Rize, 75 km east of Trabzon, is built on a mountain slope and covered with tea bushes that look like puffy green pillows. From Ziraat Park you can take in a splendid panorama of the whole area. A lightweight summer cloth of good quality and printed with colorful patterns comes from the Rize area. During the Summer Tea Festival you can purchase the best blend of Black Sea tea.Turning inland after Ardesen, on the road leading east from Rize, you come to the beautiful little town of Camlihemsin straddling a rushing stream. Nearby is the Firtina Vadisi (Valley of Storms) with the beautiful Zir Castle, and stone bridges from Byzantine times. After walking around Ayder's rolling meadows, you can relax in one of the many hot springs. For those who like mountain climbing, this is the best starting point for scaling the Kackar Mountains. This emerald range is one of the best and the most challenging for climbers in Turkey. South of Rize on the Kackar Mountains, Anzer village offers the world-famous and healthful Anzer honey, and it is a nice area for trekking and for its botany.
Hopa; an attractive town at the foot of a forested mountain, is the last port before the Turkish-Georgian border. The international boundary actually divides the village of Sarp. The road to Artvin traverses the Cankurtaran mountain-pass, where the verdant landscape changes to barren rocks.
A winding drive mid-way up a mountainside takes you to Artvin, the capital of its province. At the foot of the escarpment, a ruined 16th-century castle crowns: a rocky outcrop. Artvin is a charming city with beautiful old Turkish houses, typical of the region. The area's mild climate makes summer visits delightfully refreshing and every June, crowds of tourists, as well as brightly clad locals, throng to the Kafkasor festival, where the spectacle of bulls fighting each other highlights the celebration. The adventurous might like to attempt wild-water rafting on the wild, romantic Coruh river. In the Artvin area, the nature reserves around the KaragoI Lakes, 27 km northeast of Borcka and 17 km north of Savsat respectively, have different kinds of pine trees, flora and fauna, including black and brown bears.
During the Middle Ages this area came under Georgian sovereignty. The Artvin area is the best place for touring remains of the Georgian past; its wonderfully scenic roads lead to the ruined churches and settlements that stand as the legacy of this period. The best preserved of these are at Barhal and Ishan, in the awesome Kackar Mountains. Barhal offers some of the best country horseback riding. Several other churches, in Bagbasi and Camliyamac, are just off the road to Erzurum, which passes by the Tortum Waterfalls and the pristine Tortum Lake. Near Yusufeli are other Georgian churches and settlements: Dortkilise, Koprugoren and Tekkale. East of Artvin, Ardanuc, formerly the Georgian capital, has a famous Castle, which overlooks the longest canyon in the region.
East from Artvin is Savgat, an alpine village surrounded by meadows of wild flowers and butterflies, rushing streams and quaint chalets. The local women's organization has established a weaving-instruction center, in an attempt to keep the indigenous carpet and kilim traditions alive. Bilbilan is another important yayla and popular summer residence in the region. You will find the people of this region exceptionally welcoming and helpful. A winding drive mid-way up a mountainside takes you to Artvin, the capital of its province. At the foot of the escarpment, a ruined 16th-century castle crowns a rocky outcrop. Artvin is a charming city with beautiful old Turkish houses, typical of the region. The area's mild climate makes summer visits delightfully refreshing and every June, crowds of tourists, as well as brightly clad locals, throng to the Kafkasor festival, where the spectacle of bulls fighting each other highlights the celebration. The adventurous might like to attempt wild-water rafting on the wild, romantic Coruh river.
In the Artvin area, the nature-reserves around the Karagol Lakes, 27 km northeast of Borcka and 17 km north of Savsat respectively, have different kinds of pine trees, flora and fauna, including black and brown bears. Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and at an altitude of 1720 meters, is ringed by beautiful mountains: Mount Suphan (4058 meters) on the northwest side and the Ihtiyar Sahap Mountains to the south. You can travel the circumference of the entire lake visiting several ancient Urartian sites as well as others that represent the legacy of the various peoples who have inhabited the area.