Darband: Escaping from traffic and pollution

The Persian term darband translates to "door of the mountain" (band, a variation of vand and fand, meaning "mountain"). The initial start of the trail at Darband is about 250 metres long and is dotted with a number of small cafes and restaurants. These are quite popular and are busy in the evenings, as locals and tourists alike visit the many hooka lounges along the trail.