“Thunder Hill” Population : 175
In the far northeastern corner of Turkey, a dramatic castle bestrides a gorge near the village of Çıldır just inland from Lake Çıldır. Although you can get to it by driving from Arpaçay (the only place on the lake with anywhere to stay) it’s quicker to drive from Ardahan. Either way, the road actually bypasses the town and there’s absolutely no reason to stop there.
Beyond Çıldır, however, a battered sign points east to the scattered village of Yıldırımtepe and to Şeytan Kalesi (Satan’s Castle). Once off the main road there are no more signs but basically you just head towards the glorious Başköy Gorge carved out by the Kura river and then follow the path along the side which will bring you out facing the castle (non-4WDs can get some of the way along the track).
Surely one of Turkey’s remotest castles, Şeytan Kalesi makes a stunning sight although only the most nimble will want to try to get inside it. The keep and a tower that is surprisingly intact are perched on rocks in the middle of this craggy and seemingly impenetrable gorge; one can only wonder which supposed enemies were expected to be able to approach it.
Although there may have been a fortification of some sort on the site since Hellenistic times, the castle you see now is a reminder of the period from the 13th to the 18th centuries when this part of the country was ruled by a Georgian dynasty that had broken away from the main kingdom and whose leaders eventually converted to Islam. Their writ once ran on both sides of what is now the Turkish-Georgian border.
In early summer when the surrounding slopes are emerald-green and the rocks are peppered with wildflowers there can be few more beautiful spots than this. In winter the landscape becomes a panorama of white, utterly transformed.
Sleeping
There are no decent hotels in Çıldır or Arpaçay. Kars makes the best base for exploring this part of the world, although Ardahan is also a possibility.
Transport info
Without your own car you will be depend on taxis either all the way from Arpaçay or from Cıldır town which is 3.5km from the castle (there are dolmuşes to Çıldır town from Ardahan). Don’t expect to be able to bargain the fare down very much.
