Apples and Shore on the Western Coast

The west of Giresun is not a tourist strip but a productive coast: apple orchards, hazelnut slopes and quiet town shores between them. Its closeness to the centre makes it a half day.

Getting there: the coast road west from the centre; Bulancak is fifteen kilometres out and Piraziz forty. Minibuses run frequently, so a car is not essential.

The day: Bulancak, with its long shore and promenade laid out for walking, is the first stop. It fills in the late afternoon because the district's own residents are on the shore. The slopes behind are covered in hazelnut groves and one of the roads to the highlands begins here. Carry on west to Piraziz; this district at the province's western edge is known for its apples, sold in the region under the town's name. In autumn you can buy from producers at roadside stalls. The shore is calm and uncrowded. Returning to the centre and climbing the castle completes the day.

Eating: fish restaurants line the coast; choose anchovy or whiting in season. Piraziz apples and the region's hazelnuts make the gifts to take home.

Tips: apple season is autumn, when the roadside stalls open. For a walk on the shore the late afternoon is both cooler and better lit.