Turkey
Highlands
Gümüshane Highlands
Zigana Tourist Center-Zigana Highland
Transportation: After going through the Zigana tunnel 60 km out on the Gümüshane - Trabzon road, you need to turn east on the gravel road and continue on 3.5 km. From the center of Trabzon to Zigana is 112 km on an asphalt road.
Description: The 2032 m. high Zigana Highland is also a ski center. Its infrastructure is completed.
Zigana is one of the few places in Turkey where someone can ski in the winter and do 'grass sledding' in the summer. It is a very interesting place caught between the sea climate on one side and the continental on the other.
Accessed by a 3 km path from Zigana Highland, Lake Lima (Saran) is definitely worth seeing. You may reach the lake by way of Kalkanli with a rented car.
The road is asphalt for 11 km; the remaining 8 km is a dirt road. The village of Kalkanli has electricity, running water, a post office and there is a small market, butcher, green grocer and teahouse open year-round.
Accommodation - Food and Drink: Because it is used as a ski center, it has every kind of lodging as well as shops to buy food and drink.
Siran - Tomara Waterfall
Transportation: Fourteen km southwest of Siran, the Tomara waterfall can be reached by a gravel road. The village of Seydibaba is only 2 km from the waterfall and there is a minibus service to this village.
Description: The waterfall formed by a powerful spring which spills over rocks and falls 8 m. is ice-cold. The pristine surroundings are covered with lush hazelnut, oak and hornbeam trees.
The
untouched natural surrounding of Seydibaba Village which is full
of orchards and vegetable gardens, makes a perfect campsite. The
vitality and simplicity of nature beckons for you to sit and enjoy.
Accommodation - Food and Drink: There are no facilities in the vicinity
of the waterfall. You need to bring your own camping gear if you intend to stay.
Basic necessities can be purchased locally.
Altintaslar (Kalis) Highland
Transportation: In order to reah there you need to take the Gümüshane - Torul road 15 km south and then turn towards Siran. You will go through the villages of Hasköy and Gülaçar. The first 40 km is asphalt and the last 12 km a simple dirt road. The village can also be reached by turning west at the 40 km mark on the Gümüshane - Siran road and following the rushing waters of Altintaslar Creek with its scenic vistas.
Description:
There is a small stream running through this village in which some
infrastructure improvements have been made. There are numerous trout
in the Altintaslar Creek and it is said that there used to be a gold
mine nearby.
Six kilometers away in Altintaslar, there is a small market, butcher, teahouse
and a restaurant.
Accommodation - Food and Drink: If you want to stay overnight in this pristine area, you need to bring your camping gear. Basic necessities can be obtained in nearby Altintaslar.
Çam Picnic
Transportation: After taking the Gümüshane- Bayburt road for 2.5 km., turn south and follow the dirt road another 15 km. There is a minibus service to Çam Picnic from Gümüshane.
Description: There is electricity and water as well as trash collection sites, a fountain, toilets and stone circles for lighting camp fires in the forest. The forest which is made up of mostly fir, spruce, alder and wild hazelnut trees is a popular recreation spot with the locals.
Accommodation - Food and Drink: Bring camping equipment as well as basic food stuffs.
Caves
of Gümüshane
Gümüshane Discovery Of The Cave
Gallery
Gumushane is a city whicy is on the historical Silk Road Between China and Trabzon.It combines the history with nature and the legend with reality.Due to the rich silver mines,it was called Gumushane(meaning house of silver).
It had been a settlement for ancient times and constituted a mosaic of ethnic groups.Gumushane was established in BC 3000.
Gumushane is surrounded by Bayburt on the east,Trabzon on the North,Giresun on the west and Erzincan on the south. It is founded in the inner area of East Black Sea Region and 100 km far away from the sea.
The the city center is 1153m high from sea level and settled along the Harsit Cayi(Harsit River). The total area of Gumushane is 6437 km2 and consist of six districts. It is a very rich city in many kinds of valuable mines especially silver and gold.
