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a holiday for body and soul the unique treatments and wellness experiences of Azerbaijan

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In the days of Silk Road merchants, before Baku had become known for black gold, travellers made their way to Azerbaijan in search of another valuable oil, Naftalan, famed for its healing properties.

While the days of trading caravans are long gone, Azerbaijan remains a place to focus on health and wellness. Whether that’s through engaging with nature in one of its many beautiful national parks, spending time on the shores of the Caspian Sea, or indulging yourself at one of the spas the country has to offer. With a tantalizing range of treatments, including hot springs and healing salt, Azerbaijan is the perfect place to revitalize yourself.

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Naftalan

Naftalan an oil experience

Naftalan, a unique healing oil, has remarkable therapeutic qualities and can be used to treat over 70 conditions, from skin problems to musculoskeletal disorders. The oil takes its name from the eponymous city, which is a renowned wellness resort with more than 40 wellness hotels and sanatoriums.

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Naftalan

Naftalan city boasts a selection of well-equipped spas offering oil bath therapy, and reputable establishments will offer a full health check-up before visitors can take a 10-minute oil bath, which is heated to 38°C. Depending on your health plan, other complementary treatments may be recommended, such as hydrotherapy, paraffin baths, and cedar barrel saunas.

There are a variety of resorts and sanatoriums to choose from in the region, with places to suit all budgets. Whatever you’re looking for, Naftalan will have something for you.

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the springs of Lankaran a spa by the sea

Situated in the southern part of Azerbaijan, on the black volcanic sand shores of the Caspian Sea, and overlooked by the Talish mountains, Lankaran is a subtropical city surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. But what makes this city special is its abundance of ‘istisu’ – hot springs that Azerbaijanis have been using for hundreds of years. The springs are often simply presented – you’ll bathe in naturally formed pools, filled with warm, mineral-rich water that flows directly from the ground. The natural charm of the hot springs helps you relax as the water soothes aches and pains away. While the springs are perhaps the most authentic way to experience the waters, many resorts in the area offer istisu baths as part of a general treatment package. In the village of Haftoni, you can check in to the luxurious Lankaran Springs Wellness Resort, which specializes in these treatments.

Lankaran is situated close to many points of interest, including Hirkan National Park, which has been compared to a curated botanical garden and where you can enjoy some of Azerbaijan’s extraordinary birdwatching opportunities, the ancient and untouched village of Sim, with its picturesque waterfalls, and the town of Lerik, which is surrounded by lakes and waterfalls. The area around Lankaran also has many tea plantations, which have been cultivated since the 1930s. Alongside these plantations are colorful orchards filled with mandarins, lemons, and kumquats. All of these can be visited, and bracing walks in the open air are a perfect complement to treatments at one of the spas.

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Lankaran
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Lankaran

Lankaran is situated close to many points of interest, including Hirkan National Park, which has been compared to a curated botanical garden and where you can enjoy some of Azerbaijan’s extraordinary birdwatching opportunities, the ancient and untouched village of Sim, with its picturesque waterfalls, and the town of Lerik, which is surrounded by lakes and waterfalls. The area around Lankaran also has many tea plantations, which have been cultivated since the 1930s. Alongside these plantations are colorful orchards filled with mandarins, lemons, and kumquats. All of these can be visited, and bracing walks in the open air are a perfect complement to treatments at one of the spas.

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Azerbaijan’s sanitoriums a Soviet wellness legacy

In Soviet times, sanatoria became popular in Azerbaijan. These centres for rejuvenation were accessible to everyone and still remain popular with the people of the country. The Absheron peninsula, close to Baku, has one of the highest concentrations of sanatoria in the country. While the most unique wellness resources of Absheron are its fresh air, sand and Caspian Sea, some sanatoria specialize in treating a particular area of the body, such as the neurological or gastrointestinal systems, while others have a broader focus, offering a range of treatments, including unusual ones such as hydrosulphide water baths, all of which will leave you feeling like a new person.

You can also take baths in Qalaalti’s Naftin water, which can only be found in two places around the world, and in the Sirab mineral waters of Nakhchivan.

And there are new facilities planned, too. In June, a ground-breaking new istisu sanatorium in Kalbajar was opened. Built on 34 hectares, it will include 10 cottages, designed to provide privacy and harmony. At the same time as this new sanitorium is being built, there are plans to restore the historical istisu sanitorium in the city, which was built in 1928, to its former glory.

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Absheron peninsula
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Absheron peninsula
Spa

You can also take baths in Qalaalti’s Naftin water, which can only be found in two places around the world, and in the Sirab mineral waters of Nakhchivan.

And there are new facilities planned, too. In June, a ground-breaking new istisu sanatorium in Kalbajar was opened. Built on 34 hectares, it will include 10 cottages, designed to provide privacy and harmony. At the same time as this new sanitorium is being built, there are plans to restore the historical istisu sanitorium in the city, which was built in 1928, to its former glory.

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Nakhchivan

Nakhchivan the wellness effect of salt mines and arsenic

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a geographical curiosity. Landlocked, it’s separated from Azerbaijan and is bordered by Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. It has its own elected assembly but is a constituent part of Azerbaijan.

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Nakhchivan

The autonomous republic is an area of stark beauty. Mountains and semi-desert terrain are broken up by ancient monuments and small but thriving villages. And there are the salt caves. Salt is thought to have a positive effect on aging skin, allergies, and respiratory issues and, in Nakhchivan, old salt-mining tunnels have been converted into world-leading treatment centres.

You can also bathe in arsenic water, in Julfa District, which might sound risky, but is therapeutic due to its strong alkaline properties.

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