See Cappadocia from above and below

Cappadocia's sinuous scenery stretches out to the horizon in undulating waves of rock colored blushing pink from above. Hot air ballooning may be huge business in this geological paradise, but don't believe that's the only way to see it. Butterfly Balloons and Royal Balloons may take you high above the sinewy valleys for a visual education in the long process of erosion that has shaped this part of Turkey. However, the undulating geography of Cappadocia is best enjoyed up close.

The pigeon house architecture of Cappadocia's valleys is a legacy of the area's agricultural tradition, making Swiss cheese out of the surrounding rock sides. Further exploration reveals cave churches and hermitages utilized by the religious groups that lived here during the Byzantine era, hidden within small valleys and cut out of the tor slopes of soft volcanic rock.

Walking through the valley furrows is like strolling through a fairytale setting. The region's conical rock formations, known locally as "fairy chimneys", look like something out of a child's imagination. The human history that may be examined here is just as astounding as the moonscape sweeps of natural splendor. Whatever path you take, when you return to earth after your hot air balloon journey, put on your hiking boots and stroll into the valleys themselves. Here are three of the greatest valleys for hikers to explore a broad cross-section of cultural heritage and natural magnificence.