Photo: Babbsack (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Bartın is one of the richest small provinces of the Western Black Sea, with Amasra Castle on the UNESCO Tentative List, the Roman Kemere Bridge and Kuşkayası Road Monument, the 9th-century Byzantine church of Fatih Mosque, the 50-metre basalt columns of Güzelcehisar, Ulukaya Waterfall in the Küre Mountains, and the Bartın River, which ships can navigate right up to the city.
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12 places worth seeing in Bartın, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Babbsack (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Built in the Roman period and repaired in the Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman periods, the castle consists of two parts, Sormagir and the Zindan (dungeon) castle, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. Its outer walls and gates were built by the Genoese in the 14th–15th centuries.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A single-arched stone bridge that joins the two parts of Amasra Castle, on the peninsula and on Boztepe Island; built in the Roman period and repaired by the Byzantines in the 8th–9th centuries, it is 26.7 metres long and was restored in 2014.
View on mapIn Bartın centre, traditional timber-framed Ottoman-period mansions with bay windows; they are the most distinctive part of the city's historic fabric.
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Photo: Dilan yavuz ank (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A Roman monument carved into the rock beside the old road, 4 km from Amasra; it was commissioned in the 1st century AD by Gaius Julius Aquila, governor of Bithynia and Pontus, in honour of the emperor Claudius. It consists of a 2.6-metre human figure, a Roman eagle and two inscriptions; there is nothing like it elsewhere in Türkiye.
View on mapAt Tekkeönü, about 8 km from the district centre, are traces of Kromna, a Paphlagonian coastal city. Kurucaşile is known for its wooden boat-building tradition and for the stone griddle (taş sac) with a geographical indication.
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Photo: Vikiçizer (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Originally a Byzantine church built in the 9th century, the building was converted into a mosque after Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror took Amasra in 1460, and is still open for worship today.
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Photo: Nedim Ardoğa (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Opened in its present building in 1982, the museum displays works from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman periods; its most famous piece is the armoured torso of the Roman emperor Hadrian. It receives more than 50,000 visitors a year.
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Photo: Qad7 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source On the Bartın coast, pentagonal basalt columns up to 50 metres high, stretching for 5 km, formed about 80 million years ago (Late Cretaceous) when a lava flow cooled slowly; declared a natural monument in 2017. There is an 800-metre wooden walkway.
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Photo: Makalp (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source The river that gives the city its name, called Parthenios in antiquity; because ships can navigate it from the sea right up to the city, it is an exceptional river in Türkiye. There are walking paths and a canoe course along its banks.
View on mapEstablished in 1999 and spanning Bartın and Kastamonu, the national park is the only site in Türkiye among Europe's "hot spots" to be protected. Ulukaya Waterfall in Ulus, together with its canyon, was declared a strictly protected sensitive area in 2020.
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Photo: B@ni (CC BY 2.0) · Source A 2.3-km beach about 10 km from Bartın centre; it is a habitat of the endangered sea daffodil. Beware of rip currents.
View on mapA coastal village between Amasra and Kurucaşile, where ancient Erythinoi stood; with its beach it is a holiday resort.
View on mapBartın lies in the Western Black Sea between Zonguldak and Kastamonu, where the forested Küre Mountains meet the sea. It takes its name from Parthenios, the ancient name of the Bartın River that flows through the city; the river is one of the few in Türkiye navigable by sea traffic, with ships able to sail from the sea right up to the city.
Within the province lie three coastal cities of ancient Paphlagonia: Sesamos/Amastris (Amasra), Kromna (Kurucaşile) and Erythinoi (Çakraz). After being ruled by Rome, Byzantium and, from the 13th century, Genoa, Amasra surrendered without a fight to Mehmed the Conqueror in October 1460. Bartın became a district of Zonguldak in 1924 and gained provincial status on 7 September 1991; today it is one of the smallest provinces in Türkiye by population.
The traditional mansions of Bartın centre, with their timber and mud-brick infill, the two-bayed peninsula of Amasra and the boat-builders of Kurucaşile keep the province’s coastal culture alive today.
