Experience the best of Qabala

Qabala, sometimes spelled Gabala, lies on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in northern Azerbaijan, among forested hills and orchards. It was once Kabalaka, a capital of Caucasian Albania, an ancient kingdom of the region, and archaeologists have uncovered its walls, towers and houses near the modern town.

Nohur Lake, a mountain lake ringed by forest, and the Yeddi Gozel waterfall, known as the Seven Beauties, lie close by. A cable car climbs the slopes of Tufandag to ski runs in winter, and in summer the same hills are cool, shaded walking country. Nij, a village in the district, is home to the Udi, a small people with their own language.

Orchards and hazelnut groves cover the foothills around the town, and tables fill with plov, qutab and dolma, followed by tea and jam. Autumn turns the forest gold, and winter snow lies on the high ground.