Artvin

Districts

• Ardanuç
• Arhavi
• Artvin Merkez
• Borçka
• Hopa
• Kemalpaşa
• Murgul
• Şavşat
• Yusufeli

Experiences

Key points of interest

Borçka Karagöl Nature Park & Rainforest Lake

World-famous mirror-like alpine landslide lake set inside old-growth temperate rainforests.

Karagöl-Sahara National Park (Şavşat)

Breathtaking national park featuring Şavşat Karagöl, alpine meadows, and traditional wooden chalets.

Çoruh River Rafting Gorge & Yusufeli Dam Lake

Globally renowned white-water rafting river gorge featuring Türkiye's highest engineering dam lake.

Arhavi Çifte Köprü Historic Twin Stone Bridges

Picturesque 18th-century Ottoman twin stone arch bridges spanning rushing river gorges in dense forest.

Kafkasör Plateau & Bull Wrestling Arena (1,200m)

High-altitude mountain plateau famous for the 200-year-old traditional Caucasian Bull Wrestling Festival.

Investment outlook

Artvin commands an impressive Transparent Investment Score of 90.8/100, recognized as Türkiye's primary hydroelectric renewable energy powerhouse, international eco-tourism, cross-border Caucasus logistics, and organic forestry investment market. Anchored by the Sarp Border Gate (Sarp Sınır Kapısı) in Kemalpaşa—Türkiye's busiest international land customs gateway to Georgia, Russia, and Central Asia—alongside the newly constructed Yusufeli Hydroelectric Dam, Artvin drives immense freight and transit trade. Residential and eco-resort property values average $1,200/m² (exceeding $2,500/m² for prime coastal real estate in Hopa and Arhavi) with rapid annual appreciation (~46.5% YoY in USD).

Living here

Residing in Artvin represents a peaceful, deeply nature-integrated, and highly oxygenated mountain valley and coastal lifestyle surrounded by ancient old-growth forests and pure spring waters. Neighborhoods in Central Artvin feature terraced mountain apartments offering panoramic Çoruh valley vistas, while Hopa, Arhavi, and Kemalpaşa offer sea-view coastal living. Residents benefit from comprehensive healthcare at Artvin State Hospital, Artvin Coruh University, clean mountain air, low crime rates, and warm Caucasian community solidarity.

History & cultural identity

Artvin, dramatically clinging to the steep granite gorges of the Çoruh River valley amidst the emerald rainforests of northeastern Türkiye bordering Georgia, holds a profound ancient Caucasian, medieval Georgian Bagratid, and Ottoman border history spanning over three millennia. Known anciently as Kolkhis and later fortified as part of the medieval Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, the region is home to majestic 10th-century stone cathedrals, monastic complexes, and cliffside fortresses built by Bagratid royal dynasties. Incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century under Sultan Selim I, Artvin served as a crucial northeastern border bastion. Renowned for its unique Caucasian folk traditions, traditional Kafkasör Bull Wrestling (Kafkasör Boğa Güreşleri), and pristineold-growth rainforest ecosystems, Artvin represents Türkiye's undisputed capital of raw wilderness and biodiversity.