The European Capital of Winter Sports 2025, Erzurum is establishing itself as one of the world's leading winter sports resorts, and is in the starting blocks for the next Winter Olympics. Few are thinking about it, but that could change!
By Béatrice Demol
Known as «Little Siberia», Erzurum is Turkey's coldest and highest city at 2,000m. But above all, Erzurum is one of the ski destinations of the future. Its Palandöken ski area boasts almost nine months' snowfall a year, and the quality of its snow and vertical drops are delighting specialists who see the Alps melting away and are now banking on very high-altitude resorts. What's more, prices are also unbeatable. The growth in tourist numbers now plays an important role alongside Turkey's seaside and cultural tourism.
Awarded by the European Capitals and Cities of Sports Federation (ACES, a partner of the European Commission and UNESCO), the title of European Capital of Winter Sports is complemented this year by the distinction of Ecological Tourism Capital of ECO (the Economic Cooperation Organization which groups together the countries of Eurasia). A fitting tribute to the historical heritage and modernity of the entire region.
Real winter sports
Since hosting the World University Winter Games (the biggest multi-sport competition in the world after the Olympic Games), the ski resorts surrounding the town of Erzurum in the province of the same name in eastern Anatolia have boasted infrastructures worthy of the great resorts of the Alps. Renamed the Ejder 3200 World Ski Center, the 71-kilometer ski area features detachable chairlifts, a gondola lift, modern snow groomers and snow cannons - practically never used, as the Palandöken and Konakli areas, with slopes descending from 3,180m to 2,200m, are snow-covered well beyond the season. There's an impressive competition climbing wall, five ski jumps, modern high-altitude restaurants with picture windows that contrast with the dark snack bars of some European resorts, heli-skiing to the highest peaks, night lighting, a cross-country ski circuit at Kandili, unlimited off-piste and runs for beginners and competitors alike, one of the longest downhill ski runs in the world - 12 kilometers at Palandöken, like La Vanoise des Trois Vallées.
Unbeatable prices
In and around Erzurum - the center is 5 kilometers from the slopes and 15 kilometers from the airport - there are still skating rinks, toboggan runs, curling rinks, biathlon trails, swimming pools, discos and plenty of good restaurants serving traditional local cuisine - including the famous caq kebabi (kebabs personalized by each chef), hingels (yoghurt ravioli) and kadayifs, (sweet dough vermicelli stuffed with almonds). Warm up! The town lies at an altitude of 2,000m, and its climate is just the opposite of its population's mood: very cold. However, the people of Erzurum are adamant: summers are very hot, even if there are occasional snowfalls.
With its Atatürk University, one of the largest in the country, the population (660,000) is rather young and dynamic, and appreciates tourists who choose to come all the way here and not just to the country's beaches. These exploratory travelers are rewarded with incredibly low prices for a winter resort with all the facilities. From ski instructors and equipment hire to high-end restaurants, lifts and accommodation. Our website https://www.combien-coute.net/ estimates the cost of living in Erzurum at 38% lower than in France, 66% for housing and 69% for restaurants. For the price of a tartiflette in Val Thorens, you can eat five meals on the slopes of Palandöken. And for the price of a studio in Les 2 Alpes, you can stay in a 5* hotel in the town.
History and culture
When you take off your skis, Erzurum, one of Anatolia's oldest cities, nestled among steppes dotted with volcanic hills, is also a cultural and historical destination. It was here that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk laid the foundations of the Turkish Republic. An ancient fortress on the Silk Road, and the scene of numerous power struggles between Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Ottomans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Russians and Turks, Erzurum was, in the 15th century, the capital of the Turkish Republic.ème Theodosiopolis, Europe's fifth-largest city. This crossroads of civilizations abounds in vestiges.
Visits
It's rare to be able to combine skiing and culture, and if you choose to mix the two, here are a few points of interest we recommend:
- The Cifte Minarelli Medrese. The former Koranic school is today the most emblematic building of the Seljuk period. Framed by two sculpted minarets, it houses a fine collection of colorful ceramics and period pieces.
- Erzurum Castle. The Byzantine fortress offers an enveloping view of the city.
- The Medrese Yakutiye. Now an Islamic museum, it features objects, blue earthenware tableware and jewelry.
- The Rüstem Pacha. The former caravanserai of the Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent now houses luxury boutiques.
- Uç KÏmbetler. The famous three tombs with pointed ashlar roofs, characteristic of many mausoleums in the region.
- Treat yourself to a local hammam - or climb up to the spa town of Illica, 15 kilometers from Erzurum. We go there for the hot springs, the treatments and the well-being. And for the scenery. In particular, the Cobandere bridge at the entrance to Erzurum, an aqueduct whose longevity (800 years) is due to the juniper branches that cling to the foot of the bridge!
- Have a Turkish coffee or a chocolate in a municipal café, where prices are fixed and the locals like to get together to laugh and talk loudly.
Meetings
Indeed, winter sports are not usually conducive to genuine encounters. So take advantage of the exoticism of the destination and stroll through the city, between Ottoman, Seljuk and Mongol buildings, enter the caravanserais lost in the small paved labyrinths and transformed into private homes. Let the locals hail you and invite you to share a cup of tea on the carpet. More than on the trails, you'll cross time with their stories.
Lose yourself in the town's bazaar, bringing back black tea, cheese, chocolate, aromatic herbs and silver and jet stone jewelry - and chat with the old craftsmen who hold the country's history in their hands. One of them told me that the snowboard was invented here over 300 years ago... I checked, and it's true: assembled and waxed pinewood planks that were used to move, feet braced and with the help of a rope and a stick, between snow-covered villages. It was written: this year, for the second time, Erzurum will host the Snowboard World Cup.
In 2025
All season long, the town and its surroundings play host to local and international competitions. Mountain bike races on the slopes, the Snowboard World Cup, the Turkish Ice Climbing Championship, the favorite stage of the Snow Volleyball World Tour (yes, volleyball on snow!), the Snow Theater Festival. Then the Summer Games, an International Cycling Tournament, the Gastronomy Festival and the Cultural Road Festival take over. There will be exhibitions and concerts all year round.
How to get there
To reach this increasingly serious alternative to European resorts, you have to travel via Istanbul. It's a 1h20 flight to Erzurum. Connections are studied, but why not combine them with a city trip to Istanbul?
For accommodation on the slopes, the 4* Dedeman Erzurum Palandöken Ski Lodge is located in the heart of the resort, with its own office for equipment rental, ski pass sales and excursions. A SPA and gourmet restaurant complete the offer. In town, much less expensive and with free shuttles, the Polat Erzurum Resort 5*, in the center, is very popular.
https://goturkiye.com, www.erzurum.bel.tr, https://www.ejder3200.com.
