Göreme National Park and the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

I'm not sure if I'd rank it as the best part of Cappadocia, but the Fairy Chimneys are definitely the most unique and spectacular part. These formations are representative of the region and being there is an unforgettable experience. The "peribacalar" (Fairy Chimneys) were formed by the erosion of the layer of limestone covering the volcanic rock. This left them in spindly formations which are now called "chimneys." Some of them are over 40meters high! They're cone-shaped and are crowned by tufts of hard stone standing over the pale pillars. Depending on how you look at them (and your mindset) they either look like massive phalluses or bizarre mushrooms. Locally, they're known as "kalelar" ("castles," in Turkish). In Cappadocia, you can see these formations and many others (near Zelve, there's a mountain of rocks in the shape of giant breasts).

When we got off the bus and looked at the fairy chimneys, the landscape suddenly felt very familiar, as if we'd just stepped into our favorite childhood fairy-tale, the type of place where elves and fairies live in mushrooms. The only difference is that these were stone mushrooms with whimsical shapes, sculpted by wind erosion and by material that erupted thousands of years ago from volcanoes, namely the now inactive Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes. The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, not surprisingly given that it's such a magical and geologically unique place. We wandered

Here's a bit about my experience of hot air ballooning at dawn in Cappadocia. I didn't know if it was really worth paying for, but I assure you that it's more than worth it and something I'd repeat a hundred times if I could. After seeing the marvelous fairy chimney landscape from above, I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Turkey. Seeing the day slowly rise above the horizon is just...gorgeous.