Photo: Beyoglou (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source 4 places to visit in the central district of Giresun: Giresun Castle, Zeytinlik Neighbourhood Historic Houses and Giresun Island. Plan your trip with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Giresun is built on a peninsula that stretches into the sea at the western end of the Eastern Black Sea. In antiquity the city was called Kerasus, and later Pontus King Pharnakes I renamed it Pharnakeia. The Roman general Lucullus brought the cherry from Giresun to Europe in the 1st century BC, and the fruit’s name in many languages derives from the city’s name. Giresun Castle dates from the Hellenistic period and passed to Ottoman rule during the conquest by Fatih Sultan Mehmed in 1461. In the 19th century, merchants trading in hazelnuts had mansions built with materials brought from Europe in the Zeytinlik quarter at the foot of the castle. Giresun gained provincial status in 1923.
Giresun is an important centre of hazelnut production in Türkiye, and Giresun round hazelnuts are counted among the finest varieties. Giresun hazelnuts were among the first products in Türkiye to be registered for a geographical indication. Giresun Island, about 1.6 km offshore, is one of the two islands in the Black Sea that belong to Türkiye.
Giresun has a mild Black Sea climate with rainfall in every season. The best time for tourism is June to September. Plateau festivals are held in July and August.
The Aksu Festival is a spring celebration held on 7 May in the Rumi calendar, which corresponds to 20 May in the Gregorian calendar. Horon and kemençe are indispensable in the coastal districts, while davul-zurna is essential on the plateaus. Tamzara fabric, woven in Tamzara village in Şebinkarahisar, is registered as a geographical indication.
Giresun came under the rule of the Komnenos family in 1204. It was burned by the Genoese in 1348. It was conquered by Turkmen beys in 1397, and passed under the authority of the Ottoman State in 1461.
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Photo: Beyoglou (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A castle from the Hellenistic period on the peak of the peninsula. During the Empire of Trebizond it served as a border fortress against the Turks, and it passed to the Ottomans in 1461.
View on mapMansions built in the 19th century by merchants who traded in hazelnuts, using materials brought from Europe, at the foot of the castle.
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Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source Giresun Island, the only island off the Turkish coast of the Black Sea, lies 1.2 km offshore. Associated in antiquity with the Amazon warriors, the island has the remains of a Byzantine-period monastery and a chapel.
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Photo: Hüsamettin Alpaslan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Housed in an 18th-century Ottoman building, the museum displays the archaeological and ethnographic finds of the region. Its collection includes coins from the ancient Kerasous period and objects from Black Sea culture.
View on mapMade by stirring corn flour, butter and fresh cheese together in a copper pan, kuymak is the best-known flavour of Black Sea cuisine.
Made by wrapping karalahana (collard green) leaves around minced meat or rice and cooking them. It is an essential dish on Giresun's winter tables.
Anchovies baked together with rice pilaf. This dish is one of the signature flavours of Black Sea cuisine.
Black Sea pide, made by filling a boat-shaped sheet of dough with minced meat, cheese or egg and baking it in a stone oven.
Made by frying vegetables in Giresun cuisine; chard and salted beans are often used.
One of Giresun's best-loved flavours, said to strengthen the immune system.
Millet flour has an important place in Giresun cuisine; it is also added to dolma and yağlaşa.
The International Giresun Aksu Festival, held every May, is the city's biggest cultural event. Based on fertility rituals from antiquity, the festival is celebrated with concerts and cultural events.
Giresun is one of the important centres of Black Sea kemençe music. Horon dance and folk songs accompanied by the kemençe make up the folkloric identity of the region.
Giresun Merkez is the administrative and commercial centre of the province. Hazelnut trade and processing industry form the basis of the economy. Fishing, tourism and services are other important sources of income. Giresun University contributes to the education sector.
Giresun Merkez lies on the Black Sea coastal road (E70). Ordu-Giresun Airport is 25 km away. It is 175 km to Trabzon and 50 km to Ordu. Intercity bus services and sea transport are available.
The four highlights in Giresun Merkez are Giresun Castle, Zeytinlik Neighbourhood Historic Houses, Giresun Island and Giresun Museum.
Kuymak (Muhlama), Karalahana Sarması, Hamsili Pilav and Pide are the standout foods on Giresun Merkez's tables.
Giresun Merkez is known for its hazelnuts and the Aksu Festival. Giresun is known around the world for its high-quality hazelnuts. The province, one of Türkiye's most important hazelnut-producing centres, is known for its geographically indicated Giresun hazelnuts.
Giresun Merkez lies on the Black Sea coastal road (E70). Ordu-Giresun Airport is 25 km away. It is 175 km to Trabzon and 50 km to Ordu. Intercity bus services and sea transport are available.