If you’re fed up of the concrete jungle, Gabala is the perfect getaway. Surrounded by the silence and tranquillity of magical pine woods and nestled near the peaceful Nohur lake, Gabala is a peaceful sanctuary of magnificent forests and cooling mountain waterfalls.
Welcome to Azerbaijan’s outdoor resort hub! In winter, stay for skiing and snowboarding in the Caucasus Mountains, while in summer there’s an excellent range of adrenaline-fuelled activities including quad-biking, shooting, paragliding and hiking. Many hotels have excellent swimming pools and spas, and if you head to Yengija or Chenot Palace it’s possible to benefit from thermal springs, take medicinal baths in heavy petroleum oil or undergo cryotherapy.
Old Gabala was once the capital city of Caucasian Albania, an ancient state covering much of today’s Azerbaijan from about 3BC to 8AD.
Gabala was called Gutgashinli during the Soviet time in honour of Ismayil bey Gutgashinli (1806-1861), a decorated military general and writer, author of a pioneering love story called Rashid bey and Saadet Khanim, first published in Warsaw in French in 1835.
