and begins to thaw from mid-April . As a general information, it is possible to walk on Çıldır Lake starting from January, and it is one of the most amazing feelings. The lake’s snow-white view of nothingness in this period is inexplicable to be experienced.

Eating yellow fish in the restraurants around the lake is also a Çıldır classic. We stopped off at Arpaçay Log House (Kütük Evi), which is a touristic facility where you will find this famous fish and other local dishes. As well, they host many other various activities walking on the lake, horse drawn sleigh riding, and possibly ice fishing. The sitting areas are quite cozy (this a legit log cabin in the states – we were VERY surprised!). We think it is more suitable for family sitting, there is a playground in the garden, and the toilets are clean.

Another popular activity of Çıldır Lake is to take a sleigh tour at this log house as well. The tours are done for 10-20 minutes, and the prices are around 50 TL (as of 2020).

Getting there: Çıldır Lake is located between Kars and Aradahan. It is most logical to rent a car for comfortable transportation. Another alternative is to participate in tours organized in the center of Kars. Those who have enough time can set out early in the morning and reach Çıldır in 1.5 hours, if you have a more tight schedule, you can visit Ani Ruins and Çıldır on the same day but it’s a LOT of driving!

Note: If you are curious about ice fishing (which we did not do), call Atalay’s Yeri or Gunay’s Yeri a few days before you go, you can ask them how it is done and how much it is.

Check out video sharing our explorations of this area!

3. Boğatepe Cheese Museum and Gruyere Cheese!

The tiny village of Boğatepe is 50 km away from the Kars City center and holds and interesting history. The Malakan families migrated from the Caucasus in the 1930s bringing livestock and dairy farming cultures to Kars, including many cheese varieties.

Situated at an altitude is 2,667 metres, it’s a perfect location for making the world famous Grüyere cheese (think of the cheese in the famous cartoon Tom and Jerry!). This little village even has a free cheese museum teaching you all about the process. This cheese productions and their methods have been passed down from generation to generation and over the years, making Kars a cheese paradise! Learn more about the Boğatepe Köyü Peynir Müzesi HERE.

After seeing the museum we ventured to a local farm for a cheese tasting. Since it was off season, there weren’t any crowds or private breakfast offered. We loved seeing the family runs cheese factory of ….. and enjoyed learning and tasting, of course, all of the local varieties of cheese!

Check out video sharing our explorations of this area!

Our other tips listed below for this area can all be found in the TURKEY: Top 5 Sites in KARS City Guide

When to go
Getting There
Lodging
Must Try Foods
Restaurants

As well make sure to explore skiing near Kars at Sarıkamış via this post – Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars

Overall, Kars is so amazing. Not the first place foreigners go to visit, but if you are a long-term expat like us then this is a must visit – especially winter time and skiing in nearby Sarıkamış.

You can check out our trip via video over on our Following The Funks YouTube Channel and see what all we did in our few days before skiing!

Comment below and let me know about some of the questions below:

Do you want to travel to Kars now?
Have you traveled to Kars before?
Did you do to any of these areas near Kars?
If so, what did you love? What did we miss?!

Check out our other locations on this road trip! This is just a piece of our 8 part video and blog post series of our road trip.

SPOILERS: Instagram highlights – Kars 1 and Kars 2 Skiing
My top 5 tools video for how we planned our travels – VIDEO
Part 1- FTFE098: Explore Kars, Turkey! – BLOG POST: TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Kars City – YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE
Part 2 – FTFE099 : Ani Harabeleri near Kars, Turkey!
Part 3 – FTFE100 : Frozen Çildir Lake near Kars, Turkey!
Part 4 – FTFE101 : Boğatepe + Gruyere Cheese near near Kars, Turkey!
Part 2 – 4 BLOG POST: TURKEY: Top 3 Day Trips from Kars
Part 5 – FTFE102: Skiing in Turkey! (Sarıkamış) – BLOG POST: TURKEY: Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars

TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Kars City – YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE

March 9, 2022April 27, 20222021, COVID-19, KARS, TRAVELS, TURKEY Catie

Intro/Little Recap:

And of course… in usual ‘Catie’ fashion, we can’t just ‘go skiing’! We wanted to see some of the other sites around Kars as well!

