Trabzon

The Pontic Mountains rise directly behind Trabzon, steep and forested, receiving some of the highest rainfall in Turkey — the Black Sea coast here is genuinely lush in a way that surprises visitors who associate Turkey with dryness and heat. Tea plantations cover the hillsides in neat rows to the horizon. The road from the airport winds through this green mountain world before dropping into a port city of 300,000 people that has been continuously inhabited since the 8th century BC.

I came to Trabzon primarily for the Sumela Monastery — which is, genuinely, one of the most extraordinary things I have seen attached to a vertical surface. The monastery was built into a sheer cliff face at 1,200 meters altitude in a forested valley 50km south of the city, initially founded in 386 AD and progressively carved deeper into the rock over the following 1,500 years. You look at it from across the valley and the first question is how, followed immediately by why, followed by the realization that the combination of extreme difficulty and extreme beauty is precisely the answer to both questions.

Trabzon’s own Hagia Sophia — not Istanbul’s famous cathedral but a 13th-century Byzantine church of considerable beauty — sits in a garden park near the waterfront, smaller than its Istanbul namesake but with frescoes in substantially better condition and none of the crowds. It was converted to a mosque twice (under the Ottomans and again in 2013) and has Byzantine mosaics and painted programs that are genuinely impressive.

The regional food is distinct from the rest of Turkey. The Black Sea anchovy (hamsi) is cooked in dozens of ways — fried, baked in cornbread, in soup, in rice, on bread — and is the culinary anchor of the entire eastern Black Sea coast. Cornbread (mısır ekmeği) is specific to this region. The local cheese and the hazelnuts (this part of Turkey produces most of the world’s hazelnut supply) complete a food identity wholly different from the kebab-and-meze tradition of western Turkey.

Why Trabzon deserves your attention

Trabzon is the entry point to the Turkish Black Sea coast — a region with its own distinct culture, climate, landscape, and culinary tradition that receives a fraction of the international visitors that the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts attract. This is part of its value.

The Sumela Monastery alone justifies the trip. Built progressively into a sheer cliff face over 1,600 years, with rock-cut rooms, a cave church with Byzantine frescoes, and a setting of extraordinary natural drama, it is the single most striking single monument I encountered in Turkey outside Hagia Sophia. The 50km drive from Trabzon through tea-covered mountains is itself remarkable.

The region’s landscape — the Pontic Mountains receiving heavy rainfall from the Black Sea, producing a lush greenery rare in Anatolia — and its cultural distinctiveness (Trabzon was the capital of the Trapezuntine Empire, the last Byzantine state, until 1461) make it genuinely different from the rest of Turkey.

What should you do in Trabzon?

Sumela Monastery (50km south) — The Byzantine cliff-face monastery built at 1,200m altitude between 386 AD and the 20th century. Rock-cut rooms, a cave church with frescoes, and a setting of dramatic natural beauty. Entry approximately 300 TL. Allow a full day including the mountain drive. The 300-step path to the monastery gates is steep and partially requires chains in the steeper sections.

Uzungöl (100km south) — A highland lake at 1,080m altitude surrounded by tea plantations and the forested peaks of the Kaçkar Mountains. The village around the lake has become a domestic tourism destination; the lake itself and the morning mountain light are genuinely beautiful. Day trip from Trabzon; 2 hours by road.

Trabzon Hagia Sophia — A 13th-century Byzantine church (later mosque, now museum) near the Black Sea waterfront, with extraordinary surviving fresco programs in better condition than many better-known Byzantine sites. Entry approximately 100 TL. Budget 60 minutes.

Boztepe Hill — The forested hill above Trabzon with panoramic views over the city, the Black Sea, and the mountains beyond. Free. The tea gardens at the top serve the best çay in Trabzon with the finest view.

Atatürk Köşkü — Atatürk’s summer residence in Trabzon, a white mansion in a hillside garden visited by the founder in 1924, 1930, and 1937. Now a museum with his personal effects and period furniture. Entry approximately 100 TL.

Kaçkar Mountains (day hikes) — The alpine range behind Trabzon is Turkey’s finest mountain hiking territory, with trails through highland villages (yayla) above the tea and hazelnut zones. Day hikes accessible from Uzungöl; multi-day trekking from Çamlıhemşin further east.

Where should you eat in Trabzon?

• Fevzi Hoca — The legendary Black Sea fish restaurant in Trabzon, famous for hamsi (anchovy) preparations and other fresh Black Sea fish. The hamsi pilav (anchovy rice), hamsi ekmek (anchovy bread), and fried hamsi are the benchmarks. Approximately 300–500 TL per person.

• Kalender Restaurant — Traditional regional cuisine: cornbread (mısır ekmeği), local cheeses, muhlama (corn flour and cheese fondue, a Black Sea specialty), and grilled meats. Budget 250–400 TL per person.

• Boztepe tea gardens — The hilltop tea gardens above Trabzon serve traditional Turkish çay (tea) with local pastries in an open-air setting with Black Sea views. This is where Trabzon residents spend Sunday mornings.

• Beton Helva — The famous Trabzon sweet shop serving kadayıf, baklava, and the local helva varieties. Worth a stop for coffee and pastry after the Hagia Sophia.

• Laz böreği — The Black Sea coastal börek (stuffed pastry) tradition uses a richer dough and more generous filling than the western Turkish versions. Available at bakeries throughout the city.

Where should you stay in Trabzon?

Budget ($30–55/night): Hotel Nazar and several other central hotels offer clean rooms near the Meydan (main square) with easy access to the waterfront and transport. Budget accommodation is plentiful and inexpensive.

Mid-range ($70–130/night): Novotel Trabzon is the established mid-range property with Black Sea views and the reliability expected for a two-night base. Güneş Hotel has good central access and consistently fair reviews.

Luxury ($130–250/night): Radisson Blu Trabzon on the waterfront is the reference luxury property, serving the business and Black Sea shipping clientele with the full-service experience.

When is the best time to visit Trabzon?

June–September offers the most reliable weather for Sumela (the monastery approach can be slippery in rain) and the highland lakes. August and September are the driest months on the Black Sea coast. The mountain meadows (yayla) above the tea zone are at their most beautiful in June–July.

October–May brings the characteristic Black Sea overcast and rain — the coast is dramatic rather than sunny, and the green of the tea plantations against grey skies has its own beauty. Sumela is accessible year-round when weather allows but can close in heavy snow (December–March).

Trabzon connects the Black Sea coast (east to Rize, Artvin, and the Georgian border; west to Sinop and Samsun) and can be reached from Istanbul by direct flight in 1.5 hours. It works as a 2–3 day stop in an eastern Turkey circuit that combines with Erzurum, the Kaçkar Mountains, and the Georgian border crossings. See all Turkey destinations or plan your itinerary at /plan/.