Palandöken Mountain

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Ski resort in Palandöken, Erzurum, Turkey

Palandöken Mountain (or shortly Palandöken) is a 3,271 meters high techtonic mountain in Erzurum Province, Turkey. The summit is at a distance of only 10 km from Erzurum city center, which itself extends at an elevation of 1,950 meters. On the road from Erzurum to the summit, there is a ski resort at the locality of mountain called Başköy, 2,100 m. high, and the distance between the station and the city is 4 km.

The ski trail is the longest in Turkey. Because of the quality of the snow (a fine-grained light powder), steepness of slopes, and length of trail, Palandoken is known as the best mountain in Turkey for skilled skiers. The toughest runs are on the backside of the mountain known as the Ejder trail. Due to fog and avalanche risk the Ejder lifts and trails are sometimes closed.

There are four hotels on the mountain: Polat Renaissance hotel, Dedeman hotel, Dedeman Ski Lodge, and Palan Hotel. Because of the center's closeness to Erzurum, visitors can also stay in hotels in Erzurum, notably two luxury ones.