Must-see attractions in Baku

Of all the free-to-enter commercial galleries in Baku's atmospheric Old City, Q has the finest collection of 20th-century Azerbaijani art. It often stocks…

When active, this excellent commercial minigallery tends to highlight some of the city's more-interesting contemporary artistic trends. Check out their…

Private gallery with changing modern-art exhibitions. It's tucked between a pretty shaded garden and a section of city wall that features a medieval-style…

No, it's not Lenin. This truly gigantic Soviet-era statue actually honours Nәriman Nәrimanov, Azerbaijan's first communist-era leader.

The greatest attraction of this museum for most visitors is the western facade of the building it inhabits: a fine early-20th-century structure with…

The nearest beach to central Baku, Şixov is most fascinating for photographers who want to snap bathers gambolling on the ‘sand’ with a romantic backdrop…

Directly in front of the Maiden's Tower are assorted archaeological diggings at what some consider to be the site where Jesus' disciple St Bartholomew was…

In September 2010, the world's tallest flagpole (then 162m) was installed at the Bulvar's southern tip. The world record was later snatched by Dushanbe,…

Once a Lenin Museum, this column-fronted neoclassical building has a sternly photogenic facade that looks best seen from across the Bulvar. Inside, the…

This powerful 1958 fountain-statue depicts a mythical Azerbaijani hero using a giant scimitar to slay a snake-like water-spewing 'dragon'. In a pool…

One of Baku's charming oddities, this small museum presents books that are so small you'd need a magnifying glass to read the print. The fact that so many…

Partly dating from at least 1079, this little mosque is considered the the oldest still standing in Baku. Its nickname, 'Sinıq Qala' (Broken Tower), was…

Changing exhibitions are necessarily a little hit-and-miss at this experimental art space, which gives a platform to young or emerging new Azerbaijani…

Since 1948 this attractively tree-shaded graveyard has been set aside as the last resting place for Azerbaijan's foremost public figures. Many of the…

Originally built in 1845 for worshippers from the Russian Imperial Navy, today the modest Archangel Michael Russian Church is the hub for Baku’s Orthodox…

Shoes walk across this gallery's fascinatingly off-beat front wall, whose centrepiece is a huge lion's face. Inside are paint splattered shirts and a…

Looking somewhere between an electricity pylon and an oil derrick, this digital clock forms a central Bulvar landmark.

An arched gateway in the Old City wall leads from İçerişəhər metro station to a pretty handkerchief of garden. It's dominated by the superbly imaginative…

This 60m big wheel performs attractive light shows after dark. It spins very slowly, so a ride takes nearly 15 minutes including stops. Should you tire of…

The snazzy little funicular whisks you up from near the restaurant Chinar to the Flame Towers area in just three minutes. Time between departures can vary…