Rize Castle
Hilltop castle with tea gardens and views over the city.
Rize Castle stands on a green hill south-west of the city, about 150 m above sea level. The inner castle is attributed to the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the 6th century; the lower castle was added in the 13th century.
Its wide stone walls and five semicircular towers frame views over the city and the sea, and the tea gardens around it make it a pleasant first stop in Rize.
- →Combine with the Ziraat Tea Garden and the Tea Bazaar.
- →The last section is a short uphill walk.
Tours visiting this place
Hotels nearby
Central five-star in Rize, close to the castle and the tea garden, with four restaurants.
Family-friendly five-star on the İyidere seafront, 45 minutes from the airport, with pools and kids’ facilities.
Five-star thermal resort in İkizdere, combining hot-spring pools with mountain and river scenery.
Places nearby
- Ziraat Tea Garden0.3 km
Hillside tea garden and botanical park above Rize, with a café and city views.
- Tea Bazaar (Çay Çarşısı)0.8 km
The tea bazaar — tea, local products and souvenirs.
- Şimal Mall2.0 km
Rize’s main shopping mall.
- Tea factory visit22.3 km
See how Black Sea tea is processed, with tasting.
- İskitoğlu Waterfall31.8 km
Roadside waterfall and classic photo stop on the way to Ayder.
- Sürmene knife workshops35.2 km
Sürmene is famous for hand-made knives — a classic stop on the road to Uzungöl.