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An update from Evaneos
Erzurum

Erzurum (Turkey)

Practical information on Erzurum

  • Viewpoint
  • Mountain
  • Ski resort
  • Place or Religious Monument
  • Museums
  • Castle and fortress
  • Place or Historical Monument
4 / 5 - One review
How to get there
4.5 hours away by car
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
1 to 2 days

Reviews of Erzurum

Nicolas Landru Seasoned Traveller
117 written opinions

Erzurum is an austere highland city, at 1757 m above sea level... Within this volcanic, lunar and bright landscape lies the largest city in north-eastern Turkey, which boasts superb remnants of the Seljuq period, a lovely town centre and a nearby ski resort.

My suggestion:
In winter, just 6 km from the centre, you will find some of the best ski slopes in the whole of Turkey on the Palandöken Mountains, which reach a height of 3271 m. The Palandöken station is in Baskoy, at 2100 m above sea level. The slopes are long, varied and steep - they are the most famous in the country!
My review

What an atmosphere! When you're standing at 1800 m above sea level, on what feels like a flat plain dominated by a few dented summits, you know you are witnessing something very special. I arrived in Erzurum at the end of March, when it was coated with the last flecks of dwindling snow and a light that I had never seen before except during my trip to Armenia. The moon crater landscape with its volcanic mountains and the clear winter light certainly impressed me.

When I arrived in Erzurum, I took an immediate liking to the historical remains of the city, although the majority of the little streets have since been replaced by the fairly modern town centre - which is nonetheless pleasant and lively. The two madrasas from the Seljuq period (XIII-XIV Century) are masterpieces of Islamic art - bare, adorned with magnificent bas-reliefs and amazing colours, with green or blue ceramic bringing out certain details among the austere reddish-brown colour of the volcanic stone. The citadel is another impressive historical site, along with the several mausoleums that are interspersed throughout this very religious city.

Yakutiye Medrese, Erzurum