Traveling from Russia to Baku by car: photo report and review. Distant and close Baku

• 26 october 2017

The thirst for travel, like an appetite, always comes with a meal, and in our case, during the trip itself. No matter how it sounds, albeit a tautology, it is completely about Seryozha and me.

It all started with the fact that we went on a long-planned honeymoon trip to Georgia, having previously thought about a desired and overgrown with dreams photo session in a white dress and suit against the backdrop of mountain landscapes. By the way, our gorgeous photos are already ready, you can see them and read the background - in.

Literally on the third day of our stay in Georgia, something took me into my head not to go home yet, but to continue our journey in the Azerbaijani capital, in the city of Baku. The countries are neighbors, therefore, without hesitation, we bought tickets from Tbilisi to Baku. Just an hour and a half and we are in the richest and most luxurious city in the Caucasus.

The architecture of Baku amazes from the moment of arrival at the Heydar Aliyev Airport, which, although small in size, has been ranked first as the most comfortable airport in the world for several years in a row. In the city itself, regardless of whether it is the center or the outskirts, there are good and wide roads, a lot of expensive cars and fashion boutiques and restored facades of buildings.

Maiden's Tower



Fountain in the Philharmonic Garden

When starting to explore the city, remember that Azerbaijanis are very sociable and communicative, do not mind and even like to be photographed. Just please, don't be like Indians or Chinese - don't take photos of people on the sly and don't stoop to stupid selfies, especially without permission.

Baku people for backgammon

Where is the best place to stay in Baku:

• the best hostel in Baku: Freedom Hostel;
• hotels in Baku through the service Edem-v-gosti.ru;
• Best Budget Hotel: Akvilon Hotel
• Best Mid-Range Hotel: Seven Rooms Boutique Hotel
• Best Luxury Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel.

Do you want to choose another hotel in Baku? Click on the link to see the entire list

Also check the listing of Baku apartments on Airbnb. Click here to get a € 34 discount on your first Airbnb booking.

It is impossible to get bored in Baku, but there is a certain, my personal hit-parade of things that must be done in the capital of Azerbaijan. Hope you appreciate;)

1. Drink a million liters of tea

In any cafe, under any circumstances and in general - there is no time to explain - drink tea! Good Azerbaijani leaf tea is called "black gold" in the country. By the way, you can buy a good one at. Azerbaijanis brew tea in teapots with a displacement of at least 500 ml and pour it into curved crystal glasses called armuds. Everything is pretty prosaic, except for a special presentation. Be sure to order a couple of small bowls with different jams for tea: from white cherries to figs. Interesting pastries are also served as a bite to tea, for example, shekerbura, baklava or mutaki. In all these products, the filling is walnut, from the principle "the rich are, the more happy." During tea drinking, do not rush and do not forget to thank life for the fact that it is so wonderful with you!

It is best to drink tea with a view of the sea and the city, for example, in the tea house Çay Bağı 145, which is located next to the Maiden Tower.

Sea view from the teahouse
In the photo, shekerbourg in a plate

2. Meet the locals

The point that is simply impossible not to implement in Baku. As I wrote above, Azerbaijanis are very contactable. Only upon arrival in the capital did a woman write to me on Facebook (!), Who offered to show us Baku free of charge at any time of the day. Either from boredom, or from pride in their native country, or simply - to communicate and meet new people. I love that! No need to look for a guide in Baku - he will find you himself! I’m already silent about our housemate, and we settled right in the heart of the old town of Icheri Sheher - he, as the owner of a travel agency, did not give us a pass: he offered wine, and tea, and talk: D

By the way, seals in Baku are also local residents, if you are the same “cat” as we are, do not pass by - cuddle fluffy handsome men. Well, nobody forbids taking a trillion photos.

