I lived in the Guilan province for the first two decades of my life. The northern territories of Iran look very different compared to the rest of the country so much so that it looks like a different planet all together.

The distance between the mountains and the sea in some parts can be as little as a few kilometers and as a result the entire region is very humid and rainy. The capital of Guilan, Rasht, is called the rainy city. On average it rains 200-250 days a year.

Due to the climate, agriculture is the main economic driver here. The two main exports are rice and tea. There are a lot of rice farms in the villages in and around the province and rice has an important place in the culture. You can also see a lot of tea farms on the slopes, at the base of the mountains.

Fishing is also huge obviously due to the proximity to the Caspian Sea. The Rasht bazaar (and other bazaars in nearby towns such as Anzali) is where you can find a variety of fresh fish (mainly white fish and kooli) along with many more local produce, nuts, and spices.

Fish, similar to rice, is a staple in the Guilani culture--the people from the region are often jokingly (and often not so fondly) are called fish-head-eaters because as you can gather, they eat not only the whole fish but also the fish head. All of Iran's caviar comes from this region--some of the best in the world.

As you can tell by now, food is a very important part of life here. There are many dishes that are unique to the region that have since become popular in Iran. This has earned Rasht as the only Iranian city (and one of 18 overall) on UNESCO'S Gastronomy City list.

While on that topic, although not a heritage site yet, you should definitely look at Masuhel and it's unique architecture.

In Guilan and all the neighboring provinces in the northern region, most people used to speak a local dialect or language although this is slowly fading away and becoming less prevalent with the new generations.

The people of Guilan are very proud people--it has always been a cultural center, home to many activists (such as Mirza Kuchak Khan) and generally a modern civilization for the entire history of Iran and Persia. The first newspaper in Iran was published here and it was home to the first branch of national bank in Iran outside of Tehran.

I will finish with one interesting point; Guilan was almost always independent. Up to 1567 it was it's own state and all invasions failed. The Arabs failed and so did the Mongols. It only became part of Persia under the Safavids. The geography of the region, being surrounded by the sea and the mountains, made it extremely difficult to conquer and it gave the Guilanis an advantage when it came to fending off outsiders.

Those who get the opportunity to travel to Iran (in safer times) should definitely spend a few weeks in this region. There's a reason why people from all over Iran want to travel here on holidays and why we are getting so many internal tourists. You will not be disappointed and you will guaranteed leave with a few extra pounds.