Göreme - Cappadocia


Göreme is situated in central Turkey and forms part of the area informally known as Cappadocia. It is an area famous for its outlandish rock formations and fairy chimneys. Until recently Göreme was the name of the valley and the village was called Avcilar but for touristic reason the village also took the name Göreme. Unlike the other towns in the area Göreme is notable because the fairy chimneys and houses all blend into one making for an unusual and slightly bizarre looking town. In the mornings the sky above Goreme fills with hot air balloons as tourists and travellers get bird’s eye view of Göreme and the surrounding valleys. There is plenty to see in Göreme including the world famous Göreme open air museum and Göreme valley both listed as UNESCO world heritage sites, there are also so fascinating rock cut Byzantium churches. The town offers a charming combination of traditional village life combined with a tourist fuelled boom and cafe culture all set amongst the spires of the other worldly fairy pinnacles.

Göreme offers a large selection of hotels, inns and pensions (most of these offer cave rooms) and is particularly popular with budget travellers and backpackers. Whilst in Göreme we stayed in the ShoeString Cave Pension which I can thoroughly recommend click the link for a review.
Göreme Is a good place to use as a base to visit the rest of Cappadocia particularly if you like walking as it is a perfect base from which to explore the surrounding valleys. Goreme is also a perfect destination if you enjoy hanging out and meeting other travellers.

Getting There
The transit hubs in the area are Kayseri and Nevşehir, it is possible to fly to Kayseri although the majority of travellers come by bus. If travelling from the coast by bus be advised that some of these journeys can take an excruciating 13 hours, although it is well worth it in the end. Also it’s a good idea to check that your ticket includes a transfer to Göreme as many travellers have been stranded at Nevşehir otogar (bus station) although if you find yourself in this situation repeatedly requesting the free service to Göreme (serviş Göreme nerede or for the more lingually ambitious Göremeye servişleri nereden kalkar?) usually works and you will hopefully be bundled into a minibus to Göreme.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Istanbul 2010 - European Capital of Culture

Istanbul is the European capital of culture for 2010, to quote the website "The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development." What this means for anyone travelling to Istanbul this year is a year long program of special events and sprucing up of existing attractions in Istanbul. Including new exhibitions and museums, special events celebrating Turkish music and culture including a music festival and other live performance arts, exhibitions celebrating the countries history of visual arts and a map of guiding you to traditional arts and crafts centers of Istanbul. At the height of the summer there will be an Ottoman style imperial performance in Sultanahmet square involving fireworks, acrobats, wrestlers, riders, horse races and martial arts. For more information about Istanbul as the European capital of culture for 2010 and a ...
Read more

Istanbul - City of the World's Desire

Image
Istanbul without a doubt my most favourite city in the world, located in north western Turkey split in half by the Bosphorus, the straits that separate Europe from Asia. Not only is it the only City in the world to be situated in two continents simultaneously, but it is also one of the largest cities in Europe. The sheer scale of the city is at first intimidating and later impossible not to fall in love with, hence the reason I return every year. For most visitors your first glimpse of the city will be as your plane comes in over the Sea of Marmara, complete with seemingly motionless boats, once you sight land you notice the glittering minarets and tightly packed high rise blocks before touch down at the thoroughly modern Atatürk Airport. Once you venture out into the city you will be immediately struck by the hustle and bustle of life in Istanbul, the packed streets and noisy roads as twelve and a half million people go around their daily business. Istanbul is not known as the “Cit...
Read more

Travelling by Dolmus in Turkey

Image
The humble Dolmuş (pronounced Dol-moosh) sometimes referred to as a shared taxi is the cheapest way to travel in Turkey, Dolmus buses vary from city to city sometimes a small minibus sometimes a converted transit van. They normally stick to a set route although I have known them to go off route to drop you off closer to you destination in Istanbul. Dolmuş stops are indicated by a blue bus stop style sign with a large white “D” on it in some areas in other areas there are no marked stops, however Dolmus buses will stop and pick up or drop off anywhere along their set route you just have to hail them like a taxi. The sign in the front window of the Dolmuş usually indicates the route of the bus saying both the departure and destination point. It is generally accepted that the Dolmus never runs on time, and in fact the name Dolmuş translates as a taxi that doesn't start until its full (stuffed full) with passengers. Once you have hailed the Dolmus take a seat and pass your money to th...
Read more