14/09/2026
Our discovery of the Caucasus took us first to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku. Whatever any of us had expected wasn’t enough. We were all very pleasantly surprised.
An oil boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s bequeathed grand buildings in Art Nouveau, Neoclassical and other styles that were in vogue in Europe. We could have been in Paris, Prague or Budapest, except there was no litter or graffiti.
The Old City is an enclave of Islamic medieval palaces and mosques. The 21st century has delivered breathtakingly spectacular public and private buildings. All this on the shore of the Caspian Sea.
A nation with complex recent and ancient pasts. Safe and friendly. A great start to our tour.