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Rize... Rize is one of the smallest provinces of Turkey but also one of the most important since it is the tea - industry center with processing and packing factories. The city is built in an area where the bright green tea bushes cover entire mountainsides. From Ziraat Park in the city you will have a panoramic view of the area and be able to capture that unique beauty. You may have the opportunity, to have the best blend of tea, at the Summer Tea Festival, and taste the very famous, rarely found Anzer honey which comes from the mountains around. Do not forget to purchase high quality, lightweight summer clothes, known by the name of the city -Rize Bezi. In the city the 16th century Islam Pasha Mosque and the remains of a Genoese castle are also to be seen. In the south of Rize there is an excellent camping spot, at a lovely alpine lake, surrounded by mountains and meadows. This is Uzungol. The beautiful little town of Camlihemsin is a perfect starting point for a trekking tour in the Kackar Mountains. There, you will pass by (Firtina Vadisi) the Storm Valley with its beautiful castle, Zirkale and bridges of Byzantine origin. Ayder comes next, which has many hot springs and it provides good opportunities for a peaceful time surrounded by nature. Cayeli, Pazar and Ardesen are the other towns close to Rize with their typical settings of Black Sea Region. The steep hillsides which sweep upward from the shore are thickly planted with tea bushes. Local men and women bear large baskets on their backs, taking the leaves to the processing plants. The tea is curied, dried and blended here, then shipped throughout the country. The easternmost Turkish port on the Black Sea coast, 165 km east of Trabzon, is Hopa. The locals are friendly people who are curious about the few tourists who pass through and about why they come to Hopa at all. Rize (75 km east of Trabzon) is built on a mountain slope covered with tea bushes that look like puffy green pillows. Be sure to see this typical Black Sea city's 16th century Islam Pasa Mosque and the remains of a Genoese castle. From Ziraat Park you can take in a splendid panorama of the whole area. A lightweight summer cloth of good quality and printed with colorful patterns comes from the Rize area. During the Summer Tea Festival you can purchase the best blend of Black Sea tea. Mehmet Mataraci Mansion is now an Atatürk Museum that displays his personal belongings as well as ethnographical artifacts from the region.

Turning inland after Ardesen off the road going east from Rize, you come to the beautiful little town of Camlihemsin straddling a rushing stream. Nearby is the Firtina Vadisi (Valley of Storms) - ideal for canoeing and the beautiful Zir Castle, and stone bridges from Byzantine times. After walking around Ayder's rolling meadows, you can relax in one of the many hot springs. For those who like mountain climbing, this is the best starting point for scaling the Kackar Mountains. This emerald range is one of the best and the most challenging for climbers in Turkey. The whole of the Kackar Range constitutes the beautiful Kackar Daglari National Park. In the mountains south of Rize, Anzer village offers the world - famous and nutritious Anzer honey and is a nice area for hiking and for its botany. Ikizdere Canyon, between Anzer and Ikizdere Plateaus, is a great spot for hang-gliding. At the same time you get a bird's-eye view of the area. Near Rize, the towns of Cayeli, Pazar, Ardesen, Of and Findikli all enjoy a subtropical climate, lush green settings and boast traditional chalets. The Camburnu coast is covered with golden pine trees where many species of migrating birds stop and it is a lovely area for resting and picture taking.