Trabzon City is located on the Black Sea of Turkey to the Eastern side of the Country. I’d heard about Trabzon a lot recently and finally decided to go, mainly because of the incredible photos I’d seen of a lake near Trabzon, one of the popular places to visit in Trabzon!
But what I didn’t realise until researching is that this is Uzungöl Lake and to get from Trabzon to Uzungol, it’s actually a 1.5-hour drive. Once in Uzungöl, it is a quiet mountain paradise! I really recommend you go and here are the best things to do in Uzungöl!
Things To Do in Uzungol
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How To Get To Uzungol
We flew into Trabzon Airport from Istanbul which is the closest airport to Uzungöl Lake. We hired a car at the many car hire places in Trabzon Airport and drove the 1.5 hours to Uzungöl Lake and Uzungöl Town.
Car Hire in Trabzon
You really need a car in Trabzon and a car to get to Uzungol. I recommend using Rental Cars and booking a car from Trabzon Airport so you can pick it up as soon as you land.
Rental Cars search all the top car rental agencies for the best price. Search here!
Things To Do in Uzungol
For Uzungol things to do, there are not that many if I’m totally honest, however, this is part of the charm!
1. Uzungöl Lake
Uzungöl Lake is of course top of the list in things to do in Uzungöl because this is why you come here. You can walk all the way around the lake taking in the views at different angles. Around the outside of the lake are shops, cafes, games giving Uzungöl a real holiday and vacation feel.
2. Uzungöl Mosque
The mosque in Uzungöl is also what makes Uzungöl Lake so iconic because the two minarets point up right over the lake when looking down at the lake from the hill and once you’re down at the lake you won’t be able to stop looking at it!
Inside Uzungöl Mosque looks quite old but it’s very charming with a huge chandelier. I recommend that you go in to have a look as it is one of the top Uzungöl attractions and things to do in Uzungöl but if you are not a Muslim, be mindful of prayer times as you won’t be able to go in just after the call to pray goes.
The Call to Prayer can be heard all throughout the valley so make sure you listen out for it. At our accommodation, I counted 4 mosques calling for prayer at the same time and it was incredible!
3. Uzungöl Swing
Uzungöl is a fairly instagram-able spot and the swing in Uzungöl is one of the reasons. There seems to be a few different swings but we went to the one with the red heart swing in Uzungöl!
You’ll find this Uzungöl Swing outside Kar Cafe Hotel up on the hill. When I went they cost 10TL to go on for 5 minutes. Parking was a bit tight but we managed it and the views and photos from the famous Uzungöl swing is worth going up there for!
4. Uzungöl Observation Deck
To see another amazing view over Uzungöl, go up to the Uzungöl Viewing Platform / Uzungol Observation Deck. There are steps from the street where the lake is, click here to see it on Google maps. There are a lot of steps to walk up to get to the top and it is quite tiring but the view from the top is worth it.
This is one of the best things to do in Uzungöl for an Uzungöl viewpoint and it’s free!
5. Paragliding in Uzungöl
If paragliding is on your bucket list, you can go paragliding in Uzungöl and this must be one of the best places for paragliding in Turkey because the view would be epic going through the mountains and over the lake! This is definitely one of the best things to do in Uzungöl!
6. Shopping in Uzungöl
There are plenty of tourist shops in Uzungöl which are great if you want to pick up some souvenirs. I found the souvenirs here to be similar to what you find in Arab countries too, not just Turkey, maybe because Uzungöl is popular with Arab tourists!
7. Uzungöl Children’s Games
Uzungöl is great if you are a family because there are lots of places for children to play in play areas around the lake. There are fairground type games as well which are fun for the family and for things to do in Uzungöl for children and things to do in Uzungöl for families.
8. Turkish Breakfast in Uzungöl
Make sure you book into an Uzungöl hotel (more about accommodation in Uzungöl below) which offers you a view over the lake and mountains and can make you an epic Turkish Breakfast like our Airbnb did. This was one of my favourite Uzungöl things to do to enjoy the views and the fresh food in Turkey! Get ready for a great Uzungöl Breakfast!
9. Eat Kuymak Cheese
Talking of food and breakfasts, Kuymak Cheese is the famous cheese in the Trabzon so trying it has to be on your list of things to do in Uzungöl. See if your hotel can add it to your Turkish Breakfast. You might have seen photos of Instagram with people lifting the stringy cheese against the mountain views of Trabzon, this is what the cheese is called!
Places To Visit Near Uzungol
Uzungöl is fairly remote and after 1 day in Uzungöl or 2 days in Uzungöl you might be feeling a bit bored and what to see more places to visit in Trabzon area. From my experience and those that follow me on Instagram, there are 3 popular places to visit near Uzungöl.
10. Kible Dagi Camii
After our 1 night in Uzungöl, before flying from Trabzon we decided to visit Kible Dagi Camii which is a mosque on the top of Kible Mountain, not only is this why this mosque is famous but also because it was built here because of Erdogan. It took us about 2 hours to get from Uzungöl to Kible Dago Camii driving through the mountains.
11. Huser Yaylasi
12. Ayder Yaylasi
Both of these are places to visit near Uzungöl and places to visit in Trabzon that were recommended to me but we didn’t have time. They are a 3-4 hour drive from Uzungöl Lake but are close together so you should visit them both. Huser Yaylasi is the famous place where you can get photos above the clouds and Ayder is another mountainous area that visitors to Trabzon love.
Where To Stay in Uzungol
Without a doubt, your Uzungöl Lake accommodation needs to have a balcony and restaurant views over the lake and mountain.
Search here for hotels on Booking.com in Uzungöl Lake here! (Although only if you are not in Turkey already, Booking.com doesn’t work whilst you are in Turkey without a VPN).
We stayed at Ozen Villa Apart which is also called Balkonlu göl manzaralı daire on Airbnb. It was simple accommodation but in a great location with lovely owners. Here is the link.
I hope you enjoyed these things to do in Uzungöl!
- Have a read of these Turkey posts of mine to help you see more of Turkey:
- 2 & 3 Day Cappadocia Itinerary With BEST Things To Do In Cappadocia!
- A 3 Day Istanbul Itinerary! Things To Do in Istanbul in 3 Days!
- How to Travel From Istanbul to Cappadocia! A Detailed Guide!