The village of Laza sits at 1,300 metres at the foot of Mount Shahdagh in one of the most dramatic valleys of the Greater Caucasus. The surrounding landscape — rocky gorges, alpine meadows, and the white cone of the 4,243-metre Shahdagh peak above — draws hikers and climbers from Baku in summer. In winter the valley fills with snow and the road can close; the Shahdag ski resort operates on the slopes directly above the village.
Laza itself is a traditional Lezgin village with a small mosque and a few guesthouses that have opened to cater for the growing stream of adventure tourists. The main trail from the village leads up through pine forest to the alpine zone and the Gusarchai River gorge, where waterfalls emerge from the cliff faces in spring and early summer. The Long Forest (Uzun Mesha) resort, lower down along the Guruchay River, offers a more comfortable base with chalets and a sauna complex, and is busy with Baku families at weekends.