Perşembe Yaylası Summer Pasturelands

High in the mountains above the beaches and picturesque seaside towns of Turkey’s Black Sea Coast are the yayla, one of the iconic sights of Turkey’s Black Sea region. But what is a yayla? According to most Turkish-English dictionaries a yayla is a plateau, but this is a pretty poor translation. A yayla is better understood as a highland used as a summer pasture. Rarely does a yayla have the “flat” space that a plateau would imply.

While there are yayla all over the country, the Black Sea yayla are special. They are open spaces of brilliant green grass covering slopes, peaks, and valleys alike and a key part of the Black Sea culture. Yayla festivals are held in the summers where scattered locals from around the country and even world return to their yayla to celebrate yayla life and the part it plays in Black Sea Culture with dancing, food, and music.

The Perşembe Yaylası is the summer pastureland of Perşembe district down nearer the coast and is one of the Black Sea’s iconic yayla, with serpentine streams carving their paths between the undulating hills. Flocks cover every hilltop cropping the grass short like an endless lawn while shepherds keep watch.

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In some of the deeper valleys nearby there are waterfalls like Çişeli, and, near the village of Çakırlı, a man-made lake open for rowboats. In spring the creeks swell with the melting snow and as does the little village of Çakırlı as locals and visitors alike flock to see the beautiful landscapes and take part in the cultural celebrations.

The village is the perfect place to try the local produce: foods usually made with large amounts of local cheese and butter served with a glass of hot Black-Sea tea to keep you warm in the cold mountains.

The Perşembe Yaylası is best visited in mid to late spring, though as this is an alpine area so weather can change suddenly. Perşembe Yaylası is at 1500 meters above sea level so even in summer it can be quite cool so make sure to dress accordingly.