Things to Do in Gumushane: Karaca Cave, Santa and Torul

Is Gumushane just a place you drive through?

For most drivers heading to or from the Black Sea coast, Gumushane is a sign you pass on the way through the Zigana tunnel and then forget. Yet the province is two different countries on either side of that tunnel: to the south, dry, yellow, near-steppe highlands and deep valleys; to the north, toward Torul, damp, forested, misty mountains. Inside the same borders sit the stone remains of an abandoned Greek village, a cave that drops underground, waterfalls, an Ottoman-era stone quarter, and a kitchen famous for its fruit-leather sweets. It is easy to treat Gumushane as a lunch stop; in truth it fills at least two full days, and more for anyone who loves nature and altitude.

This guide has 11 numbered stops. The numbers match the pins on the map below, and tapping a pin opens the related guide where one exists. Distances are measured as the crow flies from central Gumushane and are approximate; on mountain roads the real driving time multiplies. The map location of Karaca Cave and the Santa ruins is approximate. Hours, entry and road conditions change with the season, so confirm from official sources before you go, especially for caves and museums. Price marks are relative: budget, mid, expensive.

One warning: some of the stops here are mountain summits and viewpoints. The roads are part gravel, part narrow and winding, and rain or snow can close them. Before setting out in a sedan, ask locals about the route, fill the tank, and expect stretches with no phone signal.

Things to do in Gumushane

1. Karaca Cave

Within the Torul district, set between forest and slope, a lit show cave of stalactites, stalagmites and travertine, among the most-visited caves in Turkey. Its interior temperature stays low and steady year-round, so escaping the Gumushane summer heat is reason enough on its own. The walkway is arranged and fairly short, and the lighting picks out the formations.

• Getting there: Toward Torul from the centre by car; the last stretch is mountain road.
• Time: 1-1.5 hours, with the walkway.
• While you're here: The Santa ruins (no. 2) and Zigana (no. 11) are on the same Torul flank.
• Budget: Confirm the entry fee and opening hours from official sources.
• Common mistake: The map location is approximate; verify the current opening hours and road conditions before you set out.

2. Santa ruins

In the Dumanli area (old Santa), an abandoned Greek village and its churches in the forest. Emptied by the population exchange, the settlement today is one of the region's most moving places to visit, with its moss-grown stone houses and ruined churches. Foggy days give it a strong mood but cut visibility, so a clear day is easier.

• Getting there: Via Torul from the centre toward Dumanli; the last stretch of road is hard.
• Time: Half a day, with generous road time.
• While you're here: Karaca Cave (no. 1) is on the same Torul flank.
• Budget: Open ground; confirm access conditions from official sources.
• Common mistake: The map location is approximate; check the weather and vehicle conditions for the final stretch, as the road worsens when wet.

3. Kecikaya Castle

East of central Gumushane, a ruined castle set on a rocky hilltop, a lookout left over from the silver-mining ages that gave the province its name and from the days when caravan routes crossed these valleys. Most of the walls have fallen, but the position still explains at a glance why the region was strategic for centuries: the valley below, the pass above. Not a managed site, but a piece of history you climb to on your own.

• Getting there: East from the centre by car; roughly 20 km as the crow flies, longer to drive.
• Time: 1-1.5 hours, including the climb.
• While you're here: The old Suleymaniye quarter is on the way back to the centre.
• Budget: budget (open ground, expect no ticket booth).
• Common mistake: Climbing in city shoes; the ground is stony and slick, and you want a firm sole.

4. Ziron Valley viewpoint

West of the centre, a viewpoint looking down over the Ziron valley. The depth of the valley and the layered opposite slopes all fit one frame here, one of the region's most photogenic angles and relatively close to the centre. It is the anchor of the cluster of viewpoints on the western ridge.

• Getting there: West from the centre by car; roughly 16 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1-2 hours.
• While you're here: Daysa (no. 5) and Ecel Tasi (no. 6) share the same ridge, minutes away.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Assuming it is the only lookout; the western ridge has several angles, each facing differently.

5. Daysa Hill viewpoint

One of the high points of the western ridge, in the same cluster as Ziron but set a little higher. The wind is stronger here and the horizon wider. Visit the nearby viewpoints in a row and you will understand how the valley bends better than any map shows.

• Getting there: West from the centre by car; roughly 15 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 30-45 minutes.
• While you're here: Ziron (no. 4) and Ecel Tasi (no. 6) are right beside it.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Underestimating the wind; the temperature drops fast at the top, so bring an extra layer.