IMPORTANT: This post covers only the city of Kars. A second post covering day trips from Kars City will be coming! Here are the Kars blog post:

Part 1 – TURKEY: Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars
Part 2 – TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Kars City – YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE – THIS ONE!
Part 3 – TURKEY: Top 3 Day Trips from Kars

Where is Kars:

Little bit of history:

The city’s name of Kars is said to be derived from the Armenian word hars, meaning “bride” or possibly theGeorgian word kari meaning “the gate” since it was a border stronghold.

Historically, the region around Kars was part of the Armenian kingdom in antiquity and contains a number of sites dating from that period. Ani, east of Kars city and near the Armenian frontier, was the Bagratid capital in the 10th century.

As well, Kars is in the center of several major historical turning points: Byzantine-Selcuk wars, the Ottoman-Russian Wars 1877-1878, and almost 40 year Russian Occupations. The Russian legacy can still be seen in much of the town’s architecture.

After a defeat by the Russians in 1918 (still pre-modern Turkey at this point), Kars was not left to the Ottoman Empire but actually to Britain. Later in late 1920, CommanderKazim Karabekir Pasha liberated the city and finally reached its independence in Turkish lands.

One of the most interesting points of the Russian occupation was the Malakan immigrant community, which settled around Kars during this period. This communities love for dairy farming and cheese initiated the start a now famous Gruyere cheese made in very areas of the world due to the picky climate needed to culture it. Although most of the Malakans returned to their own lands or migrated to other places, cheese making cultural heritage has continued until today.

On to modern day Kars, this city of 80,000 (2012 stats but now it’s maybe over a 100,000 by now) is still an important military station, its location is linked by rail and road with the main Turkish cities such as Ankara. The Kars province in Turkey is important as a centre for trade in livestock and cheese. Other known products are coarse woolens, carpets, and felts.

Personally, Kars surprised me!

I loved that it wasn’t overly touristy – easy to explore and enjoy local cuisine. It caters mostly to Turkish tourist, but everyone loved that we were visiting from our home city of Izmir! (Plus, they loved that we spoke Turkish!) Plus, it was the perfect location to take several fun day trips.

If you go by our guide, you will get to enjoy the city and get to see the more extensive province like we did all in 4-5 days trip (which is perfect if you are going in the warmer, non-skiing months!).

Keep on reading to learn about some of the Kars’ historical buildings you should check out when you go!

Here are you TOP 5 Sites to see in Kars, Turkey:

1. KARS CASTLE:

The most notable site in Kars City center, Kars Castle, is an old citadel overhanging the river right in the middle of the downtown historical area. Once a strong military post built by Bagratid Armenia in A.D.1153, Kars Castle has defended its people used over and over against Mongolian, Georgian, Persian, and Russian forces. In the early 19th century, it was later severely damaged during the Russian occupation of Kars.

Kars Castle was built out of basalt masonry and originally boasted its 22 towers, only seven of them remain intact today. In terms of its architecture, it features a small mosque, barracks, tombs, mansions, and an ammunition depot – most of which was hardly distinguishable if you didn’t pay attention to your surroundings and signs. The castle also had four gates, two are still in use.

To get to the castle one can walk up the front side stairs that overlooks the city and Kümbet Camisi. It can seem a bit of a climb, but, once you reach the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view of the city of Kars and the river. Since we weren’t familiar with this route, we drove the small road via the back side of the mountain parking at the top of the castle for quicker access. There is a cafe up here as well that one can stop for a quick tea, restrooms, warm up, and/or enjoy the sunset.

NOTE: If you go in winter, the walk up can be super windy(as you will see in our video!) and stairs can be icy. There is nothing to hold onto. If you decide to take the stairs to the top, be sure to walk slowly and watch your feet.

