Although Cappadocia is very popular tourist attraction in the heart of the ancient region of Turkey, it is still worth visiting at least once, because it's one of the most special attractions in the world. The unique landscape, the spectacular natural formations and the ancient cave houses carved into the rocks are guaranteed to amaze us. Underground cities, rock formations of various sizes called the "fairy chimney", the Goreme National Park, (part of the UNESCO World Herritage), hot air balloon ride over the cities at sunrise, with thousands of sights and programs in Cappadocia.
The specific rock, which has been shaped equally by natural forces and the human hand, is the tuff that surfaced through the eruption of volcanoes, and the natural picture seen today has evolved over the past 10,000 years. This rock is formed from a mixture of lava, ash and other volcanic materials, which is easier to shape due to the softer structure. People still live in the cave houses carved into the tuff, the cave towns of Cappadocia take us into the ancient past.
In the underground city of Derinkuyu, we can see a complete city system (with several kilometers of streets, corridors, food depots) where the locals could hide from the enemy, if necessary they could even spend months here without having to come to the surface. To view the cave systems, we have to descend to a depth of 5 floors, where 20,000 people lived.
Ortahisar: Ortahisar Fortress can already be seen from miles, standing at the current location for an estimated 5-11 million years. Part of the fortress has been created by human hands as storage places where different fruits can be stored with a constant temperature of 12-15 Celsius degrees. People lived in the cave and tunnel system of the castle even before the written history.
Ortahisar
Uchisar:
Like Ortahisar, the iconic symbol of the city is the castle, which was used by the Hittites as a refuge to fend off attacks.
Uchisar
Although you need to get up early for hot air ballooning (most hot air balloons take off at 6 in the morning), you can admire the rising sun from above as it shines through this unique fairy land, it's an unforgettable experience, with up to 150 hot air balloons in the air at same time.
The best time to visit Cappadocia is between the end of April and June or in September-October. The weather is warm during these months, the nights are cool and there is little chance of rain. The first weeks of April can be windy, which could cancel the take-off of hot air balloons. The summer months are crowded with a lot of tourists, so maybe September-October is better choice. In September and October the nights are already cool, but the daytime temperatures are still pleasant (between 21-27 degrees Celsius). In Cappadocia, the best places to photograph hot air balloon landscapes can be found in the hotels. We also have the opportunity to stay in a cave hotel with a view of Goreme:
From Istanbul (Istanbul-Konya) there are flights and the travel time is 1-1,5 hours. (ticket: from 57 EUR) From Konya we can travel by bus to Cappadocia. (3,5 hours, 10-15 EUR)
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