The arrival at each new city implies almost always the challenge of negotiating with taxi drivers the price of the journey to the city center, which apparently seems to be a conspiracy were no collective public transport make this link, where everybody shown useless to provide information on this subject and where the negotiation of the price always part of a disadvantage, with foreigners ignoring the location of the bus station, the distance to the center or the prices usually charged.
After this usual stress, and proof satisfactorily overcome after arduous negotiations, Kashan proved to be a city of smiling, relaxed people, willing to exchange greetings and to practice English with the usual questions about: country, name, sites visited, if I am traveling alone, for how long, if like Iran, etc …
Kashan appears in the tourist “map” not only by the amazing architecture of the bazaar, but also by Bagh-e-Fin, one of the oldest examples of this type of Persian gardens, and the high concentration of so-called historical houses, which are exquisite palaces built according to traditional architecture region.
The narrow streets entrenched by high walls designed to provide maximum shade, with discrete doors leading to patios, around which the houses, low, dark and with small windows are arranged, and ocher tones that cover the plaster walls and the roofs made of clay come to remind us how close we are to the desert.
Wind towers, ingenious system that allows ventilate the houses with fresh air, come out from homogeneous skyline of the city, dominated by houses of two or three floors, where the terraces form a clay color mantle that stretches till the mountains that surround part of Kashan.
The city of Kashan with his laid-back vibe, friendly people and interesting places to visit most of then easily reach at walking distance, were pleasant and very relaxed, and were the stay at the friendly atmosphere of the Khan-e Esahnb guest house played also a important rule.
Accommodation:
Eshan Historical Guest House (Khan and Esahn)
Fazel and Navaghi street
(opposite the Agha Bozorg Mosque)
+98361 444 6833
Bedroom with 6 beds but very spacious by 500,000 (negotiating could go down to 400,000 rials) with breakfast included in buffet style (fruit, bread, egg, cheese, butter, jams, honey and tea). Nice bathrooms and showers.
Good location, halfway between the bazaar and Historical Houses.
Free Wi-fi.
Better reserve because this is a popular place mentioned in the guidebooks.
Another option is to Noglhi House, very close to Eshan House, following the street on the left side of the Agha Bozorg Mosque, following the small arrows that identify the guesthouse that are on the walls; practice the same prices and that presents equally enjoyable.
Where to eat:
For vegetarians and beyond, the traditional soup ash-e reshteh cooked and served at a family style place, situated in Bab Afzal Street, is a delicious option as well as a possibility of interaction with the local population; walked from the Kamal-al-Molk Square, this small restaurant is on the right, being necessary to walk a little; the best option is to go asking traders because everyone knows this place.
Since the space is tiny, you probably need to share one of the two existing tables in the place.
The meal costs 20,000 rials (about € 0.50) and is served in a considerable amount.
Transport:
The best option to reach Kashan is the bus, existing plenty throughout the day, as this town is on the route between Tehran and Esfahan.
The journey takes around 4 hours.
The ticket cost 125,000 rials in VIP.
From the city center to the bus station, the only the solution found was the taxi which costs 50.000 rials, because apparently there are no public buses to make this link.
Situated about 80 kilometers from Kashan, lies the village of Abyaneh which is a popular day trip, but given the lack of public transport the journey has to be made by taxi, which puts this destination out of my “route”. The guesthouses in Kashan organize tours or alternatively you can use one of the shared-taxis that follow towards Esfahan.
