Nath, Author at The Wheelchair Traveller

Day 2 (Chisinau) – City Accessibility

Rolling through the streets of Chisinau very much reminded one of Yerevan, Armenia in terms of accessibility. It is common knowledge that the Moldovan economy is not the strongest and is reflected in the citys infrastructure.

The walk from the hotel into the centre takes around 30 minutes, however, this involves crossing Soviet roads (yes, that old chestnut!). In order for a wheelchair user to negotiate stepped underpasses, it is necessary to detour around a few backstreets. Backstreets in Chisinau equate to either broken pavements or dirt rather than tarmac, not great for Superbunny2! It is much easier to roll with the cars should one encounter this…

However, once one reaches the central area (including Strada Stefan Cel Mare), broken pavements give way to wide avenues, even enough space for a dedicated cycle lane making for perfect rolling conditions…

It is also worth noting that Chisinau possesses an extensive bus/trolleybus network which, for the majority is wheelchair accessible. One would highly recommend using these to your advantage as they reduce the need to navigate the Soviet road system/backstreets. The ramps are a definite improvement on some other countries…

Day 1.5 (Chisinau) – Courtyard by Marriott Hotel

As Moldova is located within Europe, one thought that seeking an accessible hotel in Chisinau would be fairly easy, appears not! Granted, international hotel chains do have a presence in the city, however, many have steps leading to the entrance with a small elevator to the side. As one has learnt, maintenance of such elevators in many Eastern European countries can be flaky. It therefore seemed prudent to seek a hotel with level access which appears rare in Chisinau.

Fortunately, the Courtyard by Marriott is a relatively new development alongside Shopping MallDova containing all you need. Despite this, the hotel only contains one wheelchair accessible room according to reservations. However, said room does have everything one needs including a very spacious wet room with a shower seat. The only downside is that there is little manoeuvring space for a wheelchair…

The plan for tomorrow is to take a roll into the city to the Central Market and marvel at Chisinaus famous landmarks.

Day 1 (Chisinau) – Airport to City Transportation

Dubbed as Europes least visited country as of 2025, the landlocked country of Moldova sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine is home to stunning landscapes, some of the worlds oldest wine cellars mixed in with Soviet-era architecture.

It’s capital, Chisinau provides direct flights to the UK and is where ones exploration begins. Although Trolleybus #30 runs into the city centre and is wheelchair accessible, it does not operate between the hours of 23:30pm and and 6am. Since ones flight arrived at 12am, it was necessary to seek out a wheelchair accessible taxi, rare in Moldova, let alone Chisinau. Fortunately Taxi48 possess one vehicle for transport within the city limits. Akin to Care390 in Sarajevo, the vehicle isn’t the biggest but serves it’s purpose…

A journey from Chisinau International Airport to the Courtyard by Marriott located in the city centre costs around 200 MDL.

N.B. When one arrived in Chisinau at 1am, the assistance stated that there was no electric wheelchair in the hold and subsequently rushed us out of the airport leading us to believe that London Luton. It was only when one turned on the eSIM halfway to the hotel that Superbunny2s AirTag popped up as being in arrivals. This means that one has to return to said airport tomorrow (Taxi48 have been very understanding) to locate said wheelchair.

Day 5 (Azerbaijan) – Final Thoughts

Azerbaijan is, perhaps, a country overlooked by many or, most likely, peered down from 30000ft on the way to popular Asian destinations such as India, Thailand and Vietnam. However, when viewed from the ground, the nickname of “the land of fire” very much plays true with the various geographical phenomenons including the Fire Mountain and various mud volcano sites.

In terms of accessibility for wheelchair users, Azerbaijan is a mixed bag. However, one feels that Baku is one of the most easiest cities to navigate in the Caucasus region. Granted, the lack of drop kerbs makes it difficult to navigate on foot (with the exception of pedestrianised areas including Nizami Street), however, the wide availability of wheelchair accessible London cab taxis means that one can roll in and go wherever they please. For example, when walking to the iconic Flame Towers, one suddenly decided to catch a taxi for the remainder of the journey, it took under 10 minutes to hail an accessible taxi.

The majority of drivers are very willing to assist with ramps etc and will not charge a premium for a wheelchair. One caveat, however is that a large proportion of taxis do not possess floor restraint equipment despite the tie down points being present (courtesy of the UK legislation). Instead, they recommend that you position the wheelchair side on against the seats which can be tricky without damaging the vehicle! This can easily be remedied by bringing your own floor restraints.

As one discovered, providing that the price is right, drivers are happy to transport you to a large proportion of the country. In addition, it is clear that accessibility is slowly being improved at tourist hotspots hence, if one is looking for an adventure, why not consider Azerbaijan?

Day 4.5 (Baku) – Yanar Dag (Fire Mountain) and Ateshgah (Fire Temple)

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.

Day 4 (Azerbaijan) – Gobustan National Park and Mud Volcanoes

The original plan for today was to simply visit Yanar Dag, however, when booking accessible transportation with hotel, they made us aware that it was possible to hire a London cab for the entire day for an additional cost.

One took this offer as it was therefore possible to visit 2 other sites around the Baku area, the first one being Gobustan National Park. One of the notable points of interest within said park is it’s mud volcanoes. As with many geographical phenomenon’s, the site has been transformed into a tourist attraction complete with a gift shop and restaurant. Local disabled individuals can enter for FREE but foreigners must pay. However, the recent renovation means the majority of the site is now wheelchair accessible…

This accessibility extends to the actual mud volcanoes thanks to a circular path leading down from the visitor centre…

In addition, the restaurant (also wheelchair accessible) contains breathtaking views of the National Park…

Day 3.5 (Sumqayit) – Caspian Sea Beach

Azerbaijani cuisine appears to be difficult to seek around the Candy Cane Mountains hence one ended up in the country’s second largest city, Sumqayit. In contrast to Baku, the shores of the Caspian Sea are full of beaches and restaurants, much like your average seaside city.

The only thing that separates this beach to the likes of Benidorm is that one is able to drive a vehicle straight onto the sand from the main road. Of course, one can drive as close to the waters edge as they wish (at their own peril!). This makes it perfect for individuals who are unable to walk long distances and wheelchair users (if the thing can withstand beaches)…

Unfortunately, no sign of beach wheelchairs, perhaps in the future.

Day 3 (Azerbaijan) – Candy Cane Mountains

Prior to visiting Azerbaijan, one had booked a rental car with the vision of visiting the Azerbaijani village of Lahich in the Greater Caucasus. However, there has been one slight issue this week in that London Gatwick misplaced the manual wheelchair meaning that Superbunny is the sole method of movement. Of course, an electric wheelchair is near impossible to fit in a conventional rental car hence a rethink was necessary.

The Candy Cane Mountains (named after the mountains colours) form part of Greater Caucasus range and are easily accessible thanks to the road which winds it way adjacent. This is perfect if one only wishes to walk a short distance…

The districts of Azerbaijan where the Candy Cane Mountains are located also contain various settlements if one wishes to experience village life or a road trip!

Day 2.5 (Baku) – The Flame Towers

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…

Day 2 (Baku) – Old City Accessibility

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…

Nath