Guide
Sarıkamış, in the south-west of Kars province, spreads over high plateaus between 1,500 and 3,000 m on the edge of the Kars plain, hemmed in by the Allahuekber, Soğanlı and Güllü mountains where Anatolia passes into the Caucasus. The rugged ground is cut by the canyons of Keklikdere, Komdere and İnkaya, thickly wooded with the Scots pine forests the town is known for.
Twenty-one walking routes add up to 256 km, gathered around Sarıkamış itself and the Susuz valley; they make use of the canyons and the pine forest and are meant to be walked without real difficulty. Cycling routes on forest and village roads total 356 km, and a 428 km scenic driving route and a set of cultural routes link the district's natural and historic sights. May to October is the best time to walk.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Kars as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from -10.7 °C in January to 17.9 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in July and August; rainfall is heaviest in May (83 mm) and lightest in January (23 mm). Long-term means for 1931-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