6. Ecel Tasi viewpoint

A hard name and an open view: a lookout to the west-southwest, near the edge of a cliff. The name (ecel means death's hour) surely comes from the sheer drop at the edge, so the best angle is also the one that demands the most care. With children, take the distance to the edge seriously.

• Getting there: Southwest from the centre by car; roughly 18 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 30-45 minutes.
• While you're here: Tersun Mountain (no. 8) is to the south; Ziron (no. 4) and Daysa (no. 5) to the north.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Leaning over the edge for a photo; it is as sheer as the name suggests, so keep your distance.

7. Cavus Mountain

A ridge east of the centre commanding the valley. As you climb, Gumushane's split character shows: dry slopes to the south, and to the north the line where the forest begins. An open summit photographers like for sunset, with no crowds, only shepherds and their flocks.

• Getting there: East from the centre by car; roughly 17 km as the crow flies, the last stretch gravel.
• Time: Half a day, including the road and a break.
• While you're here: Kecikaya Castle (no. 3) is on the same eastern flank, on the way back.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Going at noon; the light is flat and hot, and late afternoon or evening is far better.

8. Tersun Mountain

Southwest of the centre, a high mountain looking into the province's interior. Summer pasture and snow-covered in winter, it sums up the dry but wide character of Gumushane's southern face well. For lovers of altitude and walking it is quiet terrain with a view open in every direction.

• Getting there: Southwest from the centre by car; roughly 20 km as the crow flies, mountain road.
• Time: Half to a full day.
• While you're here: Ecel Tasi (no. 6) and the western viewpoints (no. 4-5) lie the same way.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Not counting on snow in early spring or late autumn; the calendar surprises you at altitude.

9. Bozbent Mountain

Toward Torul, one of the mountain stops nearest the centre; the moment you cross north the climate changes and forest and damp begin. Bozbent sits right above that shift, one slope dry, the other green. Its closeness to the centre makes it the most practical altitude stop if you only have half a day.

• Getting there: North toward Torul from the centre by car; roughly 8 km as the crow flies.
• Time: Half a day.
• While you're here: Yildiz Mountain (no. 10), Zigana (no. 11) and Karaca Cave (no. 1) are to the north.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Forgetting the Black Sea climate; the north slope can carry mist and rain in any season.

10. Yildiz Mountain

On the Torul flank, a mountain looking down on the centre from the north. It earns its name at night (yildiz means star): far from light pollution, the sky here is far starrier on a clear night. Forested lower slopes and cool air by day, and a summit astrophotographers may love after dark.

• Getting there: North toward Torul from the centre; roughly 14 km as the crow flies.
• Time: Half a day by day; a separate plan for night observing.
• While you're here: Bozbent (no. 9) is on the way back, and Zigana (no. 11) is to the north.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Underestimating the descent at night; a mountain road in the dark is dangerous, so leave light and time for coming down.

11. Zigana Pass

North of Torul, the historic pass and modern tunnel linking the Black Sea to inland Anatolia. Zigana's two sides sum up the province's split character: dry to the south, forested and misty to the north. It is the backbone of the route down toward Trabzon; the old road is worth it for the view, but winter conditions are harsh.

• Getting there: North via Torul from the centre by car; the main road runs through the pass.
• Time: 1-2 hours, with the old road and the view.
• While you're here: Yildiz Mountain (no. 10) and Bozbent (no. 9) are on the same Torul flank; Karaca Cave (no. 1) to the west.
• Budget: budget.
• Common mistake: Underestimating the old road in winter; snow and fog make the pass difficult, so check the tunnel and the weather in advance.

Which stop for whom

• First visit: Karaca Cave (1), Santa ruins (2), Kecikaya Castle (3)
• Nature and cool air: Karaca Cave (1), Zigana (11)
• Altitude and walking: Tersun (8), Cavus Mountain (7), Bozbent (9)
• Photography and sunset: Cavus Mountain (7), Ziron (4), Daysa (5)
• Night and stars: Yildiz Mountain (10)
• Cliff and view: Ecel Tasi (6), Ziron (4)
• Torul's green face: Karaca Cave (1), Bozbent (9), Yildiz Mountain (10), Zigana (11)

Beyond the numbered stops, Gumushane has other classics too: the Tomara waterfall in Siran, the old Suleymaniye quarter in the centre, and the high pastures (Kadirga, Orumek). These appear under the history and day-trips headings below. Because the map location of Karaca Cave and the Santa ruins comes from a single source, it is approximate; confirm access from official sources.

