BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS 535 Çamlîhemšin Trabzon Kaçkar Mountains; © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Sumela Monastery Sinop Amasra
) ( p548 ) ( p539 ) ( p560 ( in ş Kaçkar Mountains Sinop Sumela Monastery Trabzon hem ı Çaml and seductive and seductive ( p554 ) ( p554 ) village hospitality in the ( p558 ) eco-tourism in winding coast road between attractive Amasra sightsee in busy-busy cliff-face setting at the the peaks to sample local dishes and Trek of mountain the first wave Road-test Twist and turn scenically on the long and drop and shop, test, Hustle, bustle, taste, in an impossible Byzantine frescoes Admire HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
Of course, the defining feature of this coast is still the sea, but Black Sea dwellers enjoy Black Sea of this coast is still the sea, but Of feature course, the defining into Georgia, to turn round or dive you have end of the coast, just before eastern the far At Admit it – you forgot Turkey has a northern coast. Fair enough, the might of the Med often might of the Med often enough, the has a northern coast. Fair Turkey forgot Admit it – you if it’s just sun, sea and of the less-popular Black Sea, and the simpler pleasures overshadows trying to hit the all- be blamed for heading south rather than sand you want, you couldn’t to the Karadeniz far more than (Black Sea) there’s Luckily, too-brief here. swimming season a wealth of sights without a sniff of can explore discerning travellers a tourist industry, and resort regions. the real the crowds that plague manner, seekingit in an altogether civilised fish a catch-fresh out the best spots to dig into bit as colourful of a past every amid the crumbing remnants tea dinner or sup a cup of local Fragments of castles and fortifications coastline – legacies the as central Anatolia’s. litter of the kings Genoese, or the Ottomans, of Pontus, or the got hold of them or whoever willingly as the flashpoint for which acted has markedlast. Recent history, too, the region, revolution. republican Atatürk’s Kaçkarlies the Black Sea’s other trump card, the scenic trekking season’s The Mountains. window around sum- a four-month shorter but you still have than the beach period, even hearty mountain villages, field-test mountain food and experience isolated mer to explore no risk you’ll done all that, there’s you’ve And trust us, once some fading mountain cultures. north coast again. Turkey’s forget Black Sea Coast & & Coast Sea Black Mountains Kaçkar the BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS state with Allied support. Disarmed bythe state with Alliedsupport. Disarmed this region attempted toformanew Pontic away. the groundandsailed burnedSamsun to mans came,theGenoese had tradingprivileges. ButwhentheOtto- ruleandtheGenoese sun wasunderSeljuk under Mehmet theConqueror. 1461, whenitwascaptured bytheOttomans descendants ruledthissmallempire until tinople anddrove himoutinAD1204.His Pontus whenthe crusaders sacked Constan- Manuel emperorof I,proclaimedhimself tium, andAlexiusComnenus,sonof Emperor (Trabzon). eastern endof inTrebizond thecoast,based left asmallkingdomof Pontus atthefar helater committedflee; suicide. TheRomans Pontus, whereupon Mithridates wasforcedto Romans. TheRomanresponse wastoconquer I of fromthe Armenia,tograb Cappadocia time encouraginghisson-in-law,Tigranes agree onpre-war apeacebased borders. Anatolian kingdoms,butwaslater forcedto andconquered andother Cappadocia BC waged awaragainsttheRomansin88to84 famous Ponticking,Mithridates VIEupator, it becametheKingdomof Pontus.Themost towns atSinop,SamsunandTrabzon. Later byMilesiansandArcadians,whofounded BC inthe8thcentury The coastwascolonised 536 History Kurucašile Bartîn BLACK SEACOAST&THEKAÇKARMOUNTAINS Amasra Safranbolu While Alexiusremained inTrabzon, Sam- ruledbyByzan- The coastwassubsequently After WWItheOttomanGreek citizensof hewasatitagain,this From 74to64BC KARABÜK Eskipazar Çerkeš BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACK SEA ••Amasra Pînarbašî Cide Atkaracala Îÿdir Kuršunlu Azdavay Milli Parkî Ilgaz Daÿî Doÿanyurt Daday Özlüce Ilgaz To Ankara (115km) Seydiler Înebolu KASTAMONU Abana Tosya Çatalzeytin Kargî Osmancîk Ayancîk Erfelek Boyabat E80 To Amasya Sinop Gerze Merzifon (5km) Barajî Altînkaya ise Turkey’sise battleforindependence. moved inlandtoAmasyaandbeganorgan- controlin escaped thesultan’s a bureaucratic ruse, KemalMustafa ( Atatürk) very responsive tocallsforrevolution. Using theTurksproved circumstances, arms. Inthese allowedtokeep their bands whohadbeen ants were persecuted byethnicGreek guerrilla Allied occupationauthorities,Turkishinhabit- Pontic kingdom, butrented theportto suffered were itontheAegean. the kindof overdevelopment have itmight centre forthisregion, spared buthasstillbeen It’s apopulartourist a thick-walledcitadel. bours beach andasandy and overlooked by prettiest, twohar- neatlybetween squeezed coast, andhasagoodclaimtobeone of the town of anyreal note alongtheBlackSea Coming fromthewest, Amasra isthefirst % AMASRA ofweather because the altitude. preparedand snowy.Be forunpredictable ditions. IntheKaçkars winters are long,harsh and autumnbringgenerally changeable con- winters with moderate temperatures. Spring showery summers andmild,rainyfoggy long stretch of landischaracterised bywarm, rainfall inTurkey. Thedampclimate of this coastreceivesThe BlackSea theheaviest Climate landed atSamsunon19May 1919.He soon Kavak The Byzantines heldAmasra aspartof the Bafra 0378 /pop6400 Bafra Burnu Destek Încir Burnu (KARADENÎZ) SAMSUN Tašova BLACK SEA Çaršamba Ayvacîk Akkuš Çaltî Burnu Terme Ünye Bolaman Fatsa Ulubey lonelyplanet.com Gölköy İ Peršembe stanbul and stanbul Uzunisa Ordu Giresun spoken. Park midnight) Internetaccessandphoneservices. lonelyplanet.com the promontory fortified by theByzantines ra’s most strikingfeature. Itencompasses gateways leadtothe North of the two harbours, three massive Sights &Activities information Tourist S Café Amasra Turizm Information souvenir shopsintheKüçükLiman. the BüyükLiman(Large Harbour). stripof (east)untilyouhitthesandy straight sions andthe Liman (SmallHarbour) withrestaurants, pen- sign to‘ bythePTT.an intersection right Followthe a coupleof pensions.Mostof stopat thebuses inanoldstonebuildingontheleft,and seum As youcomeintoAmasra,you’llpassthemu- Orientation to relax andenjoysomesummerwaterlife. ports,andtodayit’ssimplyaperfect spot Sea tootherBlack lost itscommercialimportance UnderOttomanrule,Amasra without afight. 