Located on the cuff between the green hills that surround the Caspian Sea, the wild mountain ridges that rise with the peaks of the Alborz, and the dust-caked massifs that mark the borderland between Iran and Azerbaijan, Ardabil is nothing if not eclectic. Winters are cold; summers are warm. Highland meadows erupt with wild flowers on the outskirts, and bubbling hot springs emerge from the grounds of Sar'eyn and Booshloo. And in the distance, the mighty outline of Sabalan Mountain comes blanketed in snow, hosting ski resorts and mysterious meditation caves once trodden by Zoroaster. Back in the centre of the hill station town, Ardabil tour guides take travelers first to the great mausoleum of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili, a UNESCO listed complex of Dervish shrines and mosques with Safavid carve stones. That's not all there is to see though, because you will also encounter the crumbling remains of the Masjid Jameh, oodles of historical Persian bridges, and a throbbing market bazaar where cotton traders and carpet weavers vie for attention.