Bartın has a Black Sea climate, rainy in every season, with warm summers and cool winters. Averages for 1961–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.5 °C | 0.5 °C | 120 mm | 16 |
| February | 10.7 °C | 0.7 °C | 88 mm | 14 |
| March | 13.5 °C | 2.6 °C | 79 mm | 14 |
| April | 18.1 °C | 6.0 °C | 60 mm | 12 |
| May | 22.4 °C | 10.0 °C | 54 mm | 10 |
| June | 26.3 °C | 13.6 °C | 75 mm | 9 |
| July | 28.4 °C | 15.8 °C | 64 mm | 7 |
| August | 28.6 °C | 15.8 °C | 73 mm | 6 |
| September | 25.3 °C | 12.3 °C | 85 mm | 8 |
| October | 20.8 °C | 8.9 °C | 114 mm | 12 |
| November | 16.2 °C | 4.7 °C | 117 mm | 13 |
| December | 11.5 °C | 2.2 °C | 133 mm | 17 |
The best time to visit is June to September. July and August are the least rainy and hottest months of the year (average highs of 28–29 °C), ideal for the sea and for Amasra. Spring and autumn are good for walking in the Küre Mountains, but from October rainfall increases markedly.
By air: The nearest airport is Zonguldak Airport in the Çaycuma district of Zonguldak.
By road: Bartın is connected by road to Ankara and Istanbul via Karabük–Safranbolu or Zonguldak–Devrek. Amasra is about 16 km from the provincial centre and Kurucaşile 52 km; the Kuşkayası Monument can be seen on the Bartın–Amasra road.
Day 1 – Amasra: In the morning, see the Kuşkayası Monument and descend to Amasra; cross Kemere Bridge to Boztepe Island, walk among the castle walls, and visit Fatih Mosque and Amasra Museum. In the evening, Amasra salad and Black Sea fish in the fish restaurants.
Day 2 – Bartın and the coast: A walk through the streets with Bartın’s historic houses, then İnkumu and the Güzelcehisar basalt columns. If time allows, canoeing on the Bartın River.
Nature day: Küre Mountains National Park and Ulukaya Waterfall in Ulus; the boat-builders’ workshops in Kurucaşile.
Bartın has protected its cuisine with 14 geographical indications registered with TÜRKPATENT. The main ones are Bartın pirinçli mantısı (rice-filled dumplings), Bartın şapşap köftesi (şapşap meatballs), Bartın yumurtalı ısput yemeği (egg and greens dish), Bartın gözlemesi, Bartın çöven ekmeği (çöven bread), Bartın ramazan simidi (Ramadan simit), Bartın beyaz baklavası (white baklava), Bartın kabak burması (pumpkin burma), Bartın tatlı böreği (sweet börek), Bartın ağda tatlısı (ağda dessert) and Bartın incir donduması (fig ice cream). Among handicrafts, Bartın işi tel kırma and tel sarma (wire-breaking and wire-wrapping embroidery) are registered, and among kitchen utensils Kurucaşile taş sac (stone griddle).
Bartın province has 4 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Bartın dumplings with a rice filling, registered with a geographical indication.
A meatball registered with a geographical indication.
A registered Bartın dish made with spinach-like greens.
A gözleme registered with a geographical indication.
A registered Bartın dessert made with pumpkin.
A baklava registered with a geographical indication.
The main stops are Amasra Castle, Kemere Bridge, Fatih Mosque, Amasra Museum, the Kuşkayası Road Monument, the Güzelcehisar basalt columns, İnkumu beach, the Bartın River, the historic Bartın houses and Ulukaya Waterfall in Küre Mountains National Park.
Amasra is about 16 km from Bartın city centre.
Zonguldak Airport in the Çaycuma district of Zonguldak.
Rice-filled dumplings, şapşap meatballs, yumurtalı ısput, Bartın gözleme, kabak burması and white baklava; the province has 14 registered geographical indications. Amasra is famous for its castle and fish restaurants.
The Bartın River is one of the few rivers in Türkiye navigable by sea traffic, with ships able to sail from the sea right up to the city.
Bartın was a district of Zonguldak from 1924; it became a province on 7 September 1991.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.