Although winter hasn’t officially started yet, the mountains in eastern Anatolia have already welcomed the first snow of the season, with some slopes even ready to welcome skiers. The Cıbıltepe ski resort in the Sarıkamış district of Kars is one of the first in Turkey to offer skiing. Surrounded by pine trees, it’s home to some of the most popular slopes in Turkey. With 45 centimeters of snow already covering the area, locals have donned their ski gear and headed to the summit to enjoy their first skiing session of the season.
Ski coach Serkan Taş, not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to ski before the resort became crowded, was one of the first to head to Cıbıltepe. “The official season hasn’t started yet, but I wanted to take the opportunity to do some sport with my son Hamza. More snow is expected in the coming days, but we can’t wait,” Taş said.
Sarikamis district of Kars is not only famous for its ski resort. It welcomes nature lovers from all over Turkey and the world all year round. Sarikamis is covered with dense forests and surrounded by high hills and mountains. The destination is an ideal place for photographers as well as adventurers. Amateur photographer Hasan Sellat said that taking photos in Sarikamis is a privilege. Since the nights are quite cold, when the sun rises above the mountains, frost covers all the trees, offering the best winter scenery for photographers and nature lovers.
Kars is the jewel of eastern Turkey with its deep-rooted history and cultural elements that have been protected for centuries. The city is also an important winter tourism centre with significant snowfalls blanketing the region for four months.
Thus, Cıbıltepe resort in Sarıkamış is considered the busiest ski resort in Kars. It is ideal for winter tourism and sports thanks to its natural ski slopes. The resort is also very practical for skiing. Cıbıltepe is one of the five first-class ski resorts in Turkey. Winter preparations have already been completed in Sarıkamış, so the recreation area is waiting for its visitors.
The ski resort of Sarıkamış is located on a plateau that is located at an altitude of 2900 meters above sea level and is surrounded by pine forests. On average, Sarıkamış is covered with 150 centimeters of snow for four months of the year. The best time to visit Kars for skiing is from December 10 to April 10. The unique geography of the resort creates a destination comparable to the Alps, offering opportunities for winter sports, as well as ski safaris and sledding. In addition, Sarıkamış hosts a snow festival in February with various events such as horse shows, skiing, snow volleyball and off-road racing.
Sarikamis is home to a five-star hotel, seven three-star hotels, a hostel and two aparthotels. One of Kars's biggest tourist attractions is the 118-year-old hunting lodge built by Tsar Nicholas II during the Russian occupation of the region.
Sarıkamış-Allahyükber National Park, which covers 22 hectares and spreads across the two provinces of Kars and Erzurum, is a destination that cannot be ignored. The Sarıkamış region has the largest pine forest in Turkey. While exploring the national park, visitors can see a wide variety of wildlife. Combined with the untouched nature and majestic geography, it is easy to say that Sarikamish is an ideal destination for trekking and wildlife enthusiasts.
In addition to its skiing and natural attractions, Sarikamis is also an important center for religious tourism. Every year in the first week of January, people from all over Turkey flock here in memory of the 90 Ottoman soldiers who were martyred there during World War I.
