Turkey’s winter wonderland Population: 6,000
Şavşat town should be a rustic beauty but instead it’s full of the usual concrete high-rises. Still, it does make a useful base for getting to the Şavşat Meşeli Karagöl national park if you don’t have your own transport.
There are taxis here for exploring the surrounding area, and perfectly decent places to eat. All the hotels actually in the town are best given a wide berth.
The town’s one sight, Şavşat Kalesi (Şavşat Castle, Satlel Kalesi), is a little north on the road to Artvin in Söğüt at the junction with the old road to Veliköy. Probably dating back to the 9th century but with much rebuilding in Ottoman times, the castle ruins are picturesquely perched on top of a rock. Restored and made accessible to visitors in the 2010s, the castle has one impressively intact tower topped off with a wooden roof and substantial stretches of outer wall.
Heading east towards Ardahan the road is extremely beautiful – try to get a seat on the righthand side of the bus so that you can admire the log cabins at the Yakarı Kocabey yayla (upland pasture) just before the Çamlıbel Pass (2640m). Note that this road is sometimes impassaable in winter.
As a historic footnote it’s worth being aware that Şavşat was captured by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 and not returned to Turkey until 1921. Many people here are of Georgian ethnic origin.
Sleeping
Laşet Motel
Transport info
Şavşat otogar is on the eastern side of town and offers fairly regular services to Ardahan and Artvin plus once-daily services to Şavşat Meşeli Karagöl (leaving at 3pm, returning at 7.30 am) and Meydancık (leaving at 2pm).
Arrivals are often delayed by up to an hour at a time by road closures in the Artvin area.
Day trip destination
Meydancık
Şavşat Meşeli Karagöl National Park