1460, when Mehmet theConquerorwalked in from1270until asatradingstation Genoese tourist services. tourist car hire and local Caddesi13)Hotelbookings, Cumhuriyet Tirebolu Espiye The entrance to the citadel lurksamidthe The entrancetothecitadel Kürtün ı ; h Bešikdüzü To Erzurum (Özdemirhan Sokak; per hr€0.75; Sokak; (Özdemirhan (180km) 11am-7pm) Erraticopeninghours,noEnglish Ş ehir Merkezi’ (north)fortheKüçük ( TRABZON E97 % belediye BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACKSEA ••Amasra Maçka Monastery Sumela ( 315 1978; www.amasraturizm.com; 315 1978;www.amasraturizm.com; % Yomra 0 0 315 1219;AtatürkKültür kale kale (townhall),orwalk Çaykara Of Rize iae) Amas- ( citadel), Uzungöl Pazar Šenyuva Çat h Çamlîkaya Findiki Ayder 9am- Arhavi Çamlîhemšin 60 miles 100 km Hopa Kaçkar (3937m) Mt Yusufeli good home pension in the citadel area,good homepensioninthecitadel some perfect beach views. balconies offeringern option withsea-facing Büyük Liman,this isasmallbutsmartmod- theharbours.between offering small,basicroomsonasidestreet €17/34) by averdant garden.Breakfast notincluded. colourful roomssurrounded with sixbright, that bitnicerthanyouraverage Pide Salonu(see p538 ), thiscastleoptionis peopleasthe KaradenizRun bythesame Aile €10/20) private bathrooms. shady terrace. Plainroomscomewithpoky manzaral ‘ the castlewalls;lookoutforsignpostsor andahandfulwithin some alongtheseafront while optionsforbudget travellers. You’llfind (pensions inprivate homes),which are worth- again untilMay attheearliest. attheendofclose October anddon’topen be warned thatmanyplaces out of season, are Ifyou’re formidweek. planningtovisit busy summerweekends; pricesquoted here by10%to40%on inAmasracanrise Rates Sleeping for alonger tour(sixhours). about €3forashort tour(45minutes) and€15 harbour andalongthecoastline.topay Expect erators inBüyükLiman offer op- several mired Inseason, fromthesea. impressive fromthe2ndcentury. statues Hellenistic oddsandends,includingsome collectionofstandard Roman, Byzantineand Sun) Dereo colonyonanoffshore islet. a noisyseagull viewsof outcrop tosiptea andsoakupsunset centre. Make yourwaytothe northeastern century and there are afew oldrelics such asthe15th- residential; mostof theoriginalwallssurvive Amastris. as Sesamos when thissmallcommercialportwasknown Pansiyon Ş Ku Pansiyon Balkaya Amasra isalsoagoodspotfor Amasra’s magnificentlocationisbestad- The Most of thearea isnow insidethecitadel Kale Pansiyon Kale , overlooking a KüçükLiman,contains ahil Otel ahil ğ ş lu Sokak 4;admission€1.10; lu Sokak na Pansiyon Opposite the local sailing clubonthe Opposite thelocalsailing Thecheapest formalpensionintown, Amasra Museum Eski Chapel Eski ’ noticesinindividualwindows. ı (with sea view)andboastinga (withsea
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KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS row of streetside placessouthof the Cengiz Caddesi9;mains€1.10-3; mains €1.10-3; harbour road,thiswell-runplaceoffers at- floor salon. (savoury pancake) in towninitscosy 1st- up thebest ily-run Sormagir serves opposite Amasra’stiny‘pubquarter’, the fam- (Turkish-style pizza)or in KüçükLiman,youcan’tgowrong withpide they’re often fullof coach parties. ally available season, forgroups).Inthehigh fish) bytheportion(three-portion dealsusu- superb restaurants serving seafront licensed pleasant, Amasra hasseveral Eating is oneof thelivelier intown. nightspots barracksnextdoor,andtheBofemilitary Bar money. Viewstake intheharbour andthe the upper-level roomsare almostworththe and palmtrees doaddaresort flavour and the top-endoptionitthinksis,butpool Meydan Cumhuriyet at weekends. café-restaurant are bothparticularlypopular facing thebeach. Thehotel anditsVeneto tractive roomswithlotsof frontbalconies desi; s/d€20/39) suite-like cornerrooms(€67). across bothharbours, andthere are somebig is spoken, therooftop restaurant gets views excellent Amasrafavourite. GoodEnglish you’ll findcreature comfortsgalore atthis iron balconiesandblackcurrant-pinkfaçade, 6;s/d€23/36) Sokak demirhan to askforoutside-facing windows. surefittings andanattractive restaurant. Be roomswithnew theless hasgood-standard by theMetro never- busoffice, theBedesten empty shoppingcentre, withreception shared option occupyingthetopfloors of ahalf- Eyiceo prices actuallyfallatweekends. aspect.Unusually, nosea bathrooms, though rooms, double-glazing and‘pathogen-free’ in thecentre, furnished pleasantly hasbright, Caddesi 27;s/d/tr€17/34/42) 538 Büyük LimanOtel Türkili Hotel Camc Timur Otel Sormagir Café Café Sormagir AilePideSalonu Karadeniz Hotel Amastris ğ BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACK SEA ••Amasra lu Caddesi8;s/d/tr€17/34/42) ı o ğ lu Otel Bedesten lu Otel h ( % Inanexcellentlocationonthe
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providing thefresh fishdinner early tobagawaterside table. arguably aquaticdécor. inspite of theOTT Go is afavourite withtourgroupsandlocalsalike, choice, in1945, established smartest seafood Caddesi; mains€4-8.50; ous salad. are withcopi- regulars onthemenu,served buttons. charm hitsalltheright traditional-style house on thebusierBüyükLiman,thismultistorey mains €3-8; Küçük Liman,nearthe terrace, justabove thewater. bythe It’sright ontherearthe towntovisitors; yoursights set mains€3-6; with plentyof chicken dishes. is Amasra’sprimegrillandfast-food spot, thetwoharbours,town, midwaybetween this mains €2-4.50; meals andnargilehs (water pipes). Ottoman-styled lounge fordrinks,traditional offering aterrace offtheseafront, and house) café occupiesthehistoricold mains €1.10-4) Amasra, start early in the morning. Minibuses early inthemorning.Minibuses Amasra, start If youplan totravel eastalongthe coastfrom Getting There& Away at night. walls. There’s usually opposite thecastle houses wiched between of pubs,ahut-like woodenbuilding sand- ofis themainemissary Amasra’ssmallcluster beer. it, soitreally ishardto beatforawaterfront by blockingtheviewsof therival jointsbehind Teras makes more even itself indispensable onthebeachRight bytheBüyükLiman, of signspointtheway. perfect panoramicsippingspot–ahandful up thestreets withinthe social hubinaprimelocation. shady municipality tea gardenisadelightfully Amasra BelediyesiAileÇayBahçesi Drinking &Entertainment A Çesm-i CihanRestaurant Ç Amasra Sofras Hamam Café Mustafa Amca’n Mustafa Han Bar Teras &Bar Cafe ı ğ nar Restaurant layan A
