Winter fun captivates tourists in Turkey's Cappadocia

As a year-round tourist hub, Cappadocia offers winter holiday-goers scenic views and festive seasonal activities on the landscape covered in swathes of snowfall.

Tourists can plod through the snow on horses or zoom across it in all-terrain vehicles before strolling among the fairy chimneys and natural rock formations covering the valley floor before touring the vast subterranean settlements and monasteries carved out of the rock.

Tourists who take part in such activities as walking through the valleys can discover the historical, cultural and natural beauties of the region and take lots of pictures on the way.

One Russian tourist, Volkov Evginay, expressed his admiration of the region which he was visiting for the first time: "We ride ATVs in Cappadocia and this was a very special experience for me. The rocky areas here are unlike any other."

Recommending the region to everyone in his home country, he said: "There are many beautiful activities in Cappadocia. Everywhere and everything here is beautiful."

Halil Atay, whose company organizes various activities for tourists visiting the area, said Cappadocia welcomes its guests with different attractions every season, 12 months a year.

When hot air balloon tours -- one of the most preferred activities -- are not available due to adverse weather conditions, other activities can make for fun alternatives, according to Altay.

"Tours with off-road vehicles, horses and camels are also very popular in Cappadocia," he said.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin