D915 Derebaşı TurnsStory N° 89
D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon
Three days driving the D915 — Guinness's most dangerous road in the world — 29 hairpin turns climbing 1,800 m from Of (Trabzon) to the Bayburt plateau. Pair with Uzungöl's mountain village, Sumela Monastery cliff visit, and a Trabzon harbour pidesi closing dinner.
The itinerary.
3 days · 12 stops
Friday
Day One
TZX Trabzon airport, drive 1h east to Uzungöl, evening at the lake-edge mosque + trout dinner.
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TZX → Uzungöl
Trabzon TZX airport: daily Turkish Airlines + Pegasus from İstanbul. 1h drive east on the D010 + south on the D915 to Çaykara then up to Uzungöl. Rental car essential.
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İnan Kardeşler Hotel
Wooden chalet hotel on the lake — 80 rooms, balconies open to the alpine lake + minaret. The hotel's restaurant serves the area's reference alabalık (mountain trout).
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Uzungöl lake walk
1.2 km lakeside walk loop — wooden mosque (1838) at the south end, trout farms along the shore, Pontic alpine forest backdrop.
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Trout dinner at the hotel
İnan Kardeşler's grilled trout (180g min) with mıhlama (cornmeal + cheese fondue).
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Hotel
İnan Kardeşler Hotel, Uzungöl inankardeslerhotel.com
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Getting around
- TZX → Uzungöl: 1h by car on D010 + D915.
Saturday
Day Two
The road — D915 from Çaykara south climbing the Derebaşı Turns (29 switchbacks in 5 km of 1,800m vertical), lunch on the Bayburt plateau, return to Trabzon.
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Uzungöl → Çaykara → Derebaşı Turns
From Uzungöl back down to Çaykara on the D915 (40 min), then south to the Derebaşı Turns. 29 hairpins in 5 km, climbing from 350 m to 2,000 m. Guinness world's most dangerous road. Drive in lowest gear; no guardrails for the worst 1 km. 06:00–08:00 ideal — empty + cool engine.
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Çaykara Plateau viewpoints
Top of the turns at 2,030 m — yayla (highland) shepherd village + meadows. Walk 10 min past Derebaşı village for the canonical "29-switchback aerial" photo.
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Bayburt — lunch
Bayburt at 1,560 m is the plateau base — Bayburt taşı içecek (local kefir + barley drink) + lamb shish kebap at Erbaş Restaurant.
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Return Trabzon via Solaklı valley
Back north 3h via D915 + D010 → Trabzon old town. Zorlu Grand Hotel is the city's grand option, harbour-side.
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Hotel
Zorlu Grand Hotel, Trabzon zorlugrand.com
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Getting around
- Uzungöl → Derebaşı Turns: 1h.
- Derebaşı → Bayburt: 30 min.
- Bayburt → Trabzon: 3h via the same return.
Sunday
Day Three
Sumela Monastery morning, Trabzon Atatürk Köşkü + Hagia Sophia museum, evening pidesi at Kalkanoğlu, fly out.
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Sumela Monastery
5th-century Greek Orthodox monastery built into a 1,200 m cliff face above the Altındere valley — re-opened 2020 after seismic reinforcement. 45 min from Trabzon by car + 30 min uphill walk.
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Trabzon Hagia Sophia museum
13th-century Byzantine church with original frescoes intact — converted to mosque, museum, then mosque again. Free entry, remove shoes.
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Kalkanoğlu Pidesi — dinner
1969 Trabzon institution for kuymak pide (cornmeal + cheese pide topping unique to the eastern Black Sea).
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Trabzon → TZX
15 min from city centre. Allow 60 min before domestic departures.
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Hotel
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Getting around
- Trabzon → Sumela: 45 min by car.
- Trabzon → TZX: 15 min.
Location.
Frequently asked
How many days do you need for D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon?
3 days. The itinerary runs from Friday to Sunday and covers 12 curated stops across 3 days.
How much does D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon cost?
Mid-range — comfortable lodging with a mix of paid and free experiences.
Where do you stay during D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon?
İnan Kardeşler Hotel, Uzungöl is the recommended base for the trip; the full hotel list per day is in the itinerary section.
What's included in the D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon itinerary?
Day-by-day stops at 12 restaurants, museums, viewpoints and landmarks; transportation hints between each leg; and a hotel base in D915 Derebaşı Turns.
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