If you're ok with Georgia, you should check out Batumi. It's a bustling coastal city that's seen impressive growth since independence. It's also pretty close

If you're ok with Georgia, you should check out Batumi. It's a bustling coastal city that's seen impressive growth since independence. It's also pretty close to Turkey, so there are land routes to Trabzon (and flights from there to Istanbul). Batumi is also known as Colchis, the destination for the Argonauts in Greek Mythology, so plenty of history & culture and great food. The Grand Tour did a special driving through Georgia to Azerbaijan if you want to get a feel for what the region looks like: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6068920/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6068920/