2. TAŞ KÖPRÜSÜ – OLD STONE BRIDGE

Just beside the Kars Castle on the narrow strait of Kars River, a 15th century stone bridge with three vaulted arches were created completely made of smooth cut basalt stone. The bridge collapsed during a spring flood of 1715 and later reconstructed by in 1719.

During the years of Russian occupation, they Russians in an attempt to erase all traces of the Turkish, destroyed the inscription on the bridge. The bridge was also significantly damaged during this era as well. Eventually, the stone bridge was restored later.

There was only a couple of individuals on the bridge during our quick stop. Jason and I were able to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing walk with a winter view of the river on both sides (with Sofia peacefully sleeping in the car within eye sight of course!)

The area around the bridge is being built up for visitors to stroll and enjoy a sit while taking in the scenery around it. I was very impressed with the efforts they are taken to keep this area inviting for locals and newcomers.

3. KÜMBET CAMISI

Located downtown, Kümbet Camısı, also referred to as the iconic Armenian Church of the Apostles, is a church converted into a mosque. Built by King Abbas in the 930s A.D. in the period of the Bagratid kingdom, the church has steep-angled roof with a floor plan that resembles a quatrefoil. Bas-reliefs representing the twelve apostles (hence the name) in rather stiff poses, ring the exterior drum of the dome.

Later in 1064, this church was converted into a mosque under Muslim domination and renamed the Kümbet Mosque. Then later, it was used as a Russian Orthodox mosque during the region’s Russian domination.

Like most churches turned mosques turned back to churches, this historical site was converted into the Kars museum storing historical artifacts in 1964 until 1981. But again in 1993, it has been used as a mosque.

As it is a mosque, it is free to enter. Visitors are asked to be respectful by removing their shoes and women covering their heads.

Note: The nearby Fethiye Cami is also worth a visit. As we were short on time and it was cold, we skipped it this visit.

4. MUSEUMS

There are 2 must-see museums to see in Kars: See our video about these 2 here – skip to 13 minutes.

Kars Archaeological Museum: The Kars Archaeological Museum on İstasyon Street is small but mighty, containing archaeological finds are displayed on the first floor, ethnographic artifacts on the second floor, and stone artifacts in its garden. Some of our favorites were the beautiful wood-carving doors and bell from an old church, an excellent collection of coins found in the surrounding region, and its distinctive collection of local kilims and carpets. Best part? Admission is free! But it is closed on Mondays.

Kafkas Cephesi Harp Tarihi Müzesi: I’m sad to say we almost missed this. This well maintained building was MUCH more impressive than the Kars Archeological Museum, highlighting the early wars of the area. Creatively displayed weaponry, hospitals, prisoners depicted not only on the conditions of the war, but why the wars happened. Tickets are 12.50 TL (2022).

5. CHECK OUT THE RUSSIAN and BALTIC ARCHITECTURE

The Ottoman-Russian Wars 1877-1878 and almost 40 year Russian Occupations left a major imprint on the city of Kars. The Russian legacy can still be seen in much of the town’s architecture. A few examples are the Hotel Cheltikov and Katerina Sarayı Otel(more info below), Kars Belediyesi, Ticaret ve Sanayi Odası, Kars Defterdarlığı and Kars Valiliği (these last 3 are by Attaturk Park and some of the best examples!). Just take a stroll around town and see! See some of these buildings in our video – skip to 12 minutes.

Our other tips for this area:

When to go:

Kars is one of the highest and coldest towns in Turkey. It is a great winter destination, but make sure to BUNDLE UP and wear lots of layers!!! We added it onto our ski trip to nearby Sarıkamış Ski Center which is why we went while it was cold. Plus we got to enjoy Lake Çildir as it was frozen. I’m sure it would be a lovely summer destination as well since it doesn’t get to hot. Plus, exploring Ani is warmer weather would be so much more pleasant.

