It is not for nothing that tourists are tormented by the question: “What to see in Armenia?”, Because this country is famous for its unique monuments and many places with a unique flavor.
Holiday season in Armenia
The best time for visiting Armenian sights is April-June and September-October (rest in Armenia in autumn is also an opportunity to get enough of juicy and sweet fruits), when all roads are open and traffic is carried out on a regular basis, which will not create obstacles for to be at the desired tourist destination. Those who are interested in the Tsaghkadzor resort, for the sake of skiing, should go there in December-February.
Top 15 interesting places in Armenia
Lake Sevan
The water in Lake Sevan warms up to a maximum of + 20˚C even in summer, but this figure is quite tolerable for swimming in hot July-August.
Those who come to Lake Sevan are advised to climb the Ajahak volcano (from there they will be able to see Lake Sevan and the Armenian Highlands), inspect the Hayravank monastery (if you move a little further from it to the northwest, you will be able to find a fortress dating from the Bronze Age) and the active Sevanavank monastery with a theological seminary, eat trout caught from the lake, stay at the Sevan Lake Cottages (guests will be able to relax, fish and have a barbecue) or the Best Western Bohemian Resort (there is a pool, rooms overlooking Sevan, a sun terrace and other amenities).
Grand Cascade in Yerevan
The Big Cascade (length - 500 m, width - 50 m) is a complex of fountains, flower beds, sculptures, stairs, night illumination. Those who reach the top of the Cascade (they have a staircase with more than 670 steps at their disposal) will find themselves on the observation deck, from where they will be able to admire the Armenian capital. There is an escalator inside the Cascade, thanks to which it will be possible to overcome a third of the way. Exhibition galleries, restaurants and cafes are located under the fountains and staircases. People come to the Grand Cascade to relax and attend concerts and jazz festivals in the open air.
Monastery complex Noravank
Noravank is located next to Yeghegnadzor and will include:
- the chapel of St. Gregory (here you should pay attention to the image of God the Father and the tomb of Prince Orbelian);
- Church of the Holy Mother of God (famous for its cone-shaped dome and unusual staircases that will lead those who wish to the 2nd floor to the chapel);
- the Church of St. John the Baptist (of interest is the tombstone of 1300, which depicts a half-man, half-lion);
- khachkars (one of them has a Deesis framed by five arches).
Tatev monastery
The Tatev monastery complex (9-10 centuries) is 20 km away from Goris and is part of a tourist complex with the Satani Kamurj cave, the abode of Tatevi Anapat hermits, the Wings of Tatev cable car (its length is almost 6 km) and other objects.
The main buildings of the monastery are subject to inspection (a rocky path leads to it, which is popularly called the "Satanic Bridge", 100 m high) in the form of the Tomb of St. Grigor Tatevatsi, the Church of the Apostles Paul and Peter, the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Gavazan (swinging pillar), churches The Most Holy Theotokos, the Tatev Desert (it and the main monastery were connected by a 3-kilometer underground passage blocked up at the moment), the Dzit An oil press.
The ticket price is $ 10.
Singing fountains of Yerevan
Singing fountains are the adornment of Freedom Square: every night from 10 pm to midnight (May-October) they delight the residents and guests of Yerevan with light and musical action. The fountain “dances”, creating light effects, to the music of the 20th and 21st centuries (national, rock and pop motives). The performance always ends with Charles Aznavour's “Eternal Love”.
Temple of Zvartnots
The ruins of the Zvartnots temple can be seen 10 km from the capital of Armenia. So far, only the first tier of the building has been restored (there is an archaeological museum where they go to see interesting exhibits, in particular, bas-reliefs and sculptural compositions that used to decorate Zvartnots), but there are plans to recreate the rest of the tiers. The ruins of the palace of Nerses III and the ancient winery are also subject to inspection (now on its territory there are ceramic vessels for storing wine, which have different volumes).
Useful information: admission is free; working hours: Tuesday-Saturday - 10: 00-17: 30, and Sunday - 10: 00-15: 00.
Winery "Areni"
Having covered only 120 km separating Yerevan from the village of Areni, travelers will find themselves at the winery (open on Monday-Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm). They will visit the vineyard, the production hall and the cellar, as well as taste red and white varieties of fruit and berry wines (you should definitely enjoy the taste of apricot, pomegranate, peach, blackberry, raspberry wines) along with dried fruits, nuts and fresh fruit. Hungry sightseers will be invited to a cafe, where they will be shown a video (stages of wine making) and treated with Armenian dishes. Entry and tasting will cost visitors nothing.
Khor Virap monastery
Khor Virap Monastery is located in the vicinity of Artashat city. Guests of Khor Virap are offered to descend the metal stairs to the underground prison (its depth is 6 m; St. Gregory the Illuminator was once held there) and to see the large church of Surb Astvatsatsin (in the 17th century church with a round dome and a richly decorated altar, services are held). The ceremony deserves special attention (everyone can take part in it), during which white doves are released into the wild (it is assumed that they will fly to the top of Ararat).
Excursions to the Khor Virap monastery are organized from Yerevan, but you can get there on your own by minibus or taxi.
Sisian
The city of Sisian, located on both banks of the Vorotan River, attracts tourists with an archaeological and ethnographic museum, the Church of St. Gregory of the 7th century (famous for its 12-sided dome and paintings), the Karahunj megalithic complex (the complex consists of 2-meter 220 stones-menhirs).
If you go to Sisian by bus from the bus station in Yerevan, the journey will take about 3 hours. In the northern part of Sisian, you can see the 18-meter Shaki waterfall (it is surrounded by rocks with niches and grottoes), and if you move a little away from the city, you can find petroglyphs carved in stones near Mount Ukhtasar (2 thousand BC).)
Geghard monastery
The location of the Geghard monastery is the gorge of the mountain river Goght (40 km from the Armenian capital). Some of the structures of the monastery are completely carved into the rock, and some are surrounded by walls of premises, the rooms of which are carved into a deep cliff. Guests of Geghard will be able to admire the khichkars - commemorative steles (they are decorated with crosses), both free-standing and carved on the walls.
The main church of Geghard is Katoghike, on the inner walls of which one can see inscriptions describing the gifts presented to the monastery. The gateway to its southern façade is decorated with magnificent carvings, and above it can be seen a scene depicting a lion attacking a bull. The sacristy of Gavit (1215-1225), the rock-cut church with a spring, and the chapel of St. Gregory the Illuminator also deserve the attention of tourists.
Ethnographic Museum "Sardarapat"
Red tuff was used in the decoration of the main building of the Sardarapat ethnographic museum in the village of Araks. An ancient mythological creature (spirit of water) on a vertical stone will appear before those entering the museum. Visitors to the museum will see more than 70,000 exhibits in the form of paintings, archival materials, documents, photographs, furniture, carpets, embroidery and lace, religious relics, objects of ethnic culture of different peoples, jewelry, national clothes.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm (admission is free).
Aragats mountain range
The height of Mount Aragats is more than 4000 m: its lower slopes are covered with forest, and the slopes that are slightly higher are covered with meadows. There is a volcanic crater 350 m deep between the 4 peaks of Mount Aragats, and one of the slopes of the mountain range is the location of Lake Kari.
Exploring the slopes of Aragats will discover the Mantash reservoir, the Byurokan Astrophysical Observatory (there is a 102-cm Schmidt telescope - a former gift from Hitler to Mussolini), the Amberd complex (consists of a church and a castle; it is located in a beautiful gorge between 2 rivers; tourists will be able to see some from those underground passages that were laid from the castle down into the gorge).
Noratus village
Those who come to the village of Naratus (4 km from the city of Gavar) will see the largest khachkar cemetery in Armenia and the world (a distinctive feature is the presence of a cross and a solar disk under it; the rest of the stone is decorated with abstract patterns, images of grapes, leaves or pomegranates), the ruins of a church Surb Astvatsatsin (9th century) and Surb Grigor Church (built in the 10th century).
Dilijan National Park
The location of the Dilijan National Park is the Tavush region. Persian squirrels, bears, stone martens, snowcocks, Caucasian black grouse, griffon vultures live there.
Travelers will be able to visit the yew grove, open oak forests and beech forests, spend time on the shore of Lake Parz or take a boat ride along it, go on a journey along one of 12 routes designed for eco-tourists. Travelers will be able to admire the bright wildflowers, use the services of a licensed guide, rent a bicycle, and if necessary, a sleeping bag, tent, gas stove, so that they can spend the night in the park's forest with relative comfort. Those who wish will also be offered to taste local honey and take part in the ritual of baking thin lavash.
Jermuk waterfall
Jermuk waterfall is an attraction of Vayots Dzor region (Jermuk resort town), located at an altitude of 1700-2200 m. Jermuk mineral water is produced from the sources of the waterfall (it treats metabolic disorders, diabetes, gastroenterological ailments).
The water stream of Jermuk waterfall, falling from a 68-meter height, “splits” into 3 domed terraces, and then carries its water into the Arpu River. During an excursion to Jermuk waterfall, tourists are also offered to visit the Gndevank monastery.
