Türkiye’s Eastern Express train recently launched its winter season along its Eastern Express and Touristic Eastern Express routes. The 814-mile trip aboard one of the oldest railways in Asia lasts approximately 25 hours, passing through the provinces of Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum and Kars.
The Eastern Express stops at 50 historic train stations and features Pullman and couchette cars, as well as a dining car for up to 56 diners. The Touristic Eastern Express includes a sleeping car and stops at 29 stations over the course of 35 hours. Each stop lasts up to three hours, allowing guests to sightsee in the remote cities and towns along the way. Both routes end in Kars, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
At Kars, passengers can explore Kars Castle, the Second Stone Bridge and Kars Museum. Other cultural experiences include the sparring of ashiks, traditional Turkish actors reciting improvised poems and songs. Guests can also visit ancient religious sites like Tigrens Honents Church and Ebu’l Menûçehr Mosque. For more active adventures, Kars’ Sarikamis Ski Center offers the third-highest altitude ski track in the world. Or, stroll on frozen Çıldır Lake before enjoying some ice fishing for mirrored carp.
The Eastern Express runs daily from Ankara; the Touristic Eastern Express operates from Ankara on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from Kars on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
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