Tea Plantations of Rize

The province of Rize is the tea capital of Turkey — and one of the country's most unusual landscapes. The steep slopes on the Black Sea coast are covered with endless tea plantations that shimmer in bright green. Turkey is the world's fifth-largest tea producer, and almost all Turkish tea (Çay) comes from the region around Rize.

The tea harvest takes place from May to October — during this time, you see pickers (mostly women) with large baskets on the steep slopes everywhere. The freshly picked leaves are processed in the numerous factories (Çay Fabrikası) along the coast — the scent is omnipresent.

Tea Experience

• Çaykur Fabrikası (Rize): The state tea factory offers tours (inquire in advance). In the associated tea garden on the Ziraat Tepesi (Agricultural Hill), you have the best view over the plantations.
• Rize Tea Museum: Small museum on the history of Turkish tea — Rize has been cultivating tea since the 1930s when Atatürk introduced the culture.
• Pick yourself: Some families offer tourists the opportunity to help with the harvest — ask at the hotel for local contacts.