Eastern Turkey is our last stop before I head back into the EU. We’re already looking back on a fantastic trip through Belarus, Russia, Central Asia, Georgia, and Armenia.
I’m traveling from Georgia to Turkey and crossing the border near the village of Oncul and Lake Aktas Golu. The border crossing is smooth, but the road to the border is terrible, not recommended!
On the way to Kars
Our first stop is at Cildir Gölü Lake, a perfect spot for a rest. We continue our journey along the beautiful lake and I’m pretty much enjoying myself!
In the city of Kars, I call it a day; I’m a bit tired of driving. A scooter causes an accident, and miraculously, it doesn’t hit my car. I park by the river and take some time to relax.
In the morning, we head into the city of Kars. Our goal: to visit a mosque, use the ATM, and pick up a toll sticker at the post office. Everything takes a long time, it takes over an hour, but we made it!
Then I go grocery shopping at Bim supermarket, haha, what a treat. It’s only a small store, but it’s a Western-style store. And they have everything, it’s amazing after months of illegible labels!
Old ruin city Ani
UNESCO: “This site is located on a remote plateau in northeastern Turkey, overlooking a ravine that forms a natural border with Armenia. This medieval city was built over the centuries by Christian and later Muslim dynasties.
The city flourished in the 10th and 11th centuries CE when it became the capital of the Armenian kingdom and benefited from the Silk Road. Later, it remained an important crossroads for trade caravans. The Mongol invasion and a devastating earthquake in 1319 marked the beginning of the city’s decline.”
Because of the many stone churches built within its walls, Ani was once called “The City of a Thousand Churches”. The surroundings are stunning! This UNESCO site is situated on a 1,338-meter-high plateau and is surrounded by a river. Check out this video!
En route
Then a fantastic route along red mountains.
The roads are good and I thoroughly enjoy the views.
We park for the night at the salt mine in Tuzluca, not a breath of wind here, rarely has the night been so warm!
Salt mine Tuzluca
The salt mine or salt cave is located just outside the city of Tuzluca, on the road between Iğdır and Kars in Eastern Turkey. My salt mine visit is at 8:15 a.m. and Leo waits in the car. The mine is atmospherically lit!
The cave also has a medicinal function and is used to treat asthma, as the salty climate proves to be beneficial.
Palace of Ishak Paşa
Ishak Pasha Palace is located about 5 kilometers outside the village of Dogubeyazit. Its location on a mountaintop overlooking the valley is a perfect spot for a palace. It is a complex of buildings, and the remaining palace parts and ruins built into the mountainside are very beautiful!
Van Lake
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey. I saw white flamingos as I drove along the lake, awesome! We spent the night in the city of Van, in a deserted park by the lake. The castle in Van is also worth a visit, it’s a very large castle.
We’re now only 200 km from the border with Syria and Iraq. There are many military checkpoints in this area and also along the border with Armenia. The soldiers check my passport or peek inside the car.
It’s currently tropically warm here, and it’s even extremely hot (50 degrees Celsius) in the southern cities like Mardin and Gaziantep. I’ll skip these cities for now and save them for my next trip through Turkey. We’re heading for some cool weather, heading north to the Black Sea!
Nemrut Volcanic Crater
The Nemrut Crater is a large dormant volcano with a massive collapsed peak measuring 8.5 x 7 km. The crater is near Tatvan and we drive to an altitude of 2,500 meters! Leo and I take a nice walk around the Nemrut Crater Lake and enjoy the magnificent view.
Stopover Muş
Turkey has many parks where locals chill or barbecue in the evenings. I’m staying in a park near the city of Muş with a view of the old bridge. Leo eats the leftovers from the BBQ in the morning and is very happy.
Trabzon Province
Before reaching the Zigana Pass, we drive through six long tunnels and the Zigana Tunnel, which is over 14 km long—amazing! The pass is also nice, but the tunnel is even more impressive.
I found a great campsite near Sumela Monastery. I first do two loads of laundry at the campsite and then it start raining. At the campsite, I hear that the last 4 km to the monastery has to be covered by bus, but they don’t take dogs. Too bad, then we have to skip the monastery.
In the morning, the sun is shining again, which is great because the laundry still needs to dry. While I wait for it to dry, I enjoy a delicious Turkish breakfast! With local olives, jam, butter, bread, fried eggs, pancakes, and more.
Black Sea
The Black Sea coast is just like Spain! One seaside resort after another. It’s busy on Sunday, but I find a parking spot along the road and enjoy the sunset. On Monday morning, it’s completely quiet, with only a few beachgoers along the promenade. We stroll along the seafront in the morning, such a wonderful way to start the day.
During my last days in Turkey, I’ve been driving along the Black Sea, reflecting on my intense and impressive journey this summer. I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to take this fantastic trip! Curious about my Central Asia tour? Please check out my previous blog posts!
Border crossing Turkey-Bulgaria
Today we’re off to the Bulgarian border! We’re stuck at the Turkish border, waiting for over five hours. We have no idea what we’re waiting for, passport control and customs only take a few minutes.
Okay it’s clear now, we’re waiting for the Bulgarian border, where there’s a huge line. They check everything very thoroughly in Bulgaria. Well nothing more to do, just wait patiently and off to the EU!
We’re going back to the Netherlands and looking for the Spanish and Portuguese sun again this coming winter. Will you travel with us?
