The Balakan river passes through the city. Balakan is located 393 kilometers from the country's capital on the Baku-Lagodakhi highway.
Balakan is an ancient city known since the 12th century. The city was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1830. It became the center of the territory that existed before the 1917 revolution. Balakan became the center of the district in 1930 and became a city after the restoration of the district in 1965. 85% of the city's population are Azerbaijanis, and 14% are Avars.
The main historical attraction of Balakan city is a mosque with a 45-meter minaret built in the second half of the 19th century.
Archaeological finds, ethnographic materials, and other interesting artifacts collected from the city area are stored in the regional history-geography museum.
During the years of independence, a huge Culture and Recreation park named after Heydar Aliyev was created in Balakand. Its feature is the cable car. The new facility, which is the pride of the city, is the Sports Olympic Complex.