Where to Stay in Artvin: Areas and Advice

By All Over InformationUpdated August 10, 20268 min read

Artvin is a province of steep mountains and deep valleys, and its accommodation is shaped by that geography. The city itself, built on slopes above the Çoruh River, offers practical hotels for travelers passing through, while the districts of the province hold pensions, highland houses, and village guesthouses that bring you close to the lakes, forests, and yayla life. Choosing where to stay in Artvin is really a choice between the city and the country. This guide walks you through the main areas and the kinds of places you will find in each.

The Shape of the City: Slopes and Valleys

The first thing to understand about staying in Artvin is the landscape. The city climbs the steep slopes above the Çoruh River, so streets are terraced, parking is often at a premium, and the view from your window may be across rooftops to the mountains. The districts beyond are connected by winding mountain roads, and the lakes and valleys lie an hour or more from the center.

This geography changes the rules of choosing a base. If you want to see the whole province, the city is the convenient hub, with services and transport connections. If you want the scenery, you will want to sleep in the districts, where the lakes and highlands are at your door and the nights are quiet.

Most travelers do a combination: a night or two in the city, then a night or two in the country. The distances are short in kilometers, but the roads take time, so a base that reduces driving is worth planning for.

Staying in the City Center

Artvin’s city center is compact, and its hotels are practical rather than glamorous: clean, central, and built for travelers, officials, and business visitors. Rooms are simple, breakfast is usually included, and the staff are used to helping people plan the region. It is the easiest place to stay for logistics.

The advantages of the center are convenience and certainty. You can walk to restaurants, tea gardens, and the main square, catch buses to other parts of the province, and reach the castle on foot. In the evenings, the city is livelier than the districts, with cafes open and families out walking.

The trade-offs are the usual ones for a small mountain city: parking can be tricky, rooms may face streets or slopes rather than views, and the setting is urban rather than scenic. If your visit is about the mountains, treat the center as a practical base rather than the destination.

Artvin, Turkey — Photo by Nachnuch on Pixabay

The Kafkasör Plateau: Highland Stays

Above the city, the Kafkasör plateau offers a completely different place to sleep. At a cool altitude among meadows and pine forest, the plateau is where Artvin goes to escape the valley heat, and in summer the highland fills with the simple houses, pensions, and restaurant terraces that serve visitors.

Staying at Kafkasör means waking to the smell of pine, walking in the morning mist, and being close to the festival ground where the summer’s bull wrestling takes place. The plateau is cooler than the city, which is a blessing on hot days, and the views over the mountains are constant company.

The plateau is seasonal, and most places open from late spring through early autumn. It suits travelers who want the highland atmosphere without going deep into the province, and it is an excellent base if you are attending the summer festival. In winter, the high road can close in snow, so the city is the safer base.

Borçka and Its Lake

East of the city, the district of Borçka holds some of the province’s most beautiful country, and staying there puts you close to the forested valley and the mountain lake of Karagöl. The town itself is small and unassuming, but the surroundings are the point, with forested ridges rising on every side.

The lake has simple pensions and places to eat nearby, and sleeping there gives you the best hours of the day: the lake in the morning calm and the evening light, when the day-trippers have gone. It is a quiet, green, and deeply restful base for walkers and anyone who loves forests.

Borçka is also the gateway to the remote Macahel valley, and a night in the district makes that long day trip more practical. For travelers who want nature, birdsong, and the sound of streams instead of traffic, the Borçka country is the right choice.

Şavşat and the Karagöl-Sahara Country

Farther inland, the district of Şavşat is the heart of the province’s highland culture. The national park of Karagöl-Sahara protects a glacial lake and wide open pastures, and in summer the yayla settlements fill with herders and their families, keeping the old rhythms of the highland year.

Staying in Şavşat means the Karagöl lake at dawn, walks across the Sahara meadows, and evenings in villages where the welcome is warm and the food is made from the pasture’s products: cheese, butter, and honey. Pensions and guesthouses in the district are simple but comfortable, and the hospitality is the real luxury.

The highland is at its best from June to September, when the weather is mild and the pastures are green. If you want to understand the yayla life that defines this region, a night in the Şavşat country is worth more than any guidebook.

Yusufeli and the Çoruh Valley

To the south, the district of Yusufeli occupies the dramatic gorge country of the Çoruh River, where the valley walls rise steeply above the water. It is rafting territory, and the small town and the riverside settlements cater to the adventurers who come for the rapids.

Staying in the valley puts you minutes from the river, with the sound of water as a constant and the gorge walls above you. The accommodation is simple: pensions and hotels built around the rafting season, with the gear and the expertise for river trips close at hand.

Yusufeli is also a base for the historic churches of the region and for walks into the side valleys. It suits active travelers who want the river and the mountains at their door, and it shows a side of Artvin that is wilder and more adventurous than the lake country.

Pensions and Village Houses: The Local Welcome

Across Artvin, the most memorable stays are in the small pensions and village houses that open their doors to travelers. These are family-run, simple, and generous, with homemade food, endless tea, and hosts who treat guests like relatives. There is no standard formula, and that is exactly the appeal.

Breakfasts in these places are local events: village cheese, honey from the family hives, butter, bread, and eggs from the garden, served with a view of the mountains. Dinners may be fish from the streams or the stews of the highland kitchen, and the conversation is the best part of the meal.

These stays are concentrated in the summer months and in the highland districts, and they fill quickly during festival time. They may not have the polish of city hotels, but they offer the thing that no hotel can: a real place in the life of the region, even for a single night.

Practical Considerations: Parking, Weather, and Seasons

A few practical notes apply to all of Artvin. Parking in the city center is limited, so ask your hotel in advance and arrive with patience. In the mountain districts, roads are winding and can be wet or icy outside the summer months, so drive carefully and check conditions in winter.

Most accommodation in the districts is seasonal, opening between late spring and early autumn. If you travel in the cold months, the city center is your reliable base, and even there you should confirm that your hotel is open. In summer, book ahead for festival dates and weekends, when the region fills with visitors.

Finally, carry a little cash. Many pensions and village guesthouses do not take cards, and the nearest bank machine may be a long drive away. Sorting these details before you arrive lets you spend your time looking at mountains instead of worrying about logistics.

Choosing Your Base

If your visit is short, base yourself in the city and take day trips to the lakes and valleys. If the landscape is the point, sleep in the country: Borçka and Şavşat for lakes and forest, Kafkasör for the highland, and Yusufeli for the river. Each base shows you a different face of the province.

Think about the season, your transport, and your pace. A car makes the district stays easy; without one, the city is the practical hub. Families and older travelers may prefer the city’s certainty, while walkers and rafters will want to be close to the trails and the water.

The best advice is to combine. A night in the city for the castle and the practicalities, then two nights in the highland country for the lakes and the yayla, gives you the full Artvin in a compact shape. The province is small enough to do this without rushing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Artvin a good place for an overnight stay?

Yes, and staying overnight is the right way to see the province. The city itself offers practical, central hotels that work well as a base, while the districts provide pensions and guesthouses close to the lakes, forests, and highlands. Because the roads are winding and the distances deceptive, an overnight stay lets you experience the scenery at the best times of day, especially early morning and evening, when the day-trippers have gone.

Where should I stay to visit the lakes?

For the mountain lakes, stay in the districts where they are located. Borçka Karagöl has simple pensions and places to eat near the water, and the Şavşat district, home of the Karagöl-Sahara National Park, offers guesthouses in the highland villages. These are seasonal stays, open mainly from late spring through autumn. Sleeping near the lakes gives you the morning calm and the evening light that make them so beautiful.

Do I need a car to get around Artvin?

A car makes Artvin far easier to explore. The attractions are spread across the province, and while buses and minibuses connect the main towns, reaching the lakes, valleys, and highlands on public transport involves careful planning and limited schedules. If you do not drive, base yourself in the city, use organized tours where available, and accept that some remote places will be hard to reach. For most travelers, a rented car is the key to the province.

All Over Information

The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.