Batabat, Azerbaijan
In the Northern part of Nakhchivan right near the border with Armenia located a marvelous place – Batabat. Many locals come here often for having a day out and to have a barbeque. Batabat is an unpopulated alpine valley high above the quaint, partly wooded village of Bichanak. Batabat’s main feature is Ganli Gol (‘Blood lake’), on which a couple of large, flat turf islands ‘float’. This is less dramatic than it sounds as it can take days for them to move a few metres. To get there from Nakhchivan one have to move towards the regional centre of Shahbuz where one supposed to sign in at the police station before continuing to Batabat.
The lakes of Batabat are definitely a must-see if you’re in Nahchivan! Actually, they alone could be the reason for you to travel all the way to Nahchivan. The drive there is fantastic with breath-taking scenery but when you arrive to Batabat you would be impressed even more. You will turn speechless with the beauty of all these lakes and untouched nature. As locals advise the best time to go there is in May when the lakes are surrounded by the fields of tulips. It’s always cold there no matter the season due to surrounding mountains and the water in the lakes is freezingly cold.
Epic Azerbaija Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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