Tufandag Cable Car, Gabala

The Tufandag cable car is the centrepiece of Azerbaijan's premier mountain resort, lifting visitors 3.2 kilometres up the slopes of the Greater Caucasus to a summit station at 2,400 metres. In winter, it serves Azerbaijan's best ski terrain — nine pistes carved through alpine forest. In summer, the gondola becomes a sightseeing ride above dense beech and hornbeam forest, with views stretching across the Gabala valley toward Dagestan.

The journey takes around 12 minutes each way. At the top, a viewing terrace and mountain restaurant let you linger before the descent. Paragliding and zip-lining are also available at the summit station for the more adventurous.