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Big intercity buscompaniesdon’toper- Quite afew villages here have campsites appealing overnight andlocalbase… torivalAmasraasantown mayeven start has thevisiontoopenahotel ortwo,the revival continues. Whoknows,ifsomeone morecan expect tofollowastheOttoman but somehave beenrenovated, andyou around thecentre; mostare pretty rundown Numerous oldwoodenhousesare scattered the BlackSeafromplainsofAnatolia. the typicallyhillylandscapethatseparates on Hwy755.It’sacharmingtownsetamid stop at Bart franbolu, youmayaswellthrowinaquick orSa- anyway onyourwayto/fromAnkara as you’llprobablyhave topassthroughit it’snotonthecoast,but speaking Strictly TOBARTINDETOUR ı n youcancatch regular to buses İ , westof or Çakraz, isafinestart, stanbul (€20, seven hours). (€20,seven stanbul ı n, 15kmsouthwestofAmasra BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACKSEA ••AmasratoSinop İ NOP İ stanbul. heyelan (land- ı n old Ottoman houses scatteredold Ottomanhouses around,and town, besure tohave alookattheclutch of bar, caféandapebblebeach. Inthecentre of commodation, arestaurant (mains€3to€9), 800m westof thecentre, provides variedac- would terrify the Leaning Towerofwould terrify Pisa. theLeaning mosque, leftbysubsidenceatananglethat destination forholidaymakers from years.one fora thousand Today it’sapopular isanatural site foraportandhasbeen Sea, Sinop, onapromontory juttingintotheBlack % S around here. İ scenic route toSinop,about 2½hours from with theleft(northern)forkoffering themore beautiful scenery.At tin slept oncein1925. note thebigrestored mansionwhere Atatürk desi; r€25-78; inTurkish; 3100; www.yakamoztatilkoyu.com, afternoon. The not beable tofindonward transportbylate handy stopping point, especiallyasyoumay a decentbeach. 9km furthereast,isafast-growing resort with harbourtown,while other pleasant of Around 12kmonis point bytheflagpoleonridge above town. is goodvalueandhasanon-site restaurant. ( minate. Ifyou’re stuckovernight, the where manydolmu continues 8kmeastwardto named village of stretches kilometres forseveral totheaptly beachcends toabroad,sand-and-pebble that perfect cove at your journey,andthetinyharbouron its twobeaches, isanothergoodspottobreak towns have modesthotels andpensions. town of river ravine leadingfromtheinterior. that gives accesstothe % nebolu. There are numerouslakes andcaves İ NOP , there isa long pebblebeach surroundedby Further east, as you pass through thevillageFurther east,asyoupassthrough Do About 41kmeastof halfwaytoSinop, Over Cide,there’sLeaving apanoramicview- About 63kmeastof Amasratheroaddes- The picturesque village of Denizkonak 0368 /pop101,000 0366-866 2087;www.yaliotel.com;LimanYolu;s/d€9/18) ğ anyurt Kuruca s , 31kmbefore , look out for the semicollapsed , lookoutforthesemicollapsed ) ş , asmallresort complexabout ile Gideros Yakamoz TatYakamoz Kumluca , 45kmeastof Amasra. Both ş Kuscu Köyü (minibus) services ter- (minibus)services Ayanc isidyllic. İ nebolu, near Aydos Canyon (Sandy).Thebeach ı İ k İ ı nebolu, isyetan- Cide nebolu l Köyü theroaddivides, , asmallvillage Kap , asmalltown
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KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS Hit Café Internet Café Hit Information Sinop thecentreeast through 800mdirectly tothe attractive cuts mainstreet, Sakarya Caddesi, town bythefortifiedwalls.Fromhere theun- isatthewestern entrance tothe (bus station) town tobeaches andland’send.Theotogar with theroadcontinuingeastbeyond the Sinop isatthenarrowpointof thepeninsula, Orientation Russian ambitionsintheNearEast. to fight Ottomans alliedwiththeBritishandFrench ginning of theCrimeanWar, inwhich the great lossof life. Thebattlehastened thebe- whelming thelocalgarrisonandinflicting attacked Sinopwithoutany warning,over- communications. Samsun,whichto develop hadbetter land ing itin1214,buttheOttomanspreferred busy tradingcentre. Romans andByzantines–turneditintoa the Pontickings(whomadeittheircapital), rulers –Cimmerians,Phrygians, Persians, Sinop’stradeslowlygrew, andsuccessiveBC, fromMiletusinthe8thcentury Colonised History theleast. and diningoptionsamenable tosay most visitors finditslaid-back charm, wining and terms base, of it’sagreat sights, BlackSea many modelshops. Whileithaslittletooffer in enthusiasts, whoare spoiltforchoice inthe and Ankara,apparently formodel-ship 540 h headquarters). On 30November 1853,aRussian armada Sinop asaportafter tak- used The Seljuks the peninsula. happy (andcelibate) solitudeatthetipof and allowedSinopetolive outherdaysin ginity. Outwitted, Zeus gave ingracefully, foreternalof thegods,promptlyasked vir- letting herselfbeseducedeven bytheking any wish.Sinope,whohadnointention of to buyheraffections, promisedtogranther Zeus fell inlove withherand,inanattempt Sinope, daughter oftheriver godAsopus. itsnamefromthelegendofSinop takes LIKE AVIRGIN 10am-midnight) BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACK SEA ••Sinop vilayet kona vilayet (Gazi Caddesi; perhr€0.55; (Gazi ğ ı
(provincial government after all, how many local museums can boast canboast after all,howmanylocalmuseums one of thebetter institutionsalongthecoast– secondary boothbytheotogar. female staff.office withEnglish-speaking There’s a h there’s an Ottoman tombintheopengarden. classical, ByzantineandOttomanperiods, the Temple dig,displayscover of Serapis the their ownexcavation site nextdoor?Apartfrom Caddesi; admission€1.10; tower loomsabove theharbournearby. of Anothersquare itswalledcomplexintact. 6pm) the (Sand Gate); onthesouthernsideyoucanvisit otogar isanancientbastioncalledthe mirage-likethe distant hills. places tolookoutover orbacktowards thesea Youcanstillwalkalongtherampartsin high. gates,2km long,withseven andtowers 25m time thewalls,some3mthick,were more than byPonticKingMithridates IV.72 BC Atone ofdevelopments originallyerected those in buttheexistingwallsare since2000BC, even tohave fortified Sinopseems been the sea, preserved Sinop’s primeattractionistherelatively well- Sights &Activities information Tourist Kibris Caddesi3) Kibris money recovered fromthesoldiers’ pockets. of wasbuiltusing the tack 1853. Thefountain ment, the Camii and localproducts. of Sinop.It’snowfullof crafts shops selling conquest 1262 tocommemorate thesecond builtbySüleymanPervane in Seminary), were added bythelocalCandaro the direction of Mecca) and times; itsmarble vizier. repaired Themosquehasbeen many grand Süleyman Pervane, apowerfulSeljuk courtyard. Itwasconstructed forMuinettin inawidewalled amosqueset the UluCami, the stands soldiers Russianat- whodied in thesurprise builtinmemoryoftain), themanyTurkish Sinope Tours In thetowncentre onSakaryaCaddesi Sinop’s Near theshore onth Near theharbouris Next toitisthe 8.30am-5pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep) Very helpful friendly, , ahulkingformerprisonblockwithmost Tarihi Cezaevi (1903)with,nexttoit,atouching monu- Archaeological Museum Archaeological Ş fortifications Alaadin Camii runsdaily cityandlocal tours. ehitler Çe
