Baku Travel Guide

Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan on the Absheron Peninsula on the west coast of the Caspian Sea - the most modern and dramatic city in the South Caucasus, where the ancient and the avant-garde collide dramatically. It is windy year-round, hence the City of Winds; spring and autumn (Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct) are best, while midsummer is hot. The UNESCO Baku Old City (Inner City) is enclosed by stone walls, hiding the mysterious Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs; in extreme contrast is the skyline built on oil wealth, most dazzling being the three Flame Towers that light up at night with burning effects echoing the Land of Fire theme, along with Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center. Along the Caspian is a green shaded boulevard.