Trabzon and Uzungöl in 3 days: Sumela, Hagia Sophia and the uplands

Standing on a ridge above the sea west of the centre, Hagia Sophia is one of the best-known late Byzantine buildings in the region. GoTürkiye highlights its high-drummed dome and porches on three sides. Restored in the mid-20th century and visited as a museum for many years, it has been a mosque again since 2013, with its frescoes protected by curtains and a suspended ceiling. Looking out to sea from its garden is part of the visit.

Set among trees in Soğuksu above the city, this elegant mansion was built in the early 1900s as a summer house, according to GoTürkiye. It was while staying here in 1930 that Atatürk decided to donate his estate to the Turkish nation. Rooms furnished in period style and a well-kept garden open a small window onto everyday life in the early Republic.

Back in the centre, first wander the historic bazaar around Kemeraltı and the Bedesten; with its narrow lanes and traders it is the natural place for lunch and shopping for local produce. Then walk on to the Trabzon Museum, housed in the richly decorated Kostaki Mansion; besides its decorated interiors, it brings together the city's archaeology and ethnography.

Boztepe, the best-known viewpoint over the city and the sea, is the right place to close the city day. In the late light the harbour, the coast road and the house-covered slopes spread out at a glance, and the sea turns red at sunset. Have a tea and unwind here, but do not stay out too late before tomorrow's early start.

The road to Sumela runs through this valley anyway: steep slopes under thick forest, a stream at the bottom and mist that thins as you climb. The park's viewing terraces let you see the monastery set against its rock within the whole valley. Pausing at a terrace before you walk up also shows you the path ahead.

Clinging to a sheer rock face, Sumela together with the valley's forest and mist makes one of the most powerful sights in the region. After arriving by car you walk up a path through the forest; the walk is part of the visit, as the monastery emerges step by step between the trees. Buildings set into and against the rock tell of a monastic life that went on for centuries on this lonely slope. Treat the visit as a walk in nature too: do not hurry, and listen to the path and the quiet.

On the way back from Sumela, after a lunch of stuffed collard greens and kaygana at a roadside restaurant, stop at Hamsiköy. This upland settlement of five villages is known for the registered rice pudding that bears its name. In the cool upland air, a bowl of pudding ends the Sumela day on a sweet note.

Wedged between steep forested slopes, Uzungöl is the easiest way to see Black Sea nature in a single day trip from the city. GoTürkiye describes it as a village, upland and resort, with guest houses, small hotels and trout restaurants, and also an ecotourism centre. A walk around the lake is a calm stroll, and the mist coming off the slopes and the shifting light make the view different by the hour. Have lunch at the lake and in the afternoon climb a little way up the slopes to see it from above.

Back in Trabzon, spend the trip's last evening at the table. Anchovies are the hallmark of Trabzon cooking, turning up in dozens of recipes from pan-fried hamsi to anchovy pilaf and omelettes. Order cornbread and collard-green soup alongside; for dessert, Hamsiköy rice pudding or Trabzon burmalı suit if you have not tried them yet.