Kafkasör Plateau & Bull Fights

Kafkasör Plateau rises about 10-12 kilometres southwest of central Artvin at an altitude of 1,200-1,250 metres, a rugged forest highland cloaked in dense spruce and fir.

Geography & Significance

Perched above the steep flanks of the Çoruh Valley and often wrapped in low morning cloud, the plateau was declared an official Tourism Centre by a 1991 Council of Ministers decree covering 62.5 hectares, a status that anchored it firmly in both nature and cultural tourism.

Festival & Culture

Its real fame, however, comes from the Kafkasör Culture, Tourism and Arts Festival held every year in the first week of July and crowned by traditional bull fights. Rooted in a roughly two-century-old custom and staged regularly since 1981, these contests are not to the death: two well-fed bulls test their strength in a woodland arena until one withdraws, drawing tens of thousands of spectators. The 44th edition ran 2-6 July 2025 and the 45th is planned for 8-12 July 2026. Outside the festival, Kafkasör is a calm highland retreat of misty viewpoints, tent and picnic grounds, timber bungalows run by the Artvin Municipality, and cool mountain air.

Visiting, Access & Tips

Agencies favour it because it lies so close to the centre and slots neatly into city tours: most Artvin programmes open at Livane Castle and the Zeytinlik quarter, then climb to Kafkasör for a forest-view and fresh-air break. The average visit is 1-1.5 hours outside the festival and about half a day during it. The best photo spots are the viewing terraces in the forest clearings and the moments when a sea of cloud drapes the slopes at dawn. Access is by an asphalt mountain road from the centre, suitable for tour coaches though the final stretch is winding, and the upper section can close under winter snow. The festival ground has ample car and coach parking. Disabled access is partly possible around the main arena and parking, while the forest paths are uneven. The ideal window is the June-September plateau season, peaking in the July festival week. Nearby stops include Livane Castle, the Zeytinlik quarter, Hatila Valley National Park, the Deriner Dam and the Berta stone bridge.