Baku cats

3. Love carpets

I read somewhere that if you did not fall in love with Azerbaijani carpets and did not want to buy one for yourself, consider that you have not been to Azerbaijan! A joke in which everything is true. I had to cry for a long time over one brand new carpet from a souvenir shop, but Seryozha was adamant and kept asking where we would put him. The carpet was never brought home. Don't repeat our mistakes. The fashion for everything authentic is back, and your new renovation is definitely missing a small carpet by the sofa.

Here is one of these little rugs that would do.

In another souvenir shop, I was even offered to feel the energy of old antique and very expensive carpets, just sticking my hands between them. But apart from the awkwardness and the strange smell of stale carpets, of course, I felt nothing.

Azerbaijan carpets

4. Find locations from the movie "The Diamond Hand"

Quests have already been drawn up for tourists in Baku, having previously marked the locations from the film on the map. Such an entertaining and very addictive program. It was in Baku that foreign scenes from the "Diamond Hand" were filmed. If you go to the right, you will see tourists on Kichik Gala Street, falling to the fifth point and shouting "Damn it!" that spirit.

The same pharmacy

5. Try Azerbaijani pilaf

Azerbaijani pilaf in its variations is prepared with lamb and with additions of dried fruits, nuts and chestnuts. Saffron and turmeric are used as aromatic spices. Ideally, the most delicious pilaf can only be visited when visiting. As one local resident told me, Azerbaijanis go to a restaurant solely to eat barbecue (kebab), and they cook the rest at home. Arrange for yourself a quest to find the best national pilaf in Baku. Most of the restaurants of national cuisine are located within Icheri Sheher, but I was recommended one outside the city - with a special design, a huge territory, live music, which is called Gala Bazaar (here restaurant page on Facebook).

6. See the famous Flame Towers

The visiting card of evening Baku is Flame Towers or Flame Towers. The towers and their light animation are visible from almost every point of the old city and throughout the entire Neftyanikov Avenue and the Primorsky Boulevard of Baku. The buildings resemble three flames and are illuminated with a fire or water animation that fills the towers. After a couple of minutes, the picture changes and now a man with the flag of Azerbaijan walks around each tower in a circle. The spectacle is worth all attempts to photograph it at night with shutter speed.

Flame Towers in all its glory

7. Go to the local market

In my humble opinion, visiting local markets is a must-have for a good trip. I absolutely do not miss this tourist attraction anywhere. For new experiences, go to Yashyl ​​Bazaar, where you can buy vitamin bombs and sweets home for your family and friends. Recently, a whole article with an assortment. Do not forget to visit the souvenir market in the center of Icheri Sheher.

Souvenir shops in the Old Town

8. Visit the Heydar Aliyev Center

This architectural masterpiece, designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid, won the first place in the ranking of the most beautiful buildings in the world back in 2014 and was named after the third President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. The former ruler is a key figure in Azerbaijani history. You can learn about the historical details of the country inside the building where the museum and numerous exhibitions are located: from folk musical instruments and clothing to Aliyev's personal collection of cars.

Space!

9. Take a ride in an eggplant taxi

It is these cars that carry the British in the capital of Great Britain, only the cabs are black. And in Baku, eggplant cabs. These photogenic cars do not catch the first click of the shutters of tourist photoguns.

Well, the dude!

10. Swim in the Caspian Sea

If you are gathering for a short time in Baku, then this can be a ready-made program for at least a weekend. Therefore, I wish you easy travel and pleasant memories!

If you want to supplement the list, do not be afraid to write your options in the comments;) In the meantime, you think, I will show you our final video from Azerbaijan:

My report on Baku is in the form of a friendly instruction and is full of subjective practical comments based on my own experience. Consists of three parts. The first, which is presented below, is devoted to various practical questions that may arise from those who are going to visit the capital of Azerbaijan in the near future. The third part will also come in handy in this case, it is dedicated to restaurants and bars in Baku. And the second is a large photo report on the sights, and it may be of interest even to those who have not yet made a final decision. You will find links to these parts and other useful resources at the end of the post.

