Lonely Planet

FAIRYCHIMNEYFORMATIONSPROVIDE ANECCENTRICSKYLINENevşehir & GöremeAlthough the eponymous capital city of the1HYúHKLUUHJLRQRIIHUVOLWWOHWRZULWHKRPHDERXWit does serve as an excellent strategic outpostto access Cappadocia’s most-prized naturalDQGKLVWRULFDODWWUDFWLRQVEHQH¿WWLQJIURPGLUHFWÀLJKWVIURP,VWDQEXODQG$QNDUD6WDUWE\KLNLQJWKURXJKOOGHUH9DGÕVÕRU5RVH9DOOH\DERYHLQQHDUE*|UHPHZKLFKIHDWXUHVundulating rock faces layered with strikingKXHVRISLQNDQGWHUUDFRWWDFRPSOHPHQWHGE\IDLU\FKLPQH\IRUPDWLRQVEHORZFHQWUHWKDWSURYLGHDVXLWDEO\HFFHQWULFVN\OLQH7KHVHrock formations, the result of millennia-oldvolcanic eruptions and thousands of years ofVXEVHTXHQWHURVLRQDUHSDUWLFXODUO\VWULNLQJwhen viewed from one of Cappadocia’s popularKRWDLUEDOORRQWRXUV,I\RXGHFLGHWRWDNHWRthe skies in one of these, it’s vital to make sure\RXERRNZLWKDUHSXWDEOHRSHUDWRUZLWKRSHQDQGWUDFHDEOHOLFHQVHVDQGVDIHW\UHFRUGV```KayseriJust over an hour’s drive east is Kayseri, home toWKH0XVHXPRI6HOMXN&LYLOLVDWLRQ7KHPXVHXPLVORFDWHGLQWKHUHVWRUHGdLIWH0HGUHVHDWKFHQWXU\KRVSLWDOFRPPLVVLRQHGE\6HOMXNVXOWDQ.H\KVUHY,DQGKLVVLVWHUHYKHU1HVLEH6XOWDQand one of the oldest medical training schools inWKHZRUOG,WKRXVHVPDQ\H[KLELWVRI6HOMXNDUWsculpture and pottery, complete with modernPXOWLPHGLDGLVSOD\V,I\RXRZQDVPDUWSKRQHdownload a translation app, as there is preciousOLWWOHLQWKHZD\RI(QJOLVKVXEWLWOHVKHUHBetween Kayseri and Cappadocia’s southernmostFLW\1L÷GHOLHV$OD'D÷ODU1DWLRQDO3DUNsurrounding the snow-capped Taurus mountainsEHORZULJKWDQGSURYLGLQJVRPHRIWKHUHJLRQ¶VPRVWH[TXLVLWHQDWXUDOVLJKWV3ORWDZLQGLQJtrek through its craggy limestone ranges, up toa high plateau of meadows and lakes, or try tospot the rare Caspian snowcock, which makes itshome in the higher reaches of the mountains.FIND OUT MORE ATHOMETURKEY.COM)ROORZWKHVLJQVLQOOGHUH9DGÕVÕWRthe Kolonlu Kilise church, chiselled intothe rock. The sturdy white pillars in itsORZHUFKDPEHUDUHDQLPSUHVVLYHIHDWRIVXEWHUUDQHDQDUFKLWHFWXUH1HDUE\RXcan also marvel at the partially preservedQLQWKFHQWXU\IUHVFRHVRIho+DoOÕ.LOLVH|UHPHLVKRPHWRRQHRI7XUNH\¶V8QHVFR:RUOG+HULWDJH6LWHV±|UHPH2SHQ$LU0XVHXP,W¶VDVSHFWDFXODUFROOHFWLRQRIrock-cut Byzantine churches, chapels andPRQDVWHULHVEXWWKHUHDOKLJKOLJKWLVWKH.DUDQOÕN.LOLVHFKXUFKEHORZOHIWDQGLWVplethora of ornate frescoes, depicting scenesVXFKDV&KULVWRQWKHFURVVDQG-XGDV¶VEHWUD\DO2QWKHHDVWHUQVLGHRI|UHPH+LVWRULFDO1DWLRQDO3DUNLWVHOIIXOORIUHZDUGLQJKLNLQJWUDLOVLVhUJS7KHWRZQSURYLGHVDPSOHopportunity for a carefree stroll amongst itsancient stone architecture, much of which hasEHHQUHWDLQHGDQGXVHGWREXLOGSLFWXUHVTXHERXWLTXHKRWHOV0RVWRIWKHVHPDNHDQLGHDOEDVHIURPZKLFKWREHJLQ\RXU&DSSDGRFLDQRG\VVH```A taste of TurkeyIf you do opt for a stay in Ürgüp,satiate your appetite from a day oftrekking with a Turkish specialitypizza – pide. Toppings includingminced lamb, spinach, cheeseand aubergine are baked onto theflatbread base – and the resultwill see off any hunger pangs.