Kars pairs a town centre built by Russian planners in the late 19th century, with wide grid streets and stone facades unlike anywhere else in eastern Turkey, with Ani, the ruined medieval capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom standing alone on the steppe near the Armenian border. Ani alone is worth the drive: a walled city of collapsed churches and a cathedral, now empty but for grass and wind. Combined with a look around Kars itself and its castle, this is the most substantial day trip on this list and pushes into a very long day from Erzurum.
| Distance | 210 km northeast of Erzurum |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 2.5–3 hours by car or bus |
| Getting there | Bus from Erzurum otogar to Kars (multiple daily, 2.5 hrs, 200–350 TRY / $6–10.50). From Kars, taxi or minibus to Ani ruins (45 km east of Kars, 30 min, ~200–300 TRY / $6–9 return taxi). |
| Address | Kars Merkezi ve Ani Harabeleri, 36000 Kars |
How to get there
- Intercity bus + taxi to Ani
Location
Kars Merkezi ve Ani Harabeleri, 36000 Kars
40.6073, 43.0938 View on map
Highlights
- Ani Ruins - the walled medieval city with the Cathedral of Ani and the Church of the Holy Redeemer among its standing ruins
- Kars Kalesi (Kars Castle) - a hilltop fortress overlooking the old town and the river
- Kars's Russian-era streets - stone buildings and a grid layout dating from the Tsarist administration of the city
- Kars kashar cheese - a firm cow's-milk cheese the region is known for, sold in shops around the town