3 days in Baku, Azerbaijan. And one cool F1 circuit.

When you say Azerbaijan, people are like… “what, where, why?”. Well, at least those one who doesn’t know (or watch) Formula 1. I’ve been there for 3 full days. And, apart of Formula 1 race and meeting with the coolest pilots, Baku has revealed to me as one of the kind destination. To see and repeat. Therefore, here there are the things I was impressed by in 3 days in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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1. The cool mix of architecture – the Flames, the Caspian Waterfront Mall and the luxury hotel La Luna, plus a lot of beautiful historical buildings, very well preserved in the city centre. 

You can see the Flames (Baku Flame Towers, more exactly, 190 meters high buildings) from the Caspian Sea’ shore, as well as from different parts of the city. They are a symbol for the Azerbaijan, symbolising the future and the view is awesome in the night, when different lights are projected on their surface. Azerbaijan has many futuristic constructions, which made it the perfect combination between traditional and futuristic architecture. 

2. Old city centre and the shore – with Little Venice. Yes, I know that you think already about the last one. Basically, it is a park with a lot of water channels on Baku Bulevard. It was built back in the 1960, but renewed recently – you can make a tour with the gondolas (and take pictures with Flames in the background); stroll intro the park or sip a cup of strong Azerbaijani tea. 

As for the old city (Icherisheher)… there is nothing more wonderful than a walk on the streets. The old architecture is pretty well preserved and there are a lot of coffee shops and restaurants along the way. On the list for must-visit: the city Walls, the Maiden Tower (one of the symbols of Baku and World Heritage Site), Heydar Mosque, Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Try a visit on the shopping street Nizami Street. 

3. Carpet Museum – The museum was designed by Austrian architect Franz Janz and opened in 2014 and it has the largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets in the world. Frankly, it is more interesting from outside (it has a structure that imitates a rolling carpet). Look for schedule and more on https://azcarpetmuseum.az/en 

4. Coffee shops, bookshops and a lot of cats – I felt like home in Baku. Well, maybe not exactly like home, but better in terms of coffee shops (opened even after midnight). The Azerbaijani people seem to have a passion about the delicious coffee – I saw a dozen of coffee shops in the city (from take-away cute ones to large beautiful venues). I loved also the multitude of bookstores and the lazy cats owning the streets. 

5. Aliyev Heydar Center – an impressive piece of architecture created by architect Zaha Hadid, noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style. Extending on eight floor levels, the center accommodates a 1000-seat auditorium, temporary exhibition spaces, a conference center, workshops and a museum. 

To remember: 

• Taxis are not your friends. Not Uber, as well. The drivers are pretty chaotic and you can have the surprise to wait for you two streets aways from where are you.
• Bakuvians love food. Azerbaijan’s national dish, which is also Baku’s most famous dish, is “Kutabi”, filled and stuffed pancakes. But try, please try the sweets! 
• Of course, that one of the most spectacular F1 races is held in Baku – see here the calendar. https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2023.html 

To put on the later list: Baku has an exclusive and dedicated Museum for Miniature books. It opened in 2002 and is the finest of its kind in the world. It features over 6500 miniature manuals from 64 different countries.