Candy Cane Mountains you need to visit at least once [PHOTO]

22 July 2020 12:27 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan is blessed with an abundance of outstanding marvels and breathtaking natural landscapes. The country offers a variety of natural and man-made sights that are simply captivating.

Khizi's natural landscapes are some of the most beautiful in Azerbaijan. The climate of this place is mild and the air is dry. A large part of the district territory is covered with forests and mountains.

Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the best places to enjoy in Khizi region.

Candy Cane Mountains

The dramatic peaks of Khizi region have always amazed and left hikers spellbound with its astonishing beauty.

There's nothing like a spend day in the Candy Cane Mountains full of walking trails and stunning views.

If you're lucky enough to be trekking through Azerbaijan, the view alone of Candy Cane Mountains is simply breathtaking.

These majestic mountains earned their nickname thanks to their striking resemblance to the classic Christmas treat.

The mountains' astonishing colors are produced by groundwater that’s altered the oxidation state of iron compounds within the rock.

This natural phenomenon attracts curious tourists. If you are a nature lover, you must visit and enjoy the impressive Khizi Mountains.

Altiagach National Park

Around 10 km west of Khizi town, there are green and heavily forested hills which has been declared Altiagach National Park.

The park is mostly covered by temperate deciduous broadleaved forests. The major types of trees are Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica), Caucasian Oak (Quercus macranthera), Caucasian Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa), European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Oriental Hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis), Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis), Silver Birch (Betula pendula), White Birch (Betula pubescens), etc.

Since in 2004, Altiagach National Park is home to the rare East Caucasian tur (Capra cylindricornis), a mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the eastern half of the Caucasus Mountains. Other large mammals found here are the lynx (Lynx lynx), brown bear (Ursus arctos), wild boar (Sus scrofa), wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), badger (Meles meles), and otter (Lutra lutra), etc.

Historical monuments

There is a graveyard 300-500 in the former Shikhlar village cemetery in the village of Tikhti. This tomb is likely to be the Sheikh Heydar's Tomb, the father of Ismayil I, the founder of the Safavid Empire.

The tower of Beshbarmag, the remains of the lost city of the 5th century, the mausoleum of Sheikh Heydar, the remains of the fallen stone fence of the tower of Khizi are another examples of historical monuments.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova