North · Caspian coast
Between Alborz peaks and the Caspian Sea
Between the Caspian Sea and the wall of the Alborz, Mazandaran stretches from beaches and rice fields to Hyrcanian forest and high peaks. A humid climate, citrus groves, mountain villages and historic routes create remarkable diversity over short distances. Here sea, forest, architecture and mountain travel can all meet within a single journey.
North · Caspian coast
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Badab-e Surt is a system of terraced travertine springs in Mazandaran. Mineral-rich water has deposited successive layers to form colourful pools, while the orange and red tones are associated especially with iron compounds in the water.
Ramsar Palace is a Pahlavi-era summer residence set in a subtropical garden near the Caspian Sea. Its marble-clad building, European furnishings, citrus trees and palms evoke a twentieth-century royal retreat.
On the forested slopes of Behshahr, Abbasabad is a Safavid ensemble of garden, lake, dam, tower and water channels. When the water rises, a chahar-taq pavilion appears like an island; the union of mist, woodland and garden geometry makes it a distinctive component of UNESCO’s Persian Garden property.
Damavand, Iran’s highest peak and volcano, rises in the central Alborz within Amol County. Its snow-covered cone is a symbol of endurance in Persian myth and literature, while sulphurous springs and glaciers reveal its volcanic character. Reaching the summit requires serious preparation and professional guidance.
Filband is a highland village in Mazandaran celebrated for the ‘sea of clouds’ that gathers below its ridges. Its outlook brings together the humid Caspian climate and the mountain landscape of the Alborz.
