Lake Van is Türkiye's largest lake; with its soda-rich water and the snowy mountains around it, the scenery is like nowhere else. Akdamar Island, off the south shore, is reached by boat from the pier near Gevaş; the island's 10th-century Akdamar Church (Church of the Holy Cross) is famous for its stone reliefs.
Van Fortress rises west of the city, with rock tombs and inscriptions from the Urartian period. A Van breakfast is an experience in itself.
The Lake Van Express and the seasonal Touristic Tatvan Train run from Ankara to Tatvan, on the lake's western shore.
