Early snowfall has allowed parts of the ski season to begin at eastern Türkiye’s major resorts in Erzurum’s Palandöken and Kars’ Sarıkamış, though full-scale openings are expected later this week.
At Palandöken Ski Center, where snow depth has reached 41 centimeters, visitors have already taken to the slopes. The resort’s easy access — just 20 kilometers from the airport and 4 kilometers from the city center — continues to make it a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists.
Families spending the weekend at the resort enjoyed sledding with their children, while others skied or snowboarded.
Görken Yıldırım, a ski enthusiast visiting from the northern province of Gümüşhane, told the media that the snow quality in Palandöken was in good condition.
“We came to ski and officially opened the season,” he said. “I’ve been here for two days, and it’s been great fun. I’ve skied at Erciyes and Uludağ before, but I like Palandöken even more.”
Another visitor, Utkan Yanar, noted that while conditions were already enjoyable, heavier snowfall would further improve the experience.
Skiing activity has also begun at Sarıkamış Ski Center, one of Türkiye’s most prominent winter tourism destinations. Following recent snowfall, visitors enjoyed skiing, sledding and snowboarding among the resort’s famed Scots pine forests, known for their crystal snow.
Located at an altitude of 2,634 meters, Sarıkamış has seen early-season activity on its second-stage pistes. Although the official opening had not yet taken place, weekend visitors flocked to the resort to take advantage of fresh snowfall. The center is scheduled to officially open on Dec. 17.
By contrast, Uludağ, Türkiye’s most famous ski resort, has so far received less snowfall than eastern regions and is expecting heavier precipitation after the New Year.
Resort official Ali İhsan Özdemir said that new arrangements were underway and that skiing would be possible once snow depth reaches 20 centimeters.
He noted that while last season opened on Dec. 18, the resort has already seen 30 percent occupancy even before the official start this year.
Türkiye hosts 56 ski resorts nationwide, spread across nearly every region. Uludağ alone welcomed 1.1 million domestic and foreign tourists in the 40 days last year.
