Uludağ - Thanks to the guaranteed snow, the mountain is a sure bet for skiers with a taste for exotic destinations. On the slopes near Bursa, snow piles up to three meters deep.

The off-piste slopes are a paradise for deep-snow skiers. There's virtually no danger of avalanches. If the weather isn't bad, you can ski until mid- to late April. Demanding skiers take the lifts up to Suaklikaya (2,270 meters). The slope is short but steep, and an adrenaline rush is guaranteed.

Uludağ - The operating system of the lifts takes some getting used to:

They are owned by the largest hotels in Uludağ and are primarily available to their guests. Anyone who wants to explore the entire ski area needs a total of three ski passes. This is a relatively expensive proposition, as a single ski pass costs at least 30 euros.

For après-ski, there's raki and kofte, and in good weather, you can even catch a glimpse of the Sea of ​​Marmara. Things are a little different in the Turkish winter sports resort of Uludağ than in Ischgl or St. Anton. For winter sports fans who enjoy the exotic, the mountain resort offers a completely new skiing experience.

A horde of grinning young men in ski suits toasting with steaming glass cups amidst a snow-white mountain landscape. With limited vision, you might think you were in Ischgl or St. Anton. But the cups aren't filled with Jagertee or mulled wine, but with Turkish coffee or sahlep. This creamy, non-alcoholic hot drink is the epitome of winter magic in Turkish. It consists of orange blossom water, orchid roots, sugar, and cinnamon. And the mountain backdrop is the peaks of the Uludağ Mountains.

There are only a few winter sports resorts in Turkey.

But those tired of the Alps can have a completely new experience there. For example, in Uludağ (pronounced Uludah). This friendly mountain village, named after its local mountain, is located 36 kilometres south of Bursa and is one of seven major ski resorts in Turkey.

30 slopes of varying difficulty levels await the discovery of foreign tourists in Uludağ. They are perfectly groomed. The serpentine road up to the village, on the other hand, is much bumpier. 15 chairlifts and drag lifts transport skiers to altitudes between 1,700 and 2,250 meters. A new gondola system recently began operating. State-of-the-art and made in Austria.

The hotel managers' ego trip has other strange consequences: At the valley station to one of the area's peaks, simply called "Summit" (Zirve), three chairlifts rotate. The cables run almost parallel, just a few meters apart.

Because there are no municipal subsidies, everyone works for themselves and without any sense of community. "We just have a different mentality," explains Erdal, a ski instructor from Uludağ. Nevertheless, the landscape appears relatively unspoiled – as befits a national park. In summer, Uludağ is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers.

From the summit, there is a stunning panoramic view of the mountainous landscape of western Turkey. On clear days, of which there are many in Uludağ, you can even glimpse the Sea of ​​Marmara in the distance. With your feet in ski boots and a view of the sea – a rare and strange combination. At the mountain station, the aroma of Turkish mocha and charcoal grills fills the air. Kofte and garlic sausages are sizzling away.

Uludağ - "A piece of home – and beautiful"

Cigdem travelled from Essen with her four-person group of women. The 30-year-old Turkish woman has lived in Germany since birth. Why Uludağ and not Stubai or Zillertal? "Because it's a piece of home," she says, "and it's beautiful here." And she's right. She's already made her colleagues in Germany salivate. "A few are seriously considering a ski vacation here," Cigdem assures.

Very few Germans still make their way to Uludağ. There are 15 hotels in the resort – some of which offer wellness treatments – as well as a small number of guesthouses. There are currently no package deals from Germany. Those who prefer individuality and possess a pioneering spirit can book directly on site or upon arrival at an Istanbul travel agency. However, the first half of January should be avoided – the 3,000 guest beds are fully booked during this period, year after year.

Afterwards, the slopes are comparatively empty. Only short lines form at the lifts, and ski rental shops vie for customers. The condition of the rental equipment is satisfactory, and rental fees are relatively low. In contrast, the prices for accommodation and ski passes are unexpectedly high – compared to the prices in the tourist hotspots by the sea. Cigdem says she paid 520 euros for eight nights with full board in a four-star hotel (roughly equivalent to category three in Germany), including a ski pass. She travelled there herself. Non-hotel users of the lifts pay a high price – around 30 euros for a day pass. And that, in turn, only covers part of the ski area. However, the new gondola system offers a solution: It allows you to explore almost the entire ski area with a single ski pass. It can be purchased through one of the largest hotels in town, the Hotel Agaoglu (pronounced Aaohlu).

Those looking to hit the slopes at night will find a handful of bars and discos in Uludağ. The party sometimes goes on late into the night. Ski circus acts like après-ski with a guaranteed alcohol limit, however, are only known by hearsay. Skiing is considered an expensive, upscale hobby in Turkey. Uludağ is therefore a hotspot for the wealthy from Bursa and Istanbul. Celebrities, Turkish pop stars, and football players often gather here. German soccer coach Christoph Daum is said to have regularly unpacked his skis in Uludağ during his time in Istanbul.

Those who aren't part of the jet set but still want to ski put their money aside. Like Yusuf from Istanbul. The father of two is in Uludağ with his entire family. "I save all year for a ski vacation," he says. As a skier on average income, Yusuf is an oddity for his fellow countrymen. He developed a taste for it via satellite TV. While channel surfing, he happened to see the famous Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel on an Austrian channel. Since then, the fun of skiing hasn't left him alone. He ordered his state-of-the-art carving skis online from Switzerland and had them delivered to Turkey.

"Snow Waltz" with Raki

Incidentally, Uludağ 's first skier is considered to be a German physics and philosophy professor. Hans Reichenbach emigrated from Germany to Turkey in the 1930s. Unwilling to give up his beloved skiing, he searched for suitable terrain in the wider area around Istanbul. And he found it on Uludağ. Incidentally, it's an extinct volcano and mentioned in Greek mythology as Olympos Misios. Reichenbach regularly organized ski trips to the slopes of the Uludağ Mountains for his German colleagues in Istanbul. "At first, the locals were amazed, then they imitated the Germans," says Erdal, our ski guide.

Although things in Uludağ are no longer like they were in grandfather's time, skiing is still practiced relatively frugally and discreetly. An advantage for quiet connoisseurs. There are virtually no sloping rambos, and certainly no drunken ones. We were all the more astonished when the hotel band greeted us at dinner with a German sung song: "Trink, trink, Brüderlein trink!" (Drink, drink, little brother, drink!), followed immediately by the "Snow Waltz." Erdal insisted that the group follow with a raki. Mixed with water, the anise schnapps turns snow-white in no time. In Uludağ, you'll be happy even without Jagertee.

Martin Cyris

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