Which would you Recommend---Saffranbolu or Sumela Monastery?
Dec 28th, 2011, 02:22 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Which would you Recommend---Saffranbolu or Sumela Monastery?
Hi everyone. I am planning what I hope will be a 2 week trip to Turkey next September. I have been to Istanbul once before (LOVED IT!) and plan to spend an additional four days there + Ephesus+Cappadocia+ four days along the Turquoise Coast.
I have a couple of extra days available and would appreciate input if I should use them to spend a day in Saffranbolu (flying to Saffranbolu early in the a.m. from Istanbul and then back to Istanbul in the evening) or to Trabzon/Sumela Monastery (flying to Trabzon in the late afternoon, visit Sumela the next day and fly back to Istanbul that evening.)
Thank you for any and all input on these 2 possible destinations.
I have a couple of extra days available and would appreciate input if I should use them to spend a day in Saffranbolu (flying to Saffranbolu early in the a.m. from Istanbul and then back to Istanbul in the evening) or to Trabzon/Sumela Monastery (flying to Trabzon in the late afternoon, visit Sumela the next day and fly back to Istanbul that evening.)
Thank you for any and all input on these 2 possible destinations.
Dec 28th, 2011, 03:40 PM
#2
It really depends on your interests.
If you are an architect and/or have a special interest in wooden houses and mansions, then Safranbolu is one of the towns you would enjoy visiting, although Kastamonu is generally considered to have more examples. Other places are Beypazari, near Ankara, Mudurnu and Goynuk and Bartin for similar structures. You will have seen 100-200 year old restored wooden Ottoman houses in istanbul as well.
You're probably also aware that Safranbolu is much too small to have an airport and you will need a rental car, a tour or an intercity bus to get there from where you fly.
Sumela, on the other hand, will stay in your memories whether you are an architect or a regular tourist. The grandeur of the structure and the mountains and the forests will haunt you for many years.
If you rent a car at Trabzon, you can also visit one more of the other famous valleys and natural sites within that single day. Your options will be Zigana Pass, Ikizdere and my former driver Mustafa's home and village with Swiss Alpine setting. I am not sure of Uzun Gol or Camlihemsin as those may require more of a drive than you may wish.
If you want to do that, your best option would be to drive immediately to Rize upon arrival, stay at Rize (possibly Dedeman Hotel), visit one of the valleys and then visit sumela. If you wish to go up to Zigana pass, then you should stay in trabzon and forget about the coast and Rize area.
Sumela will take 30-40 minutes drive from Trabzon airport, about one hour to visit and another hour to sip your tea, enjoy the scenery and take photographs. Do not eat at the restaurants near the parking area for Sumela as the food is not so good.
try some muhammara, akcaabat meat balls, great northern white beans, and of'course the fresh hazelnuts.
If you are an architect and/or have a special interest in wooden houses and mansions, then Safranbolu is one of the towns you would enjoy visiting, although Kastamonu is generally considered to have more examples. Other places are Beypazari, near Ankara, Mudurnu and Goynuk and Bartin for similar structures. You will have seen 100-200 year old restored wooden Ottoman houses in istanbul as well.
You're probably also aware that Safranbolu is much too small to have an airport and you will need a rental car, a tour or an intercity bus to get there from where you fly.
Sumela, on the other hand, will stay in your memories whether you are an architect or a regular tourist. The grandeur of the structure and the mountains and the forests will haunt you for many years.
If you rent a car at Trabzon, you can also visit one more of the other famous valleys and natural sites within that single day. Your options will be Zigana Pass, Ikizdere and my former driver Mustafa's home and village with Swiss Alpine setting. I am not sure of Uzun Gol or Camlihemsin as those may require more of a drive than you may wish.
If you want to do that, your best option would be to drive immediately to Rize upon arrival, stay at Rize (possibly Dedeman Hotel), visit one of the valleys and then visit sumela. If you wish to go up to Zigana pass, then you should stay in trabzon and forget about the coast and Rize area.
Sumela will take 30-40 minutes drive from Trabzon airport, about one hour to visit and another hour to sip your tea, enjoy the scenery and take photographs. Do not eat at the restaurants near the parking area for Sumela as the food is not so good.
try some muhammara, akcaabat meat balls, great northern white beans, and of'course the fresh hazelnuts.
Dec 28th, 2011, 07:16 PM
#3
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks, MinnBeef, for posing this question, and thanks, Otherchelebi for your (as always) superb answer - and for your much appreciated food suggestions. I was about to scratch Trabzon and the Sumela Monastery off my wish list - they are definitely back on!
Dec 29th, 2011, 09:58 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Otherchelebi-thank you very much for your detailed and informative reply. You should consider writing a travel book on Turkey! I am definitely now leaning in the direction of choosing the Sumela Monastery. Like you said, it is haunting and the setting is probably like nothing else in the world! Plus with being able to fly into Trabzon, it makes it easy to get to from Istanbul.
What are your thoughts re. touring Trabzon? In all honesty, I have heard that it is not much of a tourist town, other than their Aya Sofya church just outside of the town center. My two options are to fly from Istanbul to Trabzon on an early morning flight and use the rest of that day touring Trabzon, before visiting Sumerla the next day. OR, fly to Trabzon on a late afternoon flight and use the better part of that day for additional time in Istanbul (5 days vs. 4). I have been to Istanbul once before but I still have a lot to see. What are your thoughts?
Kja-how is your trip planning going? Do you have your itinerary pretty well set?
What are your thoughts re. touring Trabzon? In all honesty, I have heard that it is not much of a tourist town, other than their Aya Sofya church just outside of the town center. My two options are to fly from Istanbul to Trabzon on an early morning flight and use the rest of that day touring Trabzon, before visiting Sumerla the next day. OR, fly to Trabzon on a late afternoon flight and use the better part of that day for additional time in Istanbul (5 days vs. 4). I have been to Istanbul once before but I still have a lot to see. What are your thoughts?
Kja-how is your trip planning going? Do you have your itinerary pretty well set?
Dec 29th, 2011, 11:26 AM
#5
Thank you both.
My travel book is past the planning stage, and I will use some of the trip reports i wrote for Fodors, as well as my experiences on TA and Fodors. I am looking for a cartoonist for drawing some pictures and of'course a publisher.
My earlier book called "Dreams and Perception" was mostly in Turkish and had only 26 short travel pieces besides poetry, philosophy and opinionated opinions with a cartoon or a photograph opposite every piece of writing.
Getting back to the subject, staying in Trabzon will not be worth your while, as you found out. If you do not rent a car and follow my above suggestions, it makes sense to fly in with a morning flight and back out that same evening, as lomg as the flight schedules permit it.
If feeling very adventurous and young, you can use that extra day to visit Nicea (Iznik) from Istanbul by ferry and dolmus. (Wednesdays are market days)
My travel book is past the planning stage, and I will use some of the trip reports i wrote for Fodors, as well as my experiences on TA and Fodors. I am looking for a cartoonist for drawing some pictures and of'course a publisher.
My earlier book called "Dreams and Perception" was mostly in Turkish and had only 26 short travel pieces besides poetry, philosophy and opinionated opinions with a cartoon or a photograph opposite every piece of writing.
Getting back to the subject, staying in Trabzon will not be worth your while, as you found out. If you do not rent a car and follow my above suggestions, it makes sense to fly in with a morning flight and back out that same evening, as lomg as the flight schedules permit it.
If feeling very adventurous and young, you can use that extra day to visit Nicea (Iznik) from Istanbul by ferry and dolmus. (Wednesdays are market days)
Dec 30th, 2011, 05:39 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great additional recommendations, Otherchelebi. And I did not know that you are actually writing a Turkey travel book. That will certainly be one that travellers will want to have in their backpacks. Good luck in bringing it to fruition.
Thank you for the confirmation on Trabzon. As I continue to do my research, I will check out morning flights from Istanbul to Trabzon, to see if I can make it work to do Sumela as a day trip. If so, that will free up one day to either visit some of the additonal sites you have recommended above, or perhaps give that full additional day to Istanbul. I had 3 1/2 days in Istanbul in September and it was just enough to scratch the surface. I still did not have a chance to see Topkapi, Chora Church, the Sulyemanye Mosque, the Rustem Pasa Mosque, go to a hamam, etc etc. We shall see how I end up spending that day. Thank you again, Otherchelebi.
Kja...keep us posted how your Turkey trip planning is coming along.
Thank you for the confirmation on Trabzon. As I continue to do my research, I will check out morning flights from Istanbul to Trabzon, to see if I can make it work to do Sumela as a day trip. If so, that will free up one day to either visit some of the additonal sites you have recommended above, or perhaps give that full additional day to Istanbul. I had 3 1/2 days in Istanbul in September and it was just enough to scratch the surface. I still did not have a chance to see Topkapi, Chora Church, the Sulyemanye Mosque, the Rustem Pasa Mosque, go to a hamam, etc etc. We shall see how I end up spending that day. Thank you again, Otherchelebi.
Kja...keep us posted how your Turkey trip planning is coming along.
Dec 30th, 2011, 07:52 PM
#7
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your interest, MinnBeef. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my plans.
I'm continuing to find it very challenging to trim my wish-list!. I am hoping to post a very loose set of options soon, perhaps even later during this long holiday weekend. (To be honest, I just lost a draft of a post that I spent 3 hours drafting. Argh! I hope to recreate it tomorrow.)
Happy New Year!
I'm continuing to find it very challenging to trim my wish-list!. I am hoping to post a very loose set of options soon, perhaps even later during this long holiday weekend. (To be honest, I just lost a draft of a post that I spent 3 hours drafting. Argh! I hope to recreate it tomorrow.)
Happy New Year!
Jan 7th, 2012, 03:06 PM
#8
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've been to both. Found Safranbolu to be extremely touristy and after an hour or so that was it. Sumela is beautiful, and Trabzon is a great town to spend a couple of days in experiencing the "real" Turkey. People are ultra friendly. As wll, you can spend a couple of days in the Kackar Mountains - a real "off the beaten track" highlight.
Jan 8th, 2012, 01:09 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks gbn31. Sumela is now a must on my 2 week iteniary if I'm able to get to Turkey in 2012. Sounds like you liked Trabzon. Other than the Aya Sofya, what else made it a wortwhile destination? I had taken it off my list based on feedback here, other than to sleep there overnight. My alternative was to use that day saved for more of Istanbul.
