Azerbaijan straddles Europe and Asia on the Caspian shore, blending oil-boom modernism with ancient fire-worship and Silk Road heritage. Baku dazzles with curving avenues and a UNESCO walled core, while inland the land climbs through vineyards to the Greater Caucasus. Mud volcanoes bubble across semi-desert plains, carpet-weaving villages cling to mountainsides, and tea is poured in pear-shaped glasses everywhere. The mix of Soviet, Persian and Turkic influences gives it a…
James Bond ran across Baku's rooftops in “The World Is Not Enough” (1999) — long before F1 took over the same streets.
At Yanar Dag, “the burning mountain”, a natural gas flame has danced non-stop for decades — hence the nickname “land of fire”.
The old city Icherisheher (UNESCO) is best lost in on foot. An eSIM helps: Bolt in Baku, funicular tickets online and the Caspian wind checked before the seafront promenade.