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mihrab (Old Jail;admission€0.85; ( % h Pervane Medresesi Medresesi Pervane 261 7900;www.sinopetours.com; 261 5298; Gazi Caddesi; 261 5298;Gazi 8am-noon &1-5pmTue-Sun) ş . Open to attack from . Opentoattack mesi (Martyrs’ Foun- e northernsideof the (1267),alsocalled (theniche indicating Tersane Hac mimber lonelyplanet.com ( %
261 1975; Okullar 261 1975;Okullar ğ lu emir. (Pervane (pulpit) h Kumkap ı Ömer 9am- is is ı
s/d/tr €8.50/17/23) individual boilers fortheshowers. Quite a and plainbutneatroomshavethese TVs Y Sleeping lonelyplanet.com Caddesi 29;s/d€17/22) heads. Still,ifit’sbudget youwantthis’lldo. some of theprivate showers are missingtheir with thebathrooms–someare shared, andeven notbesoimpressed quick ‘aww’,butyoumight €11/20/22/34) Breakfast notincluded. the otherhand,appears tobemissingentirely! triplewithbalcony.Room46,on a nicebright few have views,androom47inparticularis ı Samsun (169km) Ayancîk (62km); Türkelii (12km); To Akliman(12km); 4 1 3 2 lmaz AilePansiyonu SÎNOP Otel 57 Otel Otel Meral Otel 5 23 Cumhuriyet Cad (KARADENÎZ) tl5...... C3 C3 Otel 57...... Denizci Otel...... C3 A3 Tersane HacîÖmerCamii...... Tarihi Cezaevi...... C2 Sinope Tours...... B2 Pervane Medresesi...... A3 Kumkapî (SandGate)...... C2 Archaeological Museum...... B2 Alaadin Camii...... D3 Tourist InformationBooth...... D3 Hit CafeInternet...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION BLACK SEA ( The hearts on the bedspreads merit a Theheartsonthebedspreads merita 8 % AC
21 ( % 261 5462;[email protected];Kurtulu Great value forabudget price, BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACKSEA •• Sinop 261 3100;Kurtulu Minaret Amazingwhatyoucanget
( % 261 5752;Tersane Çar
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KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS east orwest. life, it’saprime stopover for anyoneheading good transportconnections andplentyof outof With asheer rockcliff. astery carved Sumela ( p554 ), adramaticByzantine mon- the outskirts,andtomake anexcursion to lovelyin theoldtown,visitAtatürk’s villaon churchmedieval of AyaSofya, poke around Cyrillic script. someshopken signsin about townandsee the Soviet Union.You’ll hearRussianspo- (prostitutes) whoarrived of after thecollapse replacing theswarmsof traders and ‘ sian touristsare alsoamajor import,gradually Georgia, Armenia,AzerbaijanandIran.Rus- coast, handlinganddispatching goodsfor Trabzon isthelargest portalongtheeastern well make youfeel it’slongoverdue. of relaxationyour quota coastal Trabzon may village calm’n’charm, butifyouhaven’t yethad day. Thebuzzcanbeinfectious after enough police, parents the andpedestriansthroughout packed idlers, solidwithcars, minibuses, taxis, busy bustleof thefast-paced,hectic citycentre, the placethatpeoplecanagree on,it’sthecrazy- about visitors, andifthere’s oneimpression of upinitsownwhirlofcaught activitytoworry culiar toporttowns,mostof Trabzon isfartoo characterWhile itretains seedy pe- theslightly % TRABZON pass through insula. Shortly before reaching Trabzonyou a 13th-centuryByzantinecastleonlittlepen- Görele is loaves thetownisfamousfor. Soon after one of themanybakeries thebiground selling topileoutinto stopforeveryone bus might tea country. along thecoast,signalsyourarrivalinTurkey’s tea-processing plant,oneof dozens strung out Jean Kalesi and Kalesi). TheÇaykur Bedrama with achirpy smallharbourandtwocastles( St towns, includingtheattractive townof small several through way, theroadpasses Alongthe ruined manyof vistas. thecoastal major bytheshoresadly roadworksright have From Giresun it’sanother150kmtoTrabzon; G 548 offering samples. for its İ Görele It’s not just the streets that are busy, either: It’s notjustthestreets thatare busy,either: RESUN TOTRABZON Most peoplecometoTrabzon tovisitthe 0462 /pop215,000 BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACK SEA ••Giresun toTrabzon köfte isthenexttowneastward.Here your Akçakale , withadecentrestaurant ortwo Akçaabat , theruinsof where you’llsee , asmalltownknown natashas Tirebolu ’ , h Turks were ultimately victorious,and Atatürk echoing the oldComneniEmpire, butthe aRepublicof toestablish sought Trebizond after WWI,Trabzon’s manyGreek residents longer thanConstantinople. yearsOttomans in1461,holdingoutforeight untilthecomingofTrebizond the survived in factionaldisputes. Even so,theEmpire of II (1297–1330),after which itfell topieces wealth andculture duringthereign of Alexius Persia, theempire reached of theheight its tradewitheasterning through Anatoliaand andothers. Prosper-Mongols, theGenoese the balancing theirallianceswiththeSeljuks, reigning asthe emperor of Trebizond. coastin1204,withAlexiusComnenusI Sea anempireneni established alongtheBlack in Anatolia. Theimperialfamilyof theCom- refuge1204, forcingitsnoble familiestoseek in andsacked Constantinople seized sade until theChristiansoldiers of theFourth Cru- years, withportactivities, occupyingitself the harbour. acropolis onthe Trapezus,withan and foundedasettlement, whenMiletuscolonistscamefromSinop BC, Trabzon’s recorded historybeginsaround746 History Tourist office Tourist load€4.50) 5kg Laundry Atlas are alongoraroundMaraPTT Most banks, ATMs, exchange andthe offices Information straddling aravine. apicturesqueis Ortahisar, old neighbourhood for short). Westof thecentre, pastthebazaar, and Kahramanmara Alan Atatürk east of Alan Atatürk known asMeydan Park district aroundtheparkof name,also thesame Alan Modern Trabzon’s heartistheAtatürk Orientation for theTurkishRepublic’. strongest andmostsensitive sourcesof trust declaredhimself Trabzon ‘oneof therichest, There are cafésandrestaurants westof The towndidreasonably wellfor2000 When theOttomanEmpire wasdefeated The Trapezuntinerulers becameskilfulat Trabzon’s otogaris3kmeastof theport. 8am-5.30pm daily Jun-Sep, 8am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-5pmMon-Fri 8am-5.30pm dailyJun-Sep, (Map (Map p550 ; (Map (Map p550 ; ı alongUzun Sokak (LongLane) trápeza ı ş , downasteep hill. Caddesi (Mara Caddesi % % ı 326 4760; Camii Sokak; 326 4760;Camii Sokak; . Theportisdirectly (table) of(table) landabove 322 4475; Deniz Sokak; 322 4475;DenizSokak; lonelyplanet.com ş Caddesi. ş Caddesi ı ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ
€0.55; İ €0.55; Ustatour Police Tourist well usedtotravellers’needs. Englishisusuallyspoken. byHotelNur,thisplaceisveryhelpfuland Right Oct-May) lonelyplanet.com Map Map p549 ; Ze the It nowhouses chant in1912andinhabited brieflybyAtatürk. designed mansionwasbuiltforaRussian mer- Just south of Uzun Italian- Sokak,amarvellous TRABZON MUSEUM Sights &Activities World Internet VIP Internet skenderpa (150km) To Giresun Museum (2km) To AyaSofya 4 1 3 2 TRABZON ὈὈ Villa (3km) To Atatürk h h (Map p550; (Map ş 9am-midnight) 8am-11.30pm) a Mahallesi) Domesticairlineagent. a Mahallesi) ytinlik Caddesi10;admission€1.10; (Map (Map p550 ; Gaz AC (Map (Map p550 ; Soÿuksu Cad (Map (Map p550 ; AtatürkAlan
ei iel aai...... B1 A2 Sekiz DirekliHamami...... Gülbahar HatunCamii...... C1 ÇarsI Camii...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES B2 Russian Consulate...... C2 Post Office...... B2 Georgian Consulate...... INFORMATION
BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACKSEA ••Trabzon Atapark Sk Mumcular % Trabzon Museum 5 326 9545;UstaPark Hotel,
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KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS obvious: a cross-in-square plantopped by church its designbecomes immediately itself, various biblicalthemes. As you walkintothe vividlycoloured frescoes ofbest-preserved, entrance intothe vaulted narthex toviewthe being fullyrestored inthe1960s. age bytheRussians, before depotandhospital asanammunitionstor-in 1461,andlater used was converted toamosqueafter theconquest style.follow theprevailing Constantinople It floors wallpaintingsandmosaic marvellous the design,although Georgian andSeljuk 1263, thechurch wasclearlyinfluencedby 1238and the late Byzantine period,between race thatonceheldapagantemple. Builtin Wisdom), is4kmwestof the centre on ater- 550 18 4 20 1 3 2 ATATÜRK ALANI 23
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25 Kahramanmaraš Cad Kahramanmaraš 17 21 BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACK SEA ••Trabzon tlHrn...... B3 B4 Otel Horon...... C3 Hotel Nur...... C3 Hotel Nazar...... Hotel Anil...... A4 A4 Meydan Hamam(Women'Entrance).. B4 Meydan Hamam(Men'sEntrance)..... Eyce Tour...... B4 A3 World Internet...... VIP Internet...... B4 Ustatour...... (see 14) B4 Tourist Police...... B3 Tourist Office...... Atlas Laundry...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION
16 See Trabzon Map (p549) 15 Kunduracîlar 22
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Black Sea coast farmhouse, anda coastfarmhouse, Black Sea uparoundareconstructeda tea garden set painted fragments. theremainingited, inanattempt topreserve the images! Flash photography isprohib- signsexplainingtheir namesintothemetal continues –somepeoplehave scratched even have heavily been defaced, andthedamage ily. Mostof thefrescoes withinarm’sreach symbol of thefounders, theComnenusfam- here arelief youcanalsosee of aneagle,the depicts AdamandEve’s expulsion,and influence. Afresco inthesouthernportico a singledome,showing obviousGeorgian prevent micefromentering. poststo ontall (granary) fromOfcounty, set 14 SH Ibrah SH Sk Yazîcîoÿlu S. Beside the museum isasquare themuseum belltower, Beside t Sk
im 10 Güzelhisar Cad Karaoÿlanoÿlu Cad 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 27 9 32 Park Kale ai...... A4 Ulusoy &MetroBusOffices...... (see37) D2 Taxis...... Sochi...... B4 Passenger TerminalforFerriesto C3 Minibuses toSumela...... A3 Gürgen Turizm...... B3 Eko RentACar...... B4 Dolmuš toHavaalani(Airport)...... C3 Dolmuš toAyaSofya...... B4 Dolmušes forCosandere&Sumela... B4 Dolmuš toOtogar...... Place...... B4 Buses toAtatürkVilla&BoztepePicnic A3 Boztepe Dolmuš...... Avis...... TRANSPORT C4 Russian Bazaar...... SHOPPING Iskele Cad 36 200m 0.1miles 0 0 Sumela Monastery(46km); To Otogar(3km); Airport (5km); 38 Rize (75km) lonelyplanet.com D serander
BLACK SEA 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 (KARADENÎZ)
west of Alan Atatürk p549 aclose ), anothermosqueworthtaking every half-hour.every departabout outside thevilla(€0.50).Buses ern sideof Alan Atatürk ATATÜRK VILLA reachable bydolmu lonelyplanet.com Boztepe harboured temples to thePersian sun tea gardensandrestaurants. Inancient times, Alan Alan On thehillside2km southeastof Atatürk BOZTEPE PICNICPLACE ther alongthecoast. structed wooden a tea gardenforrefreshments andarecon- 1514. Nexttoit,the honour of hismother,GülbaharHatun, in Ottoman conquerorof Syria and Egypt, in theGrim,great look at,wasbuiltbySelim West of thecentre, MOSQUE OFTHEOTTOMANS of workshopsandstores. oldest marketplace inTrabzon. It’snowfull constructed around1647,makingitthe been domed the Camii bazaar. totherecently Close restored packedthe tightly streets of theancient Alan desi fromAtatürk Kundurac sible bythepedestrianised Alan The lively bazaar istothewestof Atatürk BAZAAR DISTRICT garden attheback. pretty grounds,ortorelax tea inthepleasant thebuildingand reason tocomeissee of memorabilia,museum butthebest Atatürk the cityin1924.It’snowamildlyinteresting ily, andwasgiven whenhevisited toAtatürk and 1903forawealthyTrabzonbankingfam- 1890 popular intheCrimea,wasbuiltbetween style storey white villa,designedinaBlackSea has afineviewandlovely gardens.Thethree- h Villa Atatürk Town life toohecticforyou?Head tothe of Alan Atatürk The site is above highway, thecoastal City buses labelled‘Kö City buses 8am-7pm May-Sep, 8am-5pmOct-Apr) 8am-7pm May-Sep, Ta ı ı ı (Market Mosque;Map p549 ), you’llsee isthe ) with fine views of the city and the sea, ) withfineviewsof thecityandsea, , intheÇar ş Han han (Vak (Atatürk Kö Boztepe PicnicPlace Boztepe (caravanserai) thought tohave (caravanserai)thought BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS COAST &THEKAÇKAR BLACKSEA ••Trabzon ı ı . f Han; Map p549 ), asingle- serander ş ı ş (Market) quarter, acces- Gülbahar HatunCamii Gülbahar kü; ş ı fromthenorthernside Atapark . Set above. Set thetown,it % ı , which cuts through , which cuts through ı , will drop you right , willdropyouright ş 231 0028;admission€1.10; fromavillage fur- k’, fromthenorth- (Map p549 ) has (Boztepe Piknik , 5kmsouth- ı lar Cad- (Map Çar ş ı
and small, brightly paintedand small,brightly rooms.Thehotel withamiable, English-speakingoffice, staff popular travellers’ favourite nearthetourist s/d €20/25; 12; s/d€14/20) about the worst surprise you’llget.about theworst surprise channel afew mayraise eyebrows,butthat’s rooms are fairlymustyandtheFrench porn in thiscornerof town.Theyellow-painted is about the budgetonly acceptable option thedownstairs roomshaveeven views,this doesn’t skimp onthe5amcall toprayer.doesn’t sleepers bewarned: themosque opposite runs itsowndaily Sumelatours (€8.50).Light here localrecommendations. orseek it’s besttostickthereliable placeslisted road,butmanydoubleasbrothels,so coastal eastern cornerof Alan Atatürk There are numerouscheapies offthenorth- BUDGET Sleeping ing andcampingtours. minimum sixpeople),aswelllonger walk- (€8, departing9amdaily)andAyder(€10, Sumela (€6,departing10amdaily),Uzungöl speaking Volkan Kantarc Taksim p550; (Map from Junetotheendof August. A couple of Trabzonagencies organise tours Tours ficiently run. intheheartofright town,iscleanandef- admission €7; modernised. therestalthough of thebuildinghasbeen hewn pillars times, are todate said fromSeljuk Turkish baths.city’s mostpleasant Therough- 600m westof theÇar h The HAMAMS Alan a sidestreet onthenorthernsideof Atatürk one of thefrequent Boztepe dolmu churches andmonasteries here. theByzantines builtseveral god Mithra. Later tepe park. Hotel Nur Hotel The To get toBoztepe Alan fromAtatürk Hotel An Hotel 7am-5pm Fri-Wed formen,8am-5pmThuwomen) 7am-5pm Fri-Wed Sekiz Direkli Hamam Direkli Sekiz ı İş ). The route goes uphill2.2kmtoBoz-). Theroute goes han Meydan Hamam Meydan a % ı Sokak 11) Sokak ı h l
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was foundedinByzantinetimesandaban- can beamysterious,place,especially eerie forests stream. andarushing mountain It aboveto asheer rockwallhigh evergreen is absolutely magical.Themonastery clings new Greek state inthisregion. Thesetting ish Republicputpaidtohopesof creating a doned in1923after thecreation of theTurk- Sep-May) Mary the Greek Orthodox One coast, ofof theBlackSea thehighlights Sumela Monastery AROUND TRABZON Alan including oneonAtatürk There inthe centre, stands are taxi several TAXI should be€0.50. routes. Whatever yourdestination,thefare youcanflagthemdownalongtheir although Alan ‘KTÜ’ fromthenortheastern sideof Atatürk is tocatch adolmu Alan Atatürk Meydan’. theotogarand between Ataxi dolmu bungalows forrent (nocampingis allowed). andseveral post office, theSumelaRestaurant Alt blocks. are interspersed withmore modernbrick inthealpineareasthose of centralEurope reminiscenttrout pools.Village houses of streammountain interrupted bycommercial forests, of following thecourse arushing dedicated. (Virgin Mary), towhomthemonastery was bzon. It’salsosignposted asMeryemana and turnleftatMaçka, 29kmsouthof Tra- theforest.through mosquefilterscall of anunseen strangely in thevalleybelowandweird,ethereal when mistsswirlamongthetopsof thetrees park with picnic tables by a roaringbrook, park withpicnictables visit themonastery. ley NationalPark) you pay €4pervehicle to bus with‘Park’ or‘Meydan’ initsname;the If you’re driving,attheentranceto Dolmu The road then winds into dense evergreenThe roadthenwindsintodense To get toSumela,take theErzurumroad The easiestwaytoget toTrabzon’s otogar At theendof theroadyou’llfindashady ı ndere Vad
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( % ı 351 4507; Ortahopa Caddesi;s/d€11/22; 351 4507;Ortahopa % hangover (sincethat’swhat 351 4897;[email protected];Or- ı junctionnorthof theotogar. 351 4277; Cumhuriyet Caddesi;mains 351 4277;Cumhuriyet Does exactly what it says exactlywhatitsays Does 351 7663;www.peronti-otel.com; Thistoweringyellow a ı n (€5.60,1½ ) Easily the Easily ı n. Direct Kaçkar, theAlt exceptthatitcrosses is very short, andyouwillonlybeabletodo guides tocreate yourownadventure. you coulddo. Talk tolocalsandthetrekking the Kaçkars, andthere are innumerable walks Trekking isthemainreason peoplecometo Trekking ACTIVITIES allow atleastthree daystoexplore. trip, butyou’llget much more fromitifyou popular. YoucouldvisittheKaçkars onaday around thepeakof with trekkers, butthenortheastern ranges with aglacieronitsnorthernface,ispopular point, highest visited fortheirtrekking opportunities.The summer ged ranges are studdedwithlakes andalpine andplateaus, andthejag- carpet thepasses lower valleys,butabove 2100mgrasslands forestnortheastern end.Dense covers the from southof RizealmosttoArtvinatits south. Therange stretches forabout30km, coast tothenorthandÇoruhRiver tothe a rugged range bordered bytheBlackSea The Kaçkar (Kaçkar Mountains Da KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS the slopes andlakes are possible fromYukar Yaylalar (Hevek) orOlgunlar. flanks of (Alt therange atBarhal Çaml the in theTrekking chapter, p85 . Thetrek to is the tic Kaçkar life. villages where youcancatch asliceof authen- the lowerslopesanddozensof little mountain there are stillplentyof walksyoucandoon Frommid-Mayhighest. tomid-September July andmid-August, whenthesnowlineis mid- routes between mountain the higher stay in stay climbthesummit.Ifyou range anddoesn’t Trans-Alt ist snowequipment.Thethree- tofour-day an easythree days,butmayrequire special- four tofive sweatyhours upto overnight, andreturn thenextday. One of themostpopularmultidaytrips Note that the trekking inthisregion season The Kaçkars are becomingincreasingly Most people base themselves inAyderor Most peoplebase Kaçkar Summit Kaçkar ı hem Trans-Kaçkar Barhal ı parmak yayla ş in, and start treksin, andstart fromtheeastern
(Alt Mt Kaçkar (villages). route issimilartotheTrans- ı byitssouthernfacetakes parmak) trek, describedindetail Alt ı parmak ( Kaçkar Da youcouldtrek for lonelyplanet.com (3310m)are also Day walks Karagöl ğ ı ğ parmak), ı lar ı ; 3937m), parmak , camp around ı ) form ı
lonelyplanet.com €20 perday). hire amuletocarry yourluggage (around around €30aday. Youmayalsowantto to findsomeone willing togowithyoufor around atthepensions youshould beable of direction.let aloneyoursense Ifyouask conditions canputpaidtoyour schedule, walks are mostlyunsigned,andmistyweather to hire a local who knowsthetracks.The alone,it’sagoodideaoff intothemountains somepeopleareAlthough happy heading TREKKING GUIDES by dolmu Kavron, andAvusor, Caymakçur allserved known locallyasthe‘kingof Kaçkar’. try askingforMehmet Ali,aguidein his 70s To Šenyuva(4km) Çamlîhemšin KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS Tirevit Šimširli Ašaÿî Ridge Line Trans–Kaçkar Trek Trans–Altîparmak Trek Kaçkar SummitTrek ş fromAyder. AtYukar Güroluk Yukarî Šimširli
Polovit Polovit MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR ••Activities
