Eastern Anatolian Çıldır, Balık lakes’ winter beauty attract visitors

Lake Çıldır in Türkiye’s northeastern Ardahan province, one of the largest lakes in that region, recently welcomed a high number of visitors as the surface of the lake froze because of the cold weather and low temperatures typical for this time the year.

Situated close to the Georgian border at an altitude of 1,959 meters (6,427 feet), Çıldır lake is one of the most popular places in the area for sleighing in January when air temperatures average minus 14 degrees Celsius (6.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

This year the frost on the lake’s surface was slightly delayed, but as soon as the temperatures dropped below zero degrees, the landscape froze, grabbing the attention of visitors and hundreds of locals.

Most of the visitors who came to visit Çıldır Lake enjoyed the sleigh rides and had fun with the music on the frozen plateau, expressing that even the sight of the lake amazes them. Sharing her experience at the lake, Aynice Topuz from Giresun said: “I came to Çıldır lake for the first time and I love it. The nature here is alluring and we were quite satisfied. The yellow fish we ate here is just unbelievably amazing.”

Meanwhile, another visitor Sevgi Aydın, who also hails from Giresun, shared her fondness for Ardahan, noting that Lake Çıldır is “a wonderful natural phenomenon.”

“There is no snow but there is ice, there is cold but it is wonderfully cold,” she said.

‘Hidden gem of Eastern Anatolia’

Another lake in Türkiye’s east, Lake Balık – located in the Sinek Plateau in the Ağrı district – also amazed the visitors with its frozen surface on Thursday morning as the temperature dropped.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the lake welcomes local and foreign tourists throughout the year. It is one of the most frequently visited destinations of nature lovers in the region, famed for its islands, ethereal nature and unique species of birds and fishes.

On the distance of only some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Ağrı’s Taşlıçay district, Lake Balık (“Fish Lake”) welcomes campers through the summer and is completely covered with ice because of the freezing weather in winter. This lake, which is a volcanic set lake in terms of formation, is located just above the Aras mountain range. It is one of the highest lakes in Türkiye, at an altitude of 2,241 meters (7,352 feet).

Locals living around the lake shared that there was little snow in the region this year but that it eventually peaked with ice, as the temperature dropped following the days after the new year.

Meanwhile, another local named Sinan Ergül shared that the lake view from the mountain is distinctively beautiful in all seasons, explaining that many nature photographers come to the Ağrı region, both in the summer and winter months.

“Thousands of locals and foreigners visit in summer. It is beautiful, especially during spring. The people visiting are not missing out on much because the lake’s surface is frozen in winter. The lake has frozen over the last few days because the weather is freezing. The ice usually melts near May,” he added.

Noting that there isn’t much snow in Ağrı this year, Ergül said that there is a little snow around Balık Lake as it’s located at a high altitude and that he usually visits the lake whenever he can.

Many locals eagerly wait for the lake to freeze each year so they can slide on the lake’s glassy surface and enjoy the mesmerizing nature. Visitors coming to both lakes are often seen riding in horse-drawn sleighs and cruising on snowmobiles.

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