Hi, dear visitor!

Whether you’re planning your trip to Azerbaijan, currently visiting or, maybe even living/moving here, you will find in this article a selection of all the best gems Baku has to offer. If you have more time and wish to make a day-trip outside of the city, please visit my previous article full of cool suggestions. I hope you will find inspiration during your time in the Azerbaijani capital. Enjoy!

The inner-city Icherisheher (also known as « old town »)

I know, I know, it’s really not original to start with this recommendation as it is obviously the most touristic place of Azerbaijan. Which is exactly why I’m telling it in first so we get over it quickly: Icherisheher is cool to walk around, it’s one of the most authentic (although authentically renovated) place of Baku and definitely hides many secret galleries, bars and restaurants. There, you should: visit the Palace of Shirvanshas on the top of the city, stop in Tarana’s 27sm gallery to discover more about Azerbaijani artistic scene and get lost in all those narrow streets looking for surprises.

Qaynana restaurant

After a long walk in the old town, you will probably be hungry, so why not take a break and enjoy an Azerbaijani dish in one of the best restaurant of Baku? It is located near the double gates entrance of Icherisheher. It’s called Qaynana which means « step-mother » as a reference to a famous Azeri character. You will notice that it is also the only restaurant where no one is paid to make you go inside. Why? Because everybody already is inside! Try their piti (a dish from Sheki province); their breakfast; their qutab (little kind of crêpes snacks but salty); their kebab; well, try everything you want! It’s all good! Not only the food is tasty, but the service is excellent, the prices are reasonable and the place is beautifully decorated. What else?

The Marionnette Theatre.

Now that you have visited the old Town and got yourself some fuel for the day, what about going to a unique show at the Marionnette Theatre? Indeed, just around the corner of a secret street (it can be a bit difficult to find, don’t hesitate to ask the locals), this wonderful theatre hides an incredibly beautifully renovated building, with an amazing terrasse offering one of the best view of the city, and, most importantly, it hosts the most beautiful Marionnette show I have ever seen. It’s highly recommended to arrive on time or even a bit early to enjoy the terrasse.

Nobel House Museum

In Baku their used to be a « black city » (named this way due to oil extraction) which turned into « white city » after some renovations were made. It is a bit far away from the city center but an interesting place to visit with Haussmanian kind of buildings, Londonian fake phonebooth (where you can actually pay your taxes) and wide streets without many souls around. You can also visit the Nobel brothers’ house and its garden. Indeed, the family used to live part-time in Baku and helped developping the oil industry and trade. Make sure to have a guide who can speak english or a translator for your visit.

The outside-city also known as European city, more precisely Istiglayyat avenue

Right outside the old town, the avenue circling Baku is host to many promenents Bakuvian buildings. It is the best place to understand the influence European architects had in the construction of the city during its development in the 19th century thanks to the oil money. Going down from the Icherisheher metro station, you will pass by the Philarmonic State Opera inspired by the Casino in Monaco, the Baku City Hall inspired by Paris City Hall (maybe), the House of Hapiness and Academy of Sciences inspired by Italian architecture… Believe me, behind each of those buildings is hiding the history of Baku!

The courtyards

Don’t hesitate to get inside the buildings’ courtyard along the way as they are usually full of surprises. So far I have encountered: the first elevator of Baku; a very nice garden; a secret tea house; many shortcuts; and I have even heard that a mosque was kept from destruction during communism thanks to those walls! Will you be able to find it?

The House-Museum of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

If there was only one museum to visit in Baku’s city center, in my opinion, you should go to this one. The official name of this museum is the National History Museum, although this part is not the most interesting one (it was under repairement when I visited it). Avoid this strange sovietic kind of museum and prefer the first floor where you will be able to discover the beautiful interiors where Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, an oil-baron who is responsible for more or less half the cool buildings in Baku, used to live. Don’t pay attention to the museum-ladies following you everywhere: it’s normal in Azerbaijan.

Have a break in one of the numerous bar or coffee in the city center.

As it is well described in the first page of « Le Flambeur de la Caspienne » by Jean-Christophe Rufin, Baku city-center offer a wide range of cafés, bars, restaurants and nice terrasses where you can relax with the drink or the food of your choice. You can enjoy a coffee at Coffee Moffie, next to Fountain Square, or have a nice Azerbaijani lunch in Araz Café or Fisincan restaurants, and maybe after that glass of wine and appetizer in Biblioteka? To name just a few options.

The Heydar Aliyev Center

Whether your a fan of contempory architecture or not, it is impossible to miss the Heydar Aliyev Center, the most impressive building of Baku. Be ready for quite a hike as it is really huge both inside and outside. Some exhibitions are interesting, we can at the minimum notice and encourage the effort put in the museography which is something you can only find in this museum (as well as in the Carpet museum, also a must see). But, to be perfectly honest, it is also a bit empty in some ways (how to fill such a space?) and quite expensive: one ticket is around 10 euros for the main part, and you will need another ticket of the same price if you want to visit the basement where there is an exhibition of car collection in honor or the Baku Grand Prix.

Walking by the Sea on the famous Boulevard

This place was actually kind of created only for walking around. Baku Boulevard was constructed during … and its construction is actually ongoing as the plan is to extend it by a few more kilometers. You can walk right now more than 8 km from the neighborhood « White City », next to some big shopping malls as Park Bulvar or Deniz Mall (the one in a shape of Sydney Opera, worth a visit especially because you can slide down the stairs in a giant toboggan).

Enjoy a cruise by the bay

In Baku, you can even enjoy a cruise along the crescent bay for only 5 manats (no, I’m not talking about Little Venice which is just kind of a weird place to me). The pier is located next to Park Bulvar and the boat is running regularly. Take a sun cream if you’re testing during summertime.

Taking the Funicular and having a drink on the last floor of the Flame Towers

I actually never had the occasion to take the Funicular as it was always close when I wanted to go up the Bakinian hill, but I did have the time to test and enjoy the drinks on the last floor of the Flame Towers. The place is called Bar19 (try and guess why…), it is very fancy, prices are average if you live in Paris (for Baku it’s super expensive) but the view… Wow! It’s really worth a visit!

Bonus: Take a Free Walking Tour

It is easy to miss some information when you go around by yourself for the first time. But everything you need to know about Baku and Azerbaijani culture is in the mind of Gani, which I elected best guide of Baku. He organizes a Free Walking Tour everyday, sometimes twice a day, which last more or less 2 hours and will take you to the main places of the capital. At the end of the tour, if you’re satisfied, pay with a tip what you think is fair!

I hope this article will give you some ideas on what to visit while in Baku! Have you been to those places? Which one is your favorite? Please, share your opinion in the comment section 🙂 See you!