We made overnight at the famous resort town of Dilijan – the gateway to the Dilijan National Park. It lies on the banks of the Aghstev River in the valley surrounded by the Lesser Caucasus mountains at 1500 meters above sea level. The forested town is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some traditional architecture. There are also several good restaurants and a helpful Information center. The forests of Dilijan cover an area of more than 34000 hectares. Dilijan National Park was founded in 1958 as a forest reserve. Woods cover 94% of the park territory and with around 40 types of trees and 18 types of bushes, primarily oaks, beeches, hornbeams, maples, elms, and willows. The national park is also rich in its fauna, including brown bears, wolves, golden eagles, hawks, and others. Within the park are two lakes, Lake Parz and Lake Tzlka.
Parking location – Dilijan: 40.753235N 44.961629E (🚻 – 09:30-18:00)