The Shahdag Mountain Resort is the perfect location to enjoy Azerbaijan during the winter. Days here are never boring, with a wealth of activities on offer, from skiing to paragliding, ice skating to hiking, and an alpine coaster that will take your breath away.
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00:00 Have you ever thought about going skiing in the Greater Caucasus?
00:08 In Northern Azerbaijan, there is a perfect destination for a unique end-of-the-beaten-path
00:13 experience.
00:14 I am in Shakhdag, in the Guzar region, 200 km away from the capital Baku.
00:24 This is one of the best places to escape the noise of city life, breath fresh mountain
00:30 air and enjoy a winter wonderland.
00:35 Shakhdag Mountain Resort is the first and biggest winter sports complex in Azerbaijan.
00:41 Since its completion in 2012, it has become an all-year-round tourist center with a wide
00:47 range of activities for both summer and winter.
00:51 The resort is named after Mount Shakhdag, a summit 4,243 meters high located in Azerbaijan's
00:58 largest national park.
01:01 I came here three years before like a guest.
01:05 For the first time I fell in love with this mountain and right now I'm an instructor here
01:11 and every day I open my eyes with this beautiful view and probably I will continue working
01:18 here end of my life.
01:21 This ski resort which exudes originality and a rugged mountain appeal has an altitude ranging
01:27 from 1,400 to 2,500 meters.
01:32 It's the perfect playground for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts.
01:37 More than 20 slopes are available offering 30 kilometers of skiing for all levels of
01:43 ability.
01:44 The ski area is equipped with the very latest snow machine technology to ensure perfect
01:50 snow conditions throughout the winter season.
01:56 And at the summit of one of the slopes at an altitude of 2,351 meters you can also enjoy
02:03 a tea or a meal at the highest restaurant in the whole country.
02:09 Visitors and snowboarders visit from all over the world to stay in top-notch hotels designed
02:15 to welcome them.
02:16 The resort's development is still ongoing.
02:20 The whole ski culture of our country starts from this resort.
02:23 We're planning to add more slopes and one more hotel is under construction.
02:29 So now we're able to host around 1,100 guests and after one more hotel it will give us another
02:37 opportunity to host another 300 guests.
02:41 If you're not into skiing no worries there are lots of other activities on offer to keep
02:46 you busy from ice skating to paragliding, zip lining, quad riding and even archery.
03:03 This is an activity that could be even more thrilling than skiing and it's not only for
03:08 children as it might seem.
03:09 I want to try it.
03:12 The Chardagne Alpine Coaster is a family thrill ride for adrenaline seekers.
03:19 It's the only mountain coaster in the Caucasus.
03:27 On its 2,590 meters of track you can reach speeds of up to 42 kilometers per hour.
03:34 This was so much fun.
03:35 Can I do it again?
03:40 The Chardagne National Park in which the resort is based covers more than 130,000 hectares
03:47 and was set up in 2006 offering an amazing chance to experience nature at its purest.
03:55 Adventurers can enjoy fantastic views of the mountains on the park's hiking trails and
04:00 discover emblematic villages such as Laza well known for its cattle breeders, stunning
04:06 views and charming waterfalls.
04:09 Indeed, this area has a large number of them.
04:15 There are dozens of waterfalls which comes from, the origin comes from Chardagne mountains
04:20 and also the different sources from the mountains.
04:25 During winter, especially, people are coming making the ice climbing and also to see the
04:31 winter view, the landscape of Laza.
04:35 When the waterfalls are frozen by the low temperatures, they bring a magic touch to
04:39 the landscape.
04:42 I have skied in the greater Caucasus and a shot of adrenaline on Azerbaijan's first
04:47 alpine coaster and enjoyed the beauty of modern nature.
04:51 My trip to Chardagne has been an experience that I will remember for a long time.
04:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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