Black Sea Region of Türkiye

Türkiye's long Black Sea coast, with Ottoman houses in Safranbolu, Sumela Monastery and Lake Uzungöl, and other mountain and lake scenery.

This region corresponds to Türkiye's official Black Sea Region, which includes eighteen provinces from west to east: Düzce, Bolu, Zonguldak, Bartın, Karabük, Kastamonu, Sinop, Çorum, Amasya, Tokat, Samsun, Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, Rize and Artvin. It borders the Marmara Region to the west and Central Anatolia to the south; Erzurum, Kars and Ardahan to the southeast belong to Eastern Türkiye.

In the west, Safranbolu (Karabük Province) is a well-preserved Ottoman town (a World Heritage site) where timber houses, caravanserais and Turkish baths are still in use; Lake Abant and Yedigöller National Park in Bolu are famed for their autumn colors. In the middle section, Amasya lines the Yeşilırmak River with Ottoman timber houses, and Pontic royal tombs are carved into the cliffs; Hattusa in Çorum is the ruined capital of the Hittite Empire (a World Heritage site), and Sinop is a quiet peninsula port. In the east, Trabzon is known for the cliffside Sumela Monastery and the Hagia Sophia, and Uzungöl is an alpine lake ringed by wooden houses and spruce forest; Rize is Türkiye's tea country, the Ayder Plateau pastures and the Kaçkar Mountains suit summer hiking, and Artvin has canyon rafting and traditional stone bridges.

Safranbolu can be reached from Ankara or Istanbul, and 1–2 days is enough; the eastern Black Sea route of Trabzon–Uzungöl–Rize–Ayder takes about 4–6 days, and renting a car or hiring a driver is recommended. Trabzon, Samsun and Rize-Artvin airports have domestic flights. The mountains are often rainy and misty and road conditions change quickly, so leave some margin if driving.

Destinations

Itineraries