Ayder Deresi 3190m 3589m Kavron 3201m Yukarî Büyük DenizGölü 3233m Mt Kaçkar Çaymakçur Gedici 3864m (3937m) Deniz Gölü Düpeduz Campsite Tašlik 3760m ı 3465m Adsîz Gölü Kavron, 3577m Dobaya Palakcur Caymakçur (3420m) 3720m 3405m Düpedüz Tepesi 3468m Kîrmîzî 3125m Geçidi 3013m Campsite Dilber Düzü Buyuk Creek 3562m Döbe Yayla Creek 3435m 3024m 3405m 3472m Lokantas thebackofhis hand,basedatthePiriko area like mountainguidewhoknowsthe hotmail.com) Experienced Adnan Piriko the following: should costaround€300,allincluded. imum numberoften trek applies).Aone-week from Ayder,dependingongroupsize (amin- €30 and€60perday expect topaybetween tents, bedding,andalltransportfood, inclusive trekking operators. provided you’re goingwithoneof theall- just bringingwalkingbootsandwarmclothes bag,butyoucouldgetsleeping awaywith 3350m 3330m 3408m For fullyguidedtours, including guidefee, Reliable English-speakingguidesinclude 3120m You should bringagoodtent, stove and 3163m (3060m) Tepesi Kargeke Libler Gölü 3175 Olgunlar Pišenkaya ı inAyderyear-round. 3495m 3305m 3002m Yaylalar (Hevek) Karagöl 3207m 3109m Körahmet ğ
Onbolat Creek lu 3283m Kaynarca ( (3350m) Mt Didvake % Altîparmak Binektašî Hayîrlî Mt Karataš (3330m)
Sulumita Ridge Beškavak 3169m 3672m 0464-657 2021;adnanpirikoglu@ Dokumacîlar 3miles 5km 0 0 Kašbašî 3310m Naznara Marsis (3300m) Borivan Demirdöven Kocalar Bozaget (Altîparmak) Barhal Turnalar Özgüven ğ To Yusufeli lu Aile Kîšla
(23km)
559
KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS ( opposite). Pansiyon inYukar niversary of of theestablishment theTurkish some of which were restored forthe75than- bridges ancient village, you’llpassseveral up toAyder. addingabitofyou start altitudeontheroad you’re stillnotreally intheKaçkars until left theambienceof zone,but thecoastal and drizzleshould tell you, you’ve already tion point,orakicking-offpoint.As themist Çaml At 300m,20kmoff thecoastroad, % ÇAMLIHEM advance. trekking thisisbestorganised in season, as there are few peoplearoundoutsidethe skiing are alsopossibleintheregion, but more excitingwaters nearYusufeli ( p572 ). ienced rafters are better offheadingtothe Da Çaml August onthemodestrapidswestof rafting White-water Other Activities ern sideof therange (see p571 ). in Yusufeli, Tekkale onthesouth- andBarhal, atrek.ganise There are guides alsomountain Most pensionowners willhappilyhelpyouor- Demirci Mehmet Ali 560 ih i Çaml in ) ( right AskatTürküTourism andotheractivities. trips biking entrepreneur safaris, daywalks,longertreks, offering Jeep Some As youheadalongthevalleytowards in advance atTürküToursor theForaPansiyon inAyder. at theendofanovergrown track;you’ve gotnochanceoffindingiton yourown,soenquire probably, ahealthy doseofrak prices are notyetfixed topayaround €30perpersonnight,including meals(and, –expect are involved Itwasonlyjustgettingupandrunningatthetimeofresearch, withtheproject. so range ofyear-round andexcursionshere, localactivities andseeminglyhalfhisextended family fridgeandhotshowers;ownerMehmethasbigplansfortheplace, intending tobasea with TV, ekodanitap THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE just westofÇaml hiddenawayupasteepthis isafantasticself-builtsustainable eco-camp hilloffthemainroad Ş ğ 0464 /pop2400 ahin uraft on the main road, though exper-uraft onthemainroad,though KAÇKAR MOUNTAINSKAÇKAR ••Çaml ı ı hem hem acrosstheF ( % winter sports winter ş ş ı hem in canbedescribedasatransi- in; askaroundthehotels orat 0464-651 7348)Basedatthe Şİ ı Kavron, onaplateausouthofAyder. Kavron,
( ş N % ( in ortheForaPansiyon inAyder % ı 651 7230;www.ecodanitap.com,inTurkish) ispossibleinJulyand hem ı 0464-657 2153)Ajoviallocal rt ı such ascross-country na Çay ş in. The foursolar-powered woodencabinsare amazinglywellturned-out, ı (StormStream), ı ). The plot is 200m off the road, in a perfectly secludedclearing). The plotis200m offtheroad,inaperfectly ı hem Ş ahin ahin humpback ş in river about4kmfromÇaml ing through verdanting through valleyscrisscrossed with gettingpheric, andeven here isatreat, pass- Ş % Ş Kapl Çat’) for ahead(signpostedgo straight ‘ZilKale & forks andyou’llhave todecidewhether for tourgroups. betterand aneven riverside mainly spot,used adobe-styledécor(withfountain) has brighter Ş Justoutsidetownontheroadto servatory. dinners, localdishesandmezesinitscon- Ayder bridge, offers excellentfresh trout ( tiny TürkTelekom office. 7230; www.turkutour.com; call inatthe For informationandtrekking arrangements, grab abite inthehandfulof cheap eateries. Kaçkars, aplacetostockuponprovisions or tional village withtheonlyATM inthe herebetween andthecoast. ing spotsandaraftingoutfitalongtheroad Republic in1998.There are acoupleof camp- salubrious, mostlywithprivatesalubrious, bathrooms. French andEnglish. Theroomsare simplebut by thewell-travelled Do surrounding area. be happytohelpyouorganise hikes in the Pension houses. mote mountain owners will winch wires forhoisting goodsuptothere- % enyuva, enyuva issimplybeautifulandatmos- ENYUVA ğ Just beyondÇaml Çaml As wellasthemore basiccafés, You can base yourself atthefriendly You canbase 0464 a 651 7282; The latest venture fromTürküTourism,
ı ( calar % ı hem 651 7455;halfboardperperson€20) Ş Kervan 53 Kervan ı enyuva orleft(signposted ‘Ayder ’) forAyder(17km). İ nönü Caddesi;mealsaround€6) Türkü Tourism Travel Agency Agency Travel Türkü Tourism ş in itself is essentially afunc- isessentially in itself
( % İ nönü Caddesi47) İ dris Dumanwhospeaks 418 0646;mealsaround€6) ı hem ı hem lonelyplanet.com ş in theroad , sharing the ş in. Itisrun , bythe , bythe Ye (
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Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com roads intotheheartof themountains. of pensions andthestart rougher theeven where you’ll findashop, acoupleof seasonal asatrekking hamletused base, a mountain 3111; [email protected]; halfboardperperson €25) 3111; [email protected]; there’s aspaciouslounge andarestaurant. Some have balconiesoverlooking theriver and lonelyplanet.com in season. must pay anadmission fee of €2pervehicle (Kaçkar NationalPark), Mountains where you the entranceto Kaçkar Da About 4.5kmbelowAyderisthegate marking Orientation &Information mid-afternoon. at weekends, whenmostplaceswillbefullby with thefloodof domestictourists,especially versely, inAugustthevillage canhardlycope no publictransporttoget youback out.Con- early May findnothingopenand youmight be afew localfamilieslivinghere, in andeven mid-September. Atothertimesthere mayonly which runsfrommid-Mayking season, to in wood). must nowbein‘traditionalstyle’(iesheathed