Crystal snow in Turkey’s Cibiltepe allures visitors

By Cuneyt Celik

KARS, Turkey (AA) - The Cibiltepe Ski Center attracts visitors with its ski tracks surrounded by scotch pine forests and natural beauty in Turkey's northeastern Kars province.

The ski center, which is around 54 kilometers (33 miles) from Kars and 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Sarikamis district center, is leaving everyone dazzled with its snow quality and magnificent nature.

There are seven hotels with 2,830 bed-capacity and many rental apartments in the area.

It is located on a high plateau covered with scotch pine forests and is rated as one of the most important winter sports centers and winter tourism in Turkey.

Sarikamis area, in particular, attracts skiers due to its highly-suitable environment, especially for "alpine and northern discipline", "ski safari," and "slip-on trips," as well as with its runway for snowboarding.

It is possible to ski about 5 kilometers (3 miles) without interruption at the ski center. There are ten tracks in Cibiltepe and its first stage ski track offers skiing at night to tourists.

There is no danger of avalanches at the center and its crystal snow features are not lost, although most days are sunny during winter.

The ski center has five chairlifts with a capacity of 3,000 people per hour.

After carrying out 1,700 tests on the chair lift systems throughout four days, an audit firm from Austria gave the center the certificate of fully independent operating ski facilities in 2019.

With the new chairlift at the ski center, people can reach the summit in 5 minutes.

The ski center has successfully hosted many national and international ski organizations so far.

*Writing by Faruk Zorlu in Ankara