BILD: "Baku is a mixture of Paris, Dubai and Moscow"

On the eve of the Europa League final in Baku, the German tabloid BILD published an article about the Azerbaijani capital entitled  ”Baku ist eine Mischung aus Paris, Dubai und Moskau.” Baku was already in the focus of international attention on June 26, 2012, during the Eurovision Song Contest in the capital of Azerbaijan. On May 29, 2019, the world will turn its eyes to Baku once again: this time because of football - Chelsea and Arsenal will compete for victory in the Europa League final. BILD tells some facts about the city, stadium and how to get there.

A country on the Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan covers an area of 86,000 square kilometers and is only slightly larger than Austria. It is surrounded by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and the Caspian Sea. The capital is located right on the sea, just below its level. The distance from Berlin is 3524 kilometers. About two million people live in Baku, the most populous city in the Caucasus, which owes its name to the constant wind - ‘Bad Kube’ means ‘strong wind’ in Old Persian.

The Old City is on the UNESCO List of World Heritage 

Oil, as well as the geographical location on the crossroads of several historical trade routes, made the metropolis rich. In the old city you can see a lot of historic buildings, which were included to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in 2000. Among them, there are walls and towers (the most famous of which is the Maiden's Tower), the 11th century Shirvanshah’s Palace and the Lezgin Mosque. To reduce exhaust fumes and noise, in the old town, surrounded by a fortress ring, only 450 cars are allowed simultaneously- a pleasure for those who walk through the narrow streets. An exciting detail: in Azerbaijan, there are Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious buildings. You should definitely see the 11th century Mohammed Mosque, the Temple of Fire Ateshgah and the Church of the Savior.

A modern city with a historic heart

Baku is a modern city. Here you can see women in miniskirts, walking past designer boutiques and McDonald's. The capital of Azerbaijan is a little Paris, Dubai and Moscow at once. Here you can find everything from skyscrapers to historic buildings. Three Flame Towers with a height of 181.7, 164.6 and 160.8 meters, where hotels and offices are located, have become the new sights of the city.

Stadium

Another landmark is the National Stadium, built in 2015 (Baki Milli Stadionu) that can  seat 70,000 spectators. The Europa League final takes place there on May 29. Its construction cost $ 710 million. The facade of the stadium can be illuminated by LEDs. The stadium is a part of the Olympic Village with training areas and accommodation facilities. The city already bid twice to host the Olympic Games (in 2016 and 2020). The stadium is located close to the airport and is easily accessible by taxi. The nearest metro station is Koroglu, about 12 minutes walk from there. You can also take a tour to the stadium, including in German, when there are no games in the facility.

Arrival in Baku

A flight from Frankfurt (direct or connecting) costs from 130 euros. Some organizers offer packages (hotel, transfer to the stadium and back). For example, Vietentours (from 298 euros without a flight) or Fanreisen24.com (from 510 euros without a flight).