Erzurum
Designated 'European Winter Sports Capital 2025,' Erzurum hosts Palandöken—Turkey's highest ski resort (2,200-3,100m) with 15km continuous runs and 3 million annual visitors. The 1919 Erzurum Congress launched Turkey's independence war from this 1,900m-elevation fortress city controlling routes between Anatolia and the Caucasus.
Erzurum sits at 1,900 meters elevation in eastern Turkey, where winter arrives early and stays long—and where Palandöken mountain rises to over 3,000 meters with Turkey's longest continuous ski run at 15 kilometers. In 2025, Erzurum was designated both 'European Winter Sports Capital' and 'ECO Tourism Capital,' recognition that validates decades of investment in facilities that hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade.
The province's identity predates skiing by millennia. Erzurum (ancient Theodosiopolis, later Karin) has controlled the high route between Anatolia and the Caucasus since Byzantine times. The city's strategic position made it a fortress; its altitude made it cold. At various points Ottoman, Russian, and briefly Armenian forces held this gateway. The 1919 Erzurum Congress, organized by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, launched the Turkish War of Independence from here—making the city symbolically central to modern Turkish nationalism.
Palandöken Ski Resort, 15 minutes from Erzurum Airport, recorded nearly 3 million visitors in its last season. The World Snowboard Cup returns in 2025 alongside Winter Games featuring 350 athletes across 11 disciplines. Turkey's most challenging runs—altitude 2,200 to 3,100 meters—attract advanced skiers and international competitors. Beyond winter sports, the province hosts Tortum Waterfall, Narman Fairy Chimneys, and the Seven Lakes of İspir.
The economy extends beyond tourism. As eastern Turkey's largest city, Erzurum serves as a regional commercial hub. Animal husbandry dominates agriculture given the high, cold terrain. University education anchors the service sector.
By 2026, Erzurum will likely continue leveraging its winter sports infrastructure and 2025 recognition to attract tourism investment. The same altitude and climate that made the city strategically valuable for millennia now make it commercially valuable for skiing—a rare example of geographic constraints becoming advantages.