Day one: The grand walking tour

Assuming you’re already in Ganja, the first morning focuses on exploring the best of the city on foot. Attractions tend to be within walking distance and anyone with a moderate level of fitness shouldn’t have any problems walking.

Start the day in City Hall Square, Ganja’s main square. The Soviet-style building with tall arches to the west is City Hall and houses the Heydar Aliyev Museum. The almost 400-year-old Shah Abbas Caravanserai once hosting Silk Road merchants sits to the east. Juma Mosque dating back to 1606, also called Shah Abbas Mosque, forms the focal point on the southern end of the square. Soak up the different layers of history from the 17th-century Ganja Khanate structures against the Soviet and contemporary influences.

The Alexander Nevski Russian Cathedral, exhibiting a Byzantine style of architecture sits one block to the square’s west. Follow the street north to Ganja’s most photographed attraction: Bottle House. The house used almost 50,000 glass bottles to form the exterior façade. Return to City Hall and enjoy the cafés lining the square.

From Juma Mosque, follow the pedestrianised Javad Khan Street, named after Ganja’s last Khan. The Ganja Khanate ended in 1804. Enjoy the styles of the terraced buildings and read the information plaques to learn more about their stories. Head into the souvenir shops, even if there’s no intention to buy, to see the unusual Azerbaijani trinkets.

How to Spend 48 Hours in Ganja, Azerbaijan

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