Avanos

Pottery workshops line this little Cappadocian town on the banks of the Kızılırmak — Turkey's longest river — where red clay from the riverbed has fuelled a ceramic tradition stretching back to Hittite times. Avanos sits in the heart of a region riddled with ancient underground dwellings and ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites, with a walkable old town, a strong café and restaurant scene for its size, and scenic surrounds typical of Cappadocia.

• Population12,833
• Nearest water0.2 km
• Nearest mountain2.5 km
• UNESCO within 50 km7