Vandam

Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan

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Vandam (Azerbaijani: Vəndam, also spelled Vendam) is a town and the most populous municipality in the Qabala (Gabala) Rayon of Azerbaijan, except for the rayon’s capital Qabala itself, with a population of about 9,500 people.

It is located on the left bank of the Vandamchai River at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, about 210 kilometers west of Baku, and is nestled in a valley lined with chestnut, beech, maple, and hornbeam forests, giving the area a distinctive mountainous and green landscape.

The local economy is mainly horticultural: villagers grow chestnuts, other nuts, apples, pears, and related products, while livestock farming is less developed, and there are also traditional craft workshops for carpets and wood carving in the village. Vandam is known beyond the region for its “Bucket Market” near.

The village entrance on the Baku–Gabala highway, where local produce, pickled vegetables, jams, honey, and preserves are sold by the bucket, making it a popular stop for tourists and locals, and for recreational attractions such as horseback riding at the “Duyma” area and the “Seven Beauties” waterfall, which flows from the Caucasus peaks in the village.