Five minutes of regional history

Gumushane takes its name from silver. For centuries the silver mines in these valleys were the town's reason to exist; caravan routes carried ore and goods through these narrow passes, and castles guarded those roads. Under the Ottomans a town grew around the mining economy, and today the stone houses and the church-and-mosque remains in the Suleymaniye quarter near the centre are the trace of that old settlement. In the high belt of the mountains a highland culture developed: pastures like the Kadirga and Orumek yaylalari still keep a summer tradition of migration and festival. Santa, in the Dumanli valley, was once a crowded Greek village; population exchanges emptied it, and today its abandoned stone houses make it one of the region's most moving places to visit. At the heart of the geography stands Zigana: the historic pass linking the Black Sea to inland Anatolia, hard in winter, and today the backbone of transport through its modern tunnel. In short Gumushane is a border country where mines, passes and pastures overlap, and most of the mountains in this guide look out on those old passes and grazing grounds.

A two-day flow

**Day 1, centre and south:** Kecikaya Castle (no. 3) in the morning and the old Suleymaniye quarter on the way back. In the afternoon go west to the Ziron valley (no. 4) and the viewpoints beside it (Daysa no. 5, Ecel Tasi no. 6); catch sunset on Cavus Mountain (no. 7) as the light drops. In the evening, fruit-leather sweets and local cooking in the centre.

**Day 2, Torul and north:** Cross north in the morning; see the climate change at Bozbent (no. 9), then Karaca Cave (no. 1) and, if you like, the Santa ruins (no. 2). Take in the Zigana pass (no. 11) on the way back; if a clear night falls, take the sky on Yildiz Mountain (no. 10).

Add a third day for Tersun (no. 8) in the southwest and the more distant, quiet summits; these are long, slow days, so ask locals about the road.

Classic mistakes

1. **Treating Gumushane as a lunch stop.** It is easy to pass through Zigana and keep going; but the province fills at least two days, with the mountains and Torul asking for a programme of their own. 2. **Trusting a sedan on the mountain road.** Some stops here are summits and viewpoints; the road is part gravel and steep. Don't estimate driving time from the crow-fly distance. 3. **Setting out on half a tank.** There are no stations up high; fill up before you leave the centre. 4. **Underestimating the weather.** North slopes can be misty and wet in any season, and it turns in the afternoon at altitude; move your return earlier. 5. **Miscounting the snow calendar.** The high mountains can hold snow into late spring; ask locals about early and late season. 6. **Carelessness at the cliff edge.** Lookouts like Ecel Tasi really are sheer; don't lean over for a photo, and keep your distance with children. 7. **Leaving without tasting pestil and kome.** This is the signature of Gumushane's kitchen; buy it from shops in the centre, and the packaged kind travels well for the road.

Green or dry; both are here

Gumushane is not a single climate. North of Zigana, the Torul side, is damp and forested: Karaca Cave (no. 1), Bozbent (no. 9), Yildiz Mountain (no. 10) and Zigana (no. 11) give you that green face. The south and centre are dry, wide and full of pasture: Tersun (no. 8), Cavus Mountain (no. 7) and the western viewpoints (nos. 4-6). On a hot day shift north, on a cool, misty day shift south; seeing both sides in one day is the plan that best explains the province's split character.

Day trips

**Tomara waterfall (Siran):** In the west of the province, a waterfall falling full from its source; it is far from the provincial centre, so combine it while touring the Siran-Kelkit line.

**Kadirga and Orumek pastures:** Grazing grounds in the high belt; a summer tradition of highland culture and festival still runs, so ask about road and lodging conditions in advance.

**Toward Trabzon:** You can drop down to the Black Sea coast over the Zigana pass and tunnel; the old road is worth it for the view, but winter conditions are harsh.

Planning questions

**How many days does Gumushane need?** One day for the centre and the near viewpoints; a second for Torul, Karaca Cave and Santa. Add the high mountains and three days fill comfortably.

**Doable without a car?** Hard. The centre and Suleymaniye are walkable, but almost all the mountain stops, viewpoints and the Torul line want a private car or a local tour.

**When to go?** Late spring to early autumn for the pastures and high mountains. The high summits can stay snowy into late spring, and winter is hard for Zigana and the northern roads.

**What are road conditions like?** The roads to the mountain stops are part gravel, narrow and winding, and rain or snow can close them. Before setting out in a sedan, ask locals about the current state and fill the tank.

**What to eat and buy?** The signature is pestil and kome (made with mulberry molasses and walnuts); you find them in shops in the centre, and the packaged kind makes both a gift and road food. Highland cheese and honey are local too.

**Planning with children?** The viewpoints near the centre and Suleymaniye are easy; but at cliff-edge points like Ecel Tasi and on the far mountains, take distance and safety seriously.