Sheki and the palace

This morning at 7:30 AM we left our homestay in Lahij. Our host couple had to head to work at the local school — he as the principal and she as a teacher — so it suited everyone well that we got an early start. It had truly been a great experience staying with a local family in Azerbaijan. Their home was warm and full of heart, but also very modest, even though both of them had good and respectable jobs. In many ways, that just made the experience feel even more genuine. We quickly felt like part of the family. The original plan was actually to spend two nights in Gabala, which is more or less Azerbaijan’s resort town with hotels, attractions, and holiday areas. But the weather forecast only promised 14°C and rain, so we made a quick decision and drove the roughly 2½ hours further on to Sheki instead. The drive itself turned into quite an adventure. The rain had made the mountain roads extremely challenging, and in several places there were large rocks and pieces of cliff scattered across the road. Multiple times we had to get out and push big rocks off the road ourselves! It was definitely not a relaxing drive down from the mountains 😅 But it was all worth it. Sheki is without a doubt one of the most charming towns we’ve experienced in Azerbaijan. The town is beautifully surrounded by green mountains close to the Caucasus Mountains and is especially known for its old silk-trading history, cozy old town, and traditional houses with wooden balconies and cobblestone streets. The atmosphere here feels far more authentic and relaxed than in Baku. And best of all: here we were welcomed by 22 degrees and sunshine all day ☀️ After the homestay and mountain driving, we felt like we deserved a bit of luxury, so we checked into the Sheki Palace Hotel. A deluxe room for all four of us including breakfast cost only 550 DKK. The hotel even has a pool, gym, and plenty of facilities — really great value for money. Today we also visited the famous Palace of Shaki Khans, which is Sheki’s biggest attraction. The palace was built in the late 1700s and is especially famous for its impressive stained-glass windows and beautiful wall paintings — all made without using nails or glue. Truly fascinating to see. Close to the palace lies the cozy old town, where we’ve been strolling around for most of the day. Entrance to the palace cost 110 DKK for all four of us, and we decided to pay an extra 35 DKK for a private English-speaking guide. That actually turned out to be a really good idea, because she was incredibly informative and made the visit much more interesting. Locals, however, only have to pay about one-fifth of what we pay 🫣 The general price level here is still extremely low. Tonight all four of us had dinner at a really nice restaurant — including wine and everything — for just 190 DKK 🍷🍖