A corner of heaven: Turkey's Alps. A magnificent nature and hiking trail in the Black Sea

The first stop of our trip is the rough but charming beauty of the Kaçkar Mountains: Fırtına Creek. The first stop of our trip will be this unique valley, with its unique nature, babbling stream, and every shade of green that takes people into a romantic mood. The richness of flora and fauna, every shade of green and blue, puts Fırtına Valley among the top 200 protected valleys in the world. This place is also the apple of the eye of rafters who want to experience the enthusiasm within them.

After our journey along the Fırtına Stream, we will arrive at Zilkale, whose history dates back to the 13th century. We will continue on our way after taking a breather in the perfect view of this castle, which was built by the Comnenus of Trabzon to control the trade on the Silk Road route.

Passing through narrow and winding roads, we will come to Rize's unique natural wonder, Palovit Waterfall. If you don't mind getting wet down to your pants, we can all go down to the bottom of the waterfall and experience this adventure together. (Your vitamin C dopings are on us😊)

After returning from Palovit, we will spend the night in Arhavi. When we wake up the next morning, we will have breakfast at the Olimbera Village House in Arhavi and set out along the Kamilet valley towards the Mençuna waterfall.

We will say hello to the day in Arhavi, the charming town of the Black Sea, early in the morning. We will continue on our way after a local breakfast at Olimbera village house. We get our mood with our local music list accompanying the beautiful view of Kamilet Valley, one of the 200 most important natural areas in the world. Our first stop in Kamilet Valley is Çifte Köprü. The bridges swing like two sisters at the junction of two streams.

The views we will see as we head towards Mençuna Waterfall, our next stop after the bridge, have the richness to create a year's worth of content for your social media accounts 😊 Would you say there are large and small waterfalls or suspension bridges in this valley where we will experience an oxygen explosion? Now think about the rest. After parking our car, we will climb for 15-20 minutes towards the waterfall. We may encounter surprise animals during this climb, there is no need to be afraid 😊 We will reach the waterfall by seeing thousands of shades of green for about 1 km from the safe path. We are already curious about how you will feel about the view you will see.

After a 1.5-hour journey, we will arrive at Karagöl, the hidden paradise of Artvin. We are sure that you will want to stop and take photos many times on the road before you reach Borcka Karagöl. The stream flowing on our right will follow us throughout the valley. The view of the lake, which we can reach after getting out of the car and taking a short walk, is mind-blowing. You are faced with a view that is nothing short of heaven, with the colorful boats floating on it. But paradise in the Black Sea can be a little foggy, rainy and gloomy. Especially at this time of year. It's our word 😊 Despite everything, the breath you will take while climbing on the photogenic pier on the lake and watching the lake panoramicly will make you say "I've come to the right place". After it gets dark, we go down to Borcka town center to spend the night and sleep in our shared rooms.

We set out for Ardanuç early in the morning. Destination: Ersin Dede Cağ Kebap restaurant. Here you will eat the most delicious meat of the region. It is a must-see as Ersin Dede turns the horizontal doner cooked over a wood fire by hand and cooks it evenly on all sides. This is a shabby place that is crowded from the early hours of the morning. In fact, it's a place where you often have to stand in line. But it will be worth the wait. You will understand what I mean when you feel the taste of the meat you eat on your palate. I hope you are not a vegetarian 😊 Now that we are full, we can hit the road. On our route is the Hell Creek Canyon, whose name is "hell" but it is like "heaven". On one side, it is a magnificent natural wonder, and on the other, it is a spooky hiking trail. We will take an exotic tour in this canyon, passing through stony and steep paths as well as roads that are difficult for even a single person to fit into. This untouched valley, which is among the highest canyons in the world, also offers excellent opportunities for hiking and climbing.

We will cross the impassable mountains and winding roads of the Caucasus and go to Şavşat to spend the night. We will have fun with Georgian music and retire to our rooms. Because the next morning, we will be greeted by a nature that is rich in oxygen, wet and humid, but will also blow our minds. Şavşat district is a Cittaslow, that is, a quiet city region. It is said that Şavşat means “Black Forest” in Georgian, and literally everywhere is forest. This region will give us an oxygen explosion.

Our first stop after waking up in the morning is Yavuzköy. This place is like a corner of heaven described by Dante in his Comedy. It is impossible not to fall in love with Yavuzköy. Our first job here is to go to the observation deck. We will watch the picture before our eyes from the observation terrace. In the meantime, our Turkish tea can accompany us.

Then we will set off and go to Şavşat-Karagöl. The roads we travel during this season of the year will offer us magnificent views. The lake here is like a studio for photographers. If you are interested in taking photos, this place is for you. Let's go without saying. This is a place where carp and goldfish eat bread from your hands and bears visit at night. It is useful to be careful while walking 😊

After finishing our tour in Karagöl, we will return to Şavşat to spend the night. On the way back, we will show you a church that resists history and time: Tibeti Church. Artvin has been a region that has changed hands between Turks and Georgians throughout history. This church is one of the traces left by Georgians on Anatolian lands. After stopping here and examining this structure, we will return to our hotel to spend the night.

On the last day of our trip, our stop will be Bazgiret village. Don't say you've visited the Black Sea Region without seeing this village lying in the bosom of Şavşat, known as the Alps of Turkey! A few hours' journey behind the mountains and roads will take us back maybe 50 or 100 years. Bazgiret is one of the Muslim Georgian villages located on the Türkiye-Georgia border. What makes it so special is that it still maintains its traditions and customs without being affected by anything in its geography. The picturesque views we have seen for days will continue to accompany us on our journey here. If you are really lucky, when you arrive in this village, which reminds you of the villages of Switzerland behind the mountains, you will meet an accordion from which Caucasian melodies rise. Greetings to all of you from Heidi's Alps in Turkey.