The city of Van is located on the shores of the lake of the same name in eastern Turkey. Russian tourists rarely get here, although most routes through the eastern part of the country pass through this city.
For many travelers, Van becomes the starting point for exploring the region. There is a large airport here, from which you can fly directly to Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Mersin and other cities in Turkey. That is why many people start their journey to the east of the country from here.
Foreigners most often come to Van on their way to Mount Ararat, Ishaq Pasha’s palace, Lake Van or to the mountainous regions of Hakkari and Agra provinces. The city itself rarely becomes the main destination of a trip. They usually spend one or two days here before traveling further around the region.
I found myself in Van during a trip to Hakkari, which I have already described in a separate article. Since most hikes and tours in this region start here, our group gathered in Van.
I’ve wanted to visit these places for a long time, so I arrived a day before the start of the hike. After a five-day trekking in Hakkari, most of the tour participants immediately flew home, and I decided to stay for a few more days and see the most interesting places around Lake Van on my own.
My plan was quite simple: rent a car and drive around part of Lake Van, visiting Akdamar Island, Nemrut volcano, Lake Balik, Ishaq Pasha’s palace and Mount Ararat on the way.
I must say that the city of Van itself did not particularly impress me. Architecturally, this is an ordinary modern Turkish city with dense buildings and typical multi-storey buildings. The main city attraction is considered to be the Van Fortress, but, in my opinion, the main impressions of this region are still outside the city.
In this article, I’ll tell you what I managed to see during a few days of traveling around Van and its surroundings, how long it took, and which places are really worth paying attention to.
