Winter Sports

The high altitude mountains of Turkey have made the country an important centre for winter tourism, and skiing is becoming increasingly popular.

Agri - Bubi Mountain

This ski resort is on the mountain of Bubi, in Eastern Anatolia, 18km south-west of the centre of Agri.

Arrival: There are flights from Ankara and Istanbul, and transport from Agri to the resort is only by private vehicles.

Geography: The ski season runs between December to April. The area has a terrestrial climate, and the resort is covered with alpine meadows, which is covered with 1-2m of snow in the winter.

Facilities: There is a ski lodge belonging to the Agri City Directorate, and a café. There is a T-bar and chair-lift.

Ankara-Elmadag

The Elmadag Ski Resort, which is on the northern slopes of Elmadag mountain range, is a few kilometres south-east of the centre of Ankara, which has made it more popular.

Arrival: It is just 18km from the city, and close to the airport, there are many private vehicles going to the resort.

Geography: The resort is on the northern slopes of Elmadag between the altitudes of 1500-1850m. The area is treeless and covered with alpine meadows. The season runs between January and March, with a terrestrial climate, and snow thickness between 30-60cm.

Facilities: There are government-owned ski lodges, plus two restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, disco and restaurants. The T-bar has a 548m route, and the ski run is at an easy/medium level.

Antalya-Saklikent

Saklikent is 50km west of the centre of Antalya, in the Beydag mountain range, with an altitude of 2550m. Because of its close proximity to Antalya, it is one of the few places in the world that people can ski in the mornings, then swim in the sea in the afternoon.

Arrival: The resort can be reached from the centre of Antalya by bus, taxi or a hotel service vehicle in one hour.

Geography: The altitude for the skiing areas is between 2000-2400m, with a snow depth between 0.5-1m and a short season.

Facilities: There is a pension with 14 beds, a restaurant, café and local coffee-houses. There are two T-bars, and two ski runs at easy/moderate level.

Bingöl-Yolacti

The resort is 25km outside the city centre of Bingol, in Central Eastern Anatolia.

Arrival: Bingol is well connected to all areas of the country by bus. The nearest airport is at Mus, around 80km east. Private vehicles go from the city centre to the resort.

Geography: The city has a terrestrial climate, and the skiing season runs between December and March.

Facilities: The ski lodge has a 50-bed capacity, and Bingol city centre is generally used for medical and other services. The ski run is 1km, with routes for beginners and advanced skiers. There is a T-bar with a lower station at 1650m, and the upper one at 1890m, with an average gradient of 25%.

Bitlis-Center

Bitlis is in the far east of the country, in Eastern Anatolia around 20km south-west of Lake Van, and the skiing area is inside the city.

Arrival: The city is 1100km from Ankara, 1504km from Istanbul, 1465km from Izmir and around 200km south of Erzurum. The nearest airports are at Mus (85km) and Van (160km). Bitlis can be reached from anywhere in the country by bus.

Geography: The resort has temperate terrestrial climate and the season runs between December and April. The area of Bitlis gets snow continuously in the winter, which had a depth of 1-2m. The areas for skiing are Dideban (1821m) and Sapgor mountains east of the city, and Altinkalbur at the west.

Facilities: In addition to the ski lodge inside the resort, there is much more accommodation and other services in the city. The resort at Altinkalbur has a T-bar facility 726m long, and the standard of ski runs is between moderate and difficult.

Bolu-Kartalkaya

The Kartalkaya Skiing Resort is in the Western Black Sea Region, southeast of Bolu, in the Koroglu mountains. The mountain has appropriate conditions for Alpine and cross-country skiing.

Arrival: The distance from Bolu city centre is 54km, and 28m to the Ankara highway. It takes around 45 minutes by road from the city centre and in addition to public buses and minibuses, most of the hotels organise this service for visitors.

Geography: The ski area is at an altitude of 1850-2200m, and the region has semi-temperate climate. Kartalkaya and surroundings are covered with forests, and has a dominant wind direction of west/north-west. The best season for skiing is from late December and late March, with an average 3m snowfall. The snow at the beginning of the season is powdery, getting increasingly slushy towards the end.

Facilities: There are two hotels with a total bed capacity of 1005, plus restaurants, swimming pools, discos and bars. Ski equipment and instruction is available. There are two chair-lifts, six T-bars and three baby lifts, with 12 ski runs around 20km long. 

* Yesil (green) Lift (Chairlift - 700 m)
* Camcukuru Lift (Chairlift - 650 m)
* Inekcayiri 1-2 (Ski-Lift - 900 m)
* Resuldede 1-2 (Ski-Lift - 600 m)
* Kazankaya (Ski-Lift - 650 m)
* Koroglu Lift (Ski-Lift - 1200 m)
* 2 Baby-Lift

Bursa - Uludag

Uludag, 36km south of Bursa, is one of the country’s favourite winter sports centres and as well as skiing, its richness of flora and fauna has made it into a National Park and summer activities like trekking and camping are also popular. Uludag was previously known as Olympos Misios in ancient times, and is known in mythology as the place where the gods watched the Trojan war. Plans have been confirmed for a development project, which will offer a huge increase in accommodation and skiing facilities. Its geographical conditions mean that Uludag Ski Resort can also offer heli-skiing, snow boarding, ice-skating and snow biking.

