5 Coldest places In Turkey | Cold Regions Of Türkiye For Ski
Turkey is a country of 4 seasons and has many cold places, but not all places are suitable for tourism because they have nothing to offer.
Erzurum and Oymyakon are the coldest cities in Turkey and in the list below I have compared their temperature with other cold cities in the world:
| City | Country/Region | January Avg. High (°C) | January Avg. Low (°C) | Known For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erzurum | Eastern Anatolia, Turkey | -4 | -14 | Historic sites, winter sports |
| Ardahan | Northeastern Turkey | -2 | -10 | Historic sites |
| Oymyakon | Siberia, Russia | -47 | -58 | One of the coldest permanently inhabited settlements |
| Verkhoyansk | Siberia, Russia | -46 | -62 | Contender for coldest inhabited place on Earth |
| Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | -23 | -33 | Cultural and historical center of Mongolia |
| Iqaluit | Nunavut, Canada | -21 | -34 | Largest city in the Canadian Arctic |
| Harbin | Heilongjiang, China | -13 | -23 | Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival |
Since Erzurum and Ardahan were unattractive, I looked for other cold cities in Turkey. In the following, I will introduce you to 5 cold places in Turkey worth visiting, and I have visited them myself.
I don’t like heat, so when I traveled to Turkey, I immediately searched for the coldest region and got to know the cities of Cappadocia, Eskişehir, Kars, Bursa and Bolu.
Most people looking for such areas are generally interested in skiing and like to ski on snowy days. If you are one of those people, I have good news for you because below I will also introduce a city where you can go skiing.
You should know that I have lived in these cities from December to the end of January 2022, and everything you will read in the rest of the article from the travel website is my personal experience.
The coldest region in Türkiye: Cappadocia
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Cappadocia is one of the strange area of Turkey, and many tourists travel there in all seasons of the year. Due to the popularity of Cappadocia among tourists, they visit there even in winter. When I went to this area, I saw some tourists riding balloons, but due to the cold, the number of tourists is less than in other seasons.
During my trip to this area, I visited fairy chimneys created by the volcano’s activity and water and wind erosion. Around Cappadocia, there are suitable mountains for skiing where you can experience speed and excitement.
The air temperature in the winter days in this area is around 5 degrees Celsius; at night, it reaches below 0 degrees Celsius.
In the image below, you can see the average temperature of Cappadocia:
Coldest Area In Turkey: Eskişehir
Eskişehir is located along the Porsuk River, about 200 kilometers west of Ankara. I went to this city in the winter of 2022, and when I arrived, the weather was moderate, and the temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius.
When it got dark, the air temperature started to decrease slowly and reached minus 2 degrees Celsius, which surprised me because I had not brought enough warm clothes to this city, and I had to go to Espark Shopping Mall and buy a thick coat.
If you don’t mind the cold and like the cold weather, I suggest you visit Carsi Market in this city. Carsi Market is a market where there are different shops and brands with branches that you can buy from.
In the image below, you can see the average temperature of Eskişehir:
The coldest region in Türkiye: Bolu city
The traditional and small city of Bulu is another city on the list of the coldest regions in Turkey. Evergreen trees covered with snow make this small town very beautiful in winter. This city is between Ankara and Istanbul and is a good place for winter trips. For this reason, you can continue your trip to the cities of Istanbul and Ankara and visit the sights of these cities, such as Suma Beach and Luna Park Istanbul.
Bolu is also known as the city of four seasons in Turkey. But many tourists choose the winter season to visit this city. Why is the city of Bolu more attractive than other options in the coldest region in Turkey?
Because Yedigoller National Park is a unique natural attraction for visitors. Also, Abnat small lake is one of the winter sights of Bolu city.
In the winter, the beauty of the snow on the slopes of the mountains of this city is also very spectacular. The snow height in these mountains is more than 50 cm, and it has a beautiful view.
The coldest temperature in this city occurred in 2018 when it reached -21 degrees Celsius. Generally, this city’s average temperature in January is about -5 degrees Celsius.
The coldest region in Türkiye: Kars city
Kars City is a perfect place for winter sports, and you can have a vacation full of exciting memories. Kars has a cold climate in winter, and it mostly snows. On some days of the year, the temperature reaches -3 degrees.
Snowfall in this city increases the beauty of natural and mountain scenery and is the best time for photography. Also, sledding on frozen lakes and winter sports are some of the tourist attractions in Kars.
The coldest region in Türkiye: Bursa city for ski
Bursa is the greenest city in Turkey, and it is four hours away from Istanbul, so you may be looking for the answer to the question “How to Get To Bursa From Istanbul?” I also suggest you read the related article.
The mountain of this city is famous among Turkish people and tourists because of its ski slopes and cable cars, and you can go to this place for skiing, jet skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. Even watching these entertainments in the winter nature of Uludağ is attractive, and you can enjoy the music festivals of this city.
This tourist area is approximately 40 kilometers away from Bursa, but there is beautiful natural scenery on the way to and from Bursa, which is spectacular in winter. For example, a 600-year-old plane tree is a natural tourist attraction on this route.
The coldest temperature in this city occurred in 2013 when it reached -14 degrees Celsius. Generally, this city’s average temperature in January is about 1 degrees Celsius.
Winter in Türkiye
Winter is one of the best times to visit Turkey because you can experience the local life and enjoy the fun and winter sports like skiing, ice skating, and other winter sports. The winter season in Turkey (December, January, and February) can be cold, rainy, and snowy.
At the end of the line
In this article, I introduced five cities, all of which are part of the coldest region in Turkey. Things like air temperature in winter, facilities, transportation systems, and winter recreation are considered for choosing these cities. I hope you enjoy your trip to this country in winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best winter activities in Türkiye?
Skiing in Turkish ski resorts
Having fun in indoor amusement parks in Türkiye
Using a traditional Turkish bath in the cold of winter
Balloon ride in Cappadocia
Sledding in Childir Lake
What are the Turkish festivals in winter?
Winter shopping festival
International cooking festival
Camel wrestling festival
What is the lowest temperature in Turkey?
The lowest recorded temperature is on January 9, 1990. On this day, the temperature was about 50 degrees below zero. On January 27, 2016, the temperature reached 41.2 degrees below zero in Chaldeans, Turkey.
