Routes5 Stop

A Photographer's Route Through Giresun

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Giresun offers a photographer two different lights: sharp and blue on the coast, misty and grey above. This route joins them, beginning with three close stops in the centre, climbing into the mist of the highlands and ending at a castle on the coast. Five stops, two days. The order matters less than the hour.

Giresun Merkez, Giresun

Routes

5 Stop

~6 h 30 min at places

Travel ~88.5 km · 2 h 38 min

Total ~9 h 8 min

September 7, 2026

Route Stops

Giresun Castle.

~1 h here

Kale, Giresun Merkez/Giresun

From the castle above the town, the harbour and island fall into one frame. At sunset an orange light lands on the harbour; the busiest hour but the most rewarding.

Standing on the headland above the town, the castle dates from the Pontic period and parts of its walls survive. Today it works mostly as a park, with tea gardens, walking paths and the tomb of Topal Osman inside. The real reason to climb is the view: the harbour and town on one side, Giresun Island on the other. It fills up in the late afternoon because this is where the town meets.

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Olive Grove Neighborhood.

~1 h here

Zeytinlik, Giresun Merkez/Giresun

Narrow steep lanes, stone mansion facades and the sea appearing between them. Early in the morning the streets are empty and the shadows long.

On the slope up to the castle, a quarter lined with stone and timber mansions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Built for Greek and Turkish merchant families, most have been restored and some are now boutique hotels and cafes. The lanes are narrow and steep, and the harbour appears between the houses as you descend. The architecture of the era when Giresun grew rich on hazelnuts stands here.

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Giresun Island.

~1 h 30 min here

Giresun Adası, Giresun Merkez/Giresun

Shooting from the boat; the island gives a silhouette with its solitary standing rock. Trips can be cancelled in rough weather, so keep the plan flexible.

The only settled island on the eastern Black Sea, a kilometre and a half offshore. It holds the remains of a temple dated to the Hellenistic period, traces of a monastery and a solitary standing rock. Circling the island during the Aksu festival on the twentieth of May is a local tradition. The island is a protected natural site, so visits are by organised boat trips.

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Sis Mountain Highland.

~2 h here

Sis Dağı, Espiye/Giresun

This is the real reason. The mist arrives and leaves within minutes, and the same frame yields two different photographs in five. It is thickest early in the morning.

A place that earns its name; mist covers the hills for much of the day and the view changes within minutes. At around two thousand metres, with broad meadows and highland houses, it is among the best known yayla of Giresun. Festivals are held in July and August. There are short trails, but what people mostly do is sit and watch the mist come and go.

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Tirebolu and Saint Jean Castle.

~1 h here

Tirebolu/Giresun

The castle on the headland with sea on three sides. At sunset the west facing wall catches the light, and the waves suit a long exposure.

The castle at the tip of the headland dates from the Genoese period and is known as Saint Jean. Walking through the walls to the point leaves you with sea on three sides. The town itself repays a visit, with old houses along the shore, tea houses and a fishing harbour. It is among the most coherent stops on the coast between Giresun and Trabzon.

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Route Map

Route Info

CityGiresun Merkez, Giresun

TypeRoutes

Stop5

DateSeptember 7, 2026

AuthorRadar Türkiye Start Route