Baku and beyond: a first trip to Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan packs a lot of variety into a small country: a modern capital on the Caspian Sea, semi-desert rocklands, hillsides that burn day and night, and green towns in the foothills of the Caucasus. It is a place where East and West, old and new, sit side by side.

Baku: the old city and the new skyline

The capital, Baku, lies on the Absheron Peninsula on the shore of the Caspian Sea. The heart of the city is Icherisheher, the walled old town: narrow stone streets, caravanserais and bathhouses. Together with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

Step outside the walls and a different Baku begins. The three flame-shaped Flame Towers light up the night sky and can be seen from across the city. The Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid, is an icon of contemporary architecture with its flowing white form. And the Boulevard along the seafront is where the city goes for its evening walk.

Absheron: burning hills and rock art

The area around Baku explains why Azerbaijan is called the 'land of fire'. At Yanar Dag, natural gas seeping from the ground feeds flames that burn continuously along the hillside.

At Gobustan, south-west of Baku, thousands of carvings in the rocks tell the story of human life here over thousands of years: hunters, dancers, animals and boats. The Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was added to the UNESCO list in 2007. The area is also known for its mud volcanoes.

Sheki: a khan's palace in the mountains

Sheki, in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, is one of the most visited places in the country after Baku. The Palace of the Sheki Khans, with its colourful stained-glass windows and painted interiors, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 together with the town's historic centre.

Don't leave Sheki without trying two things: Sheki halva, made with layers of thin dough and nuts, and piti, a meat dish cooked in clay pots.

Food and tea

Plov is the crown of the Azerbaijani table; on special occasions shah plov, baked inside a crust of thin dough, is a show of its own. Dolma, qutab and kebabs are part of everyday meals.

Tea is hospitality itself: served in pear-shaped armudu glasses, often with jam or sugar on the side. Spending hours in a teahouse is one of the most enjoyable ways to get to know the country.

Good to know

• Language: Azerbaijani is a Turkic language; Russian and, increasingly, English are also heard in Baku.
• Festivals: Novruz, the spring festival, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in March.
• Seasons: spring and autumn are the most comfortable for city and mountain trips; Baku is famous for its wind.