Are you planning an independent trip to Derbent? Find out what to see in 1 day: the main attractions, photogenic places, routes and useful tips for tourists.
It all happened by accident: I missed my flight to Makhachkala and got almost two free days before my next flight. I decided not to waste time and went to Derbent, a city only 107 km from Makhachkala airport and 55 km from the border with Azerbaijan.
View from the Naryn-Kala fortress wall to Derbent
Why Derbent? It’s simple — I opened Google Images, visually compared Makhachkala and Derbent … and realized that there is nothing much for a tourist to do in the capital of Dagestan, except to walk through museums and look at a couple of monuments. I don’t like that.
I’m not a fan of boring museums and featureless monuments, even if there’s an interesting story behind them. I love photogenic places, atmospheric streets, old architecture and natural landscapes. In my travels, the priority is what looks good in the frame.
Derbent fits perfectly into these preferences. I had one full day at my disposal, and I chose five key points that are definitely worth seeing.:
- Fortress Naryn-Kala
- Old Town with fortress walls
- Derbent Juma Mosque
- Seaside park and beach
- Lun ekranoplane
All of them are located directly in the city, with the exception of an unusual aircraft ship resting on the shore of the Caspian Sea, in the area of the Patriot Park under construction, which is 20 km from Derbent.
