Khorramabad sits in a valley of the Zagros mountains in western Iran, in the province of Lorestan, and it is older than most people realise. The Kaldar Cave and several neighbouring sites in the valley hold evidence of human presence stretching back tens of thousands of years, to the Middle Palaeolithic, when Neanderthal people hunted wild goat and gazelle in these hills and sheltered in the limestone caves. The valley is a rare window into the deep past of the Iranian plateau, and UNESCO has recognised its significance.
The city itself is a lively place of over three hundred thousand people, with fuel, markets, restaurants and hotels, so practical needs are easy. Its most striking building is Falak-ol-Aflak, an old fortress on a rocky hill that rises above the town, now used as a museum, with displays of the bronzes that made Lorestan famous. The Lorestan bronzes, small, elaborate objects of animals and horse gear from the early first millennium BC, are some of the most beautiful metal craft from the ancient Near East. Nearby, the Shapuri Bridge, a Sasanian structure across the Khorramabad river, still holds some of its old arches.
The riding in Lorestan is among the best in the country. The roads lead through steep wooded valleys and over mountain passes, with long bends and views across oak-covered slopes, and in spring the hills are covered in flowers, with nomads moving their flocks to the high pastures. The tarmac is mostly good on the main routes, narrower and rougher on the side roads, and snow can close high passes from late autumn until spring. Keep an eye out for livestock, rockfalls after rain, and trucks on the main road from Arak and Dorud.
Lorestan is home to the Lurs, a people with their own language, music and traditions, and the hospitality here is warm and unforced. Tea is offered everywhere, and a polite refusal is sometimes less successful than accepting graciously.
The best time to come is April to June, when the hills are green and the temperature is pleasant, or September and October, when the light turns golden. Summers are hot in the valley bottom but cooler in the mountains, and winters are cold and snowy. If you are interested in the caves, ask at the museum about access, as some sites require permission or a local guide, and the paths can be rough.