Few places in Iran offer a more tempting invitation to hike, explore and reflect than the fabled Alamut Valleys. Beneath soaring Alborz peaks, the landscapes are both inspirational and amazingly varied, a wild melange of Patagonia, Switzerland and Outback Australia, all spiced by a uniquely fascinating medieval history. Nestled almost invisibly on widely spaced rocky knolls and pinnacles are the shattered remnants of more than 50 fortresses. Shrouded in fabulous myths, they were the heavily fortified lairs of the medieval world’s most feared religious cult and are collectively known as the Castles of the Assassins.

Beauties of Alamut valleys