Uçhisar Castle

Uçhisar Kalesi

The highest point in Cappadocia, a towering rock fortress honeycombed with carved chambers. From the summit, you get 360-degree views of fairy chimneys, Pigeon Valley and the distant snow-capped Mount Erciyes.

Uçhisar Castle is Cappadocia's highest natural rock fortress, at roughly 1,350 meters. Generations of residents carved countless rooms, passages and dovecotes into the single massive block of tuff, which from a distance looks like a giant beehive. It served as a defensive stronghold in the Byzantine period. Residents began moving out in the mid-20th century as the rock weathered. The climb to the top involves about 10 minutes of stone steps. Admission costs about €5–10 (priced in Turkish lira). From the summit platform, you get 360-degree views. To the west lies Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi), which leads to Göreme and whose cliffs are dotted with dovecotes. To the north are the fairy chimney forests of Love Valley and White Valley. On clear days, you can see the snowy summit of the 3,917-meter Mount Erciyes volcano to the southeast. Sunset and the early morning balloon hours are the most spectacular. At the foot of the castle is Uçhisar village, home to Cappadocia's most upscale cave hotels, including Museum Hotel and Argos. The village's viewpoint restaurants and the Pigeon Valley viewpoint, where a “evil eye tree” hangs with blue eye amulets, are both free to visit. You can reach the castle from Göreme by minibus or taxi in about 10 minutes, or walk the Pigeon Valley trail for about 1.5 hours. The top of the castle is windy and has no railings, so keep an eye on children and hats. Be careful on steep, slippery steps. Tour groups tend to come in the morning, so it's quieter in the evening.

Uçhisar Castle

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