Kars is a city in Eastern Anatolia. It is most frequently visited as a jumping off point for travelers going to Ani, but it is a viable destination in its own right for its 19th-century Russian imperial buildings, and, of course, its role as the setting for Orhan Pamuk's famous novel Snow.
A small village on the Rideau River in Ottawa, Canada is named "Kars" in honour of General Sir William Fenwick Williams's defence of the town of Kars, Anatolia during the Crimean War.
Kars is one of the highest cities in Turkey, 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. Nighttime temperatures can fall below 0°C at any time of the year (even in August).
Kars is the setting of Orhan Pamuk's novel Snow (ISBN 0-375-70686-0).
- Kars Castle. 09:00 to 16:00. 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, destroyed by Mongol invaders, and rebuilt in 1579. Admission is free.
- Church of Apostles. also well worth a look. The building was built as an Armenian church in the 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.
- Russian/Baltic 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, built by Russians in the occupation period as a church, is the only mosque in Turkey having that distinctive architectural style.
Kars Castle. 09:00 to 16:00. 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, destroyed by Mongol invaders, and rebuilt in 1579. Admission is free.
Church of Apostles. also well worth a look. The building was built as an Armenian church in the 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.
Russian/Baltic 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, built by Russians in the occupation period as a church, is the only mosque in Turkey having that distinctive architectural style.
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.
A local speciality is goose (kaz), usually made into a stew.
- Ani Restaurant is a good local restaurant, located under Kar's Otel.
- Antep Pide & Lahmacun Salonu is popular with the locals, makes cheap and tasty pide.
Ani Restaurant is a good local restaurant, located under Kar's Otel.
Antep Pide & Lahmacun Salonu is popular with the locals, makes cheap and tasty pide.
- Yağmurcu Cafe Bar, Yusuf Paşa Mh. Küçük Kazımbey Cad. Kent Kulüp Altı. No:3. (On the corner of Küçük Kazımbey Cad. and Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Cad., +90 5389571810. from 12:00 - 17:00 all hot and cold drinks half price. There is a rustic area at the entrance where you can drink and smoke. Inside is darker with tables, music and private rooms. 0.5L Effes 7TL, Nuts 5TL.
Yağmurcu Cafe Bar, Yusuf Paşa Mh. Küçük Kazımbey Cad. Kent Kulüp Altı. No:3. (On the corner of Küçük Kazımbey Cad. and Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Cad., +90 5389571810. from 12:00 - 17:00 all hot and cold drinks half price. There is a rustic area at the entrance where you can drink and smoke. Inside is darker with tables, music and private rooms. 0.5L Effes 7TL, Nuts 5TL.
Most hotels and many cafés and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi.
A visit to Eastern Anatolia is not complete without a visit to the ruins of the ancient Armenian city of Ani, 45 km east of Kars.
Daily bus departures from Kars in front of the Antik Cafe (corner of Faikbey Cd. and Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Cd.) at 09:00 and 13:00. The bus returns from Ani at 11:30 and 15:30. Roundtrip 14 TL, 10 TL for students. See poster (May 2017).
You can charter a taxi (100 TL, 2016) or get a guide (entrance fee 8 TL). In summer, it is very easy to find travel mates to fill a taxi. In winter, you will most probably travel alone.
There is also an English-speaking entrepreneur in Kars who will organize shared buses (40 TL per person, September 2013) to Kars. I sadly can't remember the name, but most hotels hotels should be able to give you his number if you just say something like "Ani, Dolmuş, Ingilizce". (There are no dolmuş to Ani as of March 2016.)
If you're on a tight budget you can also try hitch-hiking to Ani. Walk about 2 km out of town to the cross section where the street heads towards Ani (There are enough street signs to find it). There is not a lot of traffic on this road but eventually a local will stop for you.
Several minibuses to Ardahan every day, every hour from 8am (at least 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am). Departs from the minibus station (city center). 15 TL, about 1 hr 30 min.
Bus every morning 09:30 to Artvin (45 TL) and Hopa (55 TL) from the minibus station (city center). The bus is run by Artvin Ekspres and departs almost everyday; check one day before just in case. This option is the best to reach Georgia through Batumi. As of July 2019, the price for the Kars-Hopa bus - on Artvin Ekspress - is 80 TL per person.
If the bus from Kars to Hopa does not run, first go to Ardahan by minibus and, from there, take the 12 hr 30 min to Hopa (35 TL).
The same bus continues onwards to Trabzon (45 TL from Ardahan).