Photo: Ingeborg Simon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Düzce is a green stop between Istanbul and Ankara, with the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium (Konuralp), known as the "Ephesus of the Western Black Sea", and the Konuralp Museum that displays the Orpheus mosaic; the Akçakoca Genoese Castle on UNESCO's Tentative List; the 35-km Akçakoca beach; Güzeldere Waterfall, which falls from 120 metres; Samandere Waterfall; the bird paradise of Lake Efteni; and the 1,830-metre Kardüz Plateau.
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9 places worth seeing in Düzce, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Acar54 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A castle on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, 3 km west of Akçakoca; it is thought to have been built between 1204 and 1261 under the Latins or the Empire of Nicaea. As one of the stops on the Genoese trade route, it was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2013.
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Photo: Ingeborg Simon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A Bithynian city known as the "Ephesus of the Western Black Sea"; it was developed by Prusias I in the 3rd century BC and enjoyed its most brilliant period in the 1st–3rd centuries AD. Its ancient theatre, walls and arched structures can be seen.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source The museum, opened in 1994, displays a copy of the 2.65-metre statue of Tyche found in 1931 (the original is in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum), a sarcophagus of the 1st century AD, the 45 m² Orpheus floor mosaic found in 1998, and the Achilles–Thetis mosaic.
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A waterfall in the village of Güzeldere in Gölyaka, where the Bıçkı Stream drops from 120 metres; the 22.76-hectare area surrounded by beech forest was declared a nature park in 2011. It is 28 km from Düzce.
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Photo: Aierturk (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A waterfall and its giant's kettles 26 km south-east of Düzce; it was registered as a natural monument in 1988. There are picnic and walking areas.
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Photo: Murat Özsoy 1958 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A tectonic freshwater lake 10 km south-west of Düzce; where the Küçük Melen Stream and the surrounding streams meet, it has been a wildlife development area since 2005 and is good for birdwatching. There is a 43 °C thermal spring on its southern shore.
View on mapForest waterfalls 10 km from the city centre, declared a nature park in 2014.
View on mapOne of the highest highland pastures in the Western Black Sea, at 1,830 metres, 28 km from Gölyaka and 48 km from Düzce; it is a Culture and Tourism Conservation and Development Zone.
View on mapA 35-km beach stretching along the Black Sea coast; since the 1950s it has been a beloved summer resort town thanks to its proximity to Ankara and Istanbul.
View on mapDüzce lies in the Western Black Sea region, on a broad and fertile plain watered by the Melen Stream. In antiquity the area was part of the Kingdom of Bithynia: Prusias ad Hypium (formerly called Kieros), in today’s Konuralp neighbourhood, was taken and developed by Prusias I, King of Bithynia, in the 3rd century BC and enjoyed its most brilliant period in the 1st–3rd centuries AD; Diospolis, on the coast, is today’s Akçakoca. The region became part of Ottoman territory through the campaigns of Konuralp Bey, a commander of Orhan Gazi, in 1323; the district of Akçakoca takes its name from Akçakoca Bey, likewise an Ottoman raider lord.
Düzce’s recent history was deeply marked by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake of 12 November 1999, in which 845 people lost their lives. After the earthquake, Düzce, which had been a district of Bolu, became the 81st province of Türkiye in the same year and received the licence-plate code 81.
Today Düzce is one of Türkiye’s important hazelnut growing areas; Akçakoca yellow hazelnuts and Düzce chestnuts are registered products. With the forested Elmacık and Kardüz plateaus and its waterfalls, it offers a nature escape close to Istanbul and Ankara.
Düzce has a Black Sea climate that is rainy in every season, with warm summers and cool winters. Averages for 1959–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.5 °C | 0.6 °C | 90 mm | 15 |
| February | 10.5 °C | 1.5 °C | 71 mm | 13 |
| March | 13.8 °C | 3.5 °C | 74 mm | 14 |
| April | 19.0 °C | 7.3 °C | 60 mm | 12 |
| May | 23.4 °C | 11.3 °C | 62 mm | 12 |
| June | 27.2 °C | 14.8 °C | 69 mm | 10 |
| July | 29.2 °C | 17.0 °C | 47 mm | 6 |
| August | 29.3 °C | 17.1 °C | 50 mm | 6 |
| September | 26.1 °C | 13.5 °C | 52 mm | 8 |
| October | 20.9 °C | 9.9 °C | 81 mm | 11 |
| November | 15.8 °C | 5.4 °C | 79 mm | 12 |
| December | 10.5 °C | 2.6 °C | 101 mm | 15 |
July and August are best for the sea, and May to September for the waterfalls and highland pastures. The hazelnut harvest takes place from mid-August onwards. In autumn the forests change colour, but rainfall increases markedly.
By road: Düzce lies between Istanbul and Ankara on the Anatolian Motorway (TEM) and the D-100; it is about 2.5 hours from Istanbul and about 2.5 hours from Ankara. Akçakoca is on the coast, about 40 km from the provincial centre.
By air: There is no airport in Düzce; Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen and Zonguldak airports can be used.
Day 1 – The ancient city and waterfalls: In the morning, the Orpheus mosaic and the copy of the Tyche statue in the Konuralp Museum, then the ancient theatre and walls; in the afternoon, Samandere Waterfall. Düzce köftesi in the evening.
Day 2 – Lakes and highland pastures: Birdwatching at Lake Efteni in the morning, then Güzeldere Waterfall; in summer, go up to the Kardüz Plateau.
Beach day: The Genoese Castle and the beach at Akçakoca; Akçakoca ekşilisi and the melengücceği dessert for the meal.
The main ones among the 17 geographical indications registered with TÜRKPATENT are Düzce köftesi, Düzce acıkası, Düzce fındıklı tahin helvası (hazelnut tahini halva), Düzce kestanesi (chestnut) and kestane balı (chestnut honey), Düzce kestane kabağı (Düzce chestnut squash), Düzce şeker kamışı pekmezi (sugar cane molasses), Düzce şırası (grape must), Akçakoca ekşilisi (sour stew), Akçakoca mancarlı pidesi (pide with mancar greens), Akçakoca melengücceği tatlısı (melengücceği dessert), Akçakoca sarı fındığı (yellow hazelnut), Akçakoca Kaplandede kestanesi (Kaplandede chestnut), Çilimli gözlemesi (Çilimli gözleme), Konuralp pirinci (Konuralp rice) and yufkalı Konuralp pilavı (Konuralp pilaf with yufka). Among handicrafts, the Düzce bıçağı (Düzce knife) is registered.
Düzce province has 8 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Grilled meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
A registered pide made with greens (mancar).
A registered pilaf made with Konuralp rice.
A halva with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the ancient city and museum of Konuralp, the Akçakoca Genoese Castle and beach, the Güzeldere and Samandere waterfalls, the Aydınpınar Waterfalls, Lake Efteni and the Kardüz Plateau.
After the earthquake of 12 November 1999, Düzce, which had been a district of Bolu, became the 81st province of Türkiye in the same year.
It is in the Konuralp neighbourhood of Düzce; it is known as the "Ephesus of the Western Black Sea".
Hazelnuts, Düzce köftesi, Akçakoca mancarlı pidesi and ekşilisi, Düzce chestnuts and chestnut honey; the province has 17 registered geographical indications.
Güzeldere Waterfall drops from 120 metres; it is 28 km from Düzce.
The sea season in Akçakoca is July to August.
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.