Zilkale

Top choice in Black Sea Coast


The region's most spectacular man-made attraction is the neatly restored 13th-century shell of Zil Castle, a fine stone tower surrounded by sturdy walls topping a rocky pinnacle above the sheer gorge, 13km south of Çamlıhemşin and 5.5km from Şenyuva.

Stand back some way to photograph it from the classic angle that highlights a distant backdrop of sometimes snowy forest ridges, and come in April to catch the scene at its prettiest with rhododendrons bursting into colourful bloom on the hillside across the road.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Black Sea Coast attractions

1. Palovit Şelalesi

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This powerful, if fairly narrow, 15m waterfall is best viewed from the roadside overlook, though few visitors can resist the temptation to descend on the…

2. Pokut

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On clear days, the views from this summer shepherds' hamlet (elevation 2030m) seem to stretch to infinity with a foreground of typical bungalows climbing…

3. Çat Yayla

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High, high above (lower) Çat village, Çat Yayla sits at around 1800m is a glorious area of comparatively accessible meadows that are at their most…

4. Gelin Tülü Şelasi View

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At the eastern end of Ayder village is a popular viewpoint from which to look out across a very deep-cut valley to a long, vertical series of cascades…

5. Huser Yaylası

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The Kaçkar region's full glory becomes most apparent when you climb high above the treeline to one of the upland meadows (yayla) from which the beautiful…

6. Yukarı Kavron

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One of the most popular day-trip driving destinations from Ayder (13km by unpaved track), Yukarı Kavron is a slightly scrappy seasonal yayla village in a…

7. Zemevan Old Bridge

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Right beside the new road bridge at the entrance to Yaylalar, an antique pedestrian bridge crosses a side stream with the elegant simplicity of a stone…

8. Barhal Church-Mosque

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Barhal's domeless 10th-century Georgian church is remarkably complete and now used as a mosque. The towerless, grey stone form, known as Parkhali to…

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