Editor’s Note: This CNN travel series is or was sponsored by the country in which it is featured. CNN retains full editorial control over the subject matter, coverage, and frequency of sponsored articles and videos, in accordance with our policy.
CNN –
The province of Rize on the Black Sea coast near Turkey’s northeastern border with Georgia is still largely unknown to many international travelers. Nonetheless, some of the country’s most unspoilt alpine areas continue to fascinate nature lovers looking to venture off the beaten path.
Away from Rize itself – the seaside town that gives the province its name – the region’s valleys and plateaus, surrounded by high mountain ridges, are mostly rural. Due to the high rainfall, the mountain villages (yayla) of Rize become refuges from the summer temperatures.
Çamlıhemşin is the most attractive part of Rize province. This rural district surrounding the city of Çamlıhemşin is a place where nature remains largely untouched. Simple guesthouses, cafés run by young people who have left the city for a simpler life and artists who find inspiration in unspoilt tranquility lie at the heart of this area.
From the Black Sea coast, the road to Çamlıhemşin leads through a mountainous valley of bubbling greenery along the raging Fırtına River, which flows down from the Kaçkar Mountains.
Time seems to have stood still in this place of pastures, valleys and perched mountain villages. Forestry, beekeeping and animal husbandry are still the main sources of income. Here’s what to do around Çamlıhemşin.
Orhan Eskiva
Dudi Konak in Karadeniz was built in the early 20th century by the Tarakçıoğlu family, who made their fortunes as bakers and hoteliers in Russia.
Many of Çamlıhemşin’s traditional Karadeniz (Black Sea) houses with half-timbered facades now serve as family-run guesthouses, where travelers can immerse themselves in the local culture.
With the area lacking in dining options, their primary responsibility is to pamper their guests with home-cooked meals — most notably a full Turkish breakfast, including the local dish mıhlama, a mix of melted cheese and cornmeal served hot with bread is served.
At Puli Mini Hotel, a traditional Karadeniz house made of weathered chestnut wood and stone in Çamlıhemşin city center, almost every window looks directly onto the Fırtına River, while fresh air blows through the simple white curtains in the six bedrooms. Pulis Café serves creative dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, from stuffed grape leaves to tavada hamsili pilaf (baked anchovy pilaf).
A little further out of town, on the mountainside, Dudi Konak is a real eye-catcher with its historic stone and wood facade that exudes the aesthetics of a historic Karadeniz.
The run-down mansion was built in the early 20th century by the Tarakçıoğlu family, who made their fortunes as bakers and hoteliers in Russia. It has been carefully renovated and now houses 24 modern rooms with views of the valley and beyond.
tolgaildun/iStock Editorial/Getty Images
Traditional Turkish wooden houses on Hazindak Plateau, near Senyuva in Çamlıhemşin.
Up in the mountains about an hour south of Çamlıhemşin town centre, the yayla (alpine villages) of Rize harbor the essence of local life and a stay here is more like visiting a family in their mountain cabin.
The roads are often undeveloped so a 4×4 vehicle is required and the basic accommodation is mostly old Karadeniz houses with panoramic views from their high perches.
Staying at the Yayla for a few days to wander the green pastures and forests, spot wildflowers and breathe in the pristine air is the most valuable part of the Rize experience.
In the alpine village of Pokut, Zeyne and Ahmet Şişman have been making visitors feel like family for years at their beautiful guesthouse Plato’da Mola. Overlooking the Fırtına Valley in all its hilly glory, the traditional village house has six rooms where guests are awakened with the smell of freshly baked bread and the sound of cowbells outside.
Check out this interactive content on CNN.com
The family’s home-cooked meals are based on milk from their free-range cows and the benefits of nature all around. You’ll find fresh clotted cream, cheese, butter, honey and jam, eggs from their own hens, homemade bread and produce from the garden.
In Gito, another village, retired couple Fatma and İbrahim Birben decided to open their own home to guests, believing that beauty can only multiply when shared.
Your guest house Son Mohikan Dağ Evi welcomes nature lovers with simple rooms and a terrace overlooking the mountains. In the evenings, after a day of walking on the plateau, home-cooked meals are served, followed by small concerts by the family – who are all musicians.
Grateful Photography/iStock Editorial/Getty Images
Zilkale Castle is one of Rize’s most impressive sights.
One of Rize’s most breathtaking sights, perhaps surpassed only by Sümela Monastery near Trabzon, is Zilkale Castle, which suddenly appears in the middle of the valley, with the snow-capped peaks of the Kaçkar Mountains looming in the background.
The medieval castle is believed to have been built between the 14th and 15th centuries, and some historians suggest that it was originally an Armenian chapel built by the Emperor of Trebizond and then conquered by the Ottomans in the 19th century converted into a castle. In any case, the inner castle, reached by a stone path, offers excellent views of the valley from beyond the walls.
Emre Corbaci/iStockphoto/Getty Images
In Gito, at an altitude of 2,500 meters, the retired couple Fatma and İbrahim Birben decided to open their own home to guests.
About five miles south of Çamlıhemşin city center, the village of Şenyuva has become something of a haven for ex-townspeople who have returned to their Rize roots to live simple lives.
Zua Coffee is the village’s only third-wave café, lovingly in tune with its traditional surroundings and run by Apo and Elif Taşkın, who relocated here from Istanbul. A place for locals and visitors alike, the café serves espresso flavors with a soothing view of nature. The couple dedicates their time to gathering food and preparing desserts using ingredients such as elderflower, wild strawberries, and blackberries.
“We figured that a quiet life in Rize would be enough for us, so we decided to live here together after we got married. Now we have a four-year-old son and a small circle of friends,” says Elif, who is originally from the area.
“Even if activities here are limited, being in nature gives a sense of health. From late May to mid-October, the season for visiting Alpine villages begins. We recommend staying in one of the guesthouses to experience the local culture and cuisine up close.
“We also strongly recommend hiring local guides to discover the trekking routes and truly experience the rich local culture. Online maps don’t really cut it and the weather can be very unpredictable. Uğur Biryol from Pokutsal Tur is one of our most trusted guides.”
Next to Zua, Peri Dükkan’s baby blue door invites you to browse a beautiful selection of Black Sea specialties with a local, sustainable and organic philosophy. Owner Deniz Demirci Tarakçı sells local honey vinegar, homemade syrups with endemic fruits and flowers, herbal teas from Kaçkar Mountains, candles, soaps, textiles and more.
Just across from Peri, Çinçiva Kafe is one of the few restaurants serving authentic Black Sea dishes. The café is a traditional wooden house with a terrace over the river. The full Turkish breakfast includes homemade pastries, jams and spreads, cheese, olives and mıhlama – as well as endless rounds of freshly brewed Turkish tea. Lunch and dinner dishes include local trout simmered in butter, potatoes with clotted cream, Düğün Kızartması (a local fried meat dish), and cornbread with vegetables.
Yasemin Taskin
Zua Coffee House in Şenyuva Village.
One of Istanbul’s most respected street artists, No More Lies hails from Rize and has spent every summer in the mountains since he was a child. “Peace and tranquility are the essence of this place,” he says. “I had some friends from Istanbul who came to visit me and they didn’t leave the house for days because even the view and the quiet were enough for them – they didn’t really need anything else.”
From his desk in his mountain home, the artist gazes out the window at the evergreen valley, often shrouded in morning fog. “One of the main reasons people come here is because of the Yayla. My favorite is Elevit Yaylası because unlike the others, there are no cafes here, residents only have their own houses and not much else,” he says.
“I would avoid Ayder Yaylası [one of the most popular villages], which over the years has unfortunately become overcrowded and too touristy. Instead, villages like Amlakit and Hazindağ are worth seeing for their natural beauty.”
After living in cities like Barcelona and Istanbul and then being a nomad hunting plants for three years, botanical artist Işık Güner decided to settle in Rize in 2015 and now lives in a hut on a mountaintop in the Fırtına Valley.
“I used to spend every summer in Çamlıhemşin when I was a kid, and when you have a good childhood, the memories, tastes and smells stay with you for a lifetime,” she says.
“Here I am surrounded by flowers, which is essential for my job and it is impossible not to be inspired by this place.
“The state of tourism in Rize is not very encouraging as visitors often arrive without much knowledge of the local culture or nature. You must learn how best to travel through landscapes that are still very untouched and wild, and how to respect the flora and fauna.
“I think the purpose of coming to Rize shouldn’t be to rush everything and take some selfies. This includes staying in a yayla for a while, breathing the air properly, absorbing the scents of nature and drinking from its streams. Maybe only then can you understand where you are and become a part of this amazing natural world.”
Feride Yalav-Heckeroth is a freelance writer living between Istanbul and Lake Constance and is the author of her own travel guide, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Istanbul. Her writing has been published in Kinfolk, Brownbook, The Travel Almanac, Wallpaper*, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.