Things to Do in Dereli: 8 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Dereli

• 1 Religious
• 7 Nature

🌳 Natural Wonders 7

2 🌳 Nature

Kümbet Plateau

One of the most important plateaus in the Eastern Black Sea region. Plateau festivals are held every year on the second Sunday of July.

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3 🌳 Nature

Karagöl Nature Park

Karagöl, at 1,950 metres above sea level, is a volcanic crater lake surrounded by pine forests. As a nature park, the area is suitable for picnics and nature photography.

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4 🌳 Nature

Bektaş Plateau

Bektaş Plateau, in the high parts of Dereli, is a plateau tourism centre favoured in summer for its wide meadows and cool air. Plateau festivals held every year host cultural events.

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i Photo: Zeynel Cebeci (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

5 🌳 Nature

Kuzalan Waterfall

Within Dereli's boundaries, Kuzalan Waterfall, whose water falls from 15 metres, sits amid lush forest. The walking trails around the waterfall attract nature lovers.

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6 🌳 Nature

Kuzalan and Göksu Travertines

Travertines formed by mineral waters, notable for their turquoise and white colours; locals refer to them as "white stone".

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7 🌳 Nature

Mavi Göl

A lake within Kuzalan Nature Park, formed by the union of three lakes, which takes on a turquoise colour especially in summer.

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8 🌳 Nature

Koçkayası Nature Park

A nature park within Dereli district, suitable for activities such as hiking, birdwatching and cycling.

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While you are in Dereli, you can also see the highlights of Giresun province. These places are in other districts; Dereli is about 35 km from the provincial centre.

• Giresun Island — An island of 40,000 m², about 1.6 km off the coast; together with Kefken Island it is one of the two islands in the Black Sea belonging to Türkiye.
• Giresun Castle — A castle on the top of the peninsula north of the city, probably built in the time of Pharnaces I, King of Pontus (2nd century BC); its central tower and southern walls still stand.
• Zeytinlik — A historic neighbourhood at the foot of the castle with mansions built in the mid-19th century by merchants selling hazelnuts to Europe, using materials brought from Europe; the houses are placed so as not to block one another's light or views.
• Giresun Museum (Gogora Church) — A basilica in Zeytinlik built in the mid-18th century by the Greek Orthodox community; it was used as a prison between 1948 and 1967 and has been an archaeology and ethnography museum since 1988.
• Kuzalan Nature Park and Blue Lake — An area at Dereli, 45 km from Giresun, declared a nature park in 2013; its five turquoise lakes with travertine steps formed by the Göksu Stream, the largest 30 metres across, recall Pamukkale.
• Şebinkarahisar Castle — A castle with an inner and an outer fortress on the basalt rock (Hacıkayası) above the district centre; it is known to have been repaired in 1184 by the Mengujekid ruler Fahreddin Behramşah.

Practical Information for Visiting Dereli

Suggested time

1-2 days

Best time to visit

Summer months (June-August)

Places to visit

8 places

• 🧀

  Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

  Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, is an essential part of Dereli's plateau tables.

• 🥬

  Karalahana Yemeği (collard greens with beans)

  This traditional dish of collard greens cooked with cornmeal and beans is a staple winter dish in Dereli.

• 🍞

  Mısır Ekmeği (cornbread)

  A traditional bread made from cornmeal, which has been a staple food in Dereli's mountain villages for centuries. Served with butter and cheese.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Dereli

• ⛺

  Plateau Culture

  For centuries, the people of Dereli have moved to the plateaus in summer. Plateau houses, traditional dairy production and plateau festivals are living examples of this culture.

• 🎉

  Kümbet Festival

  Held every summer on Kümbet Plateau, the festival attracts thousands of visitors with horon dance shows, wrestling competitions and folk music concerts.

Local Products

• Dereli Fındığı (Dereli hazelnuts) — Hazelnuts grown in Dereli's humid climate form the basis of the district's economy.
• Yayla Balı (plateau honey) — Dereli honey, made from flowers on high plateaus, is known for its natural quality and rich aroma.

Economy

The economy of Dereli rests on hazelnut farming, livestock and plateau tourism. Kümbet and Bektaş plateaus bring income to the district through their tourism potential. Beekeeping is also an important source of livelihood.

How to Get to Dereli

Dereli is 35 km from Giresun city centre and is reached by road. Ordu-Giresun Airport is about 55 km away.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Giresun

Dereli: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Dereli Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Giresun The province's 11 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Giresun

• Giresun Central District 4 places Giresun Castle, Zeytinlik Neighbourhood Historic Houses and Giresun Island
• Alucra 11 places Çakrak Church, Alucra Plateaus and Kelkit Vadisi Manzaraları
• Bulancak 11 places Bulancak Castle, Sis Dağı Plateau and Pazarsuyu Waterfall
• Çamoluk 5 places Çamoluk Plateaus, Kelkit Valley Views and Yenice Waterfalls
• Çanakçı 2 places Çanakçı Streams and Çanakçı Plateaus
• Doğankent 2 places Aksu Valley and Doğankent Plateaus
• Espiye 7 places Andoz Castle, Çımaklı Village and Espiye Coast
• Eynesil 5 places Eynesil Shore, Eynesil Plateaus and Historic Stone Bridges
• Görele 7 places Kuşköy (Kuş Dili Village), Görele Castle and Kırkharman Church
• Güce 5 places Ağaçbaşı Plateau, Güce Plateaus and Güce Streams and Valleys
• Keşap 6 places Keşap Coast, Armutdüzü Village Greek Churches and Halkalı Şahin Rock
• Piraziz 6 places Piraziz Coast, Bendehor Castle and Pir-Aziz Tomb
• Şebinkarahisar 5 places Şebinkarahisar Castle, Atatürk House Museum and Meryem Ana Monastery
• Tirebolu 9 places Tirebolu Castle, Tirebolu Castle (Tripolis) and Tirebolu Coast
• Yağlıdere 7 places Hacı Abdullah Halife Complex, Yağlıdere Valley and Yağlıdere Plateaus