Iran - Andrew Burke [82]
To the west of Niyavaran Palace is the Ahmad Shahi Pavilion (admission IR3000), an attractive two-storey kiosk dating from the late Qajar period (early 20th century), which was last used as the residence of the crown prince Reza. When we visited the upstairs was closed, but downstairs the prince’s white leather–themed living quarters are on display. It’s a fascinating display of the prince’s belongings, from childhood drawings to model planes (he was a pilot), a rock collection (with a moon rock gifted by Richard Nixon) and a polar bear skin (a gift of the Canadian government), among others.
In front of the Ahmad Shahi Pavilion is the pleasant Coffee Palace (9am-9pm), which serves pastries and very drinkable coffee.
Getting There & Away
Take a shuttle taxi east of Tajrish Sq (IR2500), and ask to be dropped off at Shahid Bahonar Sq, near the museum entrance.
DARAKEH & DARBAND
On a sunny day few things could be nicer than fleeing the traffic fumes for the foothills of the Alborz Mountains and the walking trails of Darakeh and Darband. Both the trails strike north, passing waterfalls and crossing streams. They are crowded on Thursday afternoon and Friday and make a great place to meet Tehranis in a relaxed, social atmosphere.
The lower reaches of both trails are lined with teahouses and stalls selling food and drinks, which are hugely popular in the evenings – some close mid-week and in winter. A dish of dizi (stew), a kabab or two, a cold drink or a huff and a puff on a qalyan by the stream will soon help you forget the Tehran traffic. Among other tasty treats to sample on the way up are dates, apricots, pickled walnuts, lavashak (sheets of pressed dried fruit), fresh mulberries and steamed lima beans.
Darband also has a ski lift (Map; 6am-5pm Sat-Thu, to 7.30pm summer), with tickets costing IR6000/12,000 one way/return to the only station.
Getting There & Away
The starting point for getting to either trail is the northern side of Tajrish Sq. For Darband, either walk 2.5km uphill along Fana Khosrow St (or take a shuttle taxi), or leave the grounds of Sa’d Abad Palace from the rear, cross Meydan-e Darband and continue uphill to where you see the ski lift on the left. The walking trail starts at the end. A visit to Darband can easily be combined with a visit to Sa’d Abad, or you can walk all the way to Jamshidiyeh Park from a trail starting further east.
To get to Darakeh take a shuttle taxi from Tajrish Sq. At the end of Darakeh St you’ll be dropped in a square; the trail leads off from the northeastern corner. A private taxi costs about IR15,000.
PARK-E JAMSHIDIYEH
Meaning Stone Garden, Park-e Jamshidiyeh (Map; 7am-midnight) climbs steeply up the lower reaches of the Alborz Mountains and offers a clean and relatively quiet atmosphere in which to enjoy the views and escape the smog. It’s the sort of place you could happily while away an entire afternoon sipping tea and watching the lights of this huge city slowly come to life – though the prices of food might give you indigestion.
If you’re feeling energetic, a steep trail leads from the northwest corner of the park (beyond the Turkomen restaurant) along the side of the mountain for about 5km to Darband, making a pleasant, relatively pollution-free hike.
TOCHAL TELECABIN
Tehran’s popular Tochal Telecabin (Velenjak Telecabin; Map; 2240 4001-5; www.tochal.org; Velenjak