Gabala is the city every local knows about and would never refuse a visit to. It is one of the most popular places in Azerbaijan for local tourism.
The nature and history draw people in, and the amenities keep people coming back! It’s very friendly for families, as it has attractions for kids. It is also fun for adults, with activities like hiking and wine tours.
Gabala is in the North-Central region, located along riverways and at the base of the Caucasus mountains. It offers a range of modern hotels surrounded by green mountains, rivers, waterfalls and historical signs.
It’s very family friendly, and it’s common to ether stay at a hotel or rent out a home for a long weekend.
The history is also a big part of Gabala’s identity, it has been mentioned in Pliny the Elder (AD 23 – 79) diary. Middle-age dated remains have been discovered during archeological investigations. The city was the captial of ancient Caucasian Albania which ruled in the area for 900 years (BC 400 until AD 500) and its castle still remains to this day.
When to go
People visit Gabala all year-round. In the summer, there’s resort-style hotels, amusement rides and plenty of nature as you can see from above- but in the winter the city remains popular with skiers and those looking for a peaceful time in the white covered mountains.
What to do:
It really is up to you whether you’d like this trip to be more on the relaxing or adventurous side. We do recommend taking the cable car to top of the mountain for the gorgeous views. Depending on the weather, you might be able to experience traveling through a cloud. When you get to the top, you’ll be at the perfect place to order some tea and sweets with a stunning view. Gabala is also a birthplace of Azerbaijan wine. You can take a tour to one of the best wineries in the country and get an amazing wine tasting experience.
How to get there:
In order to get to Gabala from Baku you can take a direct bus from Central Bus Station, Baku. The cost is in the 4USD range and is a 3-4 hour trip. If you have help with communicating- perhaps at your hotel or with your AirBnB host, you can take a car taxi as well.
Beautiful footage of Gabala (Qabala):
We were so happy to have seen Indigo Traveller took some gorgeous drone shots of his time hiking in Gabala. Have a look:
We hope this overview of the city Gabala, Azerbaijan was interesting and insightful. Doesn’t it seem beautiful and worth a trip to? We think so. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
—Go Travel Azerbaijan
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