Khorramabad is the capital of Lorestan Province in western Iran, set in a dramatic mountain valley where the Zagros ranges close in on all sides. The city sits at around 1,100 metres above sea level, which keeps the summers bearable compared to the Iranian lowlands — a relief if you are travelling in July or August.
The city is dominated by the Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, a massive Sassanid-era fortress perched on a rocky outcrop right in the centre of town. It is one of the largest brick castles in the world, and from the battlements you get a striking view of the valley and the river that winds through the city below. The castle now houses a museum of Lorestan ethnography. Near the city centre, the Gerdab-e Sangi — a Sassanid stone whirlpool used as a mill for over a thousand years — is an unusual ancient feature easily overlooked. South of town, the Shapuri Bridge, a ruined Sassanid bridge spanning a river gorge, is worth the short taxi ride for the scenery.
Khorramabad is the heartland of the Lur people, one of Iran's oldest ethnic groups with their own distinct language, music, and traditional dress. If you are passing through in spring or early summer, you may catch nomadic Lur families on their annual migration between winter and summer pastures — one of the more vivid pastoral scenes in the Middle East that few tourists see.
The city is often used as a stopping point on the road between Tehran and the Persian Gulf, which keeps it practical rather than touristic. Facilities are adequate, the bazaar is lively, and the surrounding gorges and rivers reward anyone willing to spend an extra day exploring on foot.