Things to Do in Erzincan: A Plain, Valley and Canyon Guide

Is Erzincan only a place you drive through?

On the main road between Sivas and Erzurum, Erzincan stays a rest stop for most travellers; yet the province is a route in its own right, a wide plain cut by two branches of the Euphrates and ringed by mountain ranges. You are in the middle of Eastern Anatolia here: the ski slopes of Ergan Mountain to the north, the castle and Karasu valley of Kemah to the west, the stone road and Dark Canyon of Kemaliye (once called Eğin) to the south-west, and Iron Age mounds out on the plain. The town alone asks half a day; think of the province as three layers, nature, canyon and history, and the plan becomes far more rewarding.

This guide has 12 numbered stops. The numbers match the pins on the map below, and tapping a pin opens the related guide where one exists. Distances are measured as the crow flies from central Erzincan; in this mountain terrain the road runs well over that, so keep drive times generous. Roads, seasons and entry terms change; confirm from official sources before you go. Price marks are relative: ₺ budget, ₺₺ mid, ₺₺₺ expensive.

One warning: distances here are longer than they look on the map. Far corners like Kemaliye or Tercan take an hour and a half to two hours from the centre, and mountain roads can close in winter. Base yourself toward the side where you will spend the most time.

Things to do in Erzincan

1. Altıntepe Mound

An Urartian settlement on a hill overlooking the plain in Üzümlü district, and Erzincan's most important archaeological stop. Its Iron Age layers, temple and palace remains, rock tombs and finds sum up the region's thousands of years of history in a single place. Some of the excavated objects are displayed in museums; the site itself, looking out over the plain, gives you both history and a view.

• Getting there: About half an hour by car toward Üzümlü from the centre; 14 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1-1.5 hours.
• While you're here: Üzümlü town and Aygır Lake (no. 6) are in the same direction.
• Budget: ₺ (check current entry terms officially).
• Common mistake: Passing it off as an ordinary hill; the value is in the remains on top and the view the location reads.

2. Balıklı Mountain

A hill rising north-west of the Erzincan plain, known for its view of the town and the valley floor. The higher you climb, the wider the flat land the Euphrates opened spreads out below; on a clear day you see the whole plain and the ranges opposite. People come for photos and sunset, and the trail is partly marked.

• Getting there: Reached by car from the centre; 28 km as the crow flies, and the mountain road takes longer.
• Time: A half-day, depending on your walking pace.
• While you're here: The town centre and the Underground Bazaar (no. 3) fit the way back.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Climbing in city shoes; the ground is stony and the wind is sharp, so dress in layers.

3. Erzincan Underground Bazaar

A covered market built below street level in the town centre, and the shortest way to see Erzincan's daily life and crafts. Erzincan is known for its copperwork and its tulum cheese; the stalls carry copper vessels, local cheese and dry goods side by side. It stays comfortable in rain or heat because the air is always even.

• Getting there: In the centre, within walking distance; 0 km as the crow flies.
• Time: An hour, longer if you shop.
• While you're here: The other central markets and eateries are right around it.
• Budget: ₺-₺₺, depending on what you buy.
• Common mistake: Buying copper at the first stall without comparing; hand-hammered and machine work should not cost the same.

4. Haçabur Lake

A calm lake where the plain meets the foot of the mountains, in the central district. People come for a picnic and photos by its reeds, reflections and quiet shore; on a weekday you often have it to yourself. The water level shifts with the season, fullest in spring.

• Getting there: A short drive from the centre; 16 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1-2 hours.
• While you're here: It slots easily into the central route as the first or last stop of the day.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Expecting a swimming lake; this is a stop for stillness and birdwatching, not a beach.

5. Hel Hill

A high viewpoint south of the centre, looking over the plain and the surrounding valleys. A plain break for anyone who wants to step out of the town and take in the wide angle; on clear days the plain runs end to end in front of you. The road can rough up on the last stretch, so plan for your vehicle.

• Getting there: By car south from the centre; 33 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1-2 hours plus the drive.
• While you're here: It can link to the Kemah-side stops (no. 8, no. 9).
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Underestimating the last kilometres; the dirt road gets hard when wet, so check the weather.

6. Aygır (Agu) Lake

A high lake hidden among the mountains in Üzümlü district. Its cool air, the surrounding highland pastures and the still water make it the local answer to summer heat. The view opens as the road climbs, and silence and clean air greet you at the shore.