Getting There:

For our trip, we flew a 2.5 hour direct flight from Izmir to Kars on SunExpress Airlines and drove a rental car for our first few days while we explore Kars city and the nearby area. Upon returning our rental car to the airport, our hotel offered a free shuttle to the resort an hour away in Sarıkamış.
If you are going to come directly to Sarıkamış by plane, the nearest airport to you is Kars Harakani Airport. The center of Sarıkamış is also a 43-minute drive from Kars Airport. Before buying your flight ticket, we recommend that you compare the ticket prices of different airline companies. Both Pegasus Airlines and Sunexpress offer direct flights from Izmir but not daily. You can always find connecting routes to Kars with layovers in other airports.
Alternative options: The historic Doğu (Eastern) Express is an alternative option for those with a bit more time on their hands. Passing through Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum and Sarıkamış, it arrives at the last stop, Kars. Coming to Kars with the Orient Express is an experience that must be experienced in itself. It’s a bit difficult to figure out the ticketing system and times (and it’s usually sold out) but if you are able to figure it out, go for it! This article is a bit old but it’s a great start!

Lodging:

Cheltikov Hotel, YUSUFPAŞA NEIGHBORHOOD : The hotel, which is currently operated as the Cheltikov Hotel, is actually the mansion of the Russian Cheltikov family, built in 1894. The building has found many purposes over the years – an opera house, a maternity house, a depot and a doctor’s house, eventually became a hotel. It is situation within walking distance of the main tourist area of town and the castle. But int the winter it can be really cold and icy!
- We originally had a small double room but it was so tiny that we couldn’t put up Sofia’s travel cot. The staff was so amazing. Seeing our dilemma, they upgraded us to the 2 bedroom suite! The breakfast was ok. They provided a pre-made breakfast plate with some extras available everyday on a nearby table.
Hotel Katerina Sarayi: Set on the Kars River on the back side of the Kars Castle, this 1879 stately hotel in a stone-built building was originally built as a Russian military hospital. While we stayed most of our time at the Cheltikov, I had heard from friend to stay at leave 1 night here. The cost is a little bit more than what we paid for Cheltikov (although I think our upgraded room at the Cheltikov would have surpassed it!) We had a 1 big bedroom room with a king bed and a twin bed. It started to snow as we arrived covering the trees and building, turning everything into a serene beauty with its white magic. Everything was fabulous here! The staff was kind and quick to respond to any request. The breakfast was a fantastic buffet and free parking available on site. Check out this video to see our stay here.

If you are curious about skiing near Kars then check out our post for skiing in nearby Sarıkamış.

Must Try Foods:

Kaz (Goose): Of course, the signature dish of Kars could be none other than the Kars goose. The geese, which are fed with grass in the spring months, are fattened by giving barley close to slaughter in the winter months. Goose cooked in a tandoori is served smashed over bulgur.
Piti: My FAVORITE! The mixture of fatty mutton and chickpeas is cooked in a casserole pottery with vegetables. Served in a big flat bowl, bread forms the base with the juices and rest of the yummy ingredients.
Hangel: Hangel or khingel is actually the empty and leafy form of Turkish mantı or ravioli. The dough is cut into squares and boiled in water, served with garlic yogurt and oily sauce on it. After skiing on the slopes, it’s a great carb loading meal.
Gruyere (Gruyère) Cheese: This originally Swiss organ gruyere is the yellow and perforated cheese (think of the legendary cheese in every episode of Tom and Jerry). Due to the strict requirements of production conditions, this quality cheese is only produced in a few countries around the world, including the Netherlands, Georgia and Kars in Turkey. Kars owes its world-famous taste to the Malakans, who were settled here after the 1876-1877 Ottoman-Russian Wars, bringing their love of milk products and dairy farming culture with them.

Restaurants:

Even though it was off season and kinda COVID times, we still made reservations every night for the restaurants due to capacity requirements. We would suggest you do the same! The first 3 restaurants listed below were our favorite and we think they should not be missed!

