Kandovan, about 60 kilometres south of Tabriz, is one of the most extraordinary villages in Iran — a cluster of natural rock cones, some seven hundred years old, hollowed out and inhabited as troglodyte houses. The setting in the foothills of Mount Sahand is dramatic, and the village itself is best explored on foot via the narrow stepped paths that wind between the cones.
This is not a museum: roughly 150 people still live here, and many of the cave dwellings are family homes. There is a luxury rock-cut hotel for those who want to stay overnight (sleeping inside the stone is a memorable experience), and several simple teahouses for day-trippers. Visit on a weekday to avoid the busloads of Iranian tourists who come at weekends.