Turkey... An Invitation To Mountain and Ski Lovers...

Turkey's geographical position and conditions create great potential for skiing.

Although Turkey is best known for it's hot sunny mediterranean resorts, swimming, sun bathing and water sports, there is much more to the climate than hot summers.

Much of Turkey is mountainous, and many regions of Turkey have cooler climates than the major resort areas.With an average altitude of 1000 meters, the Anatolian Peninsula is covered with North Anatolian Mountains (2587-3932 m) in the North and Taurus Mountains (3086-4136 m) in the South. The Central and East anatolian high plateaus are enchanted by extinct volcanic mountains such as Mt. Erciyes (3917) and Mt. Agri (5137 m). With many of these peaks experiencing snow cover for as much as six months or more, the potential for skiing here is very great.

Still a minority, activity however, skiing has relatively few adherents, although the number of participants is growing rapidly, and relatively undeveloped resorts. Despite this, Turkey can offer great opportunities for both serious skiers and beginners alike, at much better value than most of the better known winter sports resorts. For those who like a more adventurous approach, Turkish winter resorts could be the place for you, though with a couple of exceptions, don't expect great apres ski entertainment.

During the normal winter conditionsa the height of the snow reaches approximately 3 meters and covered with the forests, the natural beauty of the mountainous areas is stunning.

These resorts offer great skiing, good accomodation and great Turkish food, in a much quieter environment than many of their competitors.