Shiraz is the city of poets, roses and nightingales, and the Eram garden, on its northern side, is where it keeps the best of them. The Bagh-e Eram, the Garden of Paradise, was laid out in the nineteenth century by a local ruling family, the Qavams, around a handsome two-storey pavilion with painted tiles and a deep portico. A long pool in front reflects the building, and the tall cypress trees on either side give the place a feeling of balance and calm. The garden is part of the group of nine Persian gardens listed by UNESCO in 2011, and today it belongs to the university and is also a botanical garden.
The Persian garden is a place where water and shade are the point. The four-part design comes from the idea of paradise, and a stroll through the cypress, citrus and rose beds gives you a sense of why. Orange trees line the paths, and the scent of blossom in spring is overwhelming. The garden is crowded on Fridays and holidays, with families on picnics and photographers, and quieter on weekday mornings.
The city has many other things to offer. The tombs of the poets Hafez and Saadi, both much loved, draw crowds who come to recite verses and to seek a poem in a divination ritual. The old bazaar, the Vakil mosque with its tiled prayer hall and the Nasir al-Mulk mosque with its colourful glass are all worth a visit. Persepolis, the ancient Persian capital, lies about sixty kilometres to the north-east, and Sarvestan, with its Sasanian palace, a bit farther along the road.
Riding in Shiraz is not for the nervous. The traffic is dense and fast, with motorbikes, taxis and trucks weaving through the lanes, and the rules are loosely observed. Outside the city, the roads are better, and the countryside, with vineyards, orchards and mountains, is lovely. The city, with its one and a quarter million people, has plenty of fuel, and nearby Marvdasht, with a hundred and fifty thousand, is the main town on the road to Persepolis.
Spring is the best time for the gardens, with blossom and mild weather. Summer is hot, and winter can be chilly. Check current rules for foreign riders before planning a trip.