Qazvin

Qazvin is a pleasant city with a wonderfully restored caravanserai-turned-arts precinct, some quirky museums and a handful of decent eating options. Famed for carpets and seedless grapes, it was once the capital of all Iran, but for most foreign travellers it's primarily the staging point for excursions to the famous Castles of the Assassins and trekking in the sensational Alamut Valley. The city centre is Azadi Sq, widely known as Sabz Meydan. The bazaar and alleys to its southeast are the most atmospheric areas for random strolling.