On the 19th day of the Silk Road, we drive almost 350 kilometers to Ardahan. A large part of this trip is on the highway along the coast of the Black Sea, so we occasionally have a nice view of the sea and the mountains on the other side. Along the highway there are several options to stop at a gas station for a drink.

The first stop is quite soon after about a 30 minute drive at the Kalecik Castle Trabzon. Kalecik is a castle on a rock overlooking the sea, which is about to disappear from neglect. It was in ancient times a frequent destination for the Genoese engaged in maritime trade. The castle was built to protect the Araklı district from attacks from the sea and was also used by the Turks. Bordering Konakönü Mahallesi to the east, to the Black Sea to the north, Buzluca and Karşıyaka to the south and Yalıboyu to the west, the castle consists of stone walls on all four sides of the rocky mass. Kalecik Beach is located just below the historic Kalecik Castle.

We continue the ride until Hopa where we leave the highway and fill up the tank before starting the ride through the mountains. We take the Cankurantan Pass, a very steep climb with many hairpin bends to an altitude of about 700 meters after which we descend again and drive through beautiful valleys to Borçka.

From Borçka we follow the Hopa-Artvin road along the Chorochi River, also called the Çoruh River. This is a beautiful road through the gorge with beautiful panoramas. Take your time and stop where it is safe to take a photo.

From the town of Artvin the road goes up again and you can enjoy many bends and beautiful panoramas again, please note that the temperature drops, because we rise to 2610 meters altitude. Depending on the time of year, winter showers and slippery conditions can occur.

The last part of the ride we descend again to 1845 meters at the end point of this day in Ardahan. There are a number of hotels in the city where you can book an overnight stay. In the town you can visit the Ardahan castle.