If nature and adventure make up an obligatory duo for your travel plans, it seems that Iran is a destination that fulfils all of the conditions of your next trip. In this country which itself is the size of half of Europe, the countryside and the mountains offer exceptional opportunities for hikes that are still yet to be discovered by most people. Also, near Teheran, the capital, you can warm yourself up on the mountain range Alborz, with the Tochal mountain, 3965 metres in altitude and its seven ski stations which make it a popular place with winter sport enthusiasts! A hundred kilometres away, the valley of Alamut (Eagle’s nest in Persian), in the massif of Alborz, offers a perfect alternative for relaxation next to the Ovan lake, before heading to other landscapes and discovering the Iranian heritage with village walks organised around Rasht, the capital of the Gilan province and a hotspot for Iranian tourism. The forest of Daylam will offer the opportunity to discover the mausoleum of Lounak before going to explore the towns of Astara (on the border with Azerbaijan) and Meshkin Shahr, one of the oldest towns in the country, famous for its carpets (an Iranian speciality) and the pureness of its mineral water. It will be the only opportunity to go and meet the Shahsavans, a local tribe of 30,000 families still living in tents. Finally, before returning to Teheran, you mustn’t miss off your route through Iran the troglodyte village of Tabriz, the exceptional cave of Ali Sadr (and its natural cistern) or even Ghazvin, described as “the town at the water reservoirs”!