A 57-year-old Thai woman had to have her leg amputated after she got caught up in a moving walkway at an international airport in Bangkok on Thursday in a freak accident that has yet to be fully explained by authorities.

Don Mueang International Airport’s director Karant Thanakuljeerapat said the incident took place at around 8:27 a.m. local time (7:27 p.m. ET) in the southern corridor of the domestic passenger terminal.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Karant said the woman, who was traveling to the southern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, had a “severe” accident at the end of a moving walkway after her left leg became caught in the end of the walkway.

Medics responded quickly and the woman was transferred to the nearest hospital, though the severity of her injuries led to the amputation of her leg up to the kneecap, Karant said.

She has since been transferred to Bumrungrad International Hospital, one of the country’s top medical facilities, the director added.

“I would like to convey our deepest sorrow,” Karant told reporters.

The woman’s son, Krit Kittirattana, released a statement on Facebook in which he described the accident as “heartbreaking”.

He said his mother has had an operation but still faces risks of potential complications and that doctors were keeping a close watch for any signs of infection.

“My mother has continued to express her strength through her face and voice. But deep down we know that her heart is broken since she suddenly lost her leg,” he wrote.

He added that the family has requested surveillance camera footage of the accident.

Karant, the airport director, said Airports Of Thailand (AOT), the state-owned company that operates airports across the country, would take care of all medical expenses and provide compensation.

All of the airport’s moving walkways have had their service suspended while the cause of the incident is investigated and engineers do safety checks, he added.

“The cause of the incident is still under investigation to find the facts. We might need to set up a fact-finding committee with outsiders to join in order to achieve impartiality and transparency,” he said.

He said closed-circuit television footage available was taken from afar, thereby taking his staff more time to investigate.

He refrained from making any preliminary conclusion at this stage.

The director, however, defended the airport’s routine maintenance and checkups.

One of the two international airports in Bangkok, Don Mueang is located in the northern part of the capital. It was previously the city’s main airport until the newer and larger Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2006.

Thailand is a hugely popular tourist destination for those seeking warm weather and palm fringed beaches.

The country has also been pushing hard for its health tourism with an abundance of private hospitals.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic tourism accounted for some 12% of the country’s economy with nearly 40 million arrivals in 2019.

Arrival numbers were decimated during the pandemic but have begun recovering in recent months. Thailand beat its tourist target in the first quarter of 2023, logging 6.15 million arrivals between January and March.

Turkey condemned a decision by Swedish authorities to approve a small Quran-burning demonstration outside a mosque in Stockholm on Wednesday, a move that may jeopardize Sweden’s bid to join NATO before the bloc’s key summit in July.

A single person took part in the planned Quran burning in the Swedish capital and images of the event show he was the only person apart from his translator at the demonstration, which coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar.

The decision to permit the protest was made in accordance with the right of freedom of speech, Swedish police said, adding that the demonstration does not pose an immediate security risk.

But allowing such an inflammatory protest stirred a backlash in Turkey, a NATO member state that has obstructed Sweden’s accession bid. Sweden and neighboring Finland both formally applied to join the bloc after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.”

Turkey’s foreign minister condemned the protest on Wednesday, calling it a “heinous act.”

“It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. To turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to be complicit in them,” Hakan Fidan said in a statement.

The Turkish government’s Director of Communicaitons Fahrettin Altun added in a tweet: “We are sick and tired of enabling of Islamophobia and continued instances of hatred for our religion on the part of European authorities especially in Sweden.”

“Those who seek to become our allies in NATO, cannot tolerate or enable destructive behaviors of Islamophobic and xenophobic terrorists,” he said.

NATO officials are hoping to avoid the embarrassment of seeing the alliance miss its own stated aim of admitting Sweden to the alliance by July 11 – the date of its next official summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Officials fear that missing this deadline will send a humiliating and potentially dangerous message to the alliance’s adversaries.

Turkey – a strategically important NATO member due to its geographical location in both the Middle East and Europe, and the alliance’s second-largest military power – has proven the greatest obstacle to Sweden’s NATO accession bid.

Earlier this year, Turkish-Swedish relations suffered a major blow following a rally outside Stockholm’s Turkish Embassy during which an anti-immigration politician set a copy of the Quran alight.

The incident sparked anger in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where protesters took to the streets and burned the Swedish flag outside the Swedish embassy in response.

At the time, the then Turkish foreign minister reportedly blamed the Swedish government, saying it had “taken part in this crime by allowing this vile act” to go ahead, according to state news agency Anadolu.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said that Sweden has fulfilled the necessary requirements set out by Turkey in order to join NATO, including introducing a new terrorism law.

“New legislation has recently entered into force in Sweden that makes it illegal to participate in a terrorist organization in any way that promotes, strengthens or supports it. We are thereby delivering on the last parts of our agreement,” Billstrom said.

But the decision to permit a Quran-burning protest may further damage Sweden’s relations with Turkey and dent the country’s hopes to join NATO.

Freedom of speech

He said he was doing this demonstration after three months of legal battles in court.

“This book should be banned in the world because of the danger it causes to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women’s rights. It just doesn’t work in this time and age,” he said.

The permit for the demonstration says that Quran burnings “mean an increased risk of a terrorist attack” and “can also have foreign policy consequences.”

However, it added that for “security problems to be the basis for a decision to refuse a general assembly, these must have a clear connection to the planned gathering or its immediate surroundings.”

Authorities granted permission for the gathering according to certain conditions, including a fire ban in place in Stockholm since June 12, which “applies until further notice.”

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to seize two top Russian military officials when he launched a short-lived mutiny on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Western officials.

Prigozhin’s plot involved the capture of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top army general Valery Gerasimov when the pair visited a region along the border of Ukraine, the WSJ wrote.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) learned of the plot two days before it was due to take place, forcing Prigozhin to change his plans at the last minute and launch a march towards Moscow instead, according to the report.

Wagner mercenaries took control of a key military base in the city of Rostov-on-Don, and his troops were approaching the Russian capital when Prigozhin called off his mutiny.

There has been speculation about the role of senor Russian commanders as the mutiny got underway on Friday night. The New York Times, citing US officials who it said were briefed on American intelligence, reported that the commander of the Russian air force, Gen. Sergey Surovikin, “had advance knowledge of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership.”

Surovikin appealed to Prigozhin to halt the mutiny soon after it began, in a video message that made it clear he sided with Putin.

Asked about the New York Times story, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There will be now a lot of speculation and rumors surrounding these events. I believe this is just another example of it.”

Even though the mutiny failed, Putin prestige has been dented, the official said. “If that is what factions wanted, then that is what they got.”

Viktor Zolotov, the director of Russia’s National Guard, claimed Monday that senior Russian officials knew of Prigozhin’s plans for a rebellion because people close to the Wagner boss had leaked them, Russian state media agency TASS reported.

Zolotov also claimed the mutiny was “inspired by Western intelligence services” because “they knew weeks in advance.”

But, according to sources familiar with the matter, the intelligence was so closely held that it was shared only with select allies, including senior British officials, and not at the broader NATO level.

Prigozhin’s spectacular falling-out with Moscow’s high command appears to have stemmed from a declaration by the Russian Ministry of Defense that it would employ Wagner’s contractors directly. The move would essentially have dissolved Prigozhin’s lucrative operations in Russia.

Prigozhin arrived in Belarus Tuesday, the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko said. Russia says Lukashenko brokered the deal that ended the rebellion.

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of Wimbledon on the eve of this year’s tournament after failing to recover from a wrist injury.

“I tried my hardest to be ready after my surgery and to be able to step on the Wimbledon courts again,” the 28-year-old Australian, who reached last year’s final before being beaten by Novak Djokovic, said in a message on his Instagram stories Sunday.

“During my comeback, I experienced some pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca. As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist.

“I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn’t have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon.”

Kyrgios is yet to play in a grand slam this year after injuries forced him to miss both the Australian Open and French Open.

He missed Roland Garros after injuring his foot during an incident where his car was stolen, according to his agent.

The world No.33 was due to face Belgium’s David Goffin in the first round at Wimbledon and had planned to play in the doubles tournament alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinaki.

Wimbledon responded to the news by wishing Kyrgios a “swift recovery.”

“Hope to see you back on our courts next year,” the tournament tweeted.

Wimbledon begins on Monday and runs until July 16. Novak Djokovic is once again favourite to win the men’s tournament where he can equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s titles.

As the ball dropped into the cup, Rickie Fowler crossed his arms over his putter and looked skyward. A big exhale, a smile, and then – over the shoulder of caddie Ricky Romano – a triumphant raise of his club to a flock of ecstatic fans.

After 1,610 days, golf’s man in orange was back in the winner’s circle.

Triumph at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday ended the Fowler’s four year wait for a sixth PGA Tour title as the 34-year-old emerged victorious from a three-way playoff at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan.

Having finished level with compatriot Collin Morikawa and Canada’s Adam Hadwin at 24-under overall, Fowler lasered his birdie putt from 11 yards at the first replay of the 18th hole to clinch his first Tour title since the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February 2019.

“It’s just nice to have this one out of the way,” the American later told reporters.

“I’m obviously going to soak this one in and celebrate a bit … it’s been a long road.”

There was a special something – or rather, someone – new at celebrations this time around. An emotional Fowler gave his winner’s interview cradling his daughter Maya, born in November 2021.

She had been at the 18th green to witness the crowning moment with Fowler’s wife Allison Stokke Fowler, a fellow athlete and former pole vault star. The new champion dedicated his win – “the missing link” – to the pair.

“It was tough just because everything else in my life was amazing and then to have the one thing that I obviously love doing … it was kind of the missing link,” Fowler said.

“So to have everything start to click and come together, and obviously all this started prior to Maya being born, it’s been an amazing ride.

“To finally get one finished off, Maya may or may not really ever remember it, but at least we’ll have some special images to help her remember today.”

Long road

The route back to silverware has been a grueling one for the Californian. A two-time major runner-up in 2014 and world No. 4 in 2018, Fowler’s ranking gradually dropped following triumph in Arizona in 2019.

By July 2022, he found himself outside the world’s top 150 ranked players for the first time since his rookie season on the PGA Tour 12 years prior.

Yet 2023 has marked a resurgent year for the fan-favorite golfer as eight top-10 finishes in 20 starts have rocketed Fowler back up the rankings. A major title remains elusive, with Fowler’s final day slide at the US Open extending that wait, but the tied-fifth performance in Los Angeles was another indication of a return to form.

Now, he’s world No. 23 and $1.584 million better off after a lucrative winner’s payout.

“You hope the struggles don’t last, but sometimes they last longer than you would hope for,” Fowler said.

“Being that I’ve been one of the best players in the world, plenty of good finishes and wins, I knew what I was capable of, but it’s tough when you’re struggling for that long of a period of time.

“But I knew it wasn’t far off and just kind of had to keep putting the time in, keep grinding, keep pushing. Then started to see some positive results and starting to build some confidence and momentum last fall.”

Near-misses for Hadwin and Morikawa extended the pair’s search for further PGA Tour wins. Hadwin was looking to add to his maiden title at the Valspar Championship in 2017, while Morikawa was hoping to end a two-year wait for his sixth PGA Tour victory.

Morikawa’s last triumph was at the 2021 Open Championship, his second career major win.

The 26-year-old will look to repeat the feat at Royal Liverpool later this month, but on Sunday, he was content to give Fowler his flowers.

“It’s not like this is a one-time thing, he’s been playing phenomenal golf,” Morikawa told reporters.

“People love him. The fans still come out to see him no matter how he’s playing, but he’s been playing well.

“Look how he’s been playing, especially the US Open, the scores he’s been posting last week, it’s awesome. The grind isn’t easy. It never is, doesn’t matter where you are.”

Eugene Amo-Dadzie leads what appears to be an ordinary life: he’s a husband, a father, and works nine-to-five as a chartered accountant in London.

But away from his family and his profession, Amo-Dadzie also happens to be one of the fastest men in the world, this year running the 100 meters in under 10 seconds for the first time.

The sprinter’s career trajectory is unlike any of his rivals’ on the track and field circuit. He only started training seriously at the age of 26 and still balances athletics with his regular job as an accountant.

A promising sprinter throughout school, Amo-Dadzie had lowered his 100m time to 11.3 seconds by the age of 17. But he says he was “getting dominated” at competitions and ultimately drifted away from athletics while some of his rivals went on to compete at a junior international level.

He went off to university and later qualified as a chartered accountant, only putting his speed to use when playing soccer recreationally.

“I was that guy who would watch on the couch and I’d be like: I was quick in school. If I tried, I could have made it,” Amo-Dadzie recalls.

“If I joined an athletics club, I could have been there. My best friends had been giving me grief for years … For whatever reason, I was just content with thinking that I could have made it.”

It was while walking past an athletics track in London that Amo-Dadzie experienced a change of heart. Returning home from a soccer game, he had stopped with a friend to watch a local meet when he was once again asked why he had never taken sprinting seriously.

“That was the moment something in my mind switched and I didn’t have an answer for him,” says Amo-Dadzie. “I didn’t have any reason to give him as to why I’d never tried it.”

And so began a steady rise through the sport’s ranks for the “world’s fastest accountant” – a moniker Amo-Dadzie adopted as his times became faster and faster.

He has worked with coach Steve Fudge since 2017, focusing more on process rather than targeting certain times.

In 2019, his first full year of training, Amo-Dadzie ran a personal best of 10.55 seconds, which was subsequently lowered to 10.2 seconds in 2021 and 10.05 in 2022.

This year has been a major breakthrough, the 30-year-old earning his first international vest in March and then breaking the 10-second barrier for the first time in Austria last month.

Which begs the question: does he regret the time he spent not pursuing the sport?

“The answer to that is really simple,” says Amo-Dadzie. “I truly believe there’s a season and a time for everything. And everything happens for a reason … Starting at 26 with the head I had on my shoulders – I was a married man, I was a career man, I had a maturity about me.

“I guess, thank God, that I’ve been able to navigate this space a lot better.”

He now hopes to compete at the world championships in Budapest in August and the Olympics in Paris next year – scarcely fathomable achievements for someone who only joined an athletics club for the first time in his mid-twenties.

To just compete for his country, let alone at a major championship, was a “surreal moment” for Amo-Dadzie.

“I didn’t even grow up with the dream of being an athlete, but God would have it that that’s where I’ve ended up,” he says. “It was unbelievable and I’m incredibly proud of it. God willing, there’s more to come.”

Days after he first competed for Great Britain, Amo-Dadzie had returned to the more familiar environment of his office in London, looking over spreadsheets in his accountancy job.

It’s fair to say that he leads a starkly different life compared to many of his rivals on the track, most of whom benefit from sponsors and funding.

“It keeps me grounded,” says Amo-Dadzie. “It is a difficult balance – I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m also a governor of a primary school. There are some weeks where I am truly stretched quite thin, but I’ve got an incredible support team.”

His 100m time of 9.93 seconds places Amo-Dadzie in the top five British men of all time; it was also his country’s leading time this year until Zharnel Hughes broke the British record in New York last week.

Despite his sudden success, Amo-Dadzie cuts a relaxed figure at track meets. He puts earphones in as he prepares to race and likes to dance to upbeat gospel music in the warmup area.

“I’m vibing and I’m enjoying myself,” he says, rarely overawed by a sense of occasion.

“For me, it’s very much believing and trusting in the talent that God has given me and knowing that I belong in those spaces.”

Over 80 million people are under severe storm threat from northern Mississippi to Massachusetts Monday ahead of the Fourth of July – threatening more damaging wind gusts, power outages, large hail and possible tornadoes.

A slight risk for severe storms, level 2 of 5, stretches from northern South Carolina to southern New Jersey, including Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. Cities including Jackson, Birmingham, Atlanta, Charleston, Roanoke, Newark and New York are all under a marginal risk for severe storms.

Meanwhile, a separate storm system is bringing another slight risk of severe weather across parts of The Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Minnesota, including Rapid City and Pierre.

Severe weather has already battered parts of the US over the weekend, hitting Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Iowa.

There were at least eight reports of hail in Missouri on Saturday, including some reports house windows were broken by the frozen pellets, according to the National Weather Service. There were also several reports of severe wind, including in St. Louis, where large trees were uprooted, the NWS said.

The weather has created challenges for Americans planning to fly for the holiday. According to the tracking website FlightAware, at least 7,697 flights into, out of, or within the United States had been delayed as of 3 a.m. Monday. At least 464 US flights have been canceled Monday.

There were also over 214,000 homes and businesses across the East without power early Monday morning, including over 55,000 in Missouri, according to Poweroutage.us.

A flash flood warning was put into place for nearly five million people in Illinois, including residents of Chicago, due to thunderstorms and heavy rain. The rain caused delays and cancellations for some sporting events scheduled for Sunday in the Windy City: The Chicago Cubs had to push their game against the Cleveland Guardians back by several hours, and NASCAR had to alter its racing slate and truncate one of its scheduled races.

Extreme heat continues

As other parts of the country see stormy weather, over 30 million people are under heat alerts across the West Coast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas Monday.

Heat alerts continue for the Mid-Atlantic and will mainly include parts of the Carolinas and Virginia through the day on Monday. Raleigh could see heat indices up to 108, Charlotte could see heat indices up to 105 and Virginia Beach could see heat indices up to 109.

Parts of the Southwest and West will also be under heat alerts for the next few days, with excessive heat warnings spreading from southwest Arizona through central California and also into southern Nevada – where high temperatures could range from 105 to 115. Death Valley, California, could reach 125 degrees, and Phoenix, Arizona, could see high temperatures up to 115.

A Filipino ad agency has come under fire for using footage of other countries in a promotional video for the country’s new tourism campaign, “Love the Philippines.”

Days after the campaign launched on June 27, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said it was investigating allegations that the video contained several shots of countries other than the Philippines.

In a statement, the department said they sought confirmation on the originality and ownership of all materials used in the video multiple times and were “repeatedly assured” by the agency that everything was “in order.”

“The DOT did not pay, and will not pay for this material. The material can be attributed to the DDB,” Zara-Loyola said.

On Sunday, DDB Philippines issued a statement “profusely” apologizing for the “highly inappropriate” use of foreign stock footage in the video, which has since been taken down.

 The agency added that it’s “fully cooperating” with the investigation.

“The AVP (audio-visual presentation) in question, uploaded by the agency on social media, was intended to be a mood video to excite internal stakeholders about the campaign,” the agency said. “This was a DDB initiative to help pitch the slogan.”

‘Love the Philippines’ campaign

While the department insists “no public funds” were used for the video in question, they said they accept some responsibility for the backlash.

“The DOT holds the responsibility of promoting the country to the highest standard. Therefore, it will not hesitate to exact accountability and take the necessary action to protect the interest of the country even as it continues to exhaust all efforts to develop and promote the Philippine tourist industry,” the department said in its statement.

Frasco said the new campaign aims to reintroduce what the country has to offer post-pandemic.

“‘Love the Philippines’ is a recognition of our natural assets, our storied history, our rich culture and diversity. There is so much more to the Philippines than the fun and adventure that we have so far articulated to the world,” she said in a speech launching the new campaign.

However, controversy over the recent video may threaten the campaign’s future before it’s fully taken off.

If the issues aren’t resolved, Rep. Joey Salceda said he may question the continued use of government funds.

Inspectors are due at a North Carolina amusement park Monday as they continue investigating a roller coaster shuttered since shortly after a dad spotted a crack at the top of one of its steel support pillars.

The Fury 325 will stay closed until inspections and repairs happen, park officials have said. It’s one of the tallest and longest rides in a massive park that straddles the North and South Carolina state line.

Wagner reported the incident to the park’s guest services but still felt uneasy after he left, he said, “so, I called Charlotte Fire.”

“They called me back within 10 minutes and advised the ride was shut down,” he said.

Fury 325 is “the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America,” with a peak height of 325 feet and reaching 95 mph, the park says. A “giga” roller coaster has a drop between 300 and 399 feet, according to Kings Island amusement park in Ohio.

The rest of the Carowinds amusement and water park is open Monday, its website says.

All rides, including Fury 325, “undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity,” Carowinds said.

“Safety is our top priority,” it said, “and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.”

Rize province, on the Black Sea coast near Turkey’s northeast border with Georgia, is still largely unknown to many international travelers. Yet it is here that some of the country’s most untouched alpine terrains continue to fascinate nature lovers who want to take the road less traveled.

Away from Rize itself – the seaside city which lends its name to the province – the area’s valleys and plateaus, surrounded by high-altitude mountain ridges, have remained largely rural. With high rates of rainfall, Rize’s mountain villages (yayla) become a point of escape from summer temperatures.

Çamlıhemşin is the most attractive part of Rize province. A rural district surrounding Çamlıhemşin town, this is a place where nature remains mostly untouched. Simple guesthouses, cafes run by young people who left the city to live a simpler life, and artists who find inspiration in unspoiled tranquility lie at the heart of this area.

From the Black Sea coast, the road to Çamlıhemşin cuts through a mountainous valley of effervescent green, along the torrential Fırtına River that descends all the way from the Kaçkar mountains.

Time seems to have stood still in this place of pastures, valleys and high altitude alpine villages. Forestry, beekeeping and animal herding are still the main sources of income. Here’s what to do around Çamlıhemşin.

Traditional stays

Many of Çamlıhemşin’s traditional Karadeniz (Black Sea) houses, which have timber-frame facades, now serve as family-owned guesthouses where travelers can delve into local culture.

With a lack of dining options in the area, they’re mostly responsible for treating their guests to homecooked meals – most notably full Turkish breakfasts including local dish mıhlama, a mixture of melted cheese and cornmeal which is served hot with bread.

At Puli Mini Hotel a traditional Karadeniz house made of weathered chestnut wood and stone in Çamlıhemşin town center, almost every window looks directly out onto the Fırtına River, as fresh air tousles the simple white curtains in the six bedrooms. Puli’s café serves creative dishes made from local ingredients, from stuffed vine leaves to tavada hamsili pilav (baked anchovy pilaf).

A little further out of town, on the mountainside, Dudi Konak is quite the sight with its historic stone and wood façade exuding the aesthetic of a historic Karadeniz.

Built in the early 20th century by the Tarakçıoğlu family, who acquired their wealth as bakers and hoteliers in Russia, the dilapidated mansion has been meticulously renovated to house 24 modern rooms with views of the valley and beyond.

Life on high

Up in the mountains, around an hour south of Çamlıhemşin’s town center, Rize’s yayla (alpine villages) harbor the essence of local life and staying here is more akin to visiting a family in their mountain cabin.

Roads are often undeveloped, requiring a 4×4 vehicle, and the simple lodgings tend to be old Karadeniz houses with panoramic views from their high-altitude perches.

Staying in the yayla for a few days to trek through the green pastures and woods, discover wildflowers and breathe in the pristine air, is the most precious part of the Rize experience.

In alpine village Pokut, Zeyne and Ahmet Şişman have made visitors feel like family for years at their beautiful guesthouse Plato’da Mola. Facing the Fırtına Valley in all its undulating glory, the traditional village house has six rooms where guests wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread and the sound of cow bells outside.

The family’s homemade meals revolve around the milk from their free range cows and the boons of nature all around. You’ll find fresh clotted cream, cheese, butter, honey and jams, eggs from their own chickens, homemade bread, and produce from the garden.

In Gito, another village, retired couple Fatma and İbrahim Birben decided to open their own home to guests with the belief that beauty can only multiply when it’s shared.

Their guesthouse Son Mohikan Dağ Evi welcomes those who have longed for nature with its simple rooms and terrace overlooking the mountains. In the evenings, after a day spent exploring the plateau on foot, home-cooked meals are served followed by little concerts by the family – who all happen to be musicians.

A mountain castle

One of Rize’s most stunning sights, perhaps only rivaled by the Sümela Monastery near Trabzon, Zilkale castle appears suddenly in the middle of the valley, the snow-tipped peaks of the Kaçkar Mountains looming in the background.

The medieval castle is believed to have been built between the 14th and 15th centuries and some historians have suggested that it was originally an Armenian chapel built by the emperor of Trebizond, then turned into a castle by the Ottomans in the 19th century. Either way, the inner castle – accessible via a stone pathway – has excellent views of the valley from beyond the walls.

Where old meets new

About five miles south of Çamlıhemşin’s town center, the village of Şenyuva has become a kind of refuge for former city dwellers who have returned to their Rize roots to live a simple life.

Endearingly incongruous with its traditional surroundings, Zua Coffee is the village’s only third-wave coffee shop, run by Apo and Elif Taşkın, who moved here from Istanbul. A place for locals and visitors alike, the café serves espresso varieties with a calming view of nature. The couple are dedicated to foraging produce, and make desserts with ingredients such as elderflower, wild strawberries and blackberries.

“We thought that a quiet life in Rize would be enough for us, so we decided to live here together after we got married. Now we have a four year old son and a small circle of friends,” says Elif, who is originally from the area.

“Even though activities are limited here, being in nature creates a sense of wholesomeness. From the end of May until mid-October, the season for visiting the alpine villages begins. We recommend staying at one of the guesthouses to really experience the local culture and cuisine.

“We also strongly recommend using local guides to discover the trekking routes and to really experience the rich local culture. Online maps are not really enough, and the weather can be very unpredictable. Uğur Biryol at Pokutsal Tur is one of our most trusted guides.”

Next to Zua, Peri Dükkan’s baby blue door beckons you in to browse a beautiful assortment of Black Sea specialties with a local, sustainable and organic philosophy. Owner Deniz Demirci Tarakçı sells local honey vinegar, homemade syrups with endemic fruits and flowers, herbal teas from the Kaçkar mountains, candles, soaps, textiles and more.

Right across from Peri, Çinçiva Kafe is one of the few restaurants that serves authentic Black Sea fare. A traditional wooden house with a terrace above the river, the cafe’s full Turkish breakfast includes homemade pastries, jams and spreads, cheeses, olives and mıhlama – plus, endless rounds of freshly brewed Turkish tea. Lunch and dinner dishes include local trout cooked in butter, potatoes with clotted cream, düğün kızartması (a local dish of fried meat) and cornbread with vegetables.

The artists of Rize

No More Lies, one of Istanbul’s most respected street artists, is a native of Rize, having spent every summer in the mountains since his childhood. “Peace and tranquility are the essence of this place,” he says, “I had some friends from Istanbul come visit me and they didn’t leave the house for days, because even the view and the quiet were enough for them – they didn’t really need anything else.”

From his desk inside his home in the mountains, the artist looks out the window at the evergreen valley, often swathed in morning mist. “One of the main reasons why people come here are the yayla. My favorite is Elevit Yaylası because, unlike the others, you won’t find any cafes here, the residents only have their own homes and not much else,” he says.

“I would avoid Ayder Yaylası [one of the most popular villages], which has sadly become overcrowded and too touristic over the years. Instead, villages like Amlakit and Hazindağ are worth seeing for their natural beauty.”

After living in cities like Barcelona and Istanbul, then being a nomad for three years chasing after plants, botanical artist Işık Güner decided to settle in Rize in 2015, and now lives in a cabin on top of a mountain in the Fırtına Valley.

“I spent every summer in my childhood in Çamlıhemşin and if you had a good childhood, the memories, tastes and smells follow you throughout your life,” she says.

“Here, I’m surrounded by flowers, which is essential for my profession, and it’s impossible not to be inspired by this place.

“The state of tourism in Rize is not very pleasant because visitors often arrive without much knowledge about the local culture or the nature. They need to learn how to best travel through landscapes that are still very much untouched and wild, how to respect the flora and fauna.

“I think the purpose of coming to Rize shouldn’t be to rush through everything and take a few selfies. It should include staying for a while in a yayla, to really breathe in the air, to absorb nature’s fragrances, to drink from its streams. Perhaps only then can you understand where you are and become a part of this amazing natural world.”

Feride Yalav-Heckeroth is a freelance writer based between Istanbul and Lake Constance and the author of her own guidebook, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Istanbul. Her writing has been published in Kinfolk, Brownbook, The Travel Almanac, Wallpaper*, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.