The Black Sea is an unrivalled slice of heaven for adventurous travellers. Culture buffs, nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, as well as families in search of fresh and fun activities can explore a staggeringly beautiful mountainous landscape, folksy villages and historic sites along the way.

Fringed on one side by the sea and the densely forested North Anatolian Mountains on the other, the Black Sea region of Türkiye feels like a place set apart from time, as well as geography. Roaring rivers and streams breaking amid mountains, pristine lakes, a string of historic forts and monasteries, as well as old caravan routes that form part of the Silk Road make this part of the country a dream for nature lovers, as well as culture and history buffs.

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME

The Black Sea has some of the most storied spots of Türkiye, where you can see the venues of important mythological events, as well as the remnants of gloried ancient civilisations of Anatolia. UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hattusha near the city of Çorum attracts visitors as the stunning capital city of the Hittite Empire, the ancient superpower which ruled Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium BC. The open-air temple of Yazılıkaya cut into the bedrock is yet another attraction two km (1.2m) northeast of the capital, presenting some of the most striking examples of Hittite relief art.

The lush valleys of the Black Sea region also disguise several monastic complexes. Explore Sümela Monastery in Trabzon - an awe-inspiring fortified complex clinging to the rock cliffs of the Altındere Valley, reminiscent of Tibetan monasteries. Alternatively, head to Yusufeli in Artvin to admire the medieval architecture and craftsmanship of Georgian churches and monasteries of Öşk Vank (Oshki), İşhan (Ishkani), Haho (Khakuli), Dört Kilise and Cevizli (Tibeti).

MORE TIPS FOR HISTORY BUFFS:

• In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Safranbolu, you will find the picture-perfect example of an Ottoman town that once flourished as an important trading station along the main caravan routes connecting the Orient to Europe. Explore the authentic street layout and the elegance of the local architecture, and retreat to the intimacy of a traditional wood-panelled hotel room in an exquisite old Safranbolu house.
• Discover Cape Jason in Ordu, where one of the best-known myths of the ancient world happened - none other than the quest of Jason and the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece across the Black Sea.
• Cross one of 20 stone arch bridges built during the Ottoman era on the Fırtına River and its tributaries in Rize.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES LIKE NO OTHER

As part of the Alpine-Himalayan geological belt, the Northern Anatolian Mountains make the Black Sea region the primary destination in Türkiye for those who long to breathe fresh mountain air in these vast, richly forested nature reserves dotted with pristine lakes, and experience one-of-a-kind adventures on the slopes of majestic mountains soaring to 3,000 meters and above.

Among these, the Kaçkar Mountains stand out as a premier destination for trekking enthusiasts, offering unique and challenging routes through breathtaking alpine landscapes. The region is also the proud host of the internationally renowned Kaçkar by UTMB, a global trail running event that attracts elite and amateur runners from around the world.

You can enjoy the smell of Türkiye’s oldest forests during walks in the Küre Mountains. Hunt for local mushrooms such as ayı mantarı (porcini) or kuzu göbeği mantarı (morel) in the forests, just as locals do every spring and autumn after rain.

Two other important natural reserves to explore are the Yenice Forests (the largest forested area in the country) in Karabük and the Örümcek Forests in Gümüşhane, which boast the tallest fir trees in Europe and the grandest spruce trees of Caucasia and the Balkans.

Uzungöl - a verdant oasis of green surrounded by Trabzon’s highlands - is without a doubt one of the most Instagrammable lakes in all of Türkiye.

MORE TIPS FOR NATURE LOVERS:

• Sleep under the stars at a campground in Yedigöller or Abant, accompanied by the murmuring natural music of the forest around you.
• Fuel your adrenaline on a rafting tour in the superb natural setting of Düzce (a rural town located midway between İstanbul and Ankara).
• Listen to the birds singing at the Kızılırmak Delta Wetland and Bird Sanctuary, which has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage Center’s Tentative List as an important reserve, home to 35 percent of the 460 bird species found in Türkiye.
• Visit Ballıca (on the UNESCO Tentative List), Karaca, and Çal Caves in Tokat, Gümüşhane and Trabzon respectively, featuring million-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations.
• Choose mountain hotels and huts of the Ayder Plateau as your base to explore the Kaçkar Mountains in Rize - an unmissable gem for lovers of long walks, with its breathtaking mountain scenery, glacial lakes and snow-capped peaks. Welcome the thrill of off-piste skiing or snowboarding on fresh powder at Ovit Highlands in the Kaçkar Mountains.
• Escape from it all at the Camili (Macahel) Biosphere Reserve near Artvin, whose flower-filled plateaux are the only untouched natural habitat of the Caucasus bee and an important stop along the global bird migration routes.

