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Baku

Folk Art Baku

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Why it matters: this Old City shop has spent over a decade connecting travelers directly with Azerbaijani artisans, paying rural producers and craftspeople from the country’s ethnic-minority communities according to Fair Trade principles rather than routing profit through middlemen. Expect handmade jewelry, pottery, traditional dolls and leatherwork, each piece traceable to the maker who created it. Pick up a hand-painted glass tea set or a traditional doll as a souvenir with a real story behind it, and ask the English-speaking staff which producer made what you’re holding.

Azerkhalcha Carpet Gallery

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Why it matters: Azerkhalcha’s roughly 500 female artisans, aged 18 to 80 and working across 14 studios in rural Azerbaijan, hand-knot every carpet sold here, with the organization’s mission centered on preserving traditional weaving techniques while supporting the livelihoods of the women who keep the craft alive. The Old City showroom doubles as a small museum of the art form, whose UNESCO-recognized techniques are on full display. Browse the collections by region – Karabakh, Guba-Shirvan, Tabriz – even if you’re not buying, and ask staff to explain the symbolism woven into the patterns.

Kashalata Cafe

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Why it matters: founded in 2017 by Aytan Eylanova through the Birge ve Saglam (Together and Healthy) Public Union, Kashalata is Azerbaijan’s first inclusive cafe – of its 20 staff, nine are autistic and one has Down syndrome, all working alongside dedicated job coaches in genuinely supported roles. It’s also just a good neighborhood coffee stop with a warm, unhurried vibe near the city centre. Order a coffee and a pastry, take a seat, and don’t rush – part of the point is the conversation.

Yaşıl Bazar (Green Market)

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Yaşıl Bazar, Baku’s biggest and most famous food market, spreads out just south of the 28 May metro stop on Khatai Avenue — a covered hall of stalls piled with dried fruit, nuts, honey, and preserved grape leaves, plus a maze of vendors selling Azerbaijani saffron, caviar, and cheese. Prices are aimed at locals, not tourists, so it’s worth haggling and normal to taste before you buy. Tip: go hungry and graze your way through — the dried-fruit and nut stalls near the entrance are especially generous with samples.

Dalga Beach

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Dalga Beach is Azerbaijan’s biggest water park, a sprawling Caspian-front resort in Mardakan with ten pools, six slides and a proper nightclub scene once the sun goes down. It’s a real day trip from central Baku — reckon on 45 minutes to an hour each way along the Absheron coast road. Locals who just want sun loungers and sea access without the slides head for the Dalga Lite beach section instead. Practical tip: go on a weekday if you can, since the pools get packed with Baku families on summer weekends.

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