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'll find

• 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.

Good to know

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.