Duzce

Black Sea, Turkey 1 tours visit here

Düzce is both a city and a province in Turkey's western Black Sea region, spread across a fertile plain ringed by forested mountains. The city itself lies inland, on the main road corridor between Istanbul and Ankara, which makes it a practical base or stopping point rather than a resort town; the province reaches the Black Sea coast further north at Akçakoca. Most visitors come for the countryside rather than the centre. Lake Efteni, a shallow wetland southwest of the city, is a known stop for migratory birds. The Güzeldere and Samandere waterfalls sit in dense beech and fir forest, reached by narrow mountain roads, and Topuk Yaylası is a highland resort among conifers and small lakes. The Melen River is used for rafting, while the surrounding slopes are covered in hazelnut orchards, the crop the region is best known for. At Konuralp, on a ridge above the city, the ancient site of Prusias ad Hypium preserves a Roman theatre, with finds displayed in the local museum. Düzce is normally seen as a day trip or an overnight stop; the plateaus and waterfalls are at their greenest from late spring through early autumn, and the higher ground takes snow in winter.