Zagatala and the Far Northwest

Beyond Sheki, the western road keeps going. It runs through hazelnut orchards and forest towards the corner where Azerbaijan meets Georgia and the high Caucasus.

Zagatala is the district and the town at the centre of that. Almost nobody on a first trip gets this far, which is exactly why it is worth describing.

What is up there

Green, wet, forested country under high mountains. Rivers come down out of the range and the tree cover is thick. The whole area feels closer to the Georgian side of the Caucasus than to the dry plain around Baku.

It is one of the most obviously beautiful parts of the country and one of the least visited by foreign travellers.

Hazelnuts

The district is one of Azerbaijan’s main nut-growing areas. In late summer and autumn that is visible everywhere: orchards, drying yards and the trade around them.

If you are here in season, buy directly. It is cheap, it is fresh, and it travels home better than almost anything else you could carry.

The town

Zagatala itself is a working town with a large plane-tree square, an old fortress and a market. It is not a sightseeing destination and does not claim to be.

Spend an evening there rather than a day. The point of coming this far is what is around it.

The villages and the forest

The country between Zagatala and the mountains is the reason to make the drive. Villages, rivers, walking, and a landscape that changes with altitude within a short distance.

Go with someone local if you intend to walk. Trails here are informal and the weather in the mountains changes quickly.

How it fits a trip

Not from Baku. Sheki is already about 330 kilometres from the capital, and Zagatala is beyond it.

The workable version is a western trip that goes Baku, Gabala, Sheki, then Zagatala, with nights along the way. Five days minimum, and better with six.

It also works as part of a route that continues into Georgia, since the border is close.

When to go

Late spring to autumn. The forest is the attraction and it needs leaves.

Autumn is best if you care about the harvest. Winter is quiet, wet and not the season to see this at its best.

Who should go

Second-time visitors. People who are already going as far as Sheki and have another day. Anyone who prefers landscape to monuments.

If you have one week and it is your first trip, this is one region too far. Do Sheki properly instead.

Practical notes

Carry cash. Card acceptance is limited outside the town centre, as it is across most of rural Azerbaijan.

English is rare here. Russian goes considerably further, and a driver who can translate turns the day into something better than a drive.

Accommodation is simple: guest houses and small hotels. Book ahead in the autumn, when the harvest brings people into the area.

What to buy

Nuts, obviously, and in season. Honey and preserves as well.

Buy from villages rather than from a shop in town. Prices are lower and you will usually be offered tea while you decide.

Continuing into Georgia

The border is close, which makes Zagatala a natural last stop on an Azerbaijani route that continues west.

Crossing arrangements and opening hours change, so confirm the current position before building a plan around a specific crossing. We will check it as part of the booking rather than leaving it to the day.

Arranging it

Tell us whether you are continuing into Georgia afterwards. That single answer changes whether Zagatala is the end of a route or the middle of one.