Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan is a universal choice for any trip. Every year a large number of tourists come here to enjoy a wonderful holiday and have a great time. In this country, everyone will find something to his liking: the country is rich in historical sightseeing, picturesque vacation sports, and large amount of variety of entertainment.

Coming to Azerbaijan you will have a large selection of places, where a beautiful vacation is guaranteed. However, there are such places that are distinguished by their history and contribution to the life of the whole Azerbaijan.

We represent 5 most beautiful places of our country, which not only every photographer and traveler, but also every inhabitant of our country should see.

1. Old City

To plunge into the historic atmosphere of the country, visit Icheri Sheher - the cozy town, surrounded by old walls with idyllic alleys, family restaurants, shops, benches inside. Coming to Icheri Sheher, also known as Old City, it feels as if carried over centuries into the past. Numerous historical monuments will surprise not only by their architectural appearance, but also by a centuries-old history.

Take a stroll through the narrow, cobbled brick streets that lead you up and down, take a closer look at houses made of brick and clay dating back hundreds of years, in short, feel the unique aura that surrounds this place of living historylisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The lack of impressions is the last thing you can complain about in Old City: the city offers a lot of fascinating excursions to museums, temples and palaces. Walking through the streets and inhaling the air of antiquity, you can enjoy such places as the Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Baku museum of Miniature Books and so on.

2. Khinalug

The place is incredibly beautiful, mysterious and unique, but it does not often draw attention of tourists. The place is included by UNESCO in the list of world-famous historical sites and is compared to the open-air museum. To get to this mountain village, you must first get to Guba, the region, located in the north of the country.

The mountains and landscape throughout the road to Khinalug enchant you, and the higher you climb, the more breathtaking it is becoming. Everything in Khinalug is peculiar. Especially the people living here, who are considered the main attraction of this place, are very distinctive. They speak language quite original and different from that spoken in other parts of the country. The place is very colorful and extraordinary: especially unusual construction of houses. Build entirely of cobblestones, the houses here are constructed with terraces on the roof where you can safely walk which makes it clear what the people actually mean by saying "the roof of my neighbor is my yard".

Here is an amazing place in the north of Azerbaijan, about which there are not so many people know.

3. Sheki City

Delightful beauty of nature, hospitable people and the richest history of the city will hardly leave indifferent even the experienced travelers. Walking around the Sheki city, you understand that wherever you go, you come into contact with the centuries-old history.

There are many interesting places in the city that are worth paying attention to, but perhaps the best way to start sightseeing is to start with the Palace of Shirvanshahs. The palace not in vain is considered one of the main sights of Sheki. It is not only one of the oldest monuments of the city, but also it has an inexpressible energy, and the atmosphere of a centuries-old history.

Half of the buildings of the city are real works of art, and narrow streets, a scattering of mosques and ancient buildings create a feeling of incredible color. The city may also be considered another picturesque corner of the unique Azerbaijani nature: it is nice to come here to take a stroll along the beautiful nature, rest in breezy forests escaping from the heat of summer, enjoy beautiful views and fresh air.

4. Baku Boulevard

This is the soul of the city, a place where you can immediately understand how it lives and breathes.

The seaside boulevard the length of which is 12 km is one of the main attractions of Baku. It is especially beautiful in the evening, impressing by its bright illumination and how it fits with sea breeze. Shimmering lights of the city reflected in the glassy surface of the Caspian Sea is simply mesmerizing picture that everyone should see. It is possible, and even more convenient, not just to walk along the boulevard, but to ride a bicycle. You can comfortably ride along the bicycle paths, enjoy the sea breeze and view everything around.

5. Gobustan

Another pearl of Azerbaijan. Located on the territory of Azerbaijan, 60 kilometers from Baku, is one of the famous archeological and historical reserves of the world.

This monumental ensemble is somewhat reminiscent of Stonehenge: huge stone statues depicting ancient periods of history. Not surprisingly, the place is firmly held in the list of popular places among tourists. Therefore, if you want to get to know this wonderful country, you should visit Gobustan. If you take a look around, you can see the Caspian sea on the one side and the cliffs on the other side, which makes it worth of visiting.

Gobustan is especially famous for its rock paintings made during the Mesolithic period. Annually tourists from all over the world come to see the numerous works of art that were once made by primitive artists. All the rock paintings in Gobustan appeared at different times and belong to different epochs - from 10-8 millennium BC and up to the Middle Ages. The images differ from each other in the variety of themes, style, structure, technique of performance.

Now Gobustan is a real open-air museum. Every year this amazing art gallery is visited by thousands of people from all over the world.