Rize

You may have the opportunity, to have the best blend of tea, at the Summer Tea Festival, and taste the very famous, rarely found Anzer honey which comes from the mountains around. Do not forget to purchase high quality, lightweight summer clothes, known by the name of the city "Rize Bezi". In the city the 16th century Islam Pasha Mosque and the remains of a Genoese castle can also to be seen.

In the south of Rize there is an excellent camping spot, at a lovely alpine lake, surrounded by mountains and meadows. This is Uzungol. The beautiful little town of Camlihemsin is a perfect starting point for a trekking tour in the Kackar Mountains.

There, you will pass by Firtina Vadisi, the Storm Valley, with its beautiful castle, Zirkale and bridges of Byzantine origin. Ayder comes next, which has many hot springs and it provides good opportunities for a peaceful time surrounded by nature. Cayeli, Pazar and Ardesen are the other towns close to Rize with their typical settings of Black Sea Region.

Rize is also the hometown of current Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz.