Our weekly program promotes a wide variety of services offered as part of medical tourism in Turkey. Today we will introduce you Rize province, a coastal city along the Black Sea and in the Eastern Black Sea Region.
Rize is a province having an epic natural beauty in the northeast of Turkey. It is a place where nature has been bountiful, with steep hills, emerald green valleys and numerous creeks. It is possible to observe hundreds of hues of the colour green in the city thanks to the fact that it has the highest rate of rainfall among Turkish provinces. Forestry is a major source of income for its residents, for it has numerous forest areas.
It is imperative to talk about tea when we speak of Rize province. Because Rize is the first thing that comes to mind when the subject is tea. About 65 percent of all tea grown is Turkey is produced in Rize.
Rize is also a province mentioned in the context of alternative tourism recently. Kaçkar Mountains is one of the best known tourist attractions in the province.
Kaçkar Mountains, falling inside the provincial borders of both Rize and Artvin, offer several alternatives to tourists who visit the region. Visitors could engage themselves in various sports branches in these mountains that rise above the Black Sea coast, ranging from trekking to rock climbing and from rafting to skiing. One of the 200 ecological areas around the world, Kaçkar Mountains were designated a national park in 19994. Kaçkars are so steep along the coast, you can even sit on the coastline and watch this gigantic 400-metre high mountain range. Besides its fascinating view, Kaçkar Mountains are also home to several rare plants and wildlife, found only in the valleys of this national park.
It is the only place in Turkey where rhododendrons survive at an altitude of 3000 metres. Other animals such as roe-deer, wild goat, marten, Caucasian black grouse and Caucasian Salamander also live in the national park.
One of the world’s largest glacier lakes above the altitude of 3000 metres, the Great Sea Lake is another wonder of nature on Kaçkar Mountains. Ice formed at the cold depths of the Lake, go up the surface and then create large chunks of ice blocks.
During winter months, these ice blocks thicken and cover the entire surface of the Lake and cut off the Lake’s connection with the area. The thickness of the ice is 5 metres in some places. Melting at the Lake, which is covered with ice for a total 10 months, begins in the last week of July. But even then, the Lake is under a 2-cm thick ice.
We should also note that diving is performed in the Great Sea Lake. Those interested in this sport say that underwater world is quite different in this lake and that it is possible to observe different life systems there.
One of the best known plateaus of Rize province is Ayder Plateau and it is also home to Rize’s most important thermal source. Visitors could reach Ayder Hot Springs in Çamlıhemşin district of Rize province, via a mountain route.
Thermal and radioactive waters of the hot springs, issue from a depth of 260 metres at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. Ayder waters benefit patients suffering from a number of ailments such as stomach, bowel, kidney and rheumatic diseases, when they are used as complementary treatment. But there are some conditions which will make it inconvenient for people to benefit from the waters; such as some illnesses where the patient is bleeding, high blood pressure and heart conditions. Ayder Hot Springs could be unhealthy for people suffering from these conditions. For this reason, it is essential that visitors consult with a doctor before visiting the hot springs.
You really don’t have to have a health issue to visit Ayder Plateau.
The region offers a lot to its visitors with its natural beauties. You can enjoy some solitude in the nature and go for long walks, benefit from Kaçkars’ oxygen- rich environment and familiarize yourself with the local culture that is Kaçkar plateau culture.
Located 30 km from Rize province, Andon Mineral Spring is another source of health in the area.
Andon waters, rich in carbon dioxide, iron, alkaline and bicarbonate, are known to be used in the complementary treatment of liver,
gall bladder, stomach and bowel diseases. Gout patients and overweight people could also benefit from regular drinking cures of Andon waters.
source: http://www.cbsport.com / CB Sport / Home> Health / Editor: Perkasen / 17 Kasim 2014 Pazartesi (November 17th, 2014)