• Getting there: By the road that climbs the mountain via Üzümlü; 29 km as the crow flies, and the drive runs longer.
• Time: A half-day counting the drive.
• While you're here: Altıntepe Mound (no. 1) is in the same Üzümlü direction, down on the plain.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Trying to reach it in winter; when snow closes the high road, access turns risky.

7. Sernek Mountain

A mountain rising above the Euphrates valley and canyon country in Kemaliye (Eğin) district. Kemaliye is known for its Dark Canyon and the Stone Road hand-carved into the rock; Sernek Mountain is where you read that scene from height. The stone houses, narrow lanes and valley-edge setting of the town ask a full day on their own.

• Getting there: A long drive toward Kemaliye from the centre; 102 km as the crow flies, and the road runs over two hours.
• Time: A full day with Kemaliye, ideally with an overnight.
• While you're here: Kemaliye town, the Dark Canyon and the Stone Road are all in the same area.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Forcing Kemaliye into a day trip; the distance is long, and the town and canyon deserve a night.

8. Biçare Mountain

A mountain overlooking the Karasu (Euphrates) valley in Kemah district. Kemah, with its castle and its riverside setting, is one of Erzincan's most historic districts; Biçare Mountain is the height where the valley and the castle come into wide view. For anyone after nature and history, it is the natural extension of the Kemah route.

• Getting there: By car toward Kemah from the centre; 68 km as the crow flies, and the valley road runs longer.
• Time: A half to full day with Kemah.
• While you're here: Kemah Castle and Kuş Hill (no. 9) are in the same district.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Seeing the castle and skipping the mountain; the valley view earns its meaning from height.

9. Kuş Hill

Also in Kemah district, a viewpoint over the Karasu valley and the town. A short but memorable climb on a Kemah outing; from here you see clearly how the river splits the valley. It sits closer to the centre than Biçare Mountain, so the two fit the same day easily.

• Getting there: By car toward Kemah from the centre; 25 km as the crow flies.
• Time: An hour plus the drive.
• While you're here: Kemah Castle and Biçare Mountain (no. 8) complete the route.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Reducing Kemah to the castle alone; the valley and hills give it its real character.

10. Köroğlu Cave

A cave in Refahiye district, named after the folk hero Köroğlu. Its cool air and underground formations are reason enough on a summer noon, and the setting is wooded and calm. Refahiye, at the province's western edge near Sivas, forms a separate nature loop of its own.

• Getting there: By car west toward Refahiye from the centre; 68 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1-2 hours plus the drive.
• While you're here: The area around Refahiye joins a forest-and-highland route.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Going in without a light and proper shoes; the cave floor can be damp and slick.

11. Akdağ

A mountain rising in Tercan district in the east of the province. People come for nature and walking, drawn by its highland pastures, snow-capped summit and broad grazing land; Tercan is also known for its hot springs, so the mountain and the thermal can share a day. It is an eastern loop you can add on the way toward Erzurum.

• Getting there: By car east toward Tercan from the centre; 82 km as the crow flies.
• Time: A half-day, depending on the walk.
• While you're here: The Tercan hot springs and the town are in the same direction.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Giving it a day of its own; combine it with the Erzurum crossing or the Tercan spring.

12. Güllü Mountain

A mountain in Çayırlı district to the north-east. Its highland pastures and cool air make it a summer nature stop; it lies far from the centre, so it suits anyone after a genuine escape. Village and highland life carry on around it, and there is almost no crowd.

• Getting there: By car north-east toward Çayırlı from the centre; 67 km as the crow flies.
• Time: A half to full day.
• While you're here: Çayırlı and Tercan (near no. 11) join up on the east-north-east route.
• Budget: ₺.
• Common mistake: Planning it for winter; the high roads can turn impassable under snow, so its season is spring and summer.

Which stop for whom

• First visit: Altıntepe Mound (1), the Underground Bazaar (3), Balıklı Mountain (2)
• History lovers: Altıntepe (1), the Kemah area (8, 9)
• Canyon and nature: Kemaliye and Sernek Mountain (7), the Karasu valley (8, 9)
• Cool air and lakes: Aygır Lake (6), Haçabur Lake (4), Köroğlu Cave (10)
• Escaping crowds: Güllü Mountain (12), Akdağ (11), Hel Hill (5)
• Local life and food: the Underground Bazaar (3), copper and tulum cheese

