Central Karadeniz Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

41°0′0″N 36°18′0″E

Map of Central Karadeniz

• 41.28666736.331 Samsun is the biggest resort on the Black Sea, with plenty to amuse the visitor.
• 41.12737.2882 Ünye is a beach resort and agricultural town.
• 40.98333337.8833333 Ordu is a smaller resort.
• 40.6535.8333334 Amasya in the hills is the region's most attractive town, for its whitewashed Ottoman architecture.
• 40.54888934.9533335 Çorum is a modern provincial city.
• 40.30972236.5541676 Tokat has a collection of historical buildings.
• 40.02111134.6097227 Boğazkale is by Hattuşaş, once capital of the Hittite Empire.

• 41.70624135.9385111 Kızılırmak Delta Bird Reserve is a wetland nature reserve.

He came, he saw, he conquered, he made a famous quote about it. And thus was ended the Pontic kingdom by Julius Caesar's swift victory near Tokat on 2 Aug 47 BC.

The Black Sea is backed by mountains rearing up to almost 4000 m, the Pontic Alps. These draw the clouds and rain, creating a fertile coastal strip, but making inland transport difficult. It's easier to get around by sea, and by 280 BC an independent Pontic kingdom ruled towns right round this coast to Georgia and the Crimea, with Sinop its principal city. After 170 BC the kingdom enjoyed a century of expansion to cover all of Asian Turkey, until it met the Roman Empire coming the other way, lost ground, and was subdued.

The geography didn't change, with inland settlement corseted in the valleys, and trade mostly based on timber and agriculture plus mining and crafting of metals. The next powers in the region were the Seljuks from the 11th century then the Ottomans from the 14th. Remains of those days are limited as they were roiled by earthquakes then built over. In the 19th century a fleet of steamers huffed and puffed with freight and passengers to Istanbul, and in the 20th century better roads were blasted through the mountains. Leisure travel and domestic tourism developed along the coast, with Samsun the main resort, but never the mass international tourism seen on Turkey's Aegean and Med coasts.

Samsun-Çarşamba (SZF ^IATA) and Ordu-Giresun (OGU  ^IATA) airports are both on the coast, with daily flights from Istanbul.

Ankara (ESB ^IATA) might be just as convenient for inland cities such as Çorum. It has hourly flights from Istanbul.

Istanbul is 600-700 km west so you'd only disembark there for a specific reason. The Asia-side airport SAW lies closer to Black Sea cities than the main airport IST.

As Samsun is the largest city, roads and bus routes through the mountains converge there. (Actually it's the other way round, as the feasibility of those routes meant Samsun outgrew other ports.) Driving from Istanbul follow E80, and from Ankara follow E88 onto D785; the routes join near Havsa. Buses from Istanbul run every two hours to Samsun, taking 13 hours, and one a day continues to Trabzon then Batumi and Tbilisi in Georgia.

A ponderous train lumbers daily from Sivas via Amasya and Havza to Samsun, taking 8 hours. Sivas has high-speed trains from Ankara and slow trains east to Kars, Diyarbakır and Tatvan.

Ferries no longer ply the Black Sea coast, though the ports still ship freight.

The towns sprawl, although their old centres with the majority of sights may be compact and walkable. Dolmuşes serve the main boulevards and the bus stations, which are often several km from downtown.

You need wheels for out-of-town sights such as Kızılırmak Delta Bird Reserve, and to move between towns not on the radial routes to Samsun. Car hire is best arranged at your arrival airport.

• Ottoman architecture, with half-timbered houses with protruding upper stories, is best preserved in Amasya.
• Samsun has the most heritage from the early days of the Republic. This was where Atatürk launched the fightback that repulsed Greek invasion and led to independence.
• Ancient sites: Hattuşaş at the edge of Boğazkale is the most extensive. Tokat has an old castle perched on a crag.

• Beaches: Samsun, Ünye and Ordu all have sandy beaches.
• Hamams - traditional Turkish baths - are found in most towns.
• Football: Samsun are the only top-tier soccer team. Other town teams play in lower / amateur tiers.

Lots and lots of cafes but no stand-out restaurants. The hotels may offer the best dining.

And not much choice of cuisine either, as this region has never attracted international immigration or tourists.

Tap water is safe to drink but may be highly chlorinated, so you might prefer bottled.

Not many free-standing bars, but many eating places serve alcohol.

Beware traffic, safeguard valuables and swerve clear of low-life, same as anywhere else.

The Black Sea is not tidal but in places has long-shore currents, seek local advice. The main beach hazards are trash such as broken glass, and idiots revving on jet skis.

• Western Karadeniz is less developed. The highlight is the old town of Amasra.
• Eastern Karadeniz is more rugged and remote and even less visited. Trabzon is the main city.
• Ankara to the south is the must-see Turkish capital.