Baku receives its newest visitor in the company of an old acquaintance: the Caspian wind. It sweeps along broad boulevards, past ornate sandstone facades and towards the Flame Towers, whose glass silhouettes have become part of the city's modern identity. Beyond the avenues, the medieval Old City holds a different Baku, one accustomed to welcoming strangers long before the first tourist arrived.

As evening approaches, Nizami Street and Fountain Square draw people out beneath the glow of cafés and shopfronts. Find a table, order tea in a traditional armudu glass and watch the city go about its evening. The evening belongs to the familiar pleasures of arriving somewhere new, finding your bearings and discovering what the locals like to eat.

Along the Baku Boulevard, the curving architecture of the Carpet Museum, the canals of Little Venice and the Ferris Wheel lend the waterfront a distinctly contemporary charm. Yet within Icherisheher, medieval lanes still wind around weathered sandstone buildings and the enigmatic Maiden Tower. From Highland Park, the city opens into a panorama of the Caspian and the soaring Flame Towers, while nearby Martyrs' Lane recalls a poignant chapter of Azerbaijan's modern history.

The Old City is worth revisiting at a slower pace, particularly its Multani and Bukhara caravanserais, where merchants from distant lands once found shelter. Their stone courtyards still carry the names of places far beyond Azerbaijan. Afterwards, settle into a traditional restaurant for plov, dolma or freshly prepared qutab, perhaps followed by tea and something sweet.

The road to Gabala leaves Baku's urban bustle behind, gradually trading the Caspian lowlands for the wooded foothills of the Greater Caucasus. An encounter with the friendly residents of the Alpaca Farm adds a playful beginning to the excursion. Farther along, Nohur Lake reflects the surrounding hills, while waterfalls tumble through the forested landscape. At Tufandag Mountain Resort, the mountains rise above the valleys, offering a magnificent glimpse of Azerbaijan's highland scenery.

Where the day's pace allows, pause beside the lake for a cup of tea or a photograph of the mountains reflected in the water. Gabala has a quieter charm than the capital, its appeal resting as much in the scenery between stops as in the places themselves. By evening, the road leads back to Baku, with another set of landscapes added to the musafir's collection.

At Qobustan, the story of human movement reaches far beyond the age of caravans and trading routes. Prehistoric figures carved into the rocks depict hunters, dancers and scenes of everyday life, preserving the marks of people who inhabited this landscape thousands of years ago. Nearby, the Mud Volcanoes offer a curious spectacle, their thick grey surfaces bubbling and occasionally bursting through the barren ground. Here, the earth has preserved some of humanity's oldest stories while remaining remarkably restless itself.

The journey continues to Ateshgah Fire Temple, where inscriptions and architecture recall the religious traditions of merchants and pilgrims who travelled through the region. At Yanardag Burning Hill, natural gas sustains flames along the hillside, an extraordinary sight that has fascinated generations of visitors. The traders of old have long since departed, but the fire continues its quiet defiance of time.

A new road beckons beyond Baku, leading north towards the mountains of Shahdag. Along the way, the Candy Cane Mountains of Khizi rise in extraordinary folds of crimson, pink and chalk-white stone. Their striped slopes resemble something from an artist's imagination, yet the colours belong entirely to this remarkable landscape's geology. Beyond the painted hills, the road climbs towards Shahdag Mountain Resort, where the Greater Caucasus stretches across the horizon in an impressive succession of ridges and valleys.

At Shahdag, the mountains offer pleasures for different temperaments. Depending on the season, cable car journeys, the Shahdag Coaster, and other outdoor adventures offer excitement, while a comfortable terrace and a mountain view may be equally appealing. As the road eventually turns back towards Baku, the colourful hills and distant peaks offer plenty to remember from a day spent high above the Caspian plains.