Giresun sits at the midpoint of Turkey’s Black Sea coast — between Trabzon to the east and Ordu to the west. The city climbs steeply from a small harbour up to a Byzantine castle, and behind the city the Giresun Mountains rise quickly to over 3,000 m, creating a dramatic backdrop of cloud forest and alpine meadow within 50 km of sea level.
The city is compact and walkable, with a pleasant waterfront promenade, an active harbour and a food culture centered on hazelnut products in every form — fresh, dried, roasted, in chocolate, in pastry and in traditional dishes.
- Region
- Eastern Black Sea coast
- Hazelnut production
- ~25% of Turkey's crop
- Nearest city
- Trabzon (120 km east)
- Known for
- Giresun Castle, Black Sea island, hazelnut orchards
Giresun Castle
The Giresun Kalesi is a Byzantine fortress built on a rocky promontory above the city, offering panoramic views across the Black Sea and the green hills behind the town. The walls and towers are largely intact; the interior has been landscaped into a park with tea gardens and viewpoints. The castle is particularly beautiful at sunset, when the Black Sea turns deep blue beneath the Giresun Mountains.
Giresun Adası (Giresun Island)
Giresun Adası, 1.2 km offshore from the city centre, is the only island in the Turkish Black Sea with a freshwater spring — an unusual geological feature that made it a sacred site in antiquity. Ancient sources identify it as the Island of Ares, where Jason and the Argonauts landed on their voyage to Colchis. Today the island has Byzantine monastery ruins and is accessible by boat from the harbour in summer.
Kuzalan Waterfall
Kuzalan Şelalesi, 45 km south of Giresun in the mountains, is one of the most impressive waterfalls on the Black Sea coast — a series of cascades dropping through dense hazelnut and hornbeam forest in a narrow gorge. The walk through the gorge (about 1.5 km) is genuinely spectacular, with the path running beside the stream through cool, humid forest. A popular summer day trip from Giresun.
Tirebolu Castle
Tirebolu Kalesi, 60 km west of Giresun, is a medieval Genoese fortress built on a rocky peninsula that juts into the Black Sea — one of the most dramatically positioned castles on the Turkish coast. The three towers and curtain walls are well-preserved; from the top there are views along the coastline in both directions. Tirebolu is a small fishing town worth visiting for its harbour restaurants as well as the castle.
Giresun in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Giresun
3Fly from Istanbul to Giresun-Ordu Airport (1.5 hrs, daily flights). Alternatively, fly to Trabzon and travel west by bus (2 hrs). The airport serves both Giresun and Ordu and is located between the two cities.
May–June for hazelnut blossom and green hillsides; August for the harvest; September–October for autumn colours. The Black Sea coast is rainy year-round (this is what keeps it green), so come prepared. Summer is warm (20–26°C) and the most popular time.
Hazelnut in every form: fresh hazelnuts (August), dried roasted, hazelnut chocolate, hazelnut butter and hazelnut-based pastries. Also the local Giresun pide, lahana sarması (stuffed cabbage, a Black Sea staple), corn bread (mısır ekmeği) and local anchovy dishes (hamsi).