Through Turkey

I have spent about 3 weeks in Turkey now and I must say, it has exceeded all my expectations. The people are incredibly hospitable and helpful, but Turkey also has a lot to offer in terms of landscapes and culture.

My first stop was Istanbul. So colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. From there, I continued to Izmir. I didn't like the city itself that much, but my accommodation was enchanting and there were great destinations for day trips. From there, I went to Selcuk and the nearby ancient Ephesus, and then to Foca, a cozy, old town on the coast above Izmir with an amazing market that I immediately fell in love with. Afterwards, I took the train to Denizli to see the terraces of Pamukkale. Unfortunately, they were crowded with tourists and there was very little water due to the heat, I guess. However, right behind them was the ancient city of Hierapolis, where hardly anyone had wandered that day. So I had a great, almost solitary day in the Greek ruins. And of course, I took a bath in the thermal baths to cool off.

From Denizli, I went to Antalya over the weekend. The old town is beautiful but naturally overcrowded. Nevertheless, I had a few nice days, and with temperatures reaching almost 40 degrees, the water was always close by. From here, I went to my absolute favorite destination in Turkey: Göreme, Cappadocia. I have rarely seen a landscape that has impressed me more. Due to intense volcanic activity in the past, fascinating rock formations have been created, into which countless caves and entire cities were carved. The largest of the underground cities discovered so far goes 8 stories deep and could accommodate up to 5000 people and their animals. On the early morning of my first day, I took a hot air balloon ride over this unique landscape and went hiking a lot.

From there, I continued to Ankara to meet Nora. We took the Van Gölu Express (lovingly dubbed Bümmelzüg) for 28 hours to Transvan, and from there, we traveled to Van to cross the border into Iran. The landscape was beautiful, and we really enjoyed traveling through the eastern part of Turkey this way.