Palandoken, the youngest ski resort in Turkey, located 4 km from Erzurum, has gained popularity due to the variety of slopes of light and medium levels. There you can teach a child or a beginner the basics of skiing, relax with the whole family or ride on the virgin lands. The ski season lasts from mid-December to mid-April, the most optimal skiing conditions are from January to March. The Palandoken ski area is located at an altitude of 2200-3176 m above sea level. Most of the hotels in the resort operate on an all-inclusive basis – however, this is not new for Turkey. Check topschoolsintheusa.com to learn more about Turkey.
Consider the climate. In the winter season, almost constant light snow is more than possible.
In 2011, within the framework of the Winter Universiade, which was hosted by Erzurum, snowboarding and freestyle competitions were held in Palandoken.
How to get to Palandoken
Flight to Erzurum from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, then 10 minutes drive by city bus number G6, which runs every 30 minutes (the distance from the center of Erzurum to Palandoken is about 4 km).
By train from Ankara, Istanbul, Sivas, Kars and Kayseri. The journey by bus from Ankara will take 13 hours, from Istanbul – 19 hours, from Trabzon – 6 hours.
When heading to Palandoken from Istanbul by car, you should move along the O4 highway, then along the D-200 and D-100 according to the signs.
Trails of Palandoken
The thickness of the snow cover is 1.5 meters, in some places up to 3 meters. The total length of the tracks is 40 km.
Of the 22 slopes of the resort, 8 are classified as “blue”, 8 – as “red” and 2 – as “black”, 4 more slopes are designed for off-piste skiing. The longest track of the resort stretches for 12 km. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable moments in Palandoken is that here skiers and snowboarders of all levels, from beginners to pros, can climb to the very top together, descend in different directions and meet again at the bottom.
Two “black” and one “red” trails go down from the top of the mountain. And a lot of short “red” trails make it possible from the first hours of your stay at the resort to undergo active acclimatization and prepare for more serious descents. The mountains located nearby are a real “wild resort” for lovers of off-piste skiing.
Palandoken has two registered ski runs (Ežder and Kaplykaya) for slalom and grand slalom competitions, with a height difference of 1000 meters.
Palandoken is also the official training ground for the Turkish Alpine skiing team, all of its tracks are certified by the International Ski Federation. Russian-speaking instructors work at the resort.
As in other Turkish ski resorts, almost every hotel in Palandoken has its own ski lifts. The skiing area of Palandoken is equipped with a four-seater cable car, 6 chair lifts and 2 ski lifts (one ski lift for children). During strong winds, the gondola and the top lifts may be closed.
Palandoken Hotels
Palandoken Ski Center features several well-known luxury hotels; Ski Resort Dedeman (4*), Ski Lodge Dedeman (4*), Palan (4*), Polat Renaissance Erzurum (5*).
Ski Resort Dedeman is located 15 km from the airport and 5 km from the center of Erzurum at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. Ski Lodge Dedeman is located 17 km from the airport and 4 km from the center of Erzurum at an altitude of 2100 m. These hotels own 5 main lifts: Ejder Lift Dedeman (chair, 1778 m), South Lift Dedeman (chair, 1528 m), Vadi Lift Dedeman (chairlift, 1200), Dedeman (rope, 800 m), Bambi Dedeman (rope, 200 m). The use of the ski lifts is free of charge for hotel guests.
“Palan” is located 15 km from the airport and 3 km from Erzurum. Near the hotel there are 3 chair lifts, one of which takes hotel guests to the main gondola lift of the ski area.
“Polat Renaissance” is located 15 km from Erzurum Airport and 6 km from the center of Erzurum at an altitude of 2190 m above sea level. The hotel has its own lifts on the slopes, the use of which is free of charge for hotel guests, these are chair lifts Polat 1, Polat 2 and Polat 3
The ski season lasts from mid-December to mid-April, the most optimal skiing conditions are from January to March. Most of the hotels in the resort operate on an all-inclusive basis – however, this is not new for Turkey.
Entertainment and attractions of Palandoken
Erzurum city, located at the foot of Mount Palandoken at an altitude of 1950 meters above sea level, is the capital of the province of the same name, the largest city and stronghold of the entire Eastern Anatolia, as well as an important transport hub at the intersection of trade routes between Ankara, Trabzon and Tehran. At the same time, Erzurum is considered an important cultural center, and the city’s Mustafa Ataturk University is considered one of the best institutions of higher education in Turkey. Erzurum is rich in historical monuments. With its centuries-old mosques, fortresses, towers and tombs with domed and conical roofs, Erzurum can safely be called the “treasury” of Turkey. Thus, the Chifte Minareli madrasah with two twin minarets 26 meters high, located on both sides of the main portal and decorated with turquoise tiles, is a symbol of the city; and Uch Kumbetler – a complex of three mausoleums – one of the most monumental works in Erzurum. Of the most significant mosques, one can single out the Great Mosque of the 12th century. and the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque of the 16th century. The caravanserai of Rustem Pasha, built on the orders of the Grand Vizier, is currently used as a market, where jet (black jasper) processing workshops and galleries where this stone can be purchased are located. The monument to “Aziziye Anita”, erected as a symbol of the heroism shown by the people of Erzurum during the Russian-Turkish war in 1878, is one of the most important in the city.
And, finally, the fortress, built to protect the city during the war, occupies its strategic place on the top of the hill.
From Palandoken you can go on an excursion to the ancient city of Trabzonspread along the Black Sea coast. Trabzon, located on the Great Silk Road, in the old days was a kind of “cauldron” in which various religions, languages and cultures were “cooked” over the centuries. Venetian and Genoese merchants used to visit here, and during the Ottoman Empire, Trabzon was considered an important center of trade with Iran and the Caucasus. The main attraction of the city is rightfully considered the Hagia Sophia, built in the 13th century. by order of Manuel I. After the capture of Trabzon in 1461 by Mehmed II, the cathedral was turned into a mosque. Later, the cathedral was used as a military hospital and warehouse during the First World War. After the restoration of 1958-1964. the cathedral becomes a museum, the main value of which is the frescoes of the 13th century, illustrating the scenes of the New Testament.
