Top 5 destinations in Armenia
The nature of Armenia is a real find for lovers of outdoor activities and mountain hiking. The richness and diversity of natural landscapes, simply incredible, enchanting views and a huge number of attractions located right in the open air will make your hiking trip truly unforgettable. You can choose a direction depending on your own interests, preferences and level of physical fitness. By the way, the end of spring and the beginning of summer is the best time for hiking, since the weather in Armenia at this time is already quite warm and sunny, even in cool mountainous areas. So you can rent a car and enjoy your trip. By the way, rent a car you can only in Yerevan and car lease in Yerevan is so popular.
Yerevan.
Of course, a vacation to Armenia should begin in Yerevan, the capital, which is one of the world’s oldest capitals. The capital of Armenia, which has an incredibly beautiful architecture, is called the “pink” city, since most of the city’s buildings are built of pink-ocher tuff. Yerevan has a large number of museums, theaters and concert venues. The city is extremely pleasant and interesting for leisurely walks. It is not for nothing that Yerevan is called an open-air museum. On every corner of the city you will find monuments and various works of art. The most interesting places for a pleasant pastime are, of course, the Cascade architectural complex and Republic Square.
Sevan.
Sevan – a freshwater lake located at an altitude of 1900 m above sea level, is the largest of the lakes in the Caucasus. The surface area of the lake is 1240 sq. km, and the depth is 80 m. Sevan’s climate is rugged and harsh, with long, cold winters and cool summers, but plenty of sunshine. Tourists and locals alike flock to Sevan in the summer to unwind. Many restaurants and cafes along the lake’s edge, serving dishes made with the famous endemic Sevan trout and the equally famous Sevan crayfish. One of the main attractions of Sevan is the Sevanavank Monastery (874), located on a peninsula (formerly an island) in the northwestern part of the lake.
Monastery of Geghard (Ayrivank).
Geghard is a monastery complex, as well as a unique architectural structure, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Geghard (the full name of Geghard Bank is literally “the monastery of the spear”), the spear of Longinus was kept, with which the body of Christ was pierced. The tip of the spear was brought to Armenia by the Apostle Fadey and until the 13th century. It was kept in Geghard (now in Etchmiadzin). The monastery was founded in the 4th century. in the gorge of