Lake Çıldır

Çıldır is the second largest lake in eastern Turkey, sitting at around nineteen hundred metres on the plateau near the borders with Georgia and Armenia, and its altitude is what defines the experience. In winter it freezes across - the ice is thick enough to walk and drive on - and the villages around it run horse-drawn sleighs across the surface, cut holes to fish through in the traditional way, and grill the catch on the ice for visitors. That has become the region's winter draw, done as a day trip from Kars alongside a visit to Ani. In summer it is a different place: open water with reed margins, pelicans, ducks and waders, small boats, and the Akçakale island with its ruins offshore. The surrounding plateau is treeless grazing country of enormous horizons. Winter here is severe - temperatures well below minus twenty are routine - and the ice is a natural surface, not a managed attraction.

What you actually see

• The frozen surface - ice thick enough to walk and ride on.
• The sleighs - horse-drawn runs across the lake.
• The ice fishing - holes cut and the catch grilled on the spot.
• The summer birds - pelicans and waterfowl on the reeds.

When to go

January and February for the ice, which is the reason most people come; May to September for birds and open water. Roads can close in blizzards.

Honest expectations

It is extremely cold in winter - proper clothing is not optional. The ice is natural and conditions vary; follow local operators rather than walking out alone. Facilities around the lake are minimal.

Nearby

Kars is an hour south-west; Ani's ruins are on the border beyond it.