Çirax Qala

One of rural Azerbaijan’s best-preserved castle ruins, Çirax Qala's spindly, three-storey keep rises on a forested bluff, high above Qala Altı, a big, modern sulphur-water sanatorium complex. You see the caste's silhouette while driving past on the Siyəzən–Şabran back road but access requires a muddy 4km off-road plus 15 minutes' walk. Alternatively, you can walk from the spa complex in around 90 minutes.