Arrival: Uludag National Park can be reached both by highway and cable car. The Ski resort is 40 minutes away from Bursa by road and 60 minutes from the airport. Travelling by private vehicle, the Cekirge road is the easiest. Drivers must keep wheel chains, wedges and heavy ropes during winter, which are available for hire or sale along the roadside. There are also minibuses going to the top of Uludag which leave every hour during the winter, and takes around 90 minutes from Bursa.

There are four sections of the cable-car route to reach Uludag, two between Bursa and Kadi plateau (1235m) and two between Kadi and Sari Alan (1621m). Each line has a cabin that can fit 30 people, although it is prohibited to carry ski equipment, and depart the district of Teleferik every 20 minutes. The journey, which stops at Kadi and then changes car, takes around 25 minutes. From the Sari Alan, there is a minibus service travelling the last 7km to the hotel area. In the summer season, there is a chairlift from Sari Alan to Coban Kaya (1750m)

Geography: Uludag is the highest mountain in Western Anatolia, with its peak at Kara Tepe (2543m). It is covered in forests, and the region has a partially temperate climate with a dominant wind direction of south-west/south. The altitude of the skiing area is between 1750 – 2543m, and the best season is from late December to late March. The snow at the beginning of the season is powdery, getting increasingly slushy towards the end.

Facilities: There are 27 hotels, 15 of which are privately owned, with a total of over 3000 beds. The area also has shopping halls, restaurants, cafes and bars, entertainment and health centres.

Ski equipment, rental and instructors are all available here. There are eight chair-lifts, seven T-bars and 13 different ski runs.

Elazig - Sivrice - Hazarbaba

Located in the Hazarbaba Mountains in the Elazig district, this resort was only opened in 1999 and is still being improved.

Arrival: Elazig is on the western side of the Eastern Anatolian region, and is well connected by road to all over the country. There are daily flights from Ankara, and three trains a week from Istanbul. The Hazarbaba Ski Centre is 25km south of Elazig, and 6km from Sivrice, and there are private vehicles to the centre.

Geography: Hazarbaba Mountain has an altitude of 2347m with an average snow depth of between 100 – 200cm. The season runs between December and March, and has a terrestrial climate.

Facilities: The resort has a ski lodge and a cafe. Ski equipment is available for hire, and there are plans to construct accommodation facilities. The T-bar was recently upgraded, and the ski run improved to cater for all levels of experience. Mechanical facilities and running tracks: The older T bar facility was upgraded to 1700 meters in 2000 and the track was improved in order to provide a better skiing environment for beginner and advanced skiers.

Erzincan - Bolkar

Around 40km from Erzincan in North Eastern Anatolia, the Bolkar Ski Resort is in the Bolkar Mountains.

Arrival: From the centre of Erzincan, there are many private and public vehicles to the ski centre. The nearest airport is in Erzurum, around 150km east.

Geography: The season runs between December and April, and the snow is at a depth of up to 1m.

Facilities: The centre has a ski lodge, T-bar and baby-lift. The ski run is around 1.1km long and 200m wide, with a gradient of 20% and is a medium/hard level.

Erzurum - Palandöken

Palandoken mountain has an altitude of 3185 m, and is south of Erzurum. This was the area of the first extensive study in the country looking at a master plan for tourism potential, which concluded that the area has the necessary potential and qualities to be a major international resort. Given the right facilities, it is estimated that 32,000 people could ski per day and could be the venue of international competitions and even Winter Olympics, giving job opportunities to around 6000 people.

Arrival: There are daily flights from Ankara and Istanbul to Erzurum. The ski resort is 5km from the city centre, and 10 minutes from the airport. During the winter season, there are public buses from the ski resort to the city centre.

Geography: Erzurum is one of the highest and coldest cities of Turkey, with a harsh terrestrial climate and covered with snow 150 days of a year, and an average annual snowfall of 2-3m. The dominant wind direction is southerly and westerly. The skiing area is at an altitude of 2200m – 3176m, and best time to ski is between 10 December - 10 May.

Facilities: There are 4- and 5-star hotels with restaurants, and ski instruction and equipment rental services are available. The slopes here are among the longest and steepest in the world, each one up to 12km, giving a total length of around 28 km. With the altitude difference of 1000 metres between the start and finish line, Palandoken has two registered tracks for competitions of Slalom and grand Slalom. (Ejder Track and Kapikaya Track). There are five chair-lifts, one T-bar, two baby lifts and a gondola lift

Gümüshane - Zigana

The Zigana Ski Centre is in the Black Sea Region, 40km north of Gumushane.

Arrival: Zigana is 60km south of Trabzon, the closest airport, and just 500m from the main road leading north of Gumushane. There is public and private transport from the ski centre to the city.

