This is the one place that everybody who comes through Cappadocia goes. It's a nicely packaged instant version of what the whole area has to offer and it's a good place to start. For background on the whole scene here check out the history of Cappadocia.

The open air museum is about 2km from the town of Goreme itself and you can comfortably walk it. Walking in Cappadocia is usually fun anyway. As you approach you'll pass the coachpark on your right, complete with its row of souvenir shops, and on your left the buckle church, one of the finest examples of frescoes in the area. Entrance is included when you buy your ticket at the main gate so you'll probably end up visiting it on the way out of the museum. Try not to forget it.

It would be silly to give details of all the churches and rooms in the valley here as you could easily spend half a day wondering about and looking at them all. Basically what you'll find is the remains of a monastic community who made their home in this valley. Most people are struck by the frescoes and the quality of these varies from excellent to very tatty. Keep an eye open for the strange symbolic decorations in some of the smaller churches and chapels. Bear in mind when buying your ticket that the Karanli church (recently restored and with the freshest frescoes) is not included in the price and will cost you an extra $5 or so.

Over the last 2 years or so an extensive protection programme has been put into place. The churches are very prone to erosion and to prevent this they are slowly being covered with a resilient artificial surface designed to halt their gradual destruction. This looks kind of weird at first glance but it makes sense.