Trabzon, Uzungol and the Black Sea plateaus

Uzungol, a lake ringed by mountains and wooden houses, is the region's best-known spot; walking round it takes under an hour. The Sumela Monastery is carved into a cliff and the approach is a climb — not suitable for every age, so plan for that before you go.

The Black Sea is Turkey's rainiest region and showers are likely even in summer. Mist can close the view on the plateaus entirely, so keep the programme flexible. Late June to September is the safest window for the plateaus; some plateau roads close in winter.

The most requested part of a Black Sea programme is the highlands, and most of them are not in Trabzon but inside Rize province. Ayder plateau is about 200 km from Trabzon and three hours each way; it needs a separate full day.

The highland season opens at the end of June and closes in September. Outside that window the roads are misty, cold and sometimes shut. Every year a guest arrives in May and says "we couldn't see the highlands"; it has to be said plainly when dates are discussed.

The road to Ayder runs up the Fırtına valley: restaurants on wooden terraces over the river, arched stone bridges, tea gardens. The road is worth as much as the destination, which is why it is not driven without stops.

Up on the plateau it is noticeably colder than the coast: fifteen degrees on an August morning, lower in the evening. A light jacket or cardigan belongs in the case whatever the season.

Outside the season the day turns to Uzungöl, Sümela and the coast — all three can be visited all year.

Black Sea cooking differs from the rest of Türkiye and turns on two ingredients: maize and black cabbage. Muhlama, made of cornmeal with melted cheese, is the region's signature; it appears at breakfast or lunch and is rarely chosen in the evening because it is heavy.

Anchovy season runs November to February; in those months it is fried, cooked with rice and steamed everywhere. Fresh anchovy is not available in summer, when trout takes its place — grilled at the restaurants built over the streams.

Hamsiköy rice pudding sits on the Trabzon–Zigana road and is a stop on the tour route; it is baked and comes with a browned top.

What you take home is food: Rize tea, hazelnuts, cornmeal and honey. Genuine highland honey is expensive — very cheap highland honey is not highland honey. Packaged tea is sold everywhere, but the good sort comes from the plantation's own outlet.

These stops do not lengthen the day because they are already on the road; they are placed in the programme as rest points.