Things to Do in Gölköy: 7 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Gölköy

• 1 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 5 Nature

i Photo: Sinan Şahin (CC BY 3.0) · Source

1 🌳 Nature

Ulugöl

The largest natural lake in Ordu province, with an area of 30,000 m², 15 km from the district.

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2 🌳 Nature

Gök Gölü (Gök Lake)

A natural lake located in the district centre.

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3 🌳 Nature

Gölköy Dam Lake

A dam lake near the district centre, a quiet natural area surrounded by forests. It is popular for angling and picnics.

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4 🌳 Nature

Gölköy Highland Pastures

Highland pastures in the upper parts of the district, popular as a summer resting place for their cool air and green meadows.

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5 🕌 Religious

Historic Gölköy Mosque

An Ottoman-era mosque in the district centre, notable for its woodwork and traditional architecture. The century-old plane tree in the mosque courtyard has become a symbol of the district along with the building.

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6 🌳 Nature

Ulugöl Nature Park

Ulugöl in Gölköy, registered as a nature park in 2009.

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7 🏛️ Historic

Gölköy Castle

A castle with a single gate and a large enclosed area, in the Kale neighbourhood of Gölköy.

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While you are in Gölköy, you can also see the highlights of Ordu province. These places are in other districts.

• Boztepe Viewing Terrace — A hill about 4 km south of the city, known for its viewing terraces with bird's-eye views of Ordu and the Black Sea, its restaurants and its paragliding take-off area.
• Jason Point (Yason Burnu) — A peninsula associated with the legend of the Argonauts, in the village of Çaytepe in Perşembe; it has the 19th-century Jason Church and a lighthouse.
• Taşbaşı Church Cultural Centre — A Greek Orthodox church built in 1853 in the Taşbaşı neighbourhood; restored and used as a cultural centre, it stands out for its position overlooking the sea.
• Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum — In the Selimiye neighbourhood, the 19th-century mansion of Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi, who migrated from Batumi after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78; since 1987 it has been an ethnography museum displaying local costume, weapons and household goods.
• Ünye Castle — A castle on a steep rocky outcrop at Kaleköy, 5 km south-east of Ünye, thought to have been used in the Pontic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods; there is a rock-cut tomb at its foot.
• Çambaşı Plateau — In Kabadüz, one of the best-equipped highlands in the province, with dozens of highland settlements and wide pastures; highland festivals are held in summer and skiing takes place in winter.

Practical Information for Visiting Gölköy

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Summer months (June–September)

Places to visit

7 places

• 🫓

  Gölköy Pidesi (Black Sea pide)

  Black Sea pide made with buttered dough and baked in a stone oven. This dish has an important place on local tables and is prepared using traditional recipes. Cooked over a wood fire, the edges of the pide become crisp while the middle stays soft.

• 🧀

  Kuymak (cornmeal and melted cheese)

  Prepared with cornmeal and cheese melted in butter, the best-known dish of the Black Sea. Prepared by local people on special occasions, it is a symbol of hospitality.

• 🥬

  Karalahana Çorbası (collard green soup)

  A soup made with collard greens, cornmeal and beans. Prepared with local ingredients, this dish reflects the gastronomic richness of the region.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Gölköy

• ⛺

  Highland Culture

  The tradition of moving to the highland pastures continues in Gölköy during the summer months. As an important element of the local people's cultural identity, this tradition is passed down from generation to generation.

• 💃

  Horon Tradition

  The horon, danced to the accompaniment of the kemençe at weddings and festivities, is part of Gölköy's cultural identity.

Local Products

• Gölköy Hazelnuts — Hazelnuts grown in the district are among the high-quality varieties of Ordu hazelnuts.
• Gölköy Butter — Butter produced from the milk of animals grazing in the highland pastures, known for its intense aroma.

Economy

The economy of Gölköy is based on hazelnut production and livestock farming. Beekeeping and forestry are also sources of income.

How to Get to Gölköy

It is 45 km from Ordu. It is 60 km from Ordu-Giresun Airport.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Ordu

Gölköy: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Gölköy Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Ordu The province's 9 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Ordu

• Akkuş 5 places Akkuş Forests, Akkuş Highland Pastures and Akkuş Historic Mosque
• Altınordu
• Aybastı
• Çamaş 7 places Sarıçiçek Highland Pasture, Gelin Rock and Historic Külekçi Mosque
• Çatalpınar 2 places Hazelnut Orchards and Göller Village Castle
• Çaybaşı 4 places Çaybaşı Highland Pastures and Hazelnut Orchards, Kapılı Waterfall (Kapılı-Cingirt Kazankaya Waterfalls) and Çayır Mosque
• Fatsa 10 places Fatsa Castle (Bolaman Castle), Bolaman Shore and Gaga Lake
• Gülyalı 6 places Gülyalı Coast, Gülyalı Forests and Historic Gülyalı Mosque
• Gürgentepe 5 places Gürgentepe Highland Pastures, Gürgentepe Forests and Dikenlice Rock Tombs
• İkizce
• Kabadüz 6 places Kabadüz Highland Pastures, Kabadüz Forests and Kabadüz Waterfalls
• Kabataş 5 places Kabataş Highland Pastures, Kabataş Forests and Şifasuyu
• Korgan 6 places Korgan Highland Pastures, Korgan Streams and Historic Korgan Mosque
• Kumru 5 places Kumru Plateaus, Kumru Forests and Kumru Tarihi Mosque
• Mesudiye 9 places Topçam Plateau, Mesudiye Tarihi Evleri and Kaleköy (Melet Kalesi)
• Perşembe 3 places Hoynat Island, Yason Cape and Yason Church
• Ulubey 8 places Salı Pazarı, Ulubey fındık bahçeleri and Küpkaya Canyon
• Ünye 12 places Ünye Castle, Ünye Coast and Ünye Coast and Beaches