Highlights of Cappadocia

Uçhisar Rock-Castle is the highest point in the region, with Esentepe offering a panoramic view of the Göreme valley. This castle is like none you have ever seen before: unlike the large walls of classic European castles, Uçhisar looks like a maze of carved rooms. Venturing inside, you can reach the highest point of the castle and enjoy the best views over Pigeon Valley.

Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum, which consists of steep cliffs and many hidden churches dating from the second half of the 9th century — rock-cut churches, frescoes and monasteries.

The multi-level Underground City of Kaymaklı is one of the largest underground cities in Cappadocia, with eight storeys. There are 36 underground cities in the area and their original establishment is unknown; some date back to the Hittites (5th century BC) and some as late as the 6th century AD. These cities were used by early Christians escaping persecution until the 7th century and cannot be noticed from ground level. Air shafts as deep as 85 metres were carved into the rock, with lateral holes at different levels in all directions, creating dwellings, bathrooms, kitchens, dining halls, storage rooms, wine cellars, chapels and graves; surface entrances were camouflaged.

Visit Paşabağ, located on the road coming from Göreme, where remarkable earth pillars rise in the middle of a vineyard — also called Monk's Valley. Continue to the village of Avanos, a small town famous for its pottery, built along the banks of the Kızılırmak, and taste the famous testi kebab if you wish.