Where is Truffle City located?

You probably thought that gingerbread houses and milk rivers with sweet sides are only in a fairy tale? But no - on Earth there is a place where people live in houses very similar to the Truffle sweets loved by everyone. And they have been living for more than one year - their history is estimated in millennia. And anyone can live in such a truffle - just rent a hotel room. Where is this fabulous town and where does the volcano - read in this story.

This magical town of Göreme is located in the very center of the equally magical region - Cappadocia. There is no second such place on the planet, even remotely resembling this. Fancy sculptures reminiscent of people in hats, Truffle candies and phalluses formed naturally due to erosion and weathering.

But in the beginning there were volcanoes - Erciyes, Develi, Melendiz, Kechiboyduran, Hassan and Gulludag.

It was they who for thousands of years covered with ash and lava these neighborhoods, forming an even plateau without a single sign of high vegetation. Years, water, wind and frost took the baton, acting as skilled sculptors. They have carved countless ravines in soft rock. The process of destruction of the plateau and the creation of new sculptures in its place continues to this day - some statues crumble, others appear.

People for many centuries BC used these remnants as their dwellings. Soft tuff was very well processed, and hardened when it came into contact with air. In addition, the tuff perfectly holds heat, therefore, in the pronounced continental climate it was a good protection against summer heat and winter cold.

At a time when this place was inhabited by the early Christians (from the VI to IX centuries), in the vicinity of Goreme there were more than 400 churches hollowed out in soft rocks and dug in the ground. With the advent of the Ottomans, many of them were destroyed, and some disappeared for natural reasons.

It is surprising that the cave dwellings in Cappadocia were hollowed out as early as the 2nd millennium BC, and continue to this day. Instead of building new houses in the middle of an empty area, the Turks attach them to the outcasts. They, in turn, make caves, which are used as pantries, and even living rooms. What can I say, here you can find the whole 3- and 4-star hotels, hollowed out in the rock!

There is no wall decoration inside, but there are all the amenities in the form of a shower, expensive plumbing, soft beds and everything else inherent in the praised Turkish service. By the way, he is here at the level of Mediterranean resorts - olinclusive and everything else. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that all this will cost some kind of crazy money - housing in Cappadocia is very cheap.

This town is purely tourist. All who come to see Cappadocia usually settle in Goreme. Firstly, it is located in the very center of the nature reserve, which, by the way, is included in the UNESCO list.

Even without your own transport, you can reach many natural attractions on foot. And with the car - in general, go around all the surroundings in a day. For example, visit the neighboring fortified towns of Ortahisar and Uchisar. They, in contrast to Goreme, formed on the mountain, around the fortress, hollowed out in a huge tufa rock. The town of Uchisar can be seen from the observation deck above Göreme - there it is, on the left, in the distance.

Secondly, the entire infrastructure is concentrated here - the offices of the organizers of balloon flights, quad bike safaris, horseback riding, hotels, cafes, restaurants, shops and so on. Thirdly, the city itself with its truffle houses is one continuous attraction.

Goreme, in fact, is located in a huge ravine valley. You can climb up and enjoy the unearthly views at dawn and sunset.

It is said that Lucas was inspired by the local landscapes when creating the landscapes of Tatooine in the movie Star Wars. Episode IV. A New Hope. Look at the photo of the scenery below - is it really so?

The main attraction in Cappadocia, for which crowds of tourists come here from all over the world, is mass balloon flights. Every morning, in fine weather, winter and summer, dozens of balloons soar into the sky with tourists in a basket. This spectacle cannot but amaze! Even just watching a flight from the ground is already an aesthetic pleasure. The main thing is to choose the right observation point :)

This pleasure costs from 120 to 150 euros for one hour of flight per person. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth a lot to meet the bird’s dawn!

I rented a room at the Royal Stone Houses hotel at the very edge of the city, so that it would be more convenient to get out by car to the track in pursuit of sunrises and sunsets. They have comfortable rooms, ample parking, a delicious breakfast and low prices, the owners of the hotel are the largest organizers of balloon flights. They offer all the guests good discounts on this air ride. Even if you buy a ticket somewhere else, it is likely that they will bring you to fly on the balls of these organizers. From the site you can clearly see the hotel - on the highway, above the central high truffle in sugar sprinkles.

There are no problems with car rental in Cappadocia either - in Kayseri, where you fly from Istanbul, there are a lot of rental offices with low prices and good cars. I took my brand new diesel Renault Symbol at Cizgi. For three days of owning a car, I paid 54 euros with full insurance, zero deductible and cash payment on site, without any additional blocking of the deposit on the card. The driver with the car met at the airport terminal, drove to the office in the city, where they quickly and issued. A week before my arrival, a Russian-speaking employee called the telephone I indicated and clarified whether everything was in force with me. The company operates throughout Turkey - it has an adequate call center that can quickly resolve all issues. I recommend, in general.

By the way, this Renault Symbol is produced in Turkey, so the car is extremely popular with locals. Sometimes I parked a dozen of the same white cars in a parking lot, and then I hardly found mine :)

In my subjective opinion, Cappadocia is the most interesting place in Turkey. Probably nowhere else can one meet such a large region, literally crammed with natural and cultural attractions. Three days in Cappadocia, due to the richness of impressions, stretch out for 3 weeks. And 3 days is not enough for her - here you need to live at least a week to enjoy all these valleys of Doves, Monks, Penis, Love, underground cities that go to many levels inland, abandoned churches with beautifully preserved Byzantine frescoes thousands of years old, amazing turkish cuisine and service.

This is probably the place where I would return again. To this magical truffle city.

Watch the video: Why truffles can cost $2,500 per pound (May 2024).