look stillpredominates, andnewbuildings visitor demand,thecharming alpine-chalet painful concrete buildingsthrownuptomeet cascading totheriver below.Despite afew abovesnow-capped mountains andwaterfalls at1300m,with glorious valley-sidesetting Ayder isahigh-pasture village enjoyinga The hubof theKaçkar touristindustry, % AYDER each way. foraboutto walk(6km)ortake €6 ataxi Ş Another 15kmwillleadyouto goingforcars.it’s asuperbwalk,buttough surrounded bylush rhododendron forests – rockbase, a roundstonetoweronstark sitedspectacularly ruinsof From here theroadcontinuesfor9kmto arched lounge roomisinviting. buildings, allwithshared bathrooms.The cheerfully painted roomsinformerschool with twocute bungalowsneartheriver and lage istheleafy itself, enyuva andÇaml Ayder really onlyfunctionsduringthetrek- Only oneminibusadayrunsbetween A few hundred metres northisthethin, Around 2kmfurtheron,in 0464 Ş enyuva Köprüsu KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR ••Ayder ı hem ( F Ş ı ş rt enyuva Bridge, 1696). in, soyoumayhave ı na Pansiyon Zil Castle ğ lar Çat Ş enyuva vil- ı MilliPark (ZilKale), (1250m),
( % 653 , ı
sap inthepristinerooms.The manager’s a sap side cluster; youcanalmostsmellthepine hillside familypension,provides ahomely meals. It’s runbyBuklamania Tours, who heated lounge with decentviews and hearty family-run chalet-pension, itrevels inastove- hotmail.com; s/d€23/46) trips across theregion. onwhite-waterinstructor, andcanadvise former raftingchampion turnedprofessional .com; s/d/tr€20/40/60) (see ties andvisitstoekodanitap opposite ). with goodviews.Ask here abouttreks, activi- bathrooms, balconies,laundryandaterrace sitting room,simplepine-cladrooms,shared s/d halfboard€20/40) costs €2.50. it’s friendlyandEnglish isspoken. Breakfast butthere’sstandards, akitchen forguests, have doesn’t themoststellarhillside house bathroom €8.50/17) them canbetrickywhenthemistrollsin! ing paths; bearinmindthatgetting backupto hill nexttotheroad,reached bynarrow,slant- Many of Ayder’s pensionsare halfwayupthe set Sleeping and allergies. to begoodforulcers, skincomplaints,cuts reaches temperatures of 56°C(133°F);it’ssaid cabin€14; €4.50, private spotless near thevillage. themanywhere it’dbeamiracletosee though and brownbears alllive inthenationalpark, salamandersrare blackgrouse, Caucasian scenery. Wildlife enthusiastsshould note that for adayorsotoget yourfillof thewonderful time todothatit’sstillworthpoppinguphere ifyoudon’thave buteven in themountains, fortrekking Ayderasabase Most peopleuse Sights &Activities centre. There isnowhere tochange money. for about 1kmalongtheroadeithersideof the gift shops. Thehotelsand several are scattered minibus office andbusstop,acar-hire office tekel bayii couple of restaurants, abakery, supermarket, Ku Pansiyon Nehirim Fora Pansiyon The nominalcentre of thevillage hasa Zirve Ah Zirve Post-trek musclerelief canbehadatthe ş puni Pansiyon kapl ş (off-licence), twointernet cafés, the (off-licence), ap Pansiyon ı ca Oneforthebudget crowd,this
(hot springs; (hot springs; ( % TürküTourism’soriginal Anewadditiontothehill- (
( h % % Anothervery appealing 657 2153;[email protected]; 7am-8pm)
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561
KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS KAÇKAR BLACK SEA COAST & THE THE & COAST SEA BLACK BLACK SEA COAST & THE KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS Black Sea specialitiessuch as Black Sea whips upalimited range of and standards infreshly trout,butalso specialises caught centre of thevillage, thischarming oldhouse the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake ture out. are afew otheroptionsifyouwanttoven- Many peopleeatintheirpensions,butthere Eating &Drinking las’ (halfboardfrom€85)nexttothe offers plentyforyourbuck.AT alsorents ‘vil- mosque). It’spopularwithtourgroups,and from thecentre (followthepathbytown pine placeisbytheriver, 100mdownhill who alsooperate thehotsprings,thisbigposh gluotel.com; s/d/tr€27/54/81) comesrecommended.taurant Many roomsboastvalleyviews,andtheres- heavy duvets andimpeccablebathrooms. by themainroadwithrustictimberrooms, thisisagreata Swedish sauna, centraloption .com inTurkish; s/d€23/46) for foreign visitors. the domesticmarket butcanhappilycater intrekkingspecialise andactivitytours for 562 © LonelyPlanetPublications sleeping atleastfourpeople.sleeping Otel AyderHa Otel Ye Nazl Scottish ch’s(‘Amlachit’instead ofAmlakit). for Ayderlissoftening theirg’s(‘jel’and‘jit’instead of‘gel’and‘git’) andaspiratingtheirk’slike peculiar Armenian-derived inÇaml isstillcommonlyspoken dialect andrunningshoesorwoollenboots. incongruously matchedwithcardigans,longskirts you’llseewomenallaroundthemountainswearingsplendidheaddresses, oftenof theseparties, ofthe distinctive whiningskirl ers often gathertodancethe Hem surviving If youvisitAyderover youmaygetthechancetowitnesssomeoflast asummerweekend HEM ş KAÇKAR MOUNTAINSKAÇKAR ••Ayder Whether yourealise itornot,you’llprobablyalso il Vadi Otel ı Çiçek Ş IN CULTURE
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( % 657 2037;www.hasimo muhlama horon tulum, Right inthe Right , a cross between the conga and the hokey-cokey settothe, acrossbetweenthecongaandhokey-cokey a type of goatskin bagpipe. Even atypeofgoatskin ifyoudon’truninto one kapl . ı ca , 4.50) dominantly malecrowd. few premises, frequented licensed byapre- flood. Otherwise, passengers areflood. Otherwise, mostly shop- trickle of uptoAyderturns intoa minibuses fromRize. OnsummerSundaysthe services Çaml to Ayder(€3.50,onehour)viaArde dolmu frequentFrom mid-Junetomid-September Getting There&Away place of traditionaldécor. menu shamelessly, butaddslive musicin door totheNazl Çaml Çaml Pazar dailybetween and minibus services cluding GalerDüzü,Avusor, Yukar villages,from Aydertoothermountain in- early afternoon. in themorningandreturn fromPazar inthe pers fromthevillages, sodolmu schedules. and Ceymakcur. Checkwithlocalsforexact In season, morningdolmu In season, Çise Restaurant Horon Bar&Restaurant Even there inthelowseason are stillfour hear Back downthehill,thisisoneof Back Ayder’s ı ı ı hem hem hem ş sometracesofHem es run between Pazares runbetween onthecoast ş ş ş in. There are alsosometimesdirect in costsaround€20. in. A taxi between Ayderand between in. Ataxi ı hem ı Çiçek, it plagiarises itsrival’s Çiçek,itplagiarises ( % ş in andAyder. Listen out 657 2171;mains€3-6)
( % ş ş 433 5858;mains€2.80- in heritage:the in holidaymak- lonelyplanet.com ş es alsorun ş es descend ı Kavron ş en and Next