Turkey's Artvin enchants visitors with tens of shades of green

Artvin is a charming city with beautiful old Turkish houses, typical of the Black Sea region. The area's mild climate makes summer visits delightfully refreshing and every June crowds of tourists, as well as brightly clad locals, throng to see the Kafkasör Festival, where the spectacle of fighting bulls is a highlight of the celebration. The adventurous might like to try out white-water rafting on the wild, romantic Çoruh River. During the Middle Ages the Artvin area came under the sovereignty of Georgia, making it the best place for touring the remains of the Georgian past. Its wonderfully scenic roads lead to the ruined churches and settlements that stand as a legacy of this period. The best-preserved of these are in Barhal and İşhan in the majestic Kaçkar Mountains. Barhal also offers some of the best county horse riding. Several churches in Bağbaşı and Çamlıyamaç are just off the road to Erzurum, after the Tortum Waterfalls and the pristine Lake Tortum. Other Georgian churches and settlements are near Yusufeli – Dörtkilise, Köprügören and Tekkale. Yusufeli itself provides wonderful opportunities for nature-lovers like hiking at a height of 4000m. Hatila Valley National Park, about 170 kilometre-square, is 10km from Artvin at the confluence of the Çoruh River and the Hatila Stream. In this national park, both Mediterranean and Black Sea floras flourish together with a wild fauna of bears, deer, wolves, foxes and eagles. Special hives set on top of wooden stilts are home to the park bees that produce the famous regional honey. The Karagöl-Sahara National Park, 17km from Şavşat on the way to Ardahan, includes the beautiful Alpine Lake Karagöl and the widely known Sahara Plateau. The lake is surrounded by a variety of pine trees and picnic facilities. Animals of wildlife like bears are plentiful there. The Sahara Plateau abounds with fresh mineral springs that are believed to have curative powers; and at Kocabey Kışlağı village, you can see traditional wooden houses where you can even meet friendly residents.