Azerbaijan is likely not at the top of many of our travel bucket lists, as it is not often mentioned when making an itinerary of a backpacking trip across Europe. Since our travels on this blog are virtual, we have the flexiblity to really dig in and find out all about Azerbaijan. I am so excited about the fascinating itinerary below. I am including videos and virtual tours whenever I am able to find them. Thanks for tagging along - Hope you enjoy!
Mapwork by @Slalice_Draws
TRAVEL & ACCOMODATIONS
As most of our excursions are planned for in and around the capital city of Baku, we will choose accommodations right downtown in the city, and will plan any daytrips from there whenever we plan to travel outside the city.
From Berlin, Germany, travel will be pretty straightforward. We will plan to travel for approximately 7 hours, including one stop each way in Istanbul. Roundtrip flights right now for this journey average approximately 400 Euros.
When we arrive in Baku, we will be staying at the Fairmont Baku, which is located within the famous and iconic Flame Towers.
ITINERARY
Baku Boulevard and 'Little Venice'
In the area around downtown we will take a walk along the nice, clean and well maintained boulevard. I am sharing this video because it is from the evening, and Baku lights up many of its attractions at night! The Boulevard has many games, shops, restaurants and things to see along the way, and it is right along the Caspian Sea, so we will enjoy the view as well!
While we are downtown, we will definitely want to take a quick ride on a gondola through the human-built 'Little Venice' series of canals that connect many of the restaurants, shops and attractions.
Azerbaijan is very well known for its beautifully woven intricate carpets and rugs of all sizes. While we are in Baku, we will be sure to visit the Carpet Museum, which is housed in a building architecturally designed to look like a rolled up carpet! The image below will transport us to a really cool virtual tour of the museum.
Also in Baku, we will visit the Miniature Book Museum, which is has been created as a passion project of its founder, Zarifa Salahova.
Once we have explored these attractions, we will be ready for a natural phenomenon. Azerbaijan is home to 45% of the world's mud volcanos, which are near freezing and worth visiting!
Another natural wonder in Azerbaijan is a mountain that burns 24 hours a day, all year long, due to the natural occurrence of crude oil below the surface. Azerbaijan is referred to as the 'Land of Fire' and always has revered its power.
Speaking of crude oil, we will visit a very unique town called Neft Daslari, that has been built entirely on oil platforms over the ocean since 1949 - there are hotels, homes, bakeries, roads, etc! Here is the trailer for a documentary that was made in recent years about the city.
After the stress of balancing in a city perched over the ocean all day, we will need a chance to relax. We will head to Naftalan Resort for some spa treatments. How relaxed will you be in a crude oil bath? Perhaps it will make us feel better to know that it is believed to be effective against psoriasis, arthritis and rhumatism!
On the way to the spa from Baku, we will stop at the small remote village of Zernava to pick up some souvenirs. Zernava is famous for its coppersmiths and traditional crafts. The only challenge is that the only way in and out of the village is a long suspension walking bridge!
After such a fun and action packed trip through Azerbaijan, we will need a lowkey day to enjoy some fun in the sun! We will head to the Amburan Beach Club, which is located on the Caspian Sea. This photo will get our imaginations brewing about all the sunshine, swimming and cocktails we will enjoy!
We are likely ready to wrap up our fun filled week of activities, but if we end up with an extra day, we should consider heading a bit out of town to Yanar Bulaq, which translates to "Burning Spring" and is one of the rare places on Earth that combines two natural elements - water and fire, and drinks from this spout supposedly offer healing powers, and has seemingly sparked its own religion:
Phew! Such a fun virtual trip! What caught your attention the most?
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