Novruz is Azerbaijan’s traditional celebration of the arrival of spring, a joyful welcoming of Earth’s reawakening after winter and the fertile promise of the coming months. Its focus on the elements - water, fire, wind and earth - encourages us all to reconnect to our physical home - planet Earth - with all its life-giving wonder and mystery.
For those of you who have not been to Azerbaijan during Novruz season, we fervently recommend you take the time to visit and experience this springtime festival in person. To further tempt you, below we have put together a guide to the top activities to dive into during this Novruz in Azerbaijan, with enough action, relaxation and interest to keep a healthy balance.
Birdwatching
No appreciation of spring is complete without the sweet sound of birds in song that signals a warming up of the wind and the arrival of longer days and relaxation in the sun. Azerbaijan happens to be a perfect place to catch hundreds of species of rare migratory birds in the Novruz holidays. For more details, check out our separate brochure and articles, but if you want a quick tip for where to start, try Mount Beshbarmag, a striking rocky outcrop by the Caspian Sea, a short distance from Baku. Spot a steppe eagle or pallid harrier from a host of many species.
Paragliding
While you are there, why not go a step further and become a bird yourself? Mount Beshbarmag is also one of the best spots in Azerbaijan to try paragliding, along with Shahdag Mountain Resort. Join the flocks of circling birds with the Caspian Sea or the snow of the Greater Caucasus Mountains glistening below. Get a little taste of what it is like to be airborne and feel the freedom of gliding and swooping through clear Novruz skies.
Local Crafts
A trip to the mountains in Novruz must include seeing one of Azerbaijan’s ancient craft centres, whether it be the historic sites of Sheki, Basgal’s silk kelaghayi headscarves or the copper creations of Lahij. For a fascinating introduction to carpets, pay a visit to the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku. These are only the most notable crafts, so if you have time there really is a lot more to explore.
Azerbaijani Cuisine
Culture and cuisine go hand-in-hand, and you will not have a problem sampling the staggering variations of national dishes as you travel around Azerbaijan in full spring bloom. One aspect of Novruz is a celebration of earth and what it produces for us, so having had a taste of all our mouth-watering culinary treats, why not go to the next level and learn how to make them? We recommend joining sweet pakhlava masterclasses in Sheki or an Azerbaijani cuisine masterclass in Icherisheher, Baku’s UNESCO-listed Old City.
National Wines
You will find that many of our national dishes really go well with particular wines, although they do also taste just fine by themselves! Sipping on a delicious glass of Azerbaijani wine in a sleek Baku wine bar should definitely be on your Novruz to-do list. The last twenty years has seen a bewildering redevelopment in Azerbaijani wines, including the rediscovery of viniculture using unique native grapes, such as madrasa. If you have time, head into the countryside to taste the local wines of Meysari, SAVALAN-ASPI, Chabiant and Azgranata wineries, among others.
Golf
We left a little surprise for last. You may not associate golf with Azerbaijan, but it is developing fast, already with two world-class golf courses at Dreamland, near Baku, and the National Azerbaijan Golf Course, not far from Guba. Novruz is a time of reawakening for the land, so why not reconnect with an interest in golf, or a desire to try it for the first time. We think that every Novruz should bring new experiences. Maybe this year it can be golf?
