Kars Places to Visit and Kars Travel Guide

Every corner of our country is a different beauty, a different cultural heritage. Kars, one of the highest provinces of our country, which has been under Russian occupation for 40 years, and which I had the chance to see several times in winter and autumn. Places to visit in Kars my experience on Kars travel guide You will find it in this article with a taste of your own, happy reading!

Kars History

The name Kars comes from the Karsaks and The oldest Turkish city name in Turkey has the feature of being

Urartians, Scythians, Karsaks, Seljuks, Mongols, Akkoyunlu and Karakoyunlu civilizations have dominated Kars throughout history. Kars joined the Ottoman Empire in 1535.

Kars joined the territory of the Republic of Turkey after being under Russian occupation for 18 years between November 1877, 25 and April 1918, 40.

During their stay in Kars, the Russians had the architects brought from the Netherlands do city planning and created the city's grid city plan. Again, thanks to the Malakans who came to the region during the time of the Russians, cheese making and animal husbandry progressed and many productions that contribute to the economic development of Kars today were learned in this period.

Where is Kars, How to go to Kars?

Kars is one of our provinces located in the easternmost part of Turkey. It is surrounded by Ardahan in the north, Armenia in the east and Ağrı in the south. Kars is known as the "City of Serhat" because it is a border city.

To reach Kars, which has the highest city center in Turkey, you can choose the plane, train or train, which has been the popular route of recent years.

to Kars Eastern Express If you want to come by train, the train departs from Ankara at 18:00 every day and arrives in Kars at 18:13 the next day. You can reach Kars with a 24-hour journey.

If you come to Kars by plane; You can reach Kars Harakani Airport from different cities of Turkey. A bus runs from the airport to the city centre. The airport and the city center are very close to each other, even if you go by taxi, it will not cost much. If you inform the hotel you are staying at, many hotels have a transfer service from the airport.

Map of Places to Visit in Kars

All the places you will need in terms of places to visit, eating and drinking places, accommodation and transportation options in Kars are marked on the map below. Click on the map for details. You can find the explanations of the places registered on the map in the rest of the article.

Places to Visit in Kars City Center

Kars is a city that remained under Russian rule for 40 years and was heavily influenced by Russian architecture and culture. Although some of the places to see in the city center bear the traces of Russia, the castle and its surroundings have many remains of the past of Kars. The newly opened museums in Kars city center are among the must-see places. Let's take a closer look at these places:

Baltic Buildings Left by the Russians

Although the buildings left by the Russians in the city center are mostly in ruins today, some of them have been restored and are still in use. When the Russians entered Kars, they brought architects from the Netherlands and built a new city with a grid plan. About 600 buildings were built at that time, of which 170 remain today, I recommend you to see these buildings.

To give a few examples of the buildings remaining from the Russians; Hotel Cheltikov (hotel), Katerina Palace (hotel), Azerbaijan Consulate, Governorate, Municipality and Revenue Office buildings, Melekli House, Tuncer Güvensoy House. Of these buildings, you can only visit the interior of Melekli Ev.

Kars Castle

Kars Castle is one of the must-see places in the city center of Kars. There is a cafe inside the castle, which you can easily reach by walking from the city center. You can stop by for a cup of tea or coffee against the city view.

Menuçehr Mosque, Evliya Mosque, Bastions, Church of the 12 Apostles, Tomb of His Holiness Harakani are other historical buildings you can see around the castle.

Fethiye Mosque

Fethiye Mosque, which was built as a church in the Russian period, is now used as a mosque. You can go inside and browse. You can also spend time in the garden.

Kars Museum

Kars Museum can be a good option to understand the history of Kars. The museum, which is a little far from the city center, is one of the places to visit if you have time.

Kars Bazaar

Taking a tour in Kars bazaar will satisfy both your eyes and your stomach. There are plenty of cheese shops in the grid-ordered streets that cut each other. You can enter the cheese shops and taste the cheeses, if you wish, you can order them to be delivered to your address. When we say cheese, Kars old cheddar, gruyere, chestnut cecil and belly cheddar are at the top of the list. You can also find locally produced honey and many other local products at cheese shops.

Caucasian Front War History Museum

There is a very beautiful and special museum that has just been opened in Kars: the Caucasian Front War History Museum. It makes me very happy to see that we have gained a serious momentum in the field of museology lately and that beautiful museums have been opened in Turkey. The Caucasian Front Museum, which is an old bastion where the events of the Caucasian Front are told through stories, is 2022 TL as of 20. You can visit it free of charge with the Müzekart.

The constantly burning candles in the photo above were made in memory of thousands of young people who became cities due to the cold in the Allahu Akbar Mountains, giving the effect of burning in sandals, very impressive.

In the garden of the museum, you can also tour the white wagon, which was given to Kazım Karabekir Pasha as a gift by the Russians in return for the Pasha's gift of a white horse, and you can wander through the pages of history in the carriage used by Karabekir Pasha as an office.

Kars Cheese Museum

There is a very nice museum opened in 2022 in the city center of Kars; Cheese Museum. Although the Cheese Museum in Boğatepe Village was the first, the museum in the city center was very beautiful and remarkable with its building built on an old bastion on an area of ​​2000 square meters. There is almost everything about the development of cheese in the museum. Many subjects are exhibited in different galleries, from endemic plants to cow varieties, from old-fashioned cheese samples to gruyere making.

Boğatepe Village

One of the places you must see when you come to Kars is Boğatepe Village, one of the villages where cheese making begins. You can reach Boğatepe Village by taking the minibuses from the towns bus station in Kars city center.

Village breakfast is served at homes in Boğatepe Village. You can organize breakfast in different houses such as Zümran Ömür and Koçulu Farm. The cost of breakfast, where you can eat local products and plenty of cheese, was 2022 TL per person for the year 100.

There is also a cheese museum in Boğatepe Village, when you go, be sure to ask and they will show you around.

For the story of Boğatepe Village Boğatepe Village, Birthplace of Cheese Be sure to check out my post. You can watch my video in Boğatepe Village where Zümran Ömür explains the history of the village and the Cheese Museum below.

Lake Çıldır

Çıldır Lake, which is 65 km away from Kars city center, starts to freeze in December every year due to its altitude and the coldness of the region where it is located, and remains frozen until the beginning of April depending on the weather conditions.

Hundreds of people flock to Lake Çıldır every year during the winter months to see this magnificent frozen snow, ride a sledge, and watch the fishermen fishing from the hole drilled in the lake. As someone who has seen Çıldır Lake during the summer months, I definitely recommend you to see the lake during the winter.

On the shores of the lake, there are places that make yellow wing fish caught in Lake Çıldır, the most famous of which is Atalay's place. It is a good option both to take a lunch break and to warm up in the indoor stove. It is a good idea to call ahead and make a reservation, as it gets very crowded on weekends during the winter months.

Atalay's Place Restaurant Phone: 0533 934 61 00

If you want to get on the sled on Lake Çıldır, a lot of sledges and sledgemen are waiting in front of Atalay. You can have fun on the frozen lake by paying per person. It is possible to take great fun photos by taking advantage of the perspective on the lake, don't miss out on this fun.

We went to Çıldır by arranging a car with a driver. Since the road can be very snowy/icy in winter months, it was safer for us to come with someone who knows the area and the road conditions.

Dogruyol Village Cemeteries

In the villages on the shores of Lake Çıldır, there are cemeteries with Terekeme (Black Papaks from the Caucasus) and ancient writings. It contains very interesting images with colorful stones and writings on the stones.

Devil's Castle

Located just 10 km from Lake Çıldır, the Devil's Castle is built on a hill like an eagle's nest on the valley where it is located. To reach the castle, you have to walk 2 km of paths. Take into account that there will be 2 km outbound and 2 km return. The path is smooth, we walked easily even though we went in a snowy period as we filled up. The valley and the views are magnificent, don't miss this place when you come to Çıldır. There is neither a place to drink tea, coffee nor a toilet around, just go accordingly.

Ani Ruins

Ani Ruins is a magnificent ruin with thousands of years of history and being one of the important stops of the Silk Road. Do not forget to spare 50-3 hours to visit the ruins, which are approximately 4 km from Kars city center.

Although it is called Ani Ruins, this is the ancient city of Ani. The thick city walls of this city, which hosted many Russian, Armenian and Turkish nationalities, are now the strongest part of it. In the city, which is spread over a wide area, many works such as half-standing or standing mosques, churches and bridges resist time.

There are local officials waiting at the entrance of the ruins to tell you about the city, I recommend you chat with someone to listen to their history and see the change in the local people's view of these “ruins”.

We arranged the vehicle and driver for two days while we were going, it was convenient for us as we shared the cost with the advantage of being four people. Otherwise, you have the option to reach Ani Ruins from Kars center by bus from outside the vehicle.

Municipal vehicles depart from Kars city center twice a day, at 2:09 in the morning and at 00:13 in the afternoon. However, when you go to Kars, it is useful to research beforehand and find out the exact time and whether it departs.

You can visit the Ani Ruins for free with an entrance fee, and with a Müzekart.

What to Eat in Kars?

When Kars is mentioned, of course, cheese comes to mind first. More than 40 kinds of cheese are produced in Kars, especially Gruyere and Kashar cheese. Apart from cheese, Goose Meat, Piti, Evelik Vaccine, Kete, Hangel, Haşıl are the main regional dishes. For more information about Kars dishes What to Eat and Where to Eat in Kars? You can take a look at my post.

Kars Nightlife

"Nightlife in Kars do you have?” I can hear you asking. Kars has a very active social life and is a city where young people fill the streets because of the university. With the increase in the number of tourists coming to Kars in recent years, night entertainment has also gained momentum.

When it comes to night entertainment in Kars, there are several different entertainments.

Kars Caucasian Dance Performances

If you want traditional entertainment, there are Caucasian dance shows in many restaurants, the dance of talented dancers like flying makes me goosebumps every time, make sure to watch one of these shows.

Every evening, dinner ends at 21:00 at Kars Goose House, and a 1-hour Caucasian Dance show begins. Those who do not want to watch the dance get up, those who want to watch can watch the dance at their tables with tea/coffee. In order to watch the dance, you have to pay a performance fee of 30 TL per person in addition to the meal price. Even that price is low for this amazing show.

Kars Lovers Shootout

It is possible to come across Lovers Shootouts in many restaurants in Kars. Again, after the meal, the lovers who come with their baglamas sing their folk songs by bickering with each other. We listened at Hanımeli Restaurant.

If you don't want to listen to it in a restaurant, it's possible to watch the lovers' bickering at the Namık Kemal House under the Kars Castle. The fact that they sing folk songs by inserting toothpicks into their mouths and using needles in the past, without using the sounds like b, f, p, m, v, where the lips meet, makes this tradition even more special.

There is a big difference between the east and the west of our country. Add Kars to your list of must-see places to meet a brand new world with both climate, geography and culture. You can also stop by for skiing in Sarıkamış in winter.

Best Time to Go to Kars

The best time to go to Kars is known as January-February-March. If you are going to Kars to ski on the Eastern Express and want to see Lake Çıldır when it is frozen, these months are the best times. However, when nature wakes up in the spring or the city is calm in the fall, you can consider planning your trip to Kars.

Where to Stay in Kars?

If you are going to stay in Kars city center, you can find hotel options for different budgets and tastes. If you are planning to go to Kars, especially during the peak season, January-February-March, do not forget to make your hotel reservation early.

If you want it to be in the center, clean and reliable, have good food, and be economical, Grand Ani Hotel is one of the best options in the center. The hotel, which serves in the form of bed and breakfast, has a wonderful open buffet breakfast. If you are going to Kars by plane, they also offer airport transfer service. The hotel was renovated 3 years ago, so the rooms and wet areas are spotless. One of the best aspects of the hotel is that it has a spa and indoor pool option.

If you want to stay in old Russian buildings while in Kars, Katerina Palace on the banks of Kars Stream or Cheltikov Hotel, which is close to the castle, may be of interest to you.

Must Do/See When You Go to Kars

• Wander the streets of Kars, see the structures from the Russians,
• Ani Ruins'Make sure to visit, spare 3-4 hours,
• Sarıkamış Winter Sports Center and Sarıkamış Katerina Hunting Lodgevisit,
• The birthplace of cheese Boğatepe Villagevisit,
• Kars CastleGo out and watch the view of Kars,
• It is believed that Dede Korkut is alive. District of Digorvisit,
• Around Kars Castle Old Ottoman Housessee what
• Go to Kars bazaar and buy old cheddar and gruyere cheese.

Other Kars Travel Articles

Be sure to check out my other travel articles about Kars.

• What do we eat when we go to Kars? What to eat and where to eat in Kars?
• If you want to go to Kars with the Eastern Express; How to buy a ticket for the Orient Express?
• If you want to stop by Ishak Pasha Palace while you are in Kars; İshak Pasha Palace

Stay on the Road!