Travel: Exploring Azerbaijan’s history, hospitality and hidden delights
When you hear of Azerbaijan, what comes to mind? Perhaps a country suspended between Europe and Asia, rich with culture, layered history, and glittering city lights? And you would be right.
But Azerbaijan is also something harder to describe; a place where medieval streets meet futuristic skyscrapers, where cats have tiny hotels, and where strangers greet you like an old friend.
The journey to Baku began with a six-hour flight to Türkiye, followed by another two and a half hours into Azerbaijan's capital. As the plane descended, rain washed over the city skyline. Yet even beneath the grey skies, Baku felt warm and inviting.
The city itself feels like a beautiful contradiction. One moment you are standing among ancient stone buildings that make you feel as though you have wandered onto the set of a royal period film, and the next you are staring up at sleek modern skyscrapers glowing against the Caspian sky.
