Borçka Karagöl

Borçka Karagöl formed when a landslide blocked a valley, and it sits at around fifteen hundred metres in dense forest of spruce, beech, hornbeam and alder that grows to the water's edge on every side. It is small - a few hundred metres across - and shallow, with dead trees still standing in it from the flooding, and because it is sheltered on all sides the surface goes glass-flat in still weather and reflects the entire slope. That is the whole reason for its reputation: in the last two weeks of October, when the beech and hornbeam turn, the reflection doubles the colour and the lake becomes one of the most photographed places in eastern Turkey. A boardwalk runs part of the shore and bungalows and a campsite sit at one end. The road up from Borçka is steep, narrow and rough, which limits the traffic except at peak colour, when it does not.

What you actually see

• The mirror surface - the slope reflected in still water.
• The autumn colour - beech and hornbeam in late October.
• The standing dead trees - trunks in the flooded lake.
• The shore boardwalk - the walkway round part of the water.

When to go

Late October for the colour and reflections, which is the point of the place; June to September for green and quiet. The road closes with snow.

Honest expectations

The access road is steep and rough - a low car will struggle. Peak colour brings congestion on a road that cannot take it. Rain and mist are common. Facilities are bungalows and a café.

Nearby

Karagöl-Sahara national park is south at Şavşat; Macahel valley is north toward the border.