A visit to Baku Fountains Square (Parapet) during Novruz

Time to have dinner on my first day in Azerbaijan. I thought of going to a restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. I was curious as to what their food would be like. There were several restaurants near my accommodation such as Chinese, Indian, and some of Middle Eastern origin. There were pizzeria shops and of course KFC in Fountain Square (Parapet). I learned that a branch of KFC near a former train station in Baku is known to be the World’s largest. Actually, it was the largest branch in the World, as it’s already closed now.

I noticed the streets were busy, adults and children were heading in a particular direction towards the center, a place that looked like a park or a plaza full of temporary food stalls, kids’ play areas and amusement booths with loud music playing. I later found out that the festivities were part of what they call “Nowruz (Novruz)”. Nowruz is a long public holiday in the country, which is a traditional holiday that celebrates the coming of the Persian New Year and Spring.

At that time, I felt glad about myself thinking that I was privileged to visit a new place, experience the local culture, and be able to witness such kind of festivities after a long lockdown.

I roamed the busy area eager to see what the vendors were selling as there were many stalls displaying various merchandise. However, my eyes were fixated on looking for food, which was a delight as there were too many stalls selling different types of local cuisines, sweets, desserts, and other delicacies. I then decided to try the Azerbaijani version of baklava.

I explored more of the area heading to the streets where the famous and internally known brands were located. I must say, it felt like I was on a typical street found in many countries in Europe. Looking at the buildings, it looked like I was in Russia based on the architecture, huge buildings, and distinct design which made sense as most of those buildings were constructed during the Soviet era.

Finally, I had my first dinner at a local restaurant where I paid US$23.00 for a salad, a grilled fish and a glass of orange juice. Then I went to a grocery store to buy water, snacks and other things that I might need for the following day. It was a relief that these areas were just within a 7-minute walk to my accommodation as it saved me money for transportation, especially since I was traveling solo.

Overall, it was tiring but a fun-filled first day in Baku.

To check my other blogs about my travel to Azerbaijan, please click the link below.

My First Solo Travel in 2022 Baku, Azerbaijan