Things to Do in Derepazarı: 4 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Derepazarı

• 1 Religious
• 3 Nature

While you are in Derepazarı, you can also see the highlights of Rize province. These places are in other districts; Derepazarı is about 15 km from the provincial centre.

• Ayder Plateau — A highland pasture 19 km south-east of Çamlıhemşin, at 1,350 metres, surrounded by spruce and beech forests; with its hot spring, waterfalls and wooden houses it is the best-known tourist centre in the Kaçkars.
• Zilkale — A medieval castle with eight towers in Çamlıhemşin, on a steep rock above the Fırtına Valley, thought to have been built in the 14th–15th centuries.
• Fırtına Stream and the Arch Bridges — A 68 km stream that rises in the Kaçkar Mountains and flows into the Black Sea near Ardeşen; it is known for the historic stone arch bridges strung along the valley and for its rafting course.
• Pokut Plateau — A highland pasture at 2,032 metres, 15 km from the district centre in Çamlıhemşin; with its wooden houses and views over a sea of clouds it is a favourite of photographers.
• Kaçkar Mountains National Park — A national park of 51,550 hectares, most of it in Çamlıhemşin, known for its glacial lakes, alpine meadows and hikes up to the Kaçkar summit (3,937 m).
• Palovit Waterfall — A waterfall in Çamlıhemşin, within the boundaries of Kaçkar Mountains National Park, dropping 15 metres amid forests.

Practical Information for Visiting Derepazarı

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

May–September

Places to visit

4 places

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  Derepazarı Pidesi

  Derepazarı Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 30 January 2018 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 324). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Derepazarı Municipality.

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  Muhlama

  Muhlama, made with cornmeal, butter and tulum cheese, is the staple of a morning breakfast in Derepazarı. It is served hot in a copper pan.

• 🫓

  Pide

  Black Sea-style pide, with a thin dough and plenty of butter, is baked in stone ovens in Derepazarı. The minced meat and cheese varieties are the most popular.

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  Hamsili Pilav

  Made with anchovies and rice, this dish is served baked in the oven. It is one of the Black Sea cuisine's special winter flavours.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Derepazarı

• 🤝

  İmece Tradition

  Tea harvesting and farm work in Derepazarı are carried out through imece, a system of communal labour. This tradition, in which neighbours help one another, is a living example of social solidarity.

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  Black Sea Music and Horon

  In Derepazarı, horon is danced to the kemençe and tulum. Weddings and festivals are the main occasions on which this traditional music and dance are performed.

Local Products

• Tea — Derepazarı's humid climate and fertile soils make it ideal for tea cultivation. Tea produced in the district is processed at ÇAYKUR factories.
• Hazelnut — Alongside tea cultivation, hazelnuts are also grown in Derepazarı. Hazelnuts are an additional source of income for the district's people.

Economy

Derepazarı's economy is largely based on tea cultivation. Hazelnut growing and small-scale livestock farming are among the additional sources of income. The district also has small-scale trade and craft activity.

How to Get to Derepazarı

Derepazarı is 15 km from Rize city centre. It is reached by a road branching off the coastal road to the interior. Rize-Artvin Airport is about 50 km away. Minibus services run from Rize city centre.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Rize

Derepazarı: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Derepazarı Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Rize The province's 10 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Rize

• Rize Central District 4 places Ziraat Botanik Tea Garden, Rize Museum and Rize Castle
• Ardeşen 6 places Ardeşen Shore, Fırtına Stream and Tunca Valley Nature Park
• Çamlıhemşin 10 places Fırtına Deresi Valley, Ayder Plateau and Kaçkar Dağları National Park
• Çayeli 4 places Çayeli Coast, Çayeli Tea Gardens and Çayeli Plateaus
• Fındıklı 7 places Fındıklı Beach, Fındıklı Plateaus and Fındıklı Tea Gardens
• Güneysu 4 places Güneysu Tea Gardens, Güneysu Plateaus and Güneysu Valley
• Hemşin 4 places Hemşin Valley, Hemşin Arch Bridges and Hemşin Plateaus
• İkizdere 10 places Anzer Plateau, İkizdere Valley and Foothills of the Kaçkar Mountains
• İyidere 6 places İyidere Coast, Metropol İlçe İyidere and İyidere Valley
• Kalkandere 6 places Kalkandere Castle Remains, Çağlayan Village Waterfall and Kalkandere Valley
• Pazar 5 places Pazar Coast, Pazar Plateaus and Pazar Tea Gardens