Trabzon travel guide

See

Pace yourself if you aim to tick off the city's scores of religious sites. People in classical times had deities for everything under the sun, plus the sun itself. When the Romans became Christian in the 4th century the pagan temples were replaced by churches, of which the oldest survivor is St Anne's. They were mostly converted to mosques after the Ottoman conquest of 1461, but the city retained Greek and Armenian congregations until the 20th century. There was also a spate of mosque-building from the 19th century as the population grew.

• Meydan
• İskender Paşa Mosque
• Santa Maria Church
• Kalepark Fortress
• Fatih Park
• City Museum
• Trabzorspor Museum
• Archaeology Museum
• Trabzon Art House
• Kudrettin Mosque
• Hüsnü Köktuğ Mosque
• St Anne's Church

Do

• Trabzonspor
• Yomra Climbing Gym
• Central Hamam
• Sekiz Direkli Hamam
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy Indoor Swimming Pool
• Royal Sinema
• Trabzon State Theatre
• Hamamizade İhsanbey Cultural Center

Eat

Black Sea cuisine is heavy on stews and soups of vegetables and beans. It also includes dairy dishes such as kuymak / muhlama, fresh milk with ayran, and various cheeses. Trabzon pide is a kind of pizza with cheese and eggs. Local köfte (meatballs) have a distinctive taste. Vakfikebir ekmegi is sourdough bread similar to Italian Pane Casareccio. It's baked in a stone oven and can weigh up to 7 kg. Cornbread is also common, as the climate suits maize but not wheat. Hamsi are locally-fished anchovies, a staple, typically fried and eaten whole. Hazelnuts: the Black Sea region grows 70% of the world's production. Local fruits include cherries, persimmon and kiwi fruit.

Stay safe

In the city beware traffic, safeguard valuables and avoid lowlife, same as anywhere else. Those rules also apply to remote areas, along with harsh weather, and the risk of slips and strains far from assistance. Dangerous animals in the mountains include bears.