Almost any journey starts at the airport. Coming out of the plane and passing all the controls, you instantly plunge into a new, unfamiliar environment. Acquaintance with her, like it or not, you have to start with currency exchange... The Azerbaijani Manat at the rate is approximately equal to the Euro, which greatly simplifies the understanding of the cost of everything around.

Having obtained local money, again like it or not, it will have to be carried by taxi drivers. Oh, those Azerbaijani taxi drivers! Such familiar to any Muscovite, they, of course, soften the immersion in a foreign culture a little, creating the deceptive feeling that you have not gone anywhere. Unknowingly, we gave the first taxi that came across 40 manats to the center. Don't repeat our mistakes! Now there will be the most important information that you need to remember if you are going to Baku; with the rest, if anything, you will somehow figure it out along the way. You have probably already watched both issues of "Eagle and Reshka" about this city and are aware that English cabs were purchased in Baku for Eurovision. So, this is not just a funny attraction that you can ride once for a tick, as we first thought. This, in the end, turned out to be the most important means of transportation on our journey. They carry clearly on the counter, and their price tag is much more humane than that of private traders. So, the road for us, already experienced, back to the airport from the hotel cost 13 (!) Manats. Where can I find them, these cabs? In general, they constantly scurry back and forth, and are constantly on duty at the main points. But, just in case, it is better to get a couple of other business cards - almost every taxi driver has them. How do I find them? Well ... they look like this:

That is, just like English, only purple.
What are their advantages, besides the prices? They are very spacious, and the lack of a trunk is more than compensated for by this. If necessary, six people can climb into the cab: there are additional reclining seats. The cabin has air conditioning. And on top of that, there is a button that turns off the driver if we don't want to listen to him. Fine!
In general, you see "eggplant" - take it!

Well, since we are talking about local people, it's time to talk about some peculiarities of communication... First and foremost is the language. In a country that has changed the alphabet 4 times over the past century, this is difficult. Many, especially the older generation, speak Russian, some are better, some are worse. And almost no one speaks English, not even young people. So I recommend having a business card of the hotel or a note with the address of the place where you are going. Well, or at least remember some names that you can navigate by talking to a taxi driver or asking passers-by. In general, if you are going to walk a lot, I recommend downloading some offline maps to your phone. For example, I use the CityMaps2Go app. You can actually find almost all corners of the world with them, and you can make your own marks, which is very convenient.

Second. National characteristics... Despite the fact that the city looks very modern, and young people in Baku dress in European style, do not forget that you are in a Muslim country. So, it is not customary to turn to an unfamiliar woman here. This works not only in the sense that you shouldn't force your communication to strangers too much, but in the opposite direction too. If you are traveling as a heterosexual couple like us, then you will have to accept the fact that they will only talk to a man. Well, that is, not stupid and offensive ignore - no, everything looks, in the main, very polite and harmless. For example, it is useless for a woman to try to explain to a taxi driver where to go. You will kill a lot of time, you will lose heart, and he, it turns out, is just waiting for your husband to have his say. Because here traditionally all decisions are made by a man.
In a restaurant, the waiter will always turn to the man and leave the last word for him. Well, that is, it’s not that he didn’t listen at all to what the woman was saying to him, but all clarifying questions, writing down your order, he would direct the man and look only at him. And by the way, almost everywhere only men work as waiters. For all the time we met only one female waitress.
Apparently, for the same deeply rooted traditional considerations, in institutions you rarely see women. Especially in places with a bright national bias. And especially in bars. Here it should be noted that establishments of the "Ginza" level here are already considered premium, and they don't just go there, but gather about. Therefore, it is not uncommon to meet expensively dressed Azeri women there. Families go there. And the family, by the way, is valued here above all else.
But about food and restaurants later.

