Things to Do in Zonguldak: 6 Best Places to Visit

Getting to Know Zonguldak

Zonguldak is a province of 3,341 km² in the Western Black Sea part of the Black Sea region, on a coast where the mountains plunge straight into the sea. The province is known for its port and its hard-coal mines: Türkiye’s richest hard-coal deposits are here. Coal has shaped the city’s economy and identity for a century, and in recent years its sources of income have begun to diversify.

Foremost among the province’s natural assets is Gökgöl Cave: in the Üzülmez area, at the 4th km of the Zonguldak exit of the Zonguldak–Ankara highway, the cave is 3,350 metres long including its branches; with its 875-metre walkway it is the cave with the largest visitor area in Türkiye, and it contains every kind of dripstone formation, including stalactites, stalagmites, columns and flag-shaped dripstones. The Cehennemağzı Caves in Karadeniz Ereğli, in the ancient Achelon Valley, consist of three adjoining caves; the entrance floor of the first cave is covered with mosaic, and it was used as a place of worship in the early Christian period.

The Zonguldak Mining Museum and Coal Experience Mine, which tells the story of coal, was established in 2016; in the Çınartepe neighbourhood, it consists of a gallery that TTK uses as a training mine and the museum building next to it, and it is Türkiye’s first hard-coal mining museum. The districts of the province are Merkez, Alaplı, Çaycuma, Devrek, Karadeniz Ereğli, Gökçebey, and Kilimli and Kozlu (which became districts in 2012).

When to Go

Zonguldak has a mild but very wet Black Sea climate; rain falls throughout the year. Averages for 1938–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:

Month	Avg. high	Avg. low	Rainfall	Rainy days
January	9.3 °C	3.6 °C	139 mm	18
February	9.6 °C	3.6 °C	100 mm	16
March	11.0 °C	4.7 °C	98 mm	15
April	14.9 °C	8.1 °C	66 mm	12
May	18.9 °C	12.2 °C	55 mm	11
June	23.1 °C	16.0 °C	74 mm	9
July	25.3 °C	18.1 °C	68 mm	7
August	25.5 °C	18.3 °C	79 mm	7
September	22.5 °C	15.5 °C	103 mm	8
October	18.8 °C	12.3 °C	147 mm	12
November	15.3 °C	9.0 °C	140 mm	14
December	11.7 °C	5.8 °C	154 mm	17

The best time is May to September. The caves can be visited all year round; in the wet seasons, bring a raincoat.

How to Get to Zonguldak

By air: Zonguldak Airport was closed in 2002 after being established in 1999, and re-entered service in 2007; it has an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers and a concrete runway measuring 2,130 × 45 metres.

By road: It lies on the Zonguldak–Ankara highway and the Black Sea coastal road; Alaplı is 58 km from the provincial centre.

Zonguldak Area by Area

• Merkez, Kozlu and Kilimli: the Mining Museum, Gökgöl Cave, the ports and the coal mines.
• Karadeniz Ereğli: 736 km² and an 80 km coastline; the Cehennemağzı Caves, the Erdemir iron and steel plants and the large ports; the Ottoman strawberry.
• Çaycuma: the town of Filyos (the ancient settlement of Tios, Filyos Port), Çaycuma buffalo yoghurt.
• Devrek: 953 km²; the Devrek walking stick, baklava and kömeci.
• Alaplı and Gökçebey: Alaplı is a coastal town (fishing and hazelnuts); Gökçebey is the least populated district in the province.

Suggested Itineraries

Day 1 – Central Zonguldak: The Mining Museum and Coal Experience Mine; Gökgöl Cave in the afternoon.

Day 2 – Karadeniz Ereğli: The Cehennemağzı Caves and the coast; Ottoman strawberries in the evening.

Day 3 – Devrek and Çaycuma: Walking-stick workshops, baklava and kömeci in Devrek; buffalo yoghurt in Çaycuma; the seashore at Filyos.

Zonguldak Cuisine

Zonguldak cuisine has been shaped by its mining tradition. Delicacies with registered geographical indications: Zonguldak zılbıt yemeği, Zonguldak malay yemeği, Devrek beyaz baklavası (Devrek white baklava), Devrek kömeci (cevizli) (walnut-filled kömeci) and Çaycuma manda yoğurdu (Çaycuma buffalo yoghurt). Products: Karadeniz Ereğli Osmanlı çileği (Karadeniz Ereğli Ottoman strawberry).

Handicrafts

The Devrek bastonu (Devrek walking stick), Devrek kireni (Devrek kiren) and Elpek bezi (Elpek cloth) have registered geographical indications.

Practical Tips

• It is cool inside Gökgöl Cave; wear a light top layer.
• Check the current visiting hours for the gallery tour at the Mining Museum.
• You need a vehicle to see Karadeniz Ereğli and Devrek on the same day.