Also, another fun note, Kars retains a strong heritage of folk songs and dancing, and a few of the restaurants below even have evening performances for their customers. Once again, make sure to call ahead and check if what nights there are performances, then reserve a good table!

Kars Kaz Evi: (Kars Goose House) For being a bit of a tourist place, it did not disappoint! This restaurant is known for it’s view of the Kars Castle and a place for all the flavors unique to Kars. The slow cooked goose and bulgar cooked in goose broth are a must try! But apart from that, everything from hangel to the Evelik Soup is perfect. One of our favorite restaurants in Kars. Check out the food here – skip to 8:50.
Gastro Kars: We had our second dinner in Kars at the venue called Gastro Kars İpek Hanım’ın Çiftliği. It has a modern, elegant and mainly antique decoration of a long rectangular shaped with a unique stone intimate basements. With a mix of traditional and modern options, we enjoyed a variety of dishes but also a couple of unique ones, like Russian Piroschki, similar to stuffed meatball. At the end of the meal, they brought out a complimentary pudding dessert and small glasses of sweet pink şerbet. Check out our experience here – skip to 8:45.
Puşkin Restaurant: If you want to try the local dishes of Kars, we would definitely add this to your list. We tried Evelik Aşı, lamb Piti, and empty ravioli Hangel. We loved all of them, but our favorite was the Piti. You can also taste Kars’s local halva, Umaç, here. This is the restaurant we ended up enjoying an evening show at! Check out our visit here – skip to 8 minutes.
Kars Ayaz Restaurant: During non-covid time, I believe there are night performance every night. The dish that was recommended to us here was the pistachio beyti kebab and it did not disappoint! Plus the ayran was wonderful too, as Sofia will attest too.
Anne Sofrasi Ev Yemekleri: This was a random stop for lunch in new town one day. Good food, small place, quick service.
Carton Coffee Lab: We may have stopped here everyday to get out cup of joe and grab some beans for our next week out at the ski center. Great little spot!
Gaziantep Katmer – We grabbed some Katmer to go from here. It was ok but not my favorite!

For more restaurant recommendations, the couple from BizEvdeYokuz always have great recs; just double check to make sure the locations are open as COVID has unfortunately cause temporary/permanent closures.

Nearby Kars:

In another post, I talk about all the day trips to visit Kars City, Ani Harabeleri, Lake Çildir, and Boğatepe Cheese farms are our recs! BUT all the links for the videos on these trips are below.
Sarikamis (53 kilometers southwest of Kars) is a skiing center with resort hotels, setting of a scenic pine forest. I have a whole GUIDE TO SKIING IN TURKEY – KARS. It has the best powder snow in Turkey and is amazingly affordable.
SouthEast about 3-4 hours by car or bus, you can brave the mountain passes through small villages to the small town of Doğubayezit, home to Ishak Sarayı and the famous mount Ararat.
Northwest about 5 hours by car, Rize is home to Turkey’s famous tea fields and the Sümela Monastery.
If you are able, the Georgian border is a 2 hour bus ride (5-6 to the drop-off point of Tbilisi, Georgia. We didn’t do this but we have heard it’s a popular option for tourists!
Note: While Kars province borders the Armenia province, there is no land crossing. Just making sure you are aware! West-bound Ordu was one of our favorites: capital of hazelnuts, cable car rides, and miles of coastline!

Oh and by the way, I have researched the presence of Russians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds and Turks in Kars. The results are a confusing and intertwining connection throughout a historical time-line full of conflict. JUST LIKE MOST COUNTRIES AND CITIES WITH THIS MUCH HISTORY! These days, it is peaceful city, and we thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

If anyone tells you not to go to Kars, ignore them. It is culturally rich and a wonderful place to visit.

Overall, Kars is so amazing. Not the first place foreigners go to visit, but if you are a long-term expat like us then this is a must visit – especially winter time and skiing in nearby Sarıkamış.

You can check out our trip via video over on our Following The Funks YouTube Channel and see what all we did in our few days before skiing!

