Top things to do in Shamakhi: Azerbaijan's hiking and hot air balloon hotspot

euronews (in English)

In Azerbaijan's Shamakhi region, there really is something for everyone. From stunning nature walks to the biggest space observatory in the country, and an airborne adventure that's sure to blow you away.

Transcript

00:00 Good morning, I set my alarm for a little earlier today so I could explore this area

00:10 as much as possible.

00:12 We are in Pirgulu State Reserve, a natural park where you can have the best hiking.

00:22 This natural reserve, located close to Chamahi, about 130 km west of Baku, was established

00:30 in 1968 at the eastern edge of the Greater Caucasus.

00:35 Hiking is the best way to visit this 1,500 hectares of paradise with its thick forests

00:42 and mesmerizing environment.

00:44 Here the soil is fertile and the variety of nature is at its best.

00:51 What kind of flora and fauna can we find here?

01:12 The climate, the diversity of flora and the preservation of nature allow rich wildlife

01:18 to thrive in this reserve.

01:20 You can find trails for all kinds of abilities here, from the easiest to the most challenging.

01:27 Hiking isn't the only attraction of the region, though.

01:30 Local authorities are promoting tourism with an activity that doesn't require you to stay

01:35 on the ground.

01:38 You can indeed observe the landscape from above, from a hot air balloon.

01:45 To promote this brand new activity, a hot air balloon festival was inaugurated in Chamahi

01:50 last June.

01:54 The sky was lit up with balloons of different shapes, colors and designs, giving participants

02:01 a chance to experience the thrill of a balloon flight.

02:04 We held our first festival.

02:06 It was very interesting.

02:08 It was very interesting for our tourists and also for the locals.

02:13 In general, the festival we held this year was a festival with a characteristic display.

02:19 We are preparing for the next two festivals and I hope they will be even more interesting.

02:27 Concerts, masterclasses, events for the kids and of course a lot of flights for viewing

02:34 picturesque nature, historical sites and Chamahi's more contemporary points of interest.

02:45 Chamahi is one of the largest winemaking centers in Azerbaijan.

02:49 The surrounding hills produce famous wines and cognacs recognized all over the world.

02:57 We are here at the peak of the harvest season.

03:00 The time has come for me to get to work.

03:03 Favorable soil and climatic conditions have enabled the development of viticulture in

03:09 the region over thousands of years and the production of wines with unique taste and aroma.

03:16 This is our local Madrasa grape.

03:21 We make red wine from it.

03:24 You can taste it.

03:25 Ok, I try.

03:27 Vine growing in this area is undergoing a new year of development, producing the country's

03:32 first organic wines with EU certification.

03:36 We plant grapes 400-500 meters from the highway so that the chemical pollutants from the car

03:45 do not fall into the soil.

03:48 We use the water from the spring.

03:51 The spring water is natural, organic water.

03:54 After our walk through the vineyards, Nizami shows me the cellar and the final result of

04:01 the harvest.

04:03 You can feel the dry gavala in the aroma of wine.

04:07 Yes, I do.

04:09 Cheers!

04:10 Tourism in this region doesn't stop once the sun goes down.

04:21 It's at night that things get interesting for enthusiasts of astronomy.

04:25 The settlement of Birgulu is home to the largest space observatory in the country.

04:31 It has been used to study the stars and the secrets of the universe since the Soviet era.

04:37 The higher I go, the closer I feel to the stars.

04:41 The adventure in the nature reserve, harvesting in the vineyard and now stargazing, I feel

04:50 like I'm leaving this region with my luggage filled with unique experiences.

04:55 (upbeat music)

04:57 you

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