Black Sea Coast
High, high above (lower) Çat village, Çat Yayla sits at around 1800m is a glorious area of comparatively accessible meadows that are at their most attractive in spring when the grass is full of blooming buttercups and the mountain backdrop remains covered with snow.
The yayla hamlet is 3.5km uphill from Çat on a road that's impassable in winter. To find it turn left (north), 700m east of the Çılanç Köprüsu, a spindly Ottoman-period stone bridge that crosses the Elevit road.
6.22 MILES
The region's most spectacular man-made attraction is the neatly restored 13th-century shell of Zil Castle, a fine stone tower surrounded by sturdy walls…
24.64 MILES
At the summit of a steep urban hill, this unexpected little paradise is primarily a delightful teahouse beneath a big, fragrant magnolia tree, but there…
7.72 MILES
On clear days, the views from this summer shepherds' hamlet (elevation 2030m) seem to stretch to infinity with a foreground of typical bungalows climbing…
24.85 MILES
Built by the Byzantines on the steep hill at the back of town, Rize's modest kale (castle) has two concentric sections. The upper, inner fortress might…
10.13 MILES
One of the most popular day-trip driving destinations from Ayder (13km by unpaved track), Yukarı Kavron is a slightly scrappy seasonal yayla village in a…
11.68 MILES
The Kaçkar region's full glory becomes most apparent when you climb high above the treeline to one of the upland meadows (yayla) from which the beautiful…
5.58 MILES
This powerful, if fairly narrow, 15m waterfall is best viewed from the roadside overlook, though few visitors can resist the temptation to descend on the…
24.53 MILES
Up the stairs behind the tourist-office kiosk, this fine, Ottoman-era house has mannequins modelling traditional costumes. The basement has a mish-mash of…
5.58 MILES
This powerful, if fairly narrow, 15m waterfall is best viewed from the roadside overlook, though few visitors can resist the temptation to descend on the…
6.22 MILES
The region's most spectacular man-made attraction is the neatly restored 13th-century shell of Zil Castle, a fine stone tower surrounded by sturdy walls…
7.72 MILES
On clear days, the views from this summer shepherds' hamlet (elevation 2030m) seem to stretch to infinity with a foreground of typical bungalows climbing…
10.13 MILES
One of the most popular day-trip driving destinations from Ayder (13km by unpaved track), Yukarı Kavron is a slightly scrappy seasonal yayla village in a…
10.58 MILES
At the eastern end of Ayder village is a popular viewpoint from which to look out across a very deep-cut valley to a long, vertical series of cascades…
11.68 MILES
The Kaçkar region's full glory becomes most apparent when you climb high above the treeline to one of the upland meadows (yayla) from which the beautiful…
17.7 MILES
Right beside the new road bridge at the entrance to Yaylalar, an antique pedestrian bridge crosses a side stream with the elegant simplicity of a stone…
24.29 MILES
Barhal's domeless 10th-century Georgian church is remarkably complete and now used as a mosque. The towerless, grey stone form, known as Parkhali to…