The mountain forest and green tea bushes in Rize stretch right to the shoreline.

Dear Reader,

Most Turks vacation on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, for its crystal clear water, clean air, mild temperatures, and spectacular scenery; 20 species of flower are unique to the province of Rize alone.

Rize is green year-round, partly because of the green tea bushes that cover the mountainside. Special blends of tea are created for the Summer Tea Festival, held the last week in June.

The Tea Research Institute here is like a mad scientist’s lair–men and women in white lab coats monitor bubbling test tubes and handle with care beakers of boiling amber liquid.

The nearby mountain town of Ayder is the home of the Hemsin people. The Hemsin live in half-timbered houses perched on the side of steep mountains. There are no roads and each house has to use a pulley system to transport goods up and down. They’ve also developed their own complex whistling language to communicate with one another, but this is dying out with the advent of telephones. Hemsin are renowned as confectioners (the region’s Anzer honey increases at least 500% in value once it leaves town) and their treats make a nice accompaniment to all the tea you’ll drink while in town.

Karla Zimmerman
For International Living