The Black Sea Coast holidays

One of Turkey’s emerging destinations, the Black Sea region combines forests with tea plantations and walled coastal towns with architectural delights. The city of Safranbolu is a Unesco world heritage site due to its many restored Ottoman buildings while the cities of Samsun, Amasra and Sinop offer warm traditional hospitality to their visitors.

The Sumela monastery is located close to the port city of Trabzon and is perched on a cliff face on Mount Mela, offering views of the surrounding countryside. The exterior frescoes have survived the harsh environmental conditions and are some of the best in Turkey.

Close to the border of Georgia is the town of Artvin, renowned for its tea production, which grows well in the wet climate.

Explore The Black Sea Coast

Click on your destination of interest

Places to Visit

Sinop

Sinop is situated on the most northern edge of the Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, which is in modern-day northern Turkey. Historically known as Sinope, it is the capital of Sinop Province. Long used as a Hittite port, the city was re-founded as a Greek colony from the city of Miletus in the 7th century BC

Trabzon

Located on the north coast of Turkey, this provincial city has a population of 400,000. Its principal industries are tea and cement production plus shipping and fishing. Visitors to Trabzon can explore one of the summerhouses of Kemal Atrturk, located just outside the centre and the Aiya Sophia, and Gulbaah Mosques. Sumela Monastery with its elaborate frescos is located 50 minutes drive from Trabzon

Van

Van, the regional capital, is situated adjacent to the largest lake in Turkey, Lake Van. Due to its location it has a strategic importance for the whole of Eastern Turkey and contains some of the major industries of the area. The city has an impressive 9th century BC castle, an Archaeology and Ethnography museum and is home to the famous Van cat. With different coloured eyes, generally one blue and one green, and a love for water these cats are unique in the feline world and are a protected species. On Lake Van is Akdamar Island which contains an 11th century Armenian Church that has ornate carvings of the Old Testament on its exterior