Hot air balloon festival takes off in Cappadocia

Nevşehir's Cappadocia is one of the many fairy-tale-like corners of Turkey. Known for its fairy chimneys and underground cities that once hosted early Christians in the region, Cappadocia is also famous for its hot air balloon tours, which are an on-demand service for tourists who want to discover the territory from up above while enjoying the unmatched sunrises and sunsets in the region.

Cappadocia launched its first ever hot air balloon festival yesterday and the event is scheduled to continue until July 7.

Organized by the Ürgüp district municipality in Nevşehir, the Cappadocia International Hot Air Balloon Festival's opening ceremony saw live folk dance performances.

The festival will host 150 balloons which will take the festival participants up into the skies throughout the event and 20 hot air balloons that are specially designed for the festival. The festival will also feature a glowing balloon in the evening, lit up in sync with rhythmic music.

Apart from Turkey, the festival is welcoming hot air balloons from all over the world including the U.S., Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Indonesia, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Japan and Mexico.