clothing... The men's dress code for Baku is very well detailed in this GQ article. In short, expensive brands and jackets are loved and appreciated here, and shorts are disliked.
I can give girls advice based on my own experience. First. Short skirts and shorts are best left at home. Not that it is prohibited or practiced here, but it can make you feel uncomfortable. Believe me, you will be eye-catching and eye-catching anyway. The same can be said about the neckline and other similar things.
Second. The wind almost always blows in Baku. Draw conclusions.
Third. Cobblestone. The entire Old City is paved with it. So we leave the heels for the evening or for walking along the embankment (attention, very strong wind!).
Well, in fact, it doesn't hurt to always have a scarf with you for all occasions. It will be cold - you will wrap it around your neck, it will be hot - you will throw it over your head, you will go on an excursion to a mosque - on your face (just kidding, I have not seen excursions to mosques there. Just kidding).

By the way, about the weather... On the May holidays, while we were there, the heat-straight heat was only one day. The rest of the time, the scorching sun was offset by a cool wind. Accordingly, sun cream will not hurt, a jacket, too, as well as sunglasses. I have already spoken about the constant wind.
Sea... The sea is warming up slowly. There are no equipped beaches within the city limits. Rather, there are none at all: the entire Baku Gulf of the Caspian Sea is dressed in the granite of Primorsky Boulevard, along which everyone loves to walk very elegantly.

Here, as you know, exposing your bikinis is somehow not comme il faut. So for the beaches you have to go out of town. Fortunately, there are plenty of specially designed beach complexes and villages here. The best beaches are considered to be on the northern coast of the Absheron Peninsula, on the southern coast of which Baku is located. The sea is cleaner there, they say. We visited only one such place, and it is located almost within the city limits. Looks quite tempting for an escape from the summer heat of the city.

If you, nevertheless, came to Baku for the sake of Baku, and not for the beaches, then personally I would recommend choosing accommodation in the area of ​​Torgovaya Street, aka Nizami.
It is definitely not worth settling in the Old Town: it is, more often than not, unreasonably expensive and inconvenient. A taxi will not be able to call in there, tourists always shy away, and in the evening everything dies out.

Large hotels, such as the Hilton or the Four Seasons, located on Primorsky Boulevard, of course, are good in their own way, but they are expensive and not interesting in and of themselves. For flavor and hospitality, head to local small hotels. Depending on the price and location, the color-comfort ratio will naturally vary. And, of course, you shouldn't settle too far from the center, where the search for a place for a successfully slept breakfast can be delayed. And decent coffee will be almost impossible to find.

In general, everyone in Baku drinks constantly tea... Anything is put into it - from the already familiar thyme with lemon, to an overly fragrant clove. And as sugar they often give a kind of our "Lady". Iranian black tea is especially appreciated by the locals. I highly recommend, weather permitting, a cup of tea at the outdoor cafe near the Maiden Tower. Be sure to try the local baklava and jam from whatever you want. By the way, tea in Baku is made in samovars. I have not even seen so many samovars in Tula.

Yes, there are a lot of cats in Baku. The old town, aka Icheri-Sheher, where you will undoubtedly go first, I remember, first of all, for its narrow stone streets and cats, who carefully inspect their possessions. This makes it very similar to old Mediterranean towns.

But about the sights later, and now let's get back to practical things. The first thing that catches your eye in the Old City is the carpets laid out and hung everywhere right on the streets. That's all for you: the locals would hardly think of buying such things here at "tourist" prices. And we will have to, if we want to bring home from the trip locals souvenirs... Carpets are laid out on the street to demonstrate the quality of the goods - you can safely walk on them with your feet. The price depends on the size, quality and material from which the carpet is woven. There are not so many other souvenirs, so be prepared for the fact that by the end of the third day of wandering around the city, the idea of ​​buying an Azerbaijani carpet will already seem quite reasonable to you.

For healthier purchases, head to market... Well, really, what is the eastern city without the Bazaar? The so-called New Market, or Teze Bazar, is located within walking distance from the center. We go into the depths of the market, find sellers of fresh sturgeon and sneakily wonder if there is caviar. They look at you appraisingly, and then take you into a room with a table, a refrigerator and walls covered with branded state labels from black caviar. Usually sellers have a couple of varieties in stock - for example, sturgeon and beluga. Everyone will give it a try. They will roll up the jar right in front of you. The price varies from 80 to 110 manats per bottle. You can freely export from the country one 100-gram jar per person.

We managed to get a jar of beluga caviar (it has larger and lighter eggs) for 100 manats. To go on this fishing fully armed, I suggest reading the information on this topic in advance. The most important rule: the lighter the black caviar, the more valuable it is, no matter how strange it may sound.

What else is interesting in the market?
The first is, of course, grenades, which are undoubtedly one of the symbols of Azerbaijan.

In the spring, the grenades, as you know, are not the same. Therefore, they are not so easy to eat, but juice is made from them, abundantly diluting it with water. Beware, the strong acidity of this juice awakens the appetite very quickly. In addition to freshly squeezed juice, the Narsharab pomegranate sauce is very much appreciated, which is traditionally served here with fish.

The second is delicious Baku tomatoes and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. We didn't have much luggage with us, so we stocked it up well on the last day before departure. For such thrifty tourists, they sell wonderful wooden boxes with a carrying handle and with a beautiful inscription "Baki" - a great souvenir, I think. The boxes cost 8-18 manats, depending on the size. Vegetable prices are highly dependent on your own charisma and the seller's mood. But they, in any case, are several times lower than those for the same products on the Moscow markets. But it's not about the prices! Do not deny yourself the pleasure of bargaining and shopping at a real oriental bazaar!

While everything is carefully stacked for you in boxes and clogged with lids on top, walk along the rows.
The third thing you need to buy here is jam made from whole walnuts. If this is a novelty for you, then I explain: it is made from still young "milk" nuts, therefore they are eaten right with the shell. Unfortunately, most likely no one will give you the jam here. Therefore, I advise you to try different varieties in some cafe in advance in order to go here for specific species.

The fourth is, of course, local spices and herbs. I think the main things to pay attention to are thyme and sumac. If with the first, most likely, everything is more or less clear, then it is worth dwelling on the second in more detail. In fact, sumac is ground dried barberry. It can often be seen on the table along with salt and pepper in local cafes. It has a pleasant sour taste, so it goes well with meat dishes and cheese.

As for the local cheese, to be honest, I was not impressed by it. Almost all of its types with difficult-to-remember names end up looking like very salty feta cheese. I liked only one kind - soft curd cheese, which was served to us rolled in small balls in sumach. But this is in a restaurant. And we go back to the market.
It remains to note only a couple of products that you need to take exactly on the market - these are flat cakes. Why a couple? Because there are both ordinary tandoor and fruit cakes here. We read about the latter in the article I mentioned and were already desperate to look for them: none of the sellers stubbornly understood what we needed. Until one of the more experienced buyers told us that, most likely, they mean homemade marshmallows, which are rolled into thin cakes here from apples and cherry plums.
On this with the market, perhaps, you can finish and go for the rest of the delicious purchases in the supermarket. There you have to take baklava and various Caspian fish delicacies, except for caviar. Pomegranate sauce is probably also better to take there, just ask the sellers which one is produced in Azerbaijan.

What kind difficulties can occur with products? Already in Moscow at the airport, when we received our luggage and headed, it was, towards the exit, a certain employee stopped us and asked for certificates for imported products, which, of course, we did not have. According to him, any products imported from Azerbaijan are subject to certification. if there are no certificates, then it is necessary to send for examination, which will take at most 1 month. I don’t know how this is done correctly, but after a short bickering about the fact that we’re not going to trade in this, we just went further our own way, when the employee was distracted by other happy owners of beautiful Baku boxes.

Concerning other purchases, then you, of course, can go shopping on Torgovaya Street (Nizami) or on more glamorous brands on Neftchiler (aka Neftyanikov Avenue, which runs along the embankment), but something tells me that you won't surprise you with rags.
What else catches your eye on the streets of Baku is the abundance of interior shops. It can be seen that the city is actively being built.

