Kavrun (Kavron) Plateau

Kavrun (locally Kavron) Plateau is a two-tiered high mountain pasture in the Çamlıhemşin district of Rize, rising on the northern flanks of the Kaçkar Mountains between roughly 1,980 and 2,350 metres above sea level. It consists of two settlements, Lower Kavron and Upper Kavron, about 1.5 kilometres apart; Upper Kavron, at around 2,250 metres, lies only eight kilometres as the crow flies from the Kaçkar summit (3,937 m), the roof of Turkey. According to oral tradition the plateau has been used for stock-rearing by the Hemşin people for more than two centuries. From May to October its timber serenders (raised granaries), stone-footed houses and small dairies come alive and the population climbs to around seventy, while in winter the settlement empties entirely. The midsummer Vartivor (Vartavor) highland festival, with Hemşin horon dances performed to the tulum bagpipe and families returning from abroad, keeps the region's most vivid cultural tradition alive.

Nature & Lakes District

The plateau owes its greatest fame, however, to the Kavron Lakes district just above it: it is the launch point for walks to Deniz Gölü, Buzul Gölü and the surrounding alpine glacial lakes, and it serves as the first camp for mountaineers ascending Kaçkar, from where the Mezovit camp area is reached after a four-to-five-hour hike.

Trekking & Visitor Experience

This role makes Kavron an indispensable base for trekking and summit tours across the Eastern Black Sea; agencies program it both as a scenery-and-photography stop and as the starting camp for guided mountain walks. Average visit time is one to two hours on transit tours, a full day for those joining the lake hike, and an overnight on summit programs.

Visiting, Access & Route Tips

Access is from Çamlıhemşin (about 29 km) via Ayder; the roughly 10-kilometre dirt road beyond Ayder is narrow and winding, so large coaches cannot reach the plateau and transport is by 4x4 vehicles and small minibuses, with parking limited to flat ground at the plateau entrance. Wheelchair access is very difficult given the terrain and gradient. The best season is July to September, when road and pasture are clear of snow; the peak is the July-August festival period, and early mornings offer cloud seas and glacial-lake reflections at their photographic best. The recommended route is Çamlıhemşin - Ayder - Kavron - Lakes district.