On Thursday, hot air balloons featuring various designs from 17 countries, including Türkiye, participated in a spectacular flight display in Nevşehir's Ürgüp in central Türkiye, as part of the "Nevşehir Cultural Route Festival" organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Nevşehir, the seventh stop of this year's festival, which is being held in 16 cities, has been hosting various events since Aug. 3. The festival's activities include concerts, exhibitions, gastronomy and workshop events, talks and theater performances at different venues across the city center and surrounding districts and towns.

Hot air balloons with various designs, invited from countries such as Azerbaijan, Belgium and Brazil, were prepared by staff in the early hours at the Ürgüp Festival Area. The balloons, which attracted the attention of the public, ascended one after another into the sky, floating over the town for about an hour.

Evgheni Costiuc, a balloon pilot from Moldova, expressed his delight to an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter, saying, "I'm very happy to have been invited here. Cappadocia has always been on my mind. It's a beautiful place." He added that he has enjoyed flying in the region over the past two days.

Dinie Bosma, a balloon pilot from the Netherlands, also shared her excitement, stating that flying amid Cappadocia's natural beauty brings her great joy.

If weather conditions are favorable, the figure-shaped hot air balloons will continue their display flights over the fairy chimneys and valleys of Göreme during the weekend.

The practice of hot air ballooning in Cappadocia began in the early 1990s and has since developed into a significant tourist activity. Flights typically occur at sunrise, providing views of the valleys and rock formations from above. The sight of numerous balloons in the sky has become a well-known aspect of the region's visual identity.