A MELTING POT OF FLAVOURS

More than 1,000 miles (1,600km) of coastline, fertile lands divided by mountains and cinematic high pastures produce scrumptously rich food in the Black Sea region of Türkiye and have historically provided some of the region’s best cooks, many of whom came from the province of Bolu to work in the Ottoman Palace in the 19th century.

If you ask Turks where to find the best pide - a boat-shaped flatbread baked with various toppings - the answer will likely be Karadeniz (the Black Sea). It comes either with an open or closed crust and is topped with cheese or various kinds of meat; a vegetarian alternative with spinach is also delicious.

The Black Sea region is also famous for its micro-climates that allow the cultivation of special food items that best grow here in Türkiye. The cities of Ordu and Giresun produce 70-80 percent of the world’s hazelnuts, while the origin of the crimson-hued Turkish tea is also the Black Sea region. The verdant slopes of tea plantations in Rize, Trabzon and Artvin offer some of the most picturesque panoramas of the country.

Hamsi (anchovy) also plays a crucial role in the regional diet and you can try it in all forms prepared here - fried, pickled, grilled with rice in clay casseroles (hamsili pilav) or inside cornmeal bread (hamsili ekmek). Karalahana is yet another cornerstone of Black Sea cuisine. This local version of collard thrives especially in the eastern part of the region and is consumed as karalahana çorbası (a stew-like hearty soup made with white beans) and karalahana dolması (collard leaves stuffed in with rice and meat).

MORE TIPS FOR FOODIES:

• Indulge in the lokum (Turkish delight) flavoured with hazelnuts, pistachio, rose petals and more, still prepared with ancestral recipes and artisanal care in Safranbolu.
• Explore the fragrant misket elması —the local apple variety that is small and round as a marble— in the city of Amasya, where Ottoman şehzades (princes) once received formal education.
• Savour white wines made from the famous Narince grapes of Tokat province.
• Visit the small mountain village of Hamsiköy in Trabzon to taste their local version of sütlaç (rice pudding), with its burned crust and dash of crushed hazelnuts on top —a renowned treasure.
• Stop by the small town of Vakfıkebir in Trabzon to buy a giant loaf of sourdough bread freshly baked in a stone oven. As a trademark of the Black Sea region, Vakfıkebir bread has spread all around the country.
• Start your day with muhlama (a mixture of melted cheese, butter and cornmeal) made of the rich dairy products of the Kaçkar Mountains, where cattle owners still migrate to the highlands during their summer months.
• Taste the karakovan (black hive) honey of Çamlıhemşin, made by bees naturally bred inside hollowed-out tree trunks

CULTURAL DISCOVERIES

As one of the most beautiful and intact regions of Türkiye, the Black Sea has its own local artisanal traditions, rituals, sights and sounds, as well as a festive spirit that will linger in your memory long after visiting.

If you’d like to feel the local vibe, join a horon to dance in harmony with the energetic local music made with the kemençe (a bowed string instrument) or tulum (a form of bagpipe). One can easily come across this common form of sharing the joy of life in regional weddings or summer festivals held in the high plateaus of the Eastern Black Sea region. Soaring mountains divided by deep valleys not only determined the forms of local music, but also gave way to a rare whistled language “spoken” by the residents of the small mountain village of Kuşköy, near Giresun.

MORE TIPS FOR AFICIONADOS:

• Some of Türkiye’s best boat builders come from the Black Sea region. Feel the curves of traditional, custom-made wooden boats at the docks of Kurucaşile, an ancient boat-building town situated along the coast.
• Witness how artisanal walking sticks are shaped out of walnut trees in the city of Devrek, also home to Türkiye’s first museum dedicated to the tradition.
• Be amazed by the skilful hands transforming silver into exquisite pieces of jewelry in Trabzon with the age-old wire weaving and braiding techniques of hasır and kazaziye.