With a medieval core and dazzling 21st-century architecture, the city of Baku offers a fascinating mix of old and new, positioned on a windy peninsula overlooking the oil-rich Caspian Sea.

The destination for Round 17 of this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship is the Baku Street Circuit - a high-speed blast around Azerbaijan’s cosmopolitan capital. Formula 1 has been racing around the 3.7-mile layout on the city streets since 2016, and each year the race delivers plenty of excitement and drama. If you’re heading to Azerbaijan, here are our top five tips for things to do when in Baku…

Climb the steps of the Maiden Tower

It costs ten manat (about £5) to enter the mysterious Maiden Tower, located in the southeast corner of the Old City. The origins of this cylindrical fortress are unclear, but it’s believed to date back to the 12th century and was likely built as a defensive structure. Climb the 97ft to the top today and you’ll enjoy spectacular views across the city - including the Formula 1 action below - as well as the Caspian Sea.

Watch the Flame Towers light up

Due to its natural gas and oil reserves, Azerbaijan is known as ‘the Land of Fire’, and in ancient times, Zoroastrian worship took place at fire temples. Recent investment in the city has resulted in the modern construction of the spectacular Flame Towers. These three shimmering skyscrapers are covered with LED panels that light up at dusk, transforming the towers into a flickering red-and-orange blaze.

Visit the natural fires outside the city

A short distance from Baku is the extraordinary Yanar Dag, a hillside that burns with flames emerging from cracks in the rock. These seemingly eternal fires - which reach up to three metres high - are fuelled by natural gas seeping out of the porous sandstone. The Zoroastrian religion treated fire as a sacred element, and the sight is even more mesmerising at night.

Check out the modern architecture

One of the most striking buildings in Baku is the giant, curvy Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, designed by the famous Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. Completed in 2012, the futuristic structure resembles a series of white waves and has become one of Baku’s contemporary icons. Inside is a multipurpose exhibition hall, concert venue and museum, which even includes an unusual collection of presidential cars.

Walk the cobblestones of the Old City

Part of the Baku City Circuit features the famous castle section - the narrow, wall-lined stretch of track between Turns 8 and 11. Sections of the Old Town have been in place for over a thousand years, with cobblestone streets winding past ancient mosques. Don’t miss the UNESCO World Heritage site of the palace complex of the Shirvanshah dynasty, where you can wander through intricate courtyards decorated with elegant carvings and visit art galleries, cafés and bathhouses.