Azerbaijan is a country with a rich cultural heritage and a well-developed tourism infrastructure. Each ski resort in Baku has these components. At the recreation centers you can go skiing, snowboarding, try national cuisine and feel the local flavor.
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Winter holidays in Azerbaijan
The advantage of spending a winter holiday in this country is traditional hospitality. Recreation centers for skiers and snowboarders are a promising area of tourism business. A modern infrastructure has been created to attract independent travelers and vacationers.
Features of ski resorts in Baku and its environs:
- Location. They are located close to the city, which makes it possible to choose a place to stay.
- Trails and slopes. Due to the relief of the slopes, there are many of them, mortars of varying complexity have been made – for beginners, professionals, experienced athletes.
- Prices. They are lower than in the Alpine or French ski resorts. But the level of service is not lower, and in some cases better.
- Transport connection. You can get to the sports complexes by car, bus or fly by plane. Baku has an international airport.
Due to the popularity of Azerbaijan’s recreation centers, hotel reservations must be made in advance. So you can book a room at a price lower than on arrival. It is not necessary to take ski equipment with you, there are rental offices in the ski resorts of Baku.
Ski resorts in Baku
Most recreation centers are located in the vicinity of the capital. They can be reached by bus, taxi or rent a car. In the latter case, along the way you can see the natural and historical sights of the country. There are several campsites and motels in the suburbs. They are used as intermediate stops during independent travel.
Shahdag
This is the largest ski resort in the vicinity of Baku. It is located 200 km from the city, next to the city of Gusar. Travel time from the international airport by car is up to three hours. The recreation center was built on the territory of the reserve, there are no urban buildings nearby, the air is clean, there is no noise from the road.
Description of the recreation center Shahdag:
- There are four hotels, prices for a double room – from 80 dollars.
- There are hotels in Gusar where accommodation is cheaper – from 35 USD.
- The maximum height is 2100 m, the minimum is 1435 m.
- The tracks are three red, two blue and one green. There are many intermediate slopes and short ones for beginner skiers.
- The maximum length of the descent is 4.5 km.
The recreation center has one gondola lift, four chair lifts, two drag lifts and four carpet lifts. Sky pass can be bought for one day, a week. Prices are lower for those staying in local hotels.
The slopes are not designed for freeride – there are many open areas, stones. For free skiing and snowboarding, you can climb higher. But it can be dangerous, although the likelihood of avalanches in the area is low.
Tufandag
The Tufandag ski resort is located in the city of Gabala. The distance from Baku to it is 200 km, but the travel time is longer than to Shahdag. The reason is that there is a mountain pass along the way, where there may be traffic jams. Tufandag is a developing ski resort in Baku, the infrastructure here is better than in Shahdag. There are hotels in Gabala and on the territory of the recreation center. Prices for accommodation – from 35 dollars for two.
The maximum height is 1920 m. The slopes end at an altitude of 960 m. There are ten runs – four black, three red and three blue. But some of them have shallow snow cover. Therefore, before the trip, you need to check the weather forecast. Snow cannons do not work in this Baku resort. There are several trails for beginner skiers, ski equipment can be rented.
The sports complex has four lifts – 3 tows and one chairlift. The slopes are steep, some of the tracks are designed for experienced skiers. The slopes are illuminated, access to them is open from 9:00 to 21:00. Skypass – from 12 dollars.
Accommodation in local hotels is convenient – you can book a room with breakfast or full board. The Tufandag sports complex has entertainment – billiards, bowling, Russian bath. You can order a trip on snowmobiles, a sightseeing tour of the mountains.
Weather
The ski season starts from November and lasts until March. On the slopes on the sunny side, the snow cover is formed slowly, you can ride there from January. The amount of snowfall is average, snowfalls and storms are rare. Due to the mountainous terrain, the wind is weak. In winter, the temperature drops to -22°C. There are many sunny days in the ski resorts of Baku, so you need to add sunglasses to your ski equipment.