The Ultimate Turkey Kars City Guide: Where to Stay, What to Eat and See

When it comes to vacation planning, it is very common to look for turquoise blue water, paradise caves, sun, infinite beaches, and white sands... Outdoor attractions and sports theme travel programs are also good if you are looking for a dynamic alternative. What if someone offers you a little bit different location? Visiting Kars in Turkey, for instance. Boundless steppes, Ani ruins, Lake Cildir, and cuisine infused with goose and cheese are just a few of the attractions that you can find in Kars. What's more? The further is you will feel like you are at the end of time, the more the wind will tell you the story of the "City of 1001 Churches and 40 Gates"

[Kars city of Turkey view]

Where is Kars city?

Kars is located in northeastern Turkey, bordering the Turkish cities of Igdir, Ardahan, Erzurum, and Agri, and sharing a long border with Armenia. The Kars area is one of Turkey's highest-altitude provinces.

The population is multicultural, and several ethnic groups coexist peacefully throughout the province. After being under the hands of Seljuk, Turks, Ottomans, and Armenian Bagratunists, the city became the capital of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia. However, due to WW1 and WW2, the 19th century was a little more challenging, and the territory was ruled by Persians, Russians, Ottomans, and British at different periods. Finally, after the Turkish Independence War in 1920, it became one of the cities of the Turkish Republic.

Kars Turkey Map

How Is The Kars Turkey Weather?

Kars city has an elevation of 1768 meters and is located in northeastern Turkey, hence the region has a continental climate. It has a harsh winter climate, which provides both advantages and difficulties. Winter temperatures range from -39 °C to +26 °C, the city is blanketed in snow for an average of 120 days, while the summer season is rainy. Temperatures range between 0°C at the lowest and 26°C at the highest throughout April to October. The city welcomes visitors essentially all around the year even in winter. The Eastern Express trips terminate in Kars Turkey and the Lake Cildir had got frozen; ride in a horse-drawn sleigh and Lake Cildir Altın At Kristal Buz Festival (Lake Çıldır Golden Horse Crystal Ice Festival) that had been holding annually, attracting both foreign and domestic visitors even in coldest months January and February.

 The soil, on the other hand, awakens after the snow, and about 1250 plant species, 100 of them which are unique and only grow in Kars, Turkey (such as Lathyrus karsianus, Nonea karsianis, Festuca karsiana), sprout in spring alongside the well-known local flower Galanthus. Current weather conditions are as follows: