The key facts

  • Euronews described a route through Baku and its surroundings: Icherisheher, Gobustan, and the mud volcanoes
  • In 2025, Azerbaijan was visited by 2.5 million foreigners from 198 countries — according to the publication
  • The country has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A journey from the Old City to the mud volcanoes

October 28, 2026 Euronews published a feature about a trip across Azerbaijan, structured as a route from the capital to natural landmarks. In Baku, the article's heroine explores the Old City — Icherisheher, a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by medieval walls. According to the publication, the district's landmarks include the Maiden Tower, a medieval market square turned open-air museum, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, and caravanserais that once served as inns for travelers of the Great Silk Road. At the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve, the heroine is accompanied by Seyid Taghiyev.

Cuisine and natural sites beyond the capital

A separate section of the article is devoted to gastronomy: after checking into the Ritz-Carlton Baku, the heroine, together with chef Vusala Isazade, gathers ingredients in the hotel garden and learns to cook dolma — a traditional dish of minced meat, herbs, and grape leaves. Outside Baku, the route passes through the Gobustan State Historical and Artistic Reserve, home to ancient rock carvings of animals, hunters, and boats, and then continues to the mud volcanoes located not far from Gobustan. The publication notes that Azerbaijan is often called the Land of Fire because of natural gas that has seeped to the surface and burned in various parts of the region for centuries.

Context of tourism statistics

Euronews cites figures characterizing the industry: in 2025, Azerbaijan received 2.5 million foreign visitors from 198 countries, and the country, according to the publication, has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The article is of an overview and promotional nature and is based on meetings with representatives of tourist sites — the Icherisheher and Gobustan reserves and the Mud Volcanoes complex — so the descriptions it contains should be read as a presentation of the destinations rather than an independent assessment. For readers planning a trip, it is useful that the publication links specific sites with the names of the accompanying guides and gives a sense of the route's logic: the capital's historic center, the archaeological reserve, and the natural phenomenon are located relatively close to one another.