Geography: Covered mainly with forest, the ski runs are between altitudes of 1900-2500m, and covered with grass for most of the year. The season is between December and April, and there is an average snow depth of 1.5m.

Facilities: The ski centre has a lodge, a T-bar and baby-lift. The ski run is around 200m wide, with an average gradient of 20%.

Isparta-Davraz

The Davraz Ski Centre is in the Western Mediterranean, 26km from the centre of Isparta.

Arrival: Municipal buses run from the ski centre to the city. Isparta’s Suleyman Demirel Airport is 58km away, and Isparta is well connected by bus to other areas of the country.

Geography: Davraz moutains, with an altitude of 2637m, is part of the range between Egirdir and Kovada Lakes, which surround the Isparta Valley in the area known as the Lake District. The ski centre has a terrestrial climate and the season runs between December and April. The snow is between 0.5 – 2m deep, and the mountain has a bare appearance with little vegetation and enabling different winter sports.

Facilities: The ski lodge has a capacity of 50 beds, and has a large restaurant. Other hotels in the centre of Isparta or the Egirdir area are also convenient. The chair-lift starts at an altitude of 1674m and ascends to 1961m, and the ski runs are 4km long.

Izmir-Odemis-Davraz

Bozdag Ski Resort is near Odemis, 110km southeast of Izmir. . .

Arrival: Izmir is easily accessible by road or by air. The ski resort can be reached directly from the city centre with public or private vehicles.

Geography: The skiing season runs between December to March, and there is a snow depth of around 100cm. The ski areas are at an altitude of between 1700 – 2157m and the northern slopes are suitable for alpine discipline.

Facilities: Accommodation facilities are under construction.

Kastamonu - Ilgaz

The Ilgaz mountains are in the Black Sea region, in the city borders of Kastamonu and Cankiri, and have an altitude of 2850 meters. Beside winter sports, this National Park is a popular and beautiful spot all year round.

Arrival: The Ilgaz ski resort lies 40km from Kastamonu and 73km from Cankiri, and 203km northeast from its nearest airport, Ankara. Tour buses and private vehicles make the journey from the centre of Kastamonu.

Geography: The region has a terrestrial climate, and the dominant wind direction is north-northwest. The skiing season runs between December and April. The snow is between 1-2km deep, and the ski runs are between 1800-2000m altitude.

Facilities: There are five government guest-houses and two hotels at the resort, with another hotel 3km away. There are facilities for medical care, plus ski instructors and equipment for hire. In 2001, a 5-star hotel with 320 bed capacity, and 88 hotel apartments opened in nearby Bostan. There is a double-seated chair-lift and T-bar, and a baby-lift at the private hotel 3km away.

Kars - Sarikamis

In the Eastern Anatolia Region and 55km south-west of Kars, the Sarikamis Ski Resort is on the Camurlu mountain at an altitude of 2634m, and is renowned for its good quality of snow.

The Cibiltepe, with an altitude of 2500m, is an area of wonderful natural beauty and has five ski runs, the longest of which is 12 km long. It is covered with crystallised snow and therefore is very challenging.

Arrival: Sarikamis Ski Resort is 60km south-west of the centre of Kars, and 50km from the airport. It is also accessible from Erzurum airport, south-west. There are direct buses to the ski resort from Kars airport (40 mins) and Erzurum airport (90 mins). From the centre of Kars, there are no public vehicles.

Geography: The skiing area is between the altitudes of 2100 -2634m, within the pine forests. There is an average depth of 1.5m and is quite typical of Alpine conditions, and the best ski season is between 20 December - 20 March. It has a terrestrial climate, with a dominant south-westerly wind direction.

Facilities: There are two government guest-houses, and other private accommodation. Ski instructors and equipment is available for rent, and there is first aid, security and health services available, more hotels and hospital in the Sarikamis area. There is a military zone which can be used for helicopter landings. There are two chairlifts and one T-bar, plus two 4-seater T-bars.

Kayseri - Erciyes

Erciyes Dagi (3916 m.), the highest peak in Central Anatolia, rises 25km south of Kayseri. The peak of the mountain, an extinct volcano, is covered with snow throughout the year, and there is a 1km-long glacier in the northern region of the mountain. The ski resort is at the Tekir Plateau, on the northern slopes of the mountain and in addition to skiing, Erciyes is one of the most important mountains of the country for mountaineering.

Arrival: Erciyes is 40 minutes by road from Kayseri airport, and 30 minutes from the city centre. Most hotels organise transport to the ski area for their visitors.

Geography: The skiing areas on the eastern and northern slopes of the Erciyes Mountain are between the altitudes of 2200 -3100m. The best season for skiing is between late November and late April, with an average depth of approximately 2m of very powdery snow. The region has a terrestrial climate and the dominant wind direction is southerly and westerly.

Facilities: There are four government guest-houses and a private hotel, plus restaurants, bars, swimming pool, large café and medical facilities. Ski instructors and equipment rental are available. There is one chair-lift and two T-bars.