Construction- this is the trouble and joy of modern Baku. Joy - for the population of a country prosperous at the expense of oil money. And the trouble is for them and you and me, tourists, for whom less and less authenticity and antiquity remains in this city. It pleases the eye when, behind the facades lined with light local sandstone, you hardly recognize the typical Soviet buildings that have spoiled the appearance of more than one beautiful city.

But it makes you even more sad when you see that even the streets of the Old City are gradually being filled with "remakes", and no one is watching over the safety of old houses, because they are mainly occupied by poor old people, who, by the way, only consider themselves to be real Bakuvians. and some of them even remember how the shooting of "The Diamond Arm" took place here.

But I would rather write about the sights separately, because this is more related to the functional part than to the organizational one. And in this article, I will finally touch on sources of information which we used and what we managed to dig up about Baku, since we could not find a paper guide in our chaotic collections.
1. The same article in GQ, which is called "Why you need to go to Baku right now". From there, we gleaned almost all the tips on restaurants that we ended up visiting.
2. The two issues of "Eagle and Reshka" I mentioned - one when they were there before Eurovision, the other after.
3. Program of the "Planet" channel "Restless Night" about Baku, which can be found on YouTube and advice on Baku from the same author.
4. Information about excursions we found in the information center near the Maiden Tower. There we met a friendly woman who spoke Russian well, and then a private guide Ali, star Yu-tube, who brought us out of the brain with an unceasing stream of his motley consciousness, consisting of a mixture of data, rumors, legends and outright delirium, mixed with fragments of his colorful biography, pulled from everywhere.
5. Just in case, once again a link to my favorite application with offline maps.

A few years ago, the capital of Azerbaijan could not be called a popular tourist city, but now everything is changing rapidly. The main city of our closest neighbor turns out to be no less interesting than other European cities.

Thanks to the oil industry, Baku is growing and actively developing, city planners have grandiose plans for the development of the city, but even now it has something to surprise even sophisticated tourists.

123RF / ververidis

What to see

The Baku Old City, in the local Icheri Sheher, surrounded by a perfectly preserved fortress wall, is vividly captured in the film "The Diamond Arm" - it was in Baku in 1968 that "foreign" episodes of the cult film were filmed.

The Old Town has a special atmosphere, in its cozy side streets, paved with cobblestones, small hotels, ancient mosques, baths, cafes and numerous souvenir shops are hidden.

Anna Ivanova

Icheri Sheher and its two main pearls - the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs - are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Most of all, Baku impresses with the contrast of ancient and modern architecture.

The old city and the glass skyscrapers "Flame Towers" visible from everywhere in one frame are the calling card of the metropolis, you will see them on any postcards.

123RF / andreyshevchenko

The Flame Towers, built five years ago, are the pride of Baku; now they are the tallest buildings in the city. There is a large observation deck next to the towers, which offers an excellent view of the entire Baku bay. You can go up there on the free funicular, which departs from the embankment.

In addition to the three notable towers in Baku, there are many other interesting modern projects. The first of these, you will most likely see the unusual building of the international airport. The most impressive, without a doubt, is the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, designed by the famous Iranian architect Zaha Hadid. A huge white structure with a streamlined shape, entirely woven of smooth lines with intricate curves, in 2014 was recognized as the best building in the world.

Anna Ivanova

No less impressive are the projects that have yet to be realized. A lotus-shaped shopping center, a grandiose crescent hotel are under construction, the White City is growing on the shores of the Caspian Sea - a promising area of ​​new buildings of different architectural styles and purposes. The scale of all these projects reflects Baku's desire to be on a par with the largest European capitals. As well as the holding of the Formula 1 Grand Prix since 2016 on the track laid in the very center, around the Old Town.

