September is surely one of most promising times for trips and adventures. In much of the northern hemisphere, it represents the last sigh of summer, as crowds melt magically away, yet the warm days linger. Further south, flowers begin to bloom as spring shrugs off the chilly embrace of winter.
Mount Damavand is selected as one of the 7 places advised by Lonely Planet’s destination experts to visit in September:
Mount Damavand
Timing is everything when planning a trip to Iran, a country with temperatures that range wildly from below zero to 50°C. You can avoid both extremes in September, which is an absolute delight by comparison, especially if you’re planning to tackle the mighty Damavand Mountain.
The potentially active volcano, at 5672m, Mount Damavand is the highest peak in the Middle East. Damavand is a significant mountain in Persian mythology. It is the symbol of Iranian resistance against despotism and foreign rule in Persian poetry and literature. In texts and mythology, the three-headed dragon Azhi Dahak was chained within the mountain, there to remain until the end of the world. In a later version of the same legend, the tyrant Zahhak was also chained in a cave somewhere in Damavand after being defeated by Kaveh and Fereydun- two mythical figures who lead a popular uprising against injustice.
Mythical sightings aren’t guaranteed on a three-day trek to the summit, but glimpses of remote villages, Iranian red sheep, and sunny mountain slopes should make the trip worthwhile.
The mountain is located near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, in Amol county, Mazandaran Province, 66 kilometers northeast of Tehran.
To experience a completely different side of the country, combine the trek with a visit to Tehran, which is just 66km away. Serene it might not be, but here you can get your fill of Persian art in the palaces and galleries, haggle in a bazaar, and get swept up in the city’s exhilarating and maddening noise and bustle.
