Old City Baku
Sights
The heart of Baku, located within the walls of the Icheri Sheher fortress.
architecture
8/10
entertainments
6/10
nature
7/10
restaurants
9/10
tourist popularity
8/10
Baku Travel Guide
Baku is the most luxurious, but at the same time cozy city in the CIS. It combines pleasant European architecture, the dynamics of a large modern city and notes of oriental charm.
Despite the fact that Baku was the center of the oil industry, we noticed how quickly the city's image has been transformed recently.
Now Baku is a bright, beautiful and very neat city. And by the way, it is noticeable how reverently the Bakuvians treat their history, they manage to renew the city, preserving its authentic appeal.
Baku is safe and tourists are loved. Local residents are hospitable, cordial and speak Russian well. Therefore, most of the city's guests are Russian speakers.
We like Azerbaijan at any time of the year, but locals recommend coming in March during Navruz, or in September to have time to swim in the Caspian Sea.
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Maiden Tower
Sights
The ancient fortress building of the Old City is a symbol of all of Azerbaijan.
Local guides tell many legends about the Maiden Tower and its purpose. Now it is just a museum. The most interesting thing is at the top - the observation deck. The height of the Maiden Tower is only 28 meters, but this will be enough to examine the Old Town and its surroundings in more detail. But be prepared to walk several long flights of stairs.
The Diamond Arm Cafe
Restaurant
A café based on the film “The Diamond Arm” with wax figures of the main characters.
“The Diamond Arm” is a cult comedy for the entire Soviet people, which has been watched year after year in almost every home for over 50 years. It was here that the legendary scene of the fall of the main actor Andrei Mironov was filmed, which many Russian tourists are trying to repeat. We advise you to stay until the next actor appears.
We did not eat in the cafe itself, it did not seem attractive to us from the outside.
Philharmonic Garden
Parks and reserves
A park along the walls of the Old City. Sometimes called the Governor's Garden, due to its proximity to the governor's house.
This is a fantastically beautiful park! It is amazing that parrots have been living in this park for many years. There is a high probability of meeting them in winter, since there are not many people in the park, and the trees shed their leaves. Be sure to go and see them.
Old Outer City of Baku
Insta places
Low-rise residential development outside the Old City walls.
Everything here seems to be a toy. Cute little houses with carved balconies, dancing lamp posts, painted mailboxes. And the most interesting thing is that they draw unusual entrance doors for themselves.
Nizami Ganjavi Museum
Sights
The Museum of Azerbaijani Literature with statues of famous cultural figures on the facade.
The architecture of the building captivated us with its oriental temperament. It is obvious that it is being restored in a timely manner and they are trying to expand it over the years.
The facades are richly decorated with lighting, so we recommend taking a stroll past in the evening.
Nizami Street
Sights
The main pedestrian street of Baku.
People come to Baku to try the delicious local food. We recommend staying within walking distance of Nizami Street to have the opportunity to dine in a new place every day. There are a huge number of restaurants, coffee shops, hookah bars concentrated here, and I would like to note that they maintain a high standard of service.
In addition, the architecture of the buildings here is clearly reminiscent of European cities. It is especially beautiful to walk during the evening illumination.
Heydar Aliyev Center
Entertainments
A modern cultural centre. The building's architectural design won the London Design Museum award in 2014.
Many call it a model of modern architecture and design. We are not experts, but we think the building looks impressive.
The most interesting thing is inside: they managed to present their history and national culture quite vividly and interestingly. The halls are full of interactive exhibits, some objects can be touched and examined up close. In general, you will not get bored.
Nagorniy Park
Parks and reserves
The main viewing platform of Baku.
From the Nagorniy Park you can see all the main sights of the city. The Baku embankment is in full view, and on the other side is a view of the Flame Towers. We recommend coming here before sunset to capture two completely different views of Baku.
Flame Towers
Sights
A complex of three skyscrapers that has become a modern symbol of Baku.
This trinity can be seen literally from any point in the city. The high-rises look especially colorful when the evening illumination in the form of flames or the bright flag of Azerbaijan is turned on.
Winter Park
Parks and reserves
The square is more than 1 km long and stretches along the historical center of Baku.
It is worth visiting the Winter Park not for the landscapes, but for the architecture that surrounds it. And it is best to visit in the evening. The peculiarity of Baku is that they do not spare any expense on lighting the city. Baku will be brightly decorated with lights until late at night.
National Carpet Museum
Entertainments
The main museum of Azerbaijan, where the largest collection of carpets is collected.
For many, carpets have become a thing of the past, but in Azerbaijan, carpet weaving is a separate art form that they are trying to preserve and pass on to the new generation.
The architecture of the building is, to put it mildly, strange. Especially in comparison with the architectural design of the Heydar Aliyev Center.
Little Venice in Baku
Entertainments
Water recreation area on Primorsky Boulevard.
It turns out that this romantic space with artificial canals was built more than 50 years ago. Not long ago, it was restored, updated, and real Italian gondolas were brought in.
Numerous bridges run from one bank to the other, and the length of the canals is about 1,500 meters.
In the summer season, there are many people who want to ride gondolas; the space is popular with both locals and tourists from the capital.
Deniz Mall
Entertainments
Shopping center on the pedestrian embankment.
It's hard to surprise anyone with a shopping mall these days, but thanks to its architecture, the building has already become a symbol of Baku.
Be prepared to spend a significant amount here if you decide to sit down at a table in a cafe or restaurant - due to the location and view, the prices are greatly inflated.
Cactus Garden
Parks and reserves
Alley of exotic cacti on Primorsky Boulevard.
It is very unexpected to see such a variety of huge cacti in Baku. But you can see them only in summer, since in the cold season most of the specimens are covered.
Heydar Mosque
Sights
A modern mosque on the outskirts of Baku.
In our opinion, this is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, in its unique sand style. It is far to get there, but it will be a good reason to ride the Baku metro - the underground transport here is clean and quite new. Taxis are inexpensive, you can get there from the center for literally a couple of dollars.
White City
Sights
A new district in Baku on the territory of former oil refineries.
In Baku, they are actively fighting for the city's image to get rid of the stigma of a black oil center. One of the government's directions is the renewal of as many as 10 districts of Baku, and this is more than 10 km along the coast. Which will make the Baku embankment the longest in the world.
You can already visit the White City, it is beautiful, green and everywhere you look you can catch the notes of Paris and London. We hope that the city will be able to populate these districts.
Our recommendation
Secret Garden — a nice restaurant in the White City Park. We recommend visiting if you want something unusual and with good service. Zucchini and shrimp pancakes are our personal top pick.
Where to eat in Baku
We were pleased that Baku has very good service. There are a huge number of quality establishments with interesting concepts. We tried hard to try as many local dishes as possible. All the restaurants had huge generous portions, so we left with proudly gained extra pounds.
In order not to waste time searching, we left geotags with our favorite places below.
Araz Terrace
Restaurant
Restaurant of Azerbaijani cuisine right on the central square of Baku.
An excellent establishment with a huge menu of national dishes. Despite the location, the prices are pleasant. There is a large comfortable terrace and sometimes live music plays in the evenings.
Firyuza
Restaurant
Restaurant of Azerbaijani cuisine.
Quite a colorful place, where all the walls are covered with Azerbaijani carpets. Probably, you can order all the local dishes here. By the way, the menu is very similar to the Araz Terrace menu.
Kaspiyka
Restaurant
Fish restaurant in the very center of Baku.
It's worth going to Kaspiyka when you're tired of heavy meaty Azerbaijani cuisine.
We discovered Azerbaijani wine here. It's a pity, though, only on the last evening of our trip.
The portions are small, although the prices are high. The restaurant is not overloaded with tables, it's quiet, calm, and the concept of the place is reflected in a large number of details.
Our recommendation
Chayki — a beautiful and sophisticated restaurant on the Caspian coast, with panoramic terraces, a pleasant interior and quality service. The bill is not the most affordable, but the level of dishes is appropriate.
Caravan Baku
Restaurant
Hookah restaurant on Nizami street.
In Baku, hookahs are literally smoked at every turn. We recommend trying Caravan. The terrace on the main pedestrian street, surrounded by the architecture of historical buildings, makes this place as atmospheric as possible. We recommend trying the crispy eggplant salad here - we are fans of it.
Baraşka Gastrobar
Restaurant
Gastrobar on Nizami street.
A modern bar and restaurant offering European cuisine with a local touch. Tasty, hearty and unusual.
Manzara
Restaurant
A restaurant with a view in Nagorny Park.
Another place with an inflated price tag. But of course, the terrace with a view of the Caspian Sea and the amazing service justify the prices. The atmosphere seems quite romantic to spend the sunset here.
Friends
Restaurant
A cafe in the style of the famous American TV series Friends.
Everything here looks as if the series was filmed in Baku. If you are a fan of the series, then definitely stop by for a cup of coffee and dessert. You can also buy souvenirs and merch here. By the way, there are two such cafes in Baku.
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Until the mid-19th century, Baku was only within the fortress, and the Caspian Sea came right to its foot. Now this can only be seen in drawings from that time.
Despite the fact that the old city of Baku is an architectural monument and is included in the UNESCO list, people still live inside the fortress. Be sure to wander through the labyrinth of narrow city streets filled with local color.