TR · Black Sea Region · 41.01°N 39.72°E

trabzon

A cliffside monastery, Black Sea tea breaks and hot pans of stretchy cheese and cornmeal.

Best time
May–September is best for the hills, with July–August the busiest months. Rain and mist can come in any season; winter is mild on the coast, but snow closes the high roads.
How long
3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop via Istanbul, about 15–17 hours all in. The airport is about 15 minutes from the centre. Turkey is 5 hours behind KL all year.
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TR · Black Sea Regiontrabzon41.01°N 39.72°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A cliffside monastery, Black Sea tea breaks and hot pans of stretchy cheese and cornmeal.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingTrabzonTR, Black Sea Region
KLtrabzon
≈ 7,455 km from KL, as the crow flies
Fatih Mosque, Trabzon

Photo: Francesco Bini · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Trabzon is the big Black Sea port of north-east Turkey, backed by steep, misty green hills. It's the base for Sumela Monastery and for the mountain lakes and villages inland.

Makan

  1. KuymakCornmeal, butter and stretchy local cheese bubbling in a pan, scooped up with bread for breakfast.Map ↗
  2. Akçaabat köfteGrilled meatballs from the next town along the coast, usually with a bean salad.Map ↗
  3. HamsiBlack Sea anchovies, fried crisp or baked with rice, best from late autumn into winter.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Sumela MonasteryA Greek Orthodox monastery built into a cliff high above a forested valley, about an hour inland.Map ↗
  2. Hagia SophiaA 13th-century Byzantine church, now a mosque, with frescoes in the porch and gardens facing the sea.Map ↗
  3. UzungölA lake village in the mountains, about 2 hours away, with wooden houses and a mosque reflected in the water.Map ↗
  4. BoztepeTea gardens on the hill above the city, looking out over the rooftops to the Black Sea.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Sumela is reached by a steep path and steps that get slippery in the rain, so wear shoes with grip.
  • Meat is halal as standard, and Uzungöl is especially popular with Muslim visitors from the Gulf, so it's busy in July and August.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.