One of the biggest attractions of Kayseri, attracting both people from different parts of Turkey and from abroad, is its skiing centre at Erciyes Mountain. For me, as a Czech, it also has a deeper meaning because our skier/snowboarder Ester Ledecká won a Snowboard World Cup there in February 2016! So this was one of the places I wanted to visit for sure.Mount Erciyes is located 25 km to the south of Kayseri, with its summit reaching 3,916 m. You can perform a large variety of winter sports activities there, such as alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow kiting, snow tubing, snowboarding etc. In the summer, it is a great spot for hiking, trekking, Nordic walking, paragliding, climbing…For skiing, there are 31 slopes (the highest one reaches the altitude of 3,360 m) of three different difficulty levels (blue, red and black) and 13 lifts. On winter weekends, a special shuttle bus organized by Kayseri municipality picks up the passionate skiers from Kayseri city centre and takes them right to the area. There are also parking areas, and hotels for those who wish to stay longer.
The prices are reasonable and a bit cheaper than in Europe: the cost of the skipass 12 TL for one ride (9 TL for students), 70 TL per day (students 55 TL), seasonal pass 500 TL (students 400 TL). You can buy 7, 30 or 50 rides as well. But the best thing is, if you are a beginner, there are at least two lifts completely for free at the beginners’ slopes, and you will have enough fun anyway!
Also, compared to Europe, the slopes are much less crowded (actually not crowded at all, even on a sunny Sunday). This was the best thing for me and made me feel really comfortable! Overall, the quality and standards of the centre are the same as in any European country, but the affordable prices and non-existent crowds make it a truly unique experience. The atmosphere is very international, I encountered quite a few foreigners, and almost all the staff are English speaking.
You can rent all the necessary equipment on spot, including proper clothes. Prices are rather negotiable, we paid 35 TL for skis+poles+boots or 40 TL with a jacket and trousers, but you can also be asked to pay a double price. So do not forget to bargain! You can also hire a ski teacher but we did not try this option. And I would recommend to take your own food and water supplies, as refreshments are extremely expensive on spot!
So, do you still think that Turkey is just a summer sea destination? Have fun!
In case you are visiting a different part of Turkey, but still want to enjoy your skiing experience, believe me that this country has a lot to offer. There are many other ski resorts throughout the country: e.g. Uludağ close to Bursa, Palandöken in Erzurum, Sarıkamış in Kars or Saklıkent close to Antalya.
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