From Sea Shores Straightway to Snow Covered Peaks
For most holidaymakers Turkey first of all is the sea, the sun and the beach, and only a few people know that Turkey is also a country of wonderful ski resorts. Europeans took fancy to Turkish expanses for skiing and snowboarding long ago. Equipment rental, lift prices are lower than, for example, in the Alps, but the snowy slopes are none the worse.
A Couple of Hours Ride from Antalya
If you are the owner of an apartment on the Antalya coast, you will not have to think about where to spend the winter holidays. A couple of hours by car - 140 km from Antalya - and you are at one of the best ski resorts - Davraz which is located near Isparta. Ski season lasts from December to April and the total length of ski slopes is more than 3.5 kilometers! It is none the worse than the Alpine resorts. Chair lifts bring tourists to an altitude of 2500 meters above the sea level. There is a ski school and equipment rental here.
Runs at Davraz ski resort are more suitable for beginners and skiers who own technology at the secondary level. But there are also black runs for supporters of extremal sports, so those who love to “scorch” will not be bored here, too.
There is another popular among mountain skiers ski resort Saklikent not far from Antalya. It takes less than an hour to get to it. Even if you have only one day off, you can definitely go to the snowy peaks. From late December to mid-March there are two ski slopes, the length of which is about six kilometers.
It is expected that soon ski resort will appear not far from Alania. Akdağ resort is due to be opened in forty kilometers from the city.
From Historic Istanbul Straightway to Snowy Runs
One of the largest ski resorts in Turkey, Uludag, is located just 150 kilometers from Istanbul. Among skiers, it is known as an inexpensive alternative to the Alpine resorts. The season here starts in December and ends in April. In Uludag there are many wide and gentle slopes, so this place is popular among beginner skiers and families with children. There are really a lot of runs here – the total length is more than 17 kilometers, and the largest height from which you can go down is 2,200 meters above the sea level.
From the South to the East
There is a resort, Palandoken, in the east of Turkey (6 kilometers from Erzurum). That is where a true paradise for supporters of extremal sports. The longest ski slope with the length of 12 kilometers is situated here, as well as off-piste skiing is common here. Not only lifts, but also helicopters deliver skiers and snowboarders to the mountain peak. Skiing at Palandoken is possible 150 days a year, as the snow falls here early enough and do not melt.
As meteorologists say, this year winter in the mountains of Turkey is expected to be snowy. Therefore, all who are not indifferent to ski and snowboarding can set forth from the southern shores straight to snow-capped mountain peaks.
