MAZANDARAN

Sari the capital of the province of Mazandaran with its main sites being a mosque and two mausoleums built in the15th century, perhaps does not contain any must-see attractions. Having said this, Sari acts as an essential linking stop by public transport if you are planning to visit Badab-e Soort. In addition, Sari is an arriving point on the Trans-Iranian Railway which travels from Bandar Torkaman (in the East of the Caspian Sea) to Bandar Emam (in North West of the Persian Gulf). Mazandaran province is also the home of Mount Damavand, Iran’s greatest mountain, and Asia’s highest volcano and also mount Alam or Alam-Kuh a great place for mountaineering and hiking.

Churat Lake

Situated in the Chahardangeh district of the county of Sari in Mazandaran, this lake was formed in 1941 due to an earthquake and a proceeding landslide. The Name of this 2.5-hectare lake comes from a nearby village called Churat. This rather shallow lake which is amongst Mazandaran’s finest leisurely sites becomes significantly more so when the water levels decrease as it provides us with a site of the trees that existed there before the lake was created.

Badab-e Surt

Around 100 kilometers south of Sari, near the village of Orost, Badab-e Soorat consist of series of limestone formations or Travertine terrace tarns that have been fashioned during thousands of years of thermal mineral springs flowing on the mountainside of the area. Although Badab-e Soort is smaller than the Pamukkale travertine terraces in western Turkey, Badab-e Soort is significantly more colorful. The phenomenon is colored by yellow, orange and red limestones that have been formed like a staircase. The neighboring area consists of shrubberies, short trees, and pine forests.

Filband

According to a census made in 2006, in the district of Bandpey, county of Bobol, Mazandaran, the small village of Filband comprises of 8 people consisting of 4 families. The village which is situated in the east of the province at more than 2 km in altitude, is referred to as the rooftop of Mazandaran.

Filband’s cool climate in at summer time along with the spectacle of its magnificent mountains and misty woodlands which are mostly buried under an ocean of clouds has formed it into an attractive tourist site. The village’s surroundings also provide a good hiking experience as the calm of its environment entreats you to wander above the sea of fog.

Namak Abrud

This village in the Mazandaran Province is famous for its two lines of sky trams that begin close to the coast of the Caspian Sea, travel above the forest and conclude at the heights of the Alborz mountain range. The population of Namak Abrud in the census taken in 2006 was recorded as 354 people consisting in 71 families.

Namak Abrud, situated 17 km to the west of Chalus and 21km to the east of Abbasabad by car, spans over 6.5 square kilometers. To the north of Namak Abrud is the Caspian Sea and to the South the Modaban, a mountain range of Alborz. Parks in the north of Namak Abrud with the estimated extent of 2 Square kilometers, and correspondingly the mountains area of Modaban with its forests in the south, have both created a popular recreation area for tourists.

The 2 km long sky tram starting from the resort village of Namak Abrud ends close to the summit of Mount Modaban. From here you will have a grand view of the forests and the Caspian Sea. The small resort at the end of the sky tram line provides you with small hiking trails, public tables, and restaurants. The area at the top is enclosed by fences, disallowing individuals to wander outside the boundaries into the surrounding untouched forests.

Abbasabad

The capital of the Abbasabad County in the province of Mazandaran supports a population of 11,256 people in 3,195 families according to the 2006 census. The Abbas Abad Historical complex is situated between Tonekabon and Chalus on the skirts of the Alborz Mountain belt. The city itself is surrounded by dense forests and contains some of the greatest historical grounds in Iran that have also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Abbasabad Complex consists of a dam, a water reservoir and lake, a palace, bathhouse, an elaborate flower garden, a water mill and two brick towers. This complex with an approximate span of 500 hectares was built by Shah Abbas the Great in the early 17th century.