The largest circulating newspaper in the United States, USA Today, has ranked Azerbaijan’s capital city Baku as one of the top “off the radar” cities to explore in 2018.
Sal Lavallo, a 27-year-old Manhattan resident and American traveler considered the world’s youngest to have visited all 193 United Nations member states, shared his adventures with award-winning journalist Larry Breiberg writing for USA Today.
Lavallo put Baku on top of what he called “obscure destinations.”
“Walking around in the city is like an open-air museum,” Lavallo told Breiberg.
“They have these ancient, ancient ruins and in the background are modern buildings. There’s also ballet, opera, and caviar tastings. You can do quite a bougie trip in Baku,” Lavallo said.
Lavallo shared with Caspian News his impressions about Baku where he visited in January 2016 to see how much the country has developed over recent years.
"I had such a cultural experience in Baku," Lavallo told Caspian News. "I went twice to the Mailov Theater [Opera and Ballet Theater] - to a local ballet and the next night to the opera. I spent a day at the Baku Museum of Modern Art and was incredibly impressed with the exhibit. I went caviar tasting and walked through the market, buying pomegranate seeds and other local fruit. Other days I walked around the old city to Giz Qalasi [Maiden Tower] and then along the water at Milli Park [Baku Boulevard]."
USA Today’s list of off-the-radar cities include Dili in Timor-Leste, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Kigali in Rwanda, Skopje in Macedonia, Mendoza in Argentina, Bagan in Myanmar, and Beirut in Lebanon.
Ever since Marco Polo wrote about his visit in the 13th century to Azerbaijan during his travels there, the country has attracted tourists interested in off-the-beaten paths from Western Europe. His writings tell of the mysterious fires that burned all over on the peninsula, due to oil and natural gas pockets, which today provide a major source of income for the Caspian region state.
Located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been transformed since the country gained independence from the USSR in 1991. Today it is the country’s cultural, trade, and tourist hub, and growing in global importance due to the country’s surplus of oil and natural gas, which are exported to Europe through international pipelines.
Baku is considered a ‘must see’ stop for anyone traveling through the ancient Silk Road trade route between Europe and Asia. The city has a lot to offer and attract travelers, from its ultra-modern city skyline to historical sites scattered around the modern city.
The Caspian littoral city is a seamless combination of top-notch modernity and well-preserved antiquity, with the triplet high-rise Flame Towers on one side of the city, and the 12th century Maiden Tower and 12,000-year-old Gobustan rock art museum on the other.
“Baku is a fascinating combination of old and new. I love the views of the ancient old city with the modern Flame Towers in the background,” Lavallo told Caspian News. “I recommend other travelers to combine the two - to learn about the old history and to enjoy the modern luxuries and high culture.”
Baku is on the tourist map for travelers in the region who celebrate Novruz, which occurs in mid-March when the city features a week of traditional music, dance, and cuisine. Alongside Novruz, guests of Baku can also enjoy the international shopping festival to kick off in March.
One month later, from April 27-29, Baku will host the third Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when the fourth stage of the 2018 Formula One Racing season kicks off.
The overall influx of tourists to Azerbaijan stood at nearly 2.5 million from January – November 2017, according to government data. This accounts for around 300,000 more guests in the country as compared to 2016.
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