This is a destination where you will be intrigued by history, awed by monuments, amazed by the landscape, and charmed by down-to-earth locals. It’s not an easy place to explore – roads are rough, transport is often hard to navigate and those who don’t speak Russian could be lost – but travelling here is as rewarding as it is revelatory.
We spent a few days in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The city has a fine natural setting; it climbs the hillsides from the deep trench of the Hrazdan River framed by the extinct volcanic peaks of Mount Aragats and Mount Azhdaak to the north and Mount Ararat across the Turkish border to...
Our last stop in the beautiful World Heritage-listed Azat Valley was Garni Temple and the Symphony of Stones rock formation. Garni Temple (🎫1500 AMD) was built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD. This Hellenic-style temple on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was...
Our first stop in the beautiful World Heritage-listed Azat Valley was Gerhard Monastery. Named after the lance that pierced Christ’s side at the crucifixion, this monastery is carved out of a cliff alongside the Azat River Gorge. Founded in the 4th century, the monastery’s...
We woke up early to get a view of the twin peaks of Mount Ararat (Ağrı Daği). Mount Ararat is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey. It has figured in legends since time began, most notably as the supposed resting place of Noah’s ark. The western...
We arrived at the monastery located on a hillock close to the Araks River at the border with Turkey. It overlooks river pastures, stork nests, vineyards, and Mt Ararat majestically towers above it. Khor Virap monastery has been repeatedly rebuilt since the 5th century. Legend says the...
Carahunge, also known as Zorats Karer or Dik-Dik Karer, or Tsits Karer, is a prehistoric archaeological site near the town of Sisian in the south of Armenia. The “Armenian Stonehenge” (🎫 1400 AMD) is located on a mountain plateau at an altitude of 1,770 meters near the canyon of the River...
We took the main road from Goris and then turned on a dirt road about 3km before the town of Khndzoresk. The bumpy road brought us to a viewpoint and a cafe (closed), as well as a squeaky 160m suspension bridge over the gorge. Dug into volcanic sandstone on the slopes of Khor Dzor (Deep...
We spent a night in the valley of the Vararak River in the town of Goris. The main attraction are the cave shelters of Old Goris carved into the hillside on the east side of town. They were probably built and inhabited in the 5th century. Several trails lead up over a saddle with epic...
We took an impressive “flight” on the famous Wings of Tatev above the ravine of Vorotan River to the Tatev Monastery. It is the longest cableway (🎫7000 AMD/return) worldwide (5752 m), recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. It takes 12 minutes to reach a monastery built by...
Our last stop today was one of the most spectacular sites in Armenia, the Noravank Monastery. It was founded by Bishop Hovhannes in 1205 and sensitively renovated in the 1990s. We arrived right time at sunset, the reddish hues of the dramatic cliffs surrounding the monastery were...