SKIING IN TURKEY:
08-19-2009
MODERN FACILITIES, MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPES, EXOTIC LOCALES… AND THE BEST PRICES IN EUROPE
NEW YORK, NY – August 19, 2009 – Offering altitudes on par with the Alps and the American Rockies and a traditional November through April mountain season as well as year-round glacier skiing, Turkey offers winter sport experiences that are as varied and challenging as they are enjoyable. Whether for cross-country, downhill, heli-skiing, snowboarding or snow-shoeing, Turkey’s ski resorts offer modern facilities and equipment, skilled skiing instructors and a full range of contemporary accommodations.
Perhaps the only category where Turkey’s ski resorts don’t measure up to their European counterparts is price: Turkey’s resorts are generally less costly than many other popular European ski destinations, due in part to Turkey’s currency being the Turkish Lira and not the more expensive Euro.
Following is a sampling of premier ski resorts in Turkey.
Uludag Ski Center
Located twenty-two miles south of Bursa in western Anatolia, the Uludag Ski Center is one of Turkey’s most popular. The forest-covered mountain – the region’s highest at 8,343 feet – is a legendary vantage point from which, according to lore, the ancient gods watched the Trojan War.
Skiable from the summit, Uludag’s slopes feature eight chairlifts and seven T-bars on a total of 13 blue and green runs. Equipment rentals and instruction are available, and the Center’s 27 hotels can accommodate some 3,000 guests, with numerous restaurants and shops complementing a day on the slopes. A sampling of accommodations:
- Hotel Grand Yazici: Four stars, 250 rooms, two restaurants
- Hotel Kervansaray: Four stars, 169 rooms
- Magic Life Kartanesi: 155 rooms, four restaurants
- Agaoglu My Resort: 184 rooms, two restaurants
Every March, Uludag hosts both the International Youth Cup and the International Endurance Cup. The Center is approximately 60 minutes from Istanbul International Airport.
Kartalkaya Ski Center
Easily accessible from both Istanbul and Ankara, the Kartalkaya Ski Center dominates the winter sports scene of northern Turkey’s Western Black Sea Region in the Koroglu Mountains. The 6,060 to 7,287-foot mountain is popular for alpine skiing, cross-country and ski touring from December through March, with two chairlifts, six T-bars, three baby lifts, and 12 runs offering up to 12 miles of continuous skiing. The Center also features two 3-star hotels that combined can accommodate more than 1,000 guests.
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