Trabzon

Why Visit Trabzon # The sharp aroma of burning sweet chestnut wood hangs heavy in the damp morning air, drifting from sidewalk carts roasting corn along the Black Sea coast. This northern corner of Turkey feels worlds apart from the dusty ruins of Ephesus or the sun-baked Mediterranean resorts most Americans picture when planning a Turkish vacation. Trabzon offers a dramatic landscape where steep, emerald-green mountains plunge directly into slate-gray waters, creating a geography that resembles the Pacific Northwest crossed with the Scottish Highlands. The region operates at a slower, more deliberate pace, shaped by centuries of maritime trade, tea harvesting, and mountain herding.