Hıdırnebi Yaylası

Hıdırnebi Plateau is a mountain settlement in the district of Akçaabat, at the end of the Metinkale Valley, known as one of the highland pastures closest to the centre of Trabzon. Its altitude is given in the sources as about 1,600 metres; the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, however, gives 1,650 metres for the plateau and 1,742 metres when describing it together with neighbouring Kuruçam. In the press its distance from the city centre is given as 35 to 40 kilometres, and its distance from the centre of Akçaabat as 29 kilometres. Local people call the festival meadow of the plateau Dernek Çimeni or Argolos Çimeni. The plateau shows every layer of the Black Sea highland culture in one place. For centuries families who went up with their animals in summer used the pastures here and traded their produce on the plateau. According to Wikipedia, the beginning of the festival held every year is unknown, but it is thought to coincide with the time when shepherds coming down from the plateau sold their produce and villagers from the surrounding area came to buy it. Today the plateau is both a meeting place where this tradition continues and a regular destination for nature lovers. The best known face of Hıdırnebi is its highland festival in July. The festival calendar varies by source: the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism speaks of festivities that begin on 20 July and last three days, while accounts in the press state that the festival begins on 13 July and ends on 20 July. In recent years the festival has been mentioned together with Akçaabat's international music and folk dance festival. During the festival tents are pitched on the meadow, a market selling local produce springs up, and large horon dance circles form to the sound of the kemençe, drum and shrill zurna pipe. Local people call the last days of the festival by names such as Derneğin Altısı, Derneğin Yedisi and Orak Yedisi. For those who like crowds these are the liveliest days to see the plateau, while those looking for quiet should choose the weeks outside the festival. The symbol of the plateau is Hıdırnebi Hill and its rocks. The festival ground lies behind these rocks, and the hill looks out over the surroundings like a natural viewing terrace. On clear days you can see the villages of Akçaabat, the city and the blue surface of the Black Sea from here. On cloudy days, however, the view is reversed: clouds fill the valleys and anyone looking down from the plateau sees a sea of clouds beneath their feet. This sight is one of the most photographed moments of the Black Sea highlands, and it usually appears early in the morning or after rain. The plateau is not only for summer. In autumn the forests on the lower slopes turn yellow and red, while fog dominates the heights. In winter its snowy landscape attracts a different group of visitors. Wild animals such as wolves, foxes and jackals live in the forests, and the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism lists the plateau among places suitable for photo safaris. Ponds and grazing sheep and goats are also familiar sights on the plateau. The neighbouring Kuruçam Plateau is about one kilometre from Hıdırnebi, and both plateaus are reached by the same road. When it comes to accommodation, the plateau was the setting for an early example. With the Yayla-Kent project that began in 1998, timber bungalow houses in keeping with the regional architecture were built under the leadership of the Governorship of Trabzon. Today there are guesthouse-type houses on the plateau and places where daily needs can be met. The scattered arrangement of the timber houses is part of a layout that tries to carry the relationship of Black Sea highland houses with nature into new buildings. The plateau is reached by turning west at the twelfth kilometre of the Akçaabat to Düzköy road. Although the sources state that the road is kept open in summer and winter, ask about road conditions before setting out in winter weather. Since direct public transport is limited, a private car or a tour is the most practical way to go. Because of the altitude it can be cool in the evenings even in summer, so it is a good idea to bring a warm layer. As festival dates are announced every year, check the current programme with the organising authority.