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In addition to its appearance, Baku has something to show from the inside: local museums use interactive technologies to the utmost. It is worth climbing the Maiden Tower, on several floors of which its main legends are told in detail; study the exposition of the semi-dark halls of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in order to delve into the history of Azerbaijan; then move on to contemporary art at the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, where, in addition to futuristic interiors, you can see models of the most beautiful buildings in the city.

Anna Ivanova

Also, do not ignore the Carpet Museum - an unusual building designed in the form of a rolled-up carpet, where the creations of different schools of carpet weaving are exhibited.

Not all the charm of Baku can be appreciated by daylight, so do not miss the opportunity to stroll around the city in the evening when it gets dark. Spectacular street illumination, illumination of buildings and fountains cannot fail to impress. The Flame Towers are especially good at this time of day, with their changing lighting.

A spoon of tar

Everything can not be exceptionally good - any city has its drawbacks. In Baku, first of all, be prepared for traffic jams, especially in the historical center, where there are many narrow streets and there are problems with parking.

The second thing that may surprise you unpleasantly is the abundance of construction projects. This is the flip side of a rapidly growing city, a massive and natural phenomenon.

Anna Ivanova

Non-smoking tourists will inevitably face a problem when visiting Baku restaurants. There is no smoking ban in Azerbaijan, as well as a division into smoking and non-smoking rooms. You will have to endure cigarette smoke in the hall or choose uncrowded establishments where you are less likely to meet smoking visitors at the next table.

What to try

One of the main advantages of Baku is its national cuisine, which includes many dishes from lamb, which Azerbaijanis know how to cook like no other. These are the well-known kutabs, dolma, lyulya-kebab, lesser-known jiz-byz, saj, piti, kufta-bozbash, dushbara and several types of pilaf.

123RF / olepeshkina

In addition, they are no less specialists in exquisite oriental desserts.

All these dishes are not only tasty, but also very affordable, especially now, when the rate of the Azerbaijani manat has fallen along with the price of oil.

Attitude towards Russian tourists

Since Azerbaijan is a former union republic of the USSR, many local residents have close ties with Russia. Russian tourists are extremely friendly; in some homely cozy establishments they can ask with interest where you are from, and then bring a treat from the restaurant.

Almost all local residents in Baku speak Russian, except that in some situations they can switch to English.

When to go

Azerbaijan is a sunny country, so at any time of the year there is a high probability of seeing clear weather. The coldest month is January, at which time there is snow in the mountains, and strong winds blow throughout the country. Whereas on the coast (where Baku is located) there is no snow, but the temperature can fluctuate from 0 to 12 degrees Celsius, which is quite comfortable for walking around the city.

123RF / Magdalena Paluchowska

For those who are not attracted to travel in the cold season, it is better to choose a warm season: in April everything blooms on the coast, and real summer begins in May. Do not forget that the Azerbaijani capital is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, and there are well-equipped beaches in the vicinity of Baku.

It takes about 3-4 days to explore any major city. Baku is no exception, but if, in addition to the capital, you want to see other places, you should plan more time, depending on the volume of plans.

How to navigate

Perhaps the best way for a tourist to travel is on foot. Thanks to walking, you can better orient yourself in the city and gradually penetrate into its very essence.

But not all distances are within the strength of the legs, sometimes you cannot do without transport. In the case of Baku, it is worth using the metro - at least to get an idea of ​​it.

For short distances, the local taxi "eggplant" is well suited - these are cabs purchased in London for Eurovision 2012 - spacious comfortable taxis that run by the meter. To travel to and from the airport, you can use the well-known Uber taxi system: calling a car is convenient, since there is free Wi-Fi at the airport.

What to bring

The numerous souvenir shops of the Old City sell famous carpets, elements of Azerbaijani clothing and household textiles. Pay attention to colorful jewelry and national dishes, for example, armuds (pear-shaped tea glasses) or original table souvenirs in the form of pomegranates.

123RF / alexmama

It is also worth taking a closer look at regional food and drinks - friends and family will surely be delighted with oriental sweets and good wine.