Gumushane has a great intact touristic potential with its caves,plateaus,waterfalls,ancient cities,flora and fauna.
Discovery Of The Cave
Although the cave is known by the people living in that region, it was
open to tourism as a result of scientific research conducted by Sukru
Eroz who is a Geological Engineer from Cebeli Village between the years
1983-1990.
Prof.Dr.Remzi Dilek and his team from the departmant of Geological Engineering in K.T.U(KARADENIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY)contributed a lot to research and scientific studies conducted fort he cave.
As a result of these scientific studies conducted fort his cave,it was opened to tourism in 1996 efter The Ministery of Tourism was informed and the cave was offically registered.
Location And Arrival
As it is known,the caves are the first natural shelters used by the human being.Therefore they attract the attention of many researchers and force them to search.Moreover, discoveries of the beauties and mystery in the caves make people happy and peacefull. Apart from this, the caves provide the facilities for performing the exciting sports and bring about the development of speleology which means the science of caves.
Karaca Cave is surrounded by the bordes of Cebeli Village which is in the Torul Town.It is 17 km far away from the city center and 1550 m high from the sea level.The cave is the foremost touristic place in Gumushane.
The cave can be arrived by following the 4 km road which is seperated from the 12th km of Gumushane-Trabzon highway.This 4 km road is paved with asphalt and has double band.So and eating facilities where the visitors can meet all their needs are available near the cave.
Stratigraphig-Lithological Characteristics
In the area extending between Gumushane and Toruls, super-cruastecan formatians have been extensively scattered out.These generally consist of andezitic and basatic lavas,lufs and agglomerates.Total thickness of this line reaches 1000 meters .Partly intermissionary additves varying between 100m and 200m in thickness and consisting of limestone,marn and gres draw attention.Karaca Cave developed in aboundantly cracked massive limestone encircled by volcanits in this serial.
Constitution Of The Cave
The cave of Karaca is rich in formation dripstones.These dripstones are in different shape and colour.Inside the cave,there are dripstones stalactites,stalagmites,travertines and cave roses,at the edge of travertines,even on the stalagmites.
The pool of dripstones are very large in the cave.Especially the ones through the end of cave have up to 1 meter depth.
Looking at theharmony of these formations one can be fascinated.The existance of travertines from white to dark blue proves high density of iron and magnesium minerals in the water.
The Shape Of Cave
The cave lies on a horizantal way,having four different halls connecting each other.The two of these halls are also divided into two by the wall dripstones,as a result the number of halls can be regarded as six.
The height of the cave entrance is as tall as a man,but through the inside the height increases regulary and the shape of cave becomes like a funnel. The distance between the entrance and the end is 105 meters length.The average height is 18 meters.The total area is 1500 square meters.
Existance Of Water In The Cave
There is no stream in the cave of Karaca, but water leaking through the roof of cave still provides formation of dripstones. Apart from this,inside the cave there are travertine pools and a few ponds.The ponds which are at the entrance of third and fourth halls have lots of water content.
The Atmosphere In The Cave
There is no significant air circulation. Therefore the humidity rate in its atmosphere changes relativety from the entrance to inner parts of the cave by increasing.The increase rate is 65% at the entrance,70%in the salon 1\a and it rises up to 75% in the saloon 1\b.The air inside the cave is cooler then outside the cave in summer and warmer in winter. Because of these, it is considered as a micro air conditioned area.
Conclusion
The cave possesses the most beautiful,magnificant and fascinating examples of dripstones.It is such a beautiful and a valuable place that deserves to enter The World Estate List of UNESCO.So it is foremost and the principle touristic place in Gumushane.In the aspects of the health tourism,it is very effective in treatment of respiratory diseases.
The Karaca Cave was open to the visitors in 1996.
It was visited by the 500 000 people since 1996.Having seen the Karaca Cave is a really fascinating, mystical adventure.