00:00 Good morning, I set my alarm for a little earlier today so I could explore this area
00:10 as much as possible.
00:12 We are in Pirgulu State Reserve, a natural park where you can have the best hiking.
00:22 This natural reserve, located close to Chamahi, about 130 km west of Baku, was established
00:30 in 1968 at the eastern edge of the Greater Caucasus.
00:35 Hiking is the best way to visit this 1,500 hectares of paradise with its thick forests
00:42 and mesmerizing environment.
00:44 Here the soil is fertile and the variety of nature is at its best.
00:51 What kind of flora and fauna can we find here?
01:12 The climate, the diversity of flora and the preservation of nature allow rich wildlife
01:18 to thrive in this reserve.
01:20 You can find trails for all kinds of abilities here, from the easiest to the most challenging.
01:27 Hiking isn't the only attraction of the region, though.
01:30 Local authorities are promoting tourism with an activity that doesn't require you to stay
01:35 on the ground.
01:38 You can indeed observe the landscape from above, from a hot air balloon.
01:45 To promote this brand new activity, a hot air balloon festival was inaugurated in Chamahi
01:50 last June.
01:54 The sky was lit up with balloons of different shapes, colors and designs, giving participants
02:01 a chance to experience the thrill of a balloon flight.
02:04 We held our first festival.
02:06 It was very interesting.
02:08 It was very interesting for our tourists and also for the locals.
02:13 In general, the festival we held this year was a festival with a characteristic display.
02:19 We are preparing for the next two festivals and I hope they will be even more interesting.
02:27 Concerts, masterclasses, events for the kids and of course a lot of flights for viewing
02:34 picturesque nature, historical sites and Chamahi's more contemporary points of interest.
02:45 Chamahi is one of the largest winemaking centers in Azerbaijan.
02:49 The surrounding hills produce famous wines and cognacs recognized all over the world.
02:57 We are here at the peak of the harvest season.
03:00 The time has come for me to get to work.
03:03 Favorable soil and climatic conditions have enabled the development of viticulture in
03:09 the region over thousands of years and the production of wines with unique taste and aroma.
03:16 This is our local Madrasa grape.
03:21 We make red wine from it.
03:24 You can taste it.
03:25 Ok, I try.
03:27 Vine growing in this area is undergoing a new year of development, producing the country's
03:32 first organic wines with EU certification.
03:36 We plant grapes 400-500 meters from the highway so that the chemical pollutants from the car
03:45 do not fall into the soil.
03:48 We use the water from the spring.
03:51 The spring water is natural, organic water.
03:54 After our walk through the vineyards, Nizami shows me the cellar and the final result of
04:01 the harvest.
04:03 You can feel the dry gavala in the aroma of wine.
04:07 Yes, I do.
04:09 Cheers!
04:10 Tourism in this region doesn't stop once the sun goes down.
04:21 It's at night that things get interesting for enthusiasts of astronomy.
04:25 The settlement of Birgulu is home to the largest space observatory in the country.
04:31 It has been used to study the stars and the secrets of the universe since the Soviet era.
04:37 The higher I go, the closer I feel to the stars.
04:41 The adventure in the nature reserve, harvesting in the vineyard and now stargazing, I feel
04:50 like I'm leaving this region with my luggage filled with unique experiences.
04:55 (upbeat music)
04:57 you
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