TÜRKİYE IN COLOUR · REGION GUIDE
🍃 The Black Sea in Colour
Green mountains, tea fields and a monastery on a cliff
by Fatih Koçoğlu, born in Şanlıurfa, raised in Istanbul
The Black Sea coast is a different Türkiye: rain, mist, endless green, wooden houses, tea plantations and people famous for their humour and their kemençe music. The west has the best-preserved Ottoman town in the country. The east has mountain lakes and high plateaus (yayla) where summer feels like spring.
⬇ Download the free PDF guide
Get “The Black Sea in Colour” as a PDF with all the links, free. Enter your e-mail and the download opens right away.
At a glance
- Best time
- June to September. It rains often, but that is why it is so green.
- How long
- 4 days for the east (Trabzon, Uzungöl, Rize, Ayder). 2–3 days for the west (Safranbolu, Amasra).
- Airports
- Trabzon (TZX) and Rize-Artvin (RZV) for the east. For the west, drive or bus from Istanbul or Ankara.
- Getting around
- A rental car is by far the best. Mountain roads are narrow but beautiful.
- Suggested route
- East: Trabzon → Sümela → Uzungöl → Rize → Ayder. West: Istanbul or Ankara → Safranbolu → Amasra.
The places
TRABZON
2 days · The capital of the eastern Black Sea
Sümela Monastery
A Greek Orthodox monastery hanging on a cliff in a misty forest valley, 45 minutes from the city. One of the most dramatic places in Türkiye. Expect a steep walk.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Hagia Sophia of Trabzon
A 13th-century Byzantine church with frescoes, now a mosque, in a garden over the sea.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Uzun Sokak
The main street for shopping, hamsi (anchovies) and Trabzon's famous butter.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
UZUNGÖL
1 day · 1.5–2 hours from Trabzon
Uzungöl lake
A mountain lake with a mosque on the shore, wooden chalets and mist on the slopes. Walk around the lake.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Viewpoint (Seyir Terası)
Walk up for the classic photo over the lake and the village.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
RIZE & AYDER
2 days · The tea country
Ziraat Tea Garden, Rize
A garden on a hill above the city where you drink fresh tea among tea bushes.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Fırtına Valley
A wild river valley with stone Ottoman bridges. Rafting in summer.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Zilkale
A medieval castle on a rock high above the valley, often in the clouds.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Ayder Plateau
A high green plateau with wooden houses, waterfalls and hot springs.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
💡 Local tip: Visit in May or June to see the tea pickers in the fields.
SAFRANBOLU
1–2 days · 3 hours from Ankara, 5 from Istanbul
Old town (Çarşı)
A UNESCO town of white and timber Ottoman mansions. Sleep in one.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Cinci Han
A huge caravanserai from 1645, now a hotel. Climb to the roof for the view.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Glass terrace at Tokatlı Canyon
A glass platform hanging over a deep canyon, 10 minutes from town.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
💡 Local tip: Buy saffron Turkish delight (safranlı lokum), the town's speciality.
AMASRA
1 day · 1.5 hours north of Safranbolu
Amasra Castle
Walls built by Byzantines and Genoese on a small peninsula over two bays.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›Kemere Bridge
A small stone bridge to the little island, with sea on both sides.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
🍽️ What to eat and drink
- HamsiBlack Sea anchovies, fried in cornmeal. The king of the region, best in winter.
- Kuymak / muhlamaMelted cheese with cornmeal and butter, eaten from the pan with bread.
- Akçaabat köfteFamous meatballs from a town next to Trabzon.
- Laz böreğiA sweet custard pastry, a Rize and Trabzon classic.
- TeaFresh Rize tea, straight from the fields.
- Safranbolu lokumTurkish delight with saffron.
✅ Good to know
- Bring a rain jacket even in summer.
- Mountain roads are slow. Plan fewer places per day than the map suggests.
- On weekends Uzungöl and Ayder are crowded. Weekdays are calmer.
- Sümela is popular. Arrive early to avoid groups and check opening times before you go.
🗣️ Speak a little Turkish
Locals light up when you try. Tap a phrase for audio and a full lesson.
- Merhaba!mehr·hah·bahHello!Listen
- Teşekkür ederim.teh·shehk·kewr eh·deh·reemThank you.Listen
- Lütfen.lewt·fehnPlease.Listen
- Bu ne kadar?boo neh kah·dahrHow much is this?Listen
- Tuvalet nerede?too·vah·leht neh·reh·dehWhere is the toilet?Listen
- Hesap lütfen.heh·sahp lewt·fehnThe bill, please.Listen
- Burası çok güzel!boo·rah·suh chohk gew·zehlThis place is beautiful!Listen
- Afiyet olsun!ah·fee·yeht ohl·soonEnjoy your meal!Listen
▶ Video lessons
Turkish guides for your trip
What's next
Next destination🕌 Istanbul🧭 Türkiye travel essentials
Istanbulkart, taxi apps, airport transfers, tickets, a SIM, money, 112 and the official e-Visa — plus the Turkish phrases you need.
🎁 Get all 13 guides free
All thirteen “Türkiye in Colour” PDF guides in one go: itineraries, Google Maps links, food and phrases for the whole country.
Information checked in November 2026. Opening hours, ticket prices and visiting rules change often, so check the official site before you go.
More destinations
- 🕌 IstanbulThree days in the city on two continents
- 🎈 CappadociaFairy chimneys, cave churches and balloons at sunrise
- 🏖️ AntalyaOld town, ancient theatres and the turquoise sea
- ⛵ BodrumWhite houses, a crusader castle and the bays of the Aegean
- 🌊 İzmirThe Aegean city, Ephesus and the windmills of Alaçatı
- 🫒 Aegean TownsAncient cities, olive groves and white villages by the sea
- 🪂 Fethiye & ÖlüdenizRock tombs, the Blue Lagoon and a ghost village
- 🐢 Turquoise CoastLycian tombs, sunken cities and the bluest water in the Mediterranean
- 🐟 ŞanlıurfaGöbekli Tepe, the City of Prophets and my hometown
- 🍯 Southeast TürkiyeMesopotamia: mosaics, stone cities and the best food in the country
- ⛰️ Eastern AnatoliaMount Ararat, a lost medieval capital and a church on an island
- 🕋 Central AnatoliaRumi's Konya, Ankara, colourful Eskişehir and the Hittite capital
Photo credits
- Uzungöl, Black Sea, Türkiye — Hamdigumus, CC0
- Sümela Monastery, Black Sea, Türkiye — Hamdigumus, CC0
- Tea fields in Rize, Black Sea, Türkiye — Koliva, CC BY 3.0