Five minutes of regional history

The Erzincan plain sits on the wide flat that the two great branches of the Euphrates, the Karasu and the nearby streams, opened between the mountains. The region's past reaches into the Iron Age; **Altıntepe** in Üzümlü, with its Urartian temple and palace, carries one of the oldest settlement traces on the plain. **Kemah** in the Karasu valley, with its castle and riverside setting, served for centuries as a road and defence point. To the south-west, **Kemaliye**, once called Eğin, feels like a separate cultural island with its stone houses and its canyon on the Euphrates; the Stone Road hand-cut into the rock along the Dark Canyon is proof of the region's stubborn contest with nature. In modern times Erzincan has also been marked by major earthquakes; the tremors of 1939 and 1992 forced the town to rebuild, and today's centre is the product of that renewal. The town still keeps its craft and kitchen traditions alive through copperwork and tulum cheese.

A first-timer's two days

**Day 1, centre and plain:** Morning at Altıntepe Mound (no. 1) and the Üzümlü direction; on the way back, stretch to Aygır Lake (no. 6) if you like, or save it for the second day. In the afternoon, the Underground Bazaar (no. 3) in town for copper and tulum cheese, then Haçabur Lake (no. 4) or Balıklı Mountain (no. 2) for sunset. Evening over regional cooking in the centre.

**Day 2, valley and canyon:** Start early; head toward Kemah and take in the castle, Kuş Hill (no. 9) and Biçare Mountain (no. 8) along the Karasu valley. If you have the time and an overnight, the big loop is Kemaliye and Sernek Mountain (no. 7); the distance is long, so it is best to spend the night there.

Add a third day for the far rings: Refahiye and Köroğlu Cave (no. 10), or in the east Tercan-Akdağ (no. 11) and Çayırlı-Güllü Mountain (no. 12).

Classic mistakes

1. **Treating Erzincan as just a rest stop.** The plain, the valley and the canyon each ask a day; you cannot pass them in half an hour on the road. 2. **Reading distances off the map.** Mountain roads run well over the crow-flies figure; reach far corners like Kemaliye and Tercan by the clock, not the map. 3. **Forcing Kemaliye into a day trip.** The town, the canyon and the Stone Road do not fit one day; plan the night there. 4. **Trusting the high roads in winter.** Aygır Lake, Güllü Mountain and similar high stops turn unreachable when snow closes in; confirm the season. 5. **Buying copper at the first stall.** Do not confuse hand-hammered with machine work; compare in the bazaar and handle the pieces. 6. **Hitting a mountain trail in city shoes.** The ground is stony and the wind sharp; dress in layers and carry water. 7. **Assuming entry and road conditions.** They vary; do not set out without confirming from official sources and locals.

No sea; so where is the cool

Erzincan is inland with no coast, but its cool sits high up: the mountain air of Aygır Lake (no. 6), the shore of Haçabur Lake (no. 4), the underground chill of Köroğlu Cave (no. 10), and the highlands of Güllü Mountain (no. 12) and Akdağ (no. 11). In a heatwave, shift the programme to these high stops and take the plain and bazaar in the first hour of the morning or the last of the evening.

Day trips

**Erzurum:** A few hours east via Tercan. With its historic medreses, castle and winter tourism, it is the region's big centre; this is Erzincan's strongest long day trip.

**Kemaliye (Eğin):** A long drive to the south-west. With its stone houses, Dark Canyon and Stone Road, it is really a route for an overnight rather than a day trip; if you are staying nearby, give the day fully to it.

**Tercan hot springs:** East, on the Akdağ (no. 11) route. For anyone who wants a thermal break and a mountain view in the same day.

Planning questions

**How many days does Erzincan need?** One day covers the centre and the plain; add the valley, the canyon and the far mountain loops and it stretches comfortably to two or three.

**Where to stay?** Central Erzincan for transport and variety; Kemaliye for the canyon and stone-house experience. See our where-to-stay guide for detail.

**Doable without a car?** The centre, the Underground Bazaar and the near stops are partly possible by public transport; the mountain, lake, Kemah and Kemaliye loops want a car.

**Worth it in winter?** Yes for the centre and skiing on Ergan Mountain; but the high lakes, pastures and far mountain roads turn unreachable under snow, so confirm the season.

**Are road and entry conditions current?** They vary; mountain roads depend on the weather and sites on their own rules. Confirm from official sources and locals before you go.

**What to eat and buy?** Tulum cheese and regional cooking stand out; for a keepsake, Erzincan copperwork is in the bazaar, and hand-hammered pieces are the ones to choose.