Lake Çıldır Sleighing

Lake Çıldır, a popular winter vacation spot for Turkish visitors who flock here in February, but still mostly unknown to most foreign tourists. This high-altitude lake is a winter wonderland and well worth the long journey from Turkey's mountainous northeast.

At 123 square kilometers, the lake is the second-largest in Turkey. Lake Çıldır freezes solid in the winter, and the area around it is covered in snow-capped mountains. Throughout the coldest months of winter, locals organize ice-fishing excursions and horse-sleigh rides out onto the lake. It's a very well-liked way to take in this fantastical, snow-covered scenery that appears to have stepped right out of a fairy tale. A stop at one of the lake's ice-fishing locations, where local villagers demonstrate their traditional winter fishing skills, is frequently included in sleighing trips. On the lake, you can rent snowmobiles and use other more modern modes of transport in addition to the traditional sleighing activities. Try to visit the lake during the week rather than on the weekends during the winter.