Sometimes nicknamed the ‘greenhouse of Azerbaijan’ given its reputation for producing fantastic fruits and vegetables, Shamkir is also a great place to discover the western region’s German heritage, as well as a national form of folk music called ashug and even the remains of an ancient city once serving as a stop-off on the Silk Road. What’s more, one of the country’s most scenic roads weaves a picturesque path from here high into the Lesser Caucasus Mountains.