Best Places to Visit in Trabzon and Uzungöl: 15 Must-See Attractions
Trabzon province packs an unusual amount of variety into a small area - a cliffside Byzantine monastery, a Byzantine-era domed church on the coast, alpine plateaus, waterfalls, and a mirror-still lake, all within a couple of hours' drive of each other. Here are the 15 places that come up again and again when people ask what to actually see.
1. Uzungöl
The region's best-known natural attraction: a mountain lake formed by a landslide, with a wooden mosque reflected in still water and trout restaurants built out over the shore. Most itineraries treat it as the centerpiece, not a side trip - it's also a reliably easy stop for families traveling with kids.
2. Sümela Monastery
A 4th-century Greek Orthodox monastery built directly into a sheer cliff face in Altındere Valley - one of the most striking pieces of architecture on the entire Black Sea coast, and the single most-photographed site in the province.
3. Ayder Plateau
A highland plateau in neighboring Rize province, reached on a day trip from Uzungöl - known for the Gelintülü Waterfall, traditional wooden yayla houses, and thermal springs. It's the classic Black Sea highland experience.
4. Fırtına Valley
The route back from Ayder runs through this valley, lined with stone Ottoman-era arched bridges and, further downstream, Rize's terraced tea gardens. It's as much about the drive as any single stop.
5. Trabzon Hagia Sophia
Not to be confused with its namesake in Istanbul - this is a 13th-century Byzantine church on the coast, with interior frescoes and mosaics that survived centuries of use as both a church and a mosque.
6. Atatürk Mansion (Atatürk Köşkü)
A preserved early-20th-century villa above the city, used by Atatürk on his visits to Trabzon and now open as a small museum of the period - a quieter, lower-key stop than the coastal landmarks.
7. Boztepe
The hillside directly above the city centre, and the easiest viewpoint to reach - a short drive or walk for a wide panorama over Trabzon and the Black Sea, especially worthwhile around sunset.
8. Ortahisar
Trabzon's old town, centred on a medieval fortress and the Ortahisar Grand Mosque (originally a Byzantine church, like much of the city's architecture). Worth a wander if you want a sense of Trabzon beyond its headline sights.
9. Hamsiköy
A small village on the Trabzon-Uzungöl road, famous across Türkiye for one thing: rice pudding (sütlaç). Most itineraries that pass through the Zigana highlands stop here specifically for it.
10. Zigana Highlands
The mountain pass and surrounding highland pastures between Trabzon and the interior - a scenic stretch of road in its own right, and the gateway most tours use en route to Sümela.
11. Altındere Valley National Park
The national park surrounding Sümela Monastery - pine forest, a river gorge, and marked walking trails for anyone who wants more than just the monastery visit.
12. Çal Cave
A show cave near Trabzon with stalactite formations and a small lake inside, developed with walkways for visitors - a reasonable option if you want an indoor stop on a rainy day.
13. Sera Lake
A small lake close to Trabzon Airport, ringed by a walking path and tea gardens - an easy, low-key stop if you have a few spare hours before a flight rather than a full day.
14. Şerah Village
A traditional highland village in the hills above Trabzon, with the wooden architecture typical of the region's yaylas - a glimpse of rural Black Sea life away from the main tourist route.
15. Haldizen Valley
The highland valley directly above Uzungöl, reachable on foot or by car - green pastures and panoramic lake views that most day-trippers to Uzungöl never see, since it requires a short extra climb.
📍 Can You See All 15 in One Trip?
Not comfortably on a single day trip from Trabzon - that only stretches to Sümela, Zigana and Hamsiköy. Seeing the full list, including Uzungöl, Ayder and the Fırtına Valley, realistically needs several days based between Trabzon and Uzungöl, which is exactly why most visitors don't try to see it all on a day trip from the city.
Agency Insider Tip: If you only have time for five of these, prioritize Sümela Monastery, Uzungöl, Ayder Plateau, the Fırtına Valley, and Trabzon Hagia Sophia - they cover the province's Byzantine heritage, its highlands, and its signature lake in one route.
For more detail on the lake itself, see our full Uzungöl travel guide, or check how to get there from Istanbul. Want to see the highlights without arranging everything yourself? Explore our guided Uzungöl tour, which covers Sümela, Uzungöl, Ayder Plateau and the Fırtına Valley in one itinerary.
