Discover Turkey
Black Sea
Green mountains, tea plantations and Sümela Monastery clinging to a cliff – Turkey’s Black Sea coast is a world apart from the Mediterranean.
The eastern Black Sea coast is one of the greenest regions of Turkey. Its humid climate nurtures dense forests, the tea plantations around Rize and high mountain pastures known as yayla, and the region has its own distinctive cuisine and music.
Highlights
- Sümela Monastery – an Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, set on a sheer cliff above the Altındere Valley.
- Hagia Sophia of Trabzon – a 13th-century church from the time of the Empire of Trebizond, with remarkable frescoes.
- Lake Uzungöl – a mountain lake surrounded by forests and wooden houses.
- Rize and its tea – terraced tea gardens on the slopes above the sea.
When to go
The best time is June to September. Rain is possible all year round – it is what keeps the landscape so green – so a light jacket is always a good idea.
Tours featuring: Black Sea
