Turkey's Rize aims to shine with its culinary delights

RIZE, Turkey

Known for its natural beauty, historical sites and local delicacies, the pearl of Turkey’s Black Sea region, Rize province, wants to reach the place it deserves in gastronomy.

The mayor of Rize municipality, Rahmi Metin, told Anadolu Agency that Rize has not yet claimed the spot it deserves in the world with its geography, climate and very special regional foods, but with the GastroRize festival, the city will take its well-deserved place.

Touching on the aim of the 1st GastroRize National Rize Gastronomy Days organized between July 1-3, Metin said that with the event, they aimed to present people with the hidden tastes of Rize.

"When Rize is mentioned, you see that some of our restaurants shine with their doner kebab. Some come to the forefront with their black cabbage rolls," he said.

Rize has many local delicacies, ranging from deserts such as Laz Boregi and Pepecura to fruits and nuts unique to Rize, he added.

He also talked about the most popular dishes in Rize, saying their tastes come from the fact that they are made from butter obtained from cows in the highlands of Rize.

Metin said they expect more tourists to come to Rize together with gastronomy tourism, adding the number of tourists coming to the city will increase in a short time with the events held.

"Currently, over 1 million tourists, both domestic and foreign, come to Rize every year," he noted.

Regarding the opening of the airport in Rize, Metin said: "Hopefully, the first planes will land at Rize Airport towards the end of 2021. This will provide serious benefits for both regional tourism and Rize."

With GastroRize, local flavors of Rize will be recognized across the world, he added.

The northeastern province of Rize attracts the attention of both domestic and foreign tourists with its natural beauty, biodiversity, tea gardens, local markets and historical houses.

Ayder Plateau, Findikli Caglayan, Firtina Valley, Zil Castle, Tarzan Park, Polovit Waterfall and Timisvat Bridge are just some of the historical sites and natural beauty of Rize.

Tourists can watch the sunset and the unique scenery formed by fog on Huser Plateau, which is at an altitude of 2,700 meters (8,858 feet).

Visitors to Rize also can enjoy the Pokut, Sal, Gito, Badara, Yukarı Kavrun, Elevit and Huser plateaus located in the higher parts of the city.

Elevit Plateau, at an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet) above sea level and in the foothills of the Kackar Mountains, stands out as one of the places that hosts many tourists with its green nature and endemic flora and fauna.

Rafting is another hidden gem. Tourists have the opportunity to go rafting in the cool waters of Fırtına Creek in Ardesen district.