Ordu

Ordu is a coastal city in northern Turkey, set where forested hills meet the Black Sea and serving as the capital of Ordu Province. Known as one of Turkey's leading hazelnut-producing centres, it combines a lively seafront promenade, steep green hills and a relaxed Black Sea atmosphere.

The area's history reaches back to the ancient settlement of Cotyora, and Ottoman-era landmarks still shape the centre. The Paşaoğlu Konağı Ethnography Museum, the Taşbaşı Cultural Centre and the 19th-century Hamidiye Mosque reflect the city's layered past, while the district was renamed Ordu in 1869 as it grew into a regional centre.

The most recognisable view is from Boztepe, a hill above the centre reached by cable car from the shore for panoramic views over the city and Black Sea. Around the city, Perşembe offers coves and the Yason Burnu headland, Ünye has a sandy beachfront and castle, and inland areas such as Ulubey and Gölköy lead into canyons, lakes and hazelnut groves.

Hazelnuts underpin much of the local economy and shape food culture alongside Black Sea dishes such as pide, muhlama and fresh fish. Markets, cafés and fish restaurants along the coast, together with kemençe music and local festivals, give Ordu a distinctive regional character.

For travellers, Ordu works as both a relaxed seaside stop and a base for exploring the eastern Black Sea coast. Business visitors are drawn by hazelnut trade and regional connections, while leisure travellers come for scenery, coastal walks and short trips to nearby towns and highland plateaus.