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Climate
Kars is one of the highest cities in Turkey, situated at an altitude of about 2000 metres over the sea level. Complemented with the distance to the sea, this makes the climate of this area the harshest in Turkey with winter temperatures regularly below -30 C at nights (and no warmer than -15 C during the day). There is not a real summer season in Kars, only a short spring in July and August (this is also the wettest season) and a long, bitterly cold, and heavily snowy winter during the rest of the year. Keep in mind that nighttime temperatures can fall below zero degree (Celsius) in any time of the year (even in August).
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Read
The setting of Orhan Pamuk's novel Snow is Kars.
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By bus - most companies serve Kars - though you might need to change bus at either Erzurum or Igdir, depending on where you come from. Be sure to check whether there are services available.
By train - there is also a train station in Kars, with a daily service from [wiki=0ef8f876d62a45352e28410454e3634b]Istanbul[/wiki]'s Haydarpaşa station (Doğu Express), and another daily service from [wiki=9221413dd904c157938b397753a8b4bb]Ankara[/wiki] (Erzurum Express) [http://www.tcdd.gov.tr]. Note that Haydarpasa station will be closed from 2012 till 2015 for major engineering works. The Doğu Express can be taken from Ankara.
By plane - Anadolujet offers regular flights from Ankara to Kars airport. Prices start from 59TL including all fees.
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There are a few taxis serving the city centre. It's a pretty small place so it's quite possible to cover it by foot.
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Kars Castle - situated on the side of the hill facing the city, Kars Castle is one of the few sights to see within Kars. It's a short climb from the city centre, and is worth climbing for the view of the city. The castle was built in 1153 A.D. later destroyed by Mongol invaders and rebuilt in 1579.
WARNING! In October 2013, a fat little kid (12-13 years old) was telling foreigners they had to pay him to visit the castle and threatened to call the police if they didn't pay. Do NOT give him (them?) any money. Admission is free!
Russian/Armenian architecture along the grid of old town's streets, realized during the Russian occupation of the city in 1878-1918, singles out the city in Turkey. Fethiye Mosque (Fethiye Camii) in the city centre, originally built by Russians in the occupation period as a church, is the only mosque in Turkey having that distinctive architectural style.
The Armenian Church of Apostles just below the castle, now known as Kümbet or Kethuda Mosque (Kümbet/Kethuda Camii), is also well worth a look. The building was originally an Armenian church built in 10th century, and upon capturing the city, Ottomans converted it to a mosque in 1579. Later, when Russians came over, it became a church again, this time serving Russian Orthodox believers. After the Turks took back the city, it served for non-religious purposes for a time (such as a warehouse), and in 1998 consecrated as a mosque again.
Home of famous Armenias poet "Yeghushe Charents" situated next to the old bridge.
Ancient Armenian graveyard full of thousands of Khachkars which is located on the left side of the Castle on the hill. The entire hill is covered with broken Khachkars.
Cuma Hammam by the river - you can see it from the castle. Completely derelict but worth a look inside if you don't mind pigeons and a lot of broken glass.
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Check out Anadolu Hamami, Yusufpaşa Mh. Opening hours: 6am - 10pm, Women: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Men: All other days. Entrance fee: 11TL (Women: 13TL), Scrubbing: 7TL, Massage: 10TL. Friendly & clean, towels included.
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Gravier cheese is delicious! You can enjoy having some from the shops near to castle. You can try the Soldier Souvenirs Passage on the main street with a lion statue sells stuff for rare collector's items.
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A local speciality is goose (kaz), usually made into a stew.
* Ani Restaurant is a good local restaurant, located under Kar's Otel.
* Ocakbasi Restaurant, Midrange restaurant in cave style, very nice Pide & Lahmacun.
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All rooms with TV, wifi and breakfast included (delicious soups).
* Clean Centrally located Hotel. Free Wifi. 80TL for a double (October 2013)
* Boutique hotel housed in an old Russian building.
*Newly renovated boutique hotel. Clean rooms with own bathroom. Incredibly comfortable beds. Breakfast room with satellite TV and a refrigerator for guests. It's frequented by backpackers on their way to Ani, which makes it a good place for solo travelers to organize an excursion from. Taxi drivers know it. 100+ TL for a double (October 2013). Has a bad reputation among locals, amongst other things running scams to jack up prices for visits to Ani. Not recommended to solo women travellers.
*(In Lonely Planet) Clean rooms with singles, doubles and triples, some with a good view. Central location within a few minutes' walk to Kars Castle. Breakfast included and free WiFi in rooms. Some staff speak English. They can help arrange a minibus to Ani, the going rate is 35L round trip, can be negotiable. Laundry service relatively expensive. If you are a female be cautious of the creepy guy who only speaks Turkish at the front desk, as he has been known to grope.
*Hotel Temel 2 is a nice hotel to stay in, with ensuite facilities, TV, and nice clean beds. It also comes with a breakfast, consisting of bread, cheese and honey. It's also suitable for the budget traveller. Somewhat unfriendly manager though, without any knowledge of English or any other language, but Turkish.
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[wiki=f4b3b974a89a011d809ba8da94ee455e]Ani[/wiki] - A visit to Eastern Anatolia is not complete without a visit to the ruins of the City of Ani, which is situated some 45km away from Kars. It is best to charter a taxi (80TL+) or get a guide. Most hotels can help you get in contact with Celil, a friendly local with great English who will arrange for you and any other tourists he can find to share a taxi ride (or dolmus if there are enough people). If you are alone, expect to pay around 100TL. For more people, the price is significantly steeper but being split between two or more people, you will probably only pay something between 30 and 80 each. Bargain hard and expect other travelers showing up on the same bus.
[[WikiPedia:Kars, Turkey]]
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