Comment below and let me know about some of the questions below:

Do you want to travel to Kars now?
Have you traveled to Kars before?
If so, what did you love? What did we miss?!

Check out our other locations on this road trip! This is just a piece of our 8 part video and blog post series of our road trip.

SPOILERS: Instagram highlights – Kars 1 and Kars 2 Skiing
My top 5 tools video for how we planned our travels – VIDEO
Part 1- FTFE098: Explore Kars, Turkey!
Part 2 – FTFE099 : Ani Harabeleri near Kars, Turkey!
Part 3 – FTFE100 : Frozen Çildir Lake near Kars, Turkey!
Part 4 – FTFE101 : Boğatepe + Gruyere Cheese near near Kars, Turkey!
Part 5 – FTFE102: Skiing in Turkey! (Sarıkamış)

TURKEY: Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars

January 5, 2022April 27, 20222020, COVID-19, KARS, TRAVELS, TURKEY Catie

Little Recap:

After completing our 2 week Black Sea road trip, I wanted more of Eastern Turkey! I have always has a list of places to visit, but due to some crazy COVID restrictions, it’s put us behind on our travels. COVID has forced us to last minute travel plan, and I have to say… I am loving it. Our Black Sea Road Trip was planned just a mere 10 days before we left. And this trip was somewhat similar!

And of course… in usual ‘Catie’ fashion, we can’t just ‘go skiing’! We wanted to see some of the other sites around Kars as well! Check out ALL of our KARS videos linked at the bottom off the article

COVID-19 has not made 2020/2021 fun for anyone, traveling in the midst of a global pandemic meant we had to be extra careful and mindful of our exposure. But we have be so thankful to be able to travel too! You can check out some of our other travels during COVID times to Kalkan last summer as well.

Hopefully your 2021/2022 winter season got you to the slopes too!

By the way…. IMPORTANT: This post covers only the ski portion of our trip to Kars, Turkey. Check out our other Kars post below:

Part 1 – TURKEY: Your Guide to Skiing in Turkey – Sarıkamış/Kars – THIS ONE!
Part 2 – TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Kars City – YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE
Part 3 – TURKEY: Top 3 Day Trips from Kars

Now on your guide to skiing in Turkey!

Where should I ski in Turkey
Where is Kars + Sarıkamış
Little bit of history
About the Sarıkamış Ski Center
Our Experience with the Ski Center: PROS + CONS
When Should I Go to Sarıkamış
Getting There
Lodging
Must Try Foods
Restaurants
Sites in Sarıkamış
Nearby Sarıkamış
Check out our 5 part video playlist about our travel to Kars, Turkey!

Where should I ski in Turkey?

This post is all about skiing near the area of Kars, specifically Sarıkamış. BUT I wanted to live you with a list of other options kayak merkezi (or ski centers) to explore if you aren’t wanted to head that far East. The only other place in this list that we have skied at is Uludağ (and I don’t have a post on it).

In no particular order, these are some of the most popular (not all of course):

Uludağ Ski Center near Bursa (easy weekend from Istanbul and Izmir)
Kartaltepe Ski Center near Bolu (easy drive from Istanbul)
Erciyes Ski Center, south of Kayseri Airport
Palandöken Ski Center near Erzurum

Check out this article over at the Daily Sabah for a brief description of each.

Where is Kars + Sarıkamış?

Kars city is the capital of the Kars province is located in the far northeast region of Turkey. Situated on a plateau 5,740 feet (1,750 metres) above sea level on the Kars River, the city of Kars is only an hour drive to the border with Armenia (which by the way you can not cross into at all from Turkey by land).

Sarıkamış town is a 43-minute southwest drive from the Kars Airport towards the city of Erzurum. The Sarıkamış Ski Center is 4 kilometers from the town. There are multiple rumors about why the name of Sarıkamış is Sarıkamış. Sarı meaning ‘yellow’ and kamış meaning ‘pine’. The most famous is that the name derived from the yellow reeds that grow in one of the lakes in the region.

Little bit of history:

Nothing is known of its earlier history, but nearby archaeological sites date from Urartian times with a few uncovered Urartian ruins and fortress. Many medieval Armenian monasteries were in ruins by 1878.

Although it is a region where Turks have settled since the Seljuk period, we can say that Sarıkamış, like Kars in general, had its golden age when it was under Russian influence. Because Sarıkamış, like the center of Kars, is one of the places where the Russian influence was prominent and where there are many historical buildings from that period. If you are traveling between Kars and Sarıkamış, the Tsar Nikola Mansion can be seen rising under the snow on its hilly terrain. Also, extensive barracks from the Russian period surround the town and are still in use by the Turkish army.

In Kars, an important battle took place between the armies of the Ottoman and Russian empires in and around the city in late December 1914-January 1915 as part of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I. Operation Sarıkamış is the event in which 23,000 Turkish soldiers lost their lives in freezing weather conditions and in land conflicts making it one of the most painful defeats in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Making a visit to the Kars museum to learn about this is a must. As well, the 2008 movie 120, directed by Özhan Eren and Murat Saraçoğlu is a must watch before you travel to Kars!

About the Sarıkamış Ski Center:

Sarıkamış Ski Center is built on Cıbıltepe Mountain and has very favorable conditions for Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, and Tour Skiing. There are slopes suitable for both beginners and professionals, and businesses providing ski equipment rentals and private lessons.

Snow falls to Sarıkamış Ski Center for about 57 days a year and it stays on the ground for about 114 days. Under normal winter conditions, the snow thickness reaches 1.5 meters. The“crystal snow” consisting of big crystal snowflakes doesn’t stick to one another, which is usually unique to the Alps, makes this area very suitable for skiing.

Facilities in Sarıkamış: It has 3 chairlifts and 1 ski lift.
Height of Sarıkamış: Tracks starting from 1,738 meters go up to a height of 2,958 meters.
Ski tracks in Sarıkamış: With an altitude at 2,500, Cıbıltepe has 9 tracks with a total length of 12 km: 6 tracks are currently open for use, 2 black, 2 red, 1 blue and 1 green. The longest track length is 3,500 meters. It also has a 45-km cross-country ski track, of which 5 km is certified by FIS (International Ski Federation).
Times and Lift hours: Lift closing hours vary from month to month. But it usually opens at 8.30 – 9.00 and closes at 16.30 – 17.00 depending on the weather conditions. As the days were longer in March when we went we had longer ski days.
Lift wait times: Even at peak times, the lifts do not have the long queues seen in other ski resorts. The one huge lift that sits 6 persons at a time are even more empty and much more sheltered from the wind. I hardly found myself on it with another skier.
Electronic Passes: There are electronic pass readers on the lifts. You swipe the plastic card over the magnet and pass it on. The card has lanyard. You can use all the lifts with a single pass in Sarıkamış Ski Center.
Ski equipment: Most of the hotels have their own private ski rental companies usually located in the hotel. The prices are reasonable and if you forgot anything, they have it!
Food/Drink the slopes: For lunch, our hotel was full-board and we always just took a break to eat there since it was so close to the lifts. On the runways, there are 4 cafes, and all of them have hot and cold drinks. However, not all of them have much choice of food. The Orta Cafe in the middle station, between the 2 major lifts, was always the busiest and also had the best offerings from the menu. There is also a rest area which makes it a good stop for a bathroom break. At the top of the summit is another cafe (sorry the name is escaping me). Jason took Sofia up here for the views and to enjoy a hot chocolate while I skied a bit. It’s a great option for non-skiers to come enjoy a morning at too!
In case of emergency, loss or injury: Call 156 and find the nearest signs in the forest area to help locate where you are. The search and rescue team will come to you with snow vehicles as soon as possible. Or take the contact number of the hotel you are staying in with you in case of an emergency.
Extras: There are a few folks that provide a sleigh safari & snow sled for those non-skiers in your group, or those with kids! Our hotel had the sled out for free-use every day and it was a fun activity to do with our daughter.

Our Experience with the Ski Center:

Sarıkamış is a more modest “ski town” where you can have a ski holiday without paying crazy prices for a great skiing. Plus, you do not have to expect to wait long in a queue. We loved it because this is not a place that was created out of nothing. Sarıkamış is a real district with a real town and residents that live there for 4 seasons, long before the Sarıkamış Ski Center.

This town is that it is extremely modest compared to ski resorts such as Uludağ, Palandöken or Erciyes. Don’t expect any luxury ski holiday. BUT, even though it remains modest next to some big centers, it certainly does not compromise the enjoyment of skiing. The prices of both chairlift and equipment rentals are affordable so that everyone can slide. I am sure of the current prices, but I remembered they were a 3rd of the price of Uludağ tickets. Our ski pass was included in our hotel stay.

PROS:

Because we went during the weekdays, I felt like I got top skiing hills but an affordable price and no crowds! (It did get VERY busy on the weekend as we were heading out!) This center was wide open and there was so much area to ski as oppose to some crowded more popular ski areas I have been too. I never felt like I was about to run into anyone!
Since it is not a tourist settlement, the prices of food and beverage at the markets are not at the ski resort level, but at the normal city setting. Like this place is still undiscovered (even though it is definitely gaining popularity).
The roads are always clear and sparkling coming to and from the Kars airport, or wherever you are staying! It is part of the city and not a ski resort which means that the roads are taken car of properly. I was nervous leaving the airport on the shuttle thinking the hotel was on top of a mountain like Uludağ, but since the elevation was already so high, the ride to the hotel was easy and clear! No shuttle issues or curves to fear!
Since this is a huge district, the state brought services such as schools and train stations here. There is a hospital and it’s possible to reach the hospital quickly in case of an accident.

CONS:

There is literally nothing to be done after 5 o’clock and the lifts stops – which can be good and bad. If you are exhausted from the day, and early night in can be great, except that the hotel dinners don’t start until 7/7:30. Some hotels put out a pianist, singer or saz team during the dinner on weekends.
Our hotel’s kids play area AWFUL. Coming off the slopes at 5, I was already starving, and if I miss the cookies at tea time, I had to wait 2 hours for dinner services to start. 2 hours with a 2 year old and no place to play… the weather made it dark and cold outside. And our 2 year old at the time has to wait as well. For us as foreigners, it’s a bit late for supper. Everyone at the hotel is just waiting for the doors to open for dinner. Note: I did see that other hotels may have done this better. In fact, we made a note to try out the Habitat hotel next time we go for the kids program (not running when we went in 2021 due to Covid).
Not all hotels will rent skis out to your for your 2 year old. I grew up skiing and I was PUMPED to get our daughter out there just to try skiing a bit! And after a couple of days of watching me go out without her, Sofia was READY to try it too. Thankfully, another hotel, also the Habitat Hotel, had smaller size skis and boots and willing to let us rent them!

When Should I Go to Sarıkamış?

If you came to Sarıkamış, you probably came to ski. That’s why you should make sure to come in the best time of winter. Snow falls here for 5 months of the year, from the beginning of December (this year it was as early as September!) to the beginning of April.

However, if you are planning a ski holiday in Sarıkamış at the end of December or March. Always be sure to call the hotels and ask about the snow because it may have ended early that year or it has not started yet.

Two annual events take place in Sarıkamış.

In the first week of January in Sarıkamış, Kars Municipality organizes the Day of Remembrance of the Martyrs of Sarıkamış (see history section above). The group marches with torches in memory of the martyred soldiers towards the Allahuekber Mountains.
In February (pre-covid), Sarıkamış Ski Center host a 3-day festival snow games. Even through the coldest of temperatures, snow games and competitions continue on – including off-road rally, remote controlled vehicle races and snowboard & ski races.