Nath

True to Azerbaijan’s nickname of the “land of fire”, Yanar Dag is a natural fire fuelled by a continuous seep of gas from the surface. Despite it being a tourist attraction, wheelchair users are only able to access the fire (via a ramp) and an alternative vantage point. If one wishes to explore the remainder of the site, steps need to be climbed…

Perhaps the most inaccessible of the three sites is the Ateshgah of Baku aka Fire Temple likely due to its historical structure. The grounds are on the bumpy side, however, to enter the temple, one must navigate a large step which was rather tricky in Superbunny. Once inside, one can roll around the various fires on a raised platform…

It is worth noting that the shops and restaurant at the Ateshgah of Baku all require one step to be navigated.

One of the icons of the city of Baku are The Flame Towers comprising of three flame shaped towers and serve as a reference to Azerbaijan’s nickname “The Land of Fire”. As of 2025, reports suggest that two of these skyscrapers are unoccupied whilst the other contains a Fairmont hotel and Bar19.

The easiest way to access The Flame Towers from the shores of the Caspian Sea is via the Baku Funicular. Unfortunately, said funicular isn’t wheelchair accessible meaning that a walk up a steep hill criss-crossing Soviet-era streets is necessary. However, one has learnt how easy it is to hail down a wheelchair accessible London cab taxi in Baku, reasonably priced also.

As the name suggests, Bar19 is located on the 19th floor of the Fairmont and it is possible to roll in and use the lifts. Although a little expensive, the restaurant provides views overlooking the city of Baku and Caspian Sea…

When viewed on Google Maps, the city of Baku appears to be rather spread out. However, as one discovered today, its quite walkable providing that you choose your route carefully.

As mentioned previously, the hotel is situated a few minutes from the Caspian Sea. A large boulevard runs parallel to the shore and is an easy and picturesque way of avoiding the city streets heading into Old City. In addition, said boulevard is accessible for wheelchair users if one wishes not to gamble with the Soviet-era road system…

Before heading into Old City, one decided to resume the ongoing battle with Soviet-era streets. If one is unfamiliar with this blog, let me briefly elaborate. During the period of the USSR, Soviet city planning consisted of constructing streets with up to 6 lanes of traffic, however, in a bid to improve traffic flow, the only way to safely cross said roads is to use underpasses. Of course, it is unlikely that wheelchair users were consulted hence the majority possess steps. As a result, one is required to cross wherever possible and hope for the best.

Anyway, one soon arrived at the Old City walls…

As with the majority of Old City/Town districts, the majority of surfaces comprise of cobbles. In addition, Baku’s Old City is located on a rather steep hill meaning that steps are plentiful and the gradient of streets are something to be desired…

The most challenging aspect of Baku’s Old City for a wheelchair user is not knowing the location of steps. This means it is possible that one may turn a corner and then have to retrace their steps. Ever more steps are present when the Palace of the Shirvanshahs is reached, however, it does boast a great view of the iconic Flame Towers…

When seeking accessible accommodation in Baku, there are several options courtesy of the major international hotel chains including Ibis and JW Marriott. However, as the city is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, it seemed appropriate to take advantage of this view hence one opted for the Radisson Blu.

Although the hotel is located behind the Park Bulvar Mall and 4 lanes of traffic, one can still admire the Caspian Sea from a ‘Sea View’ room. The wheelchair accessible rooms may not be of this luxury, however, they still boast plenty of room and a spacious wet room, it’s a shame about the single bed however…

It is worth noting that drop kerbs are non-existent outside of the hotel hence it is necessary to bump up or down the kerbs. As in Armenia, the drivers are very courteous and passersby are willing to assist by halting traffic.

Tomorrow is the ‘Day of the Armed Forces’ in Azerbaijan meaning that it is a ‘non working’ day for the country (joys!), however, the plan is to have a roll around the Old City and other famous sights before (hopefully) heading up the iconic Flame Towers to BAR19.

Nestled in between the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian Sea lies the country of Azerbaijan aka the land of fire. To an outsider, Azerbaijan is probably known best for the Formula 1 taking place in Baku, the capital city. This is also where ones 5 day adventure begins thanks to direct flights from both London Heathrow and Gatwick.

Unfortunately, as of 2025, accessibility in Azerbaijan is somewhat limited and, it has to be said that one of the most trickiest parts when planning was to work out how to move Superbunny around said country. Granted, the bus network in Baku is mostly wheelchair accessible, however, this does not apply to the H1 service connecting Heydar Aliyev International Airport to the city. It is hoped that this regular bus service will become wheelchair accessible in the future.

Fortunately for wheelchair users, Baku Taxis, a government-backed taxi company possesses a fleet of London cabs complete with fold out ramps (built to UK standards). There seem to be plenty of these waiting outside the terminals at Heydar Aliyev, however, if not, one can request a cab at the desk. The only issue (which one has faced back in the UK) is that, for the older models of London cabs (which I believe Baku is phasing out), the driver must find a raised section of pavement to avoid a steep gradient. The newer models possess slightly longer ramps to combat this.

The cost from Heydar Aliyev International to the Radisson Blu is slightly more expensive if one wishes to use a wheelchair accessible London cab compared to a conventional taxi costing around 70AZN.