Destination Azerbaijan

Neighboring Georgia may get all the attention, but a new three-day visa service means that Azerbaijan is the South Caucasian country to watch. From the "burning mountain" of Yanar Dag, to the mud volcanoes and petroglyphs of Gobustan, to the beaches of the Absheron Peninsula, the Land of Fire offers a dramatic mix of landscapes. And poised as it is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its people, culture and food are a captivating blend of East meets West. In the capital, Baku, the cobbled streets and 12th-century fortresses and minarets of the Old City sit side by side with the fiercely modern architecture of the Flame Towers and Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center, reflecting the city's enormous growth since oil-drilling began in the 19th century.

Neighboring Georgia may get all the attention, but a new three-day visa service means that Azerbaijan is the South Caucasian country to watch. From the "burning mountain" of Yanar Dag, to the mud volcanoes and petroglyphs of Gobustan, to the beaches of the Absheron Peninsula, the Land of Fire offers a dramatic mix of landscapes. And poised as it is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its people, culture and food are a captivating blend of East meets West. In the capital, Baku, the cobbled streets and 12th-century fortresses and minarets of the Old City sit side by side with the fiercely modern architecture of the Flame Towers and Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center, reflecting the city's enormous growth since oil-drilling began in the 19th century.

Camilla Rzayeva

Duzdag: The health spa hidden deep in a salt mine on the edge of Asia

The popular Duzdag “Salt Mountain” medical tourism facility treats respiratory conditions underground in the Azerbaijan enclave of Nakhchivan.

Azerbaijan Brand Center

Azerbaijan: The beautiful country where carpet is the highest order of art

David Madison/Getty Images, k_samurkas/iStockphoto/Getty Images, Azerbaijan Brand Center, Hoch Zwei/picture-alliance/dpa/AP

A year in Azerbaijan: From spring’s Grand Prix to winter ski adventures

Destination Guides