Champions League away days: Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku became a global staging post as a Silk Road port on the Caspian Sea, and is now a sleek capital mixing ancient stone walls with glass skyscrapers.

Ahead of the UEFA Champions League meeting between Qarabağ and Ajax on Matchday 6, we throw the away days spotlight on the capital of Azerbaijan and sample a flavour of what visiting fans can enjoy.

Old City

The lowest-lying capital in the world, at 28 metres below sea level, Baku is known as the City of Winds. The largest city on the Caspian Sea coast, it first blossomed under the Shirvanshahs in the Middle Ages, with the Icheri Sheher (literally ‘inner city’) a reminder of its splendid past.

Among the most famous monuments is the Qız Qalası (Maidan Tower), a mysterious building which may once have been a Zoroastrian temple. Following an earthquake, the Shirvanshah dynasty moved their capital from Shemakha to Baku, and the Şirvanşahlar Sarayı (Shirvanshah's Palace) is at the heart of the UNESCO protected Old Town.

Icheri SheherGetty Images

Flame Towers

Azerbaijan is known as the Land of Fire as a nod to the nation's Zoroastrian past and an acknowledgement of its significant deposits of oil and natural gas. Tellingly, Azerbaijan’s first recorded football match took place in 1912 between oil workers from local refineries.

The three Flame Towers, completed in 2007, are skyscrapers which honour the nation's fiery heritage, and are symbolic of the wealth of the city of Baku. Completely covered in LED screens, the towers light up at night to depict flames and the Azerbaijani flag among other things.

If you want the real deal then take a taxi to Yanar Dag, where a natural gas fire has burned perpetually since the 1950s when, it is said, a passing shepherd inadvertently ignited it.

Baku BoulevardGetty Images

Baku Boulevard

First established in 1909, Dənizkənarı Milli Park (Baku Boulevard to visitors) is a broad walkway that covers Baku's Caspian coastline and is where many come to relax in the city. Classed as a national park, it runs for nearly four kilometres, with sights of interest including the Ferris Wheel, the Carpet Museum as well as galleries and sports facilities.

It is also a great place to come for food, with national specialities including plov (a rice or wheat dish), qutab (a local pancake), shashlik (pieces of lamb cooked on a skewer), with syrup-heavy pakhlava and black tea the favoured way of ending a meal.