Winter fun in Kartalkaya

Looking like a giant game park under a blanket of snow right at the midpoint between Istanbul and Ankara, Kartalkaya is an important winter tourism resort that combines comfort with taintless beauty of nature. Standing out with its well-equipped mechanical facilities, modern hotels and tracks that are suitable for all kinds of winter sports, the ski resort is situated on the mild slopes of Köroğlu Mountains. With an altitude of 2,378 meters, this is one of western Black Sea region's highest peaks. Located within the territories of the city of Bolu, at some 190 kilometers distance from Ankara, 260 kilometers from Istanbul and 590 kilometers from İzmir, the resort is especially busy during weekends.

The land of legends

Separated by Davraz and Soğanlı Valleys from Küre Mountains, the home to Europe's oldest forests, Köroğlu Mountain Range is known with many legends. As the setting of a number of folk tales, this mountain range was named after a folk hero called Köroğlu. These mountains are taken under protection as a national park, welcoming skiers in winter months and photographers, paragliding and nature enthusiasts in spring, summer and fall. The 45-kilometers-long road that connects Kartalkaya to Bolu was built in 1978. After bringing water and electricity to the area, 12,000 pine saplings were planted. Since the area is close to Istanbul and Ankara, it soon became very popular and transformed into one of Anatolia's favorite ski resorts. With a total track length of 70 kilometers the resorts stand out with its ideal climate for winter sports, high snow quality and pristine nature. Thanks to sheltering slopes covered with pine forests, snowflakes remain dry for longer, creating the perfect ground surface for winter sports. Another...