4 / 5 - One review
How to get there
90 minutes from Hopa by car
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
One day
Artvin (Turkey)
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Practical information on Artvin
Reviews of Artvin
Artvin lies in the steep and arid Çoruh Valley at the heart of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Turkey. The town extends along the slopes of a mountain and contains Ottoman houses, a palace, mosques and fountains; the mountains are also a prized destination for hikers.
My suggestion:
Spend some time walking in the majestic mountain scenery of Hatila Vadisi National Park. With its forests, mountain pastures, vertiginous rock formations, and canyons, it has everything required to set the mountain enthusiast's heart racing!
My review
Though the modern constructions, chaotically designed buildings, quarries and road infrastructure spoil the outskirts of this town a little, Artvin does still impress by its stunning location on one of the flanks of the wonderful Çoruh Valley.
Artvin Castle, which stands atop a rocky peak guarding the gorge, is a spectacular site. Artvin's old town has managed to retain a number of buildings dating from the time of the Ottomans, namely mosques, residential buildings and fountains, and this all lends it a certain charm.
But the main attraction of this little provincial capital is the wonderful scenery all around it. With its steep slopes, rocky canyons, forests, mountain pastures, verdant greenery and aridity, the region has all the things you'd expect from a major mountainous area. There are also traces of the civilisations that once occupied the area in the local mountains, with the ruins of the Georgian monastery of Parekhi, in particular, making for a wonderful hiking destination.
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196 travelers' photos
