Things to do in Avanos

Avanos sits on the Kızılırmak, Turkey's longest river, and its economy still runs on the red clay dredged from the riverbed, a craft documented here since Hittite times. The town centre is a run of pottery workshops either side of the bridge that crosses the river, some family-run, others set up for coach groups with a demonstration on the wheel and a showroom that follows.

Prices at those central workshops run well above what a neighbourhood potter charges, so it pays to look at more than one before buying. A sit-down go on the potter's wheel is a common sales pitch rather than something offered free everywhere.

Avanos works well as the last stop on a Red Tour or as a standalone outing from Göreme, about 15 minutes by road, and a couple of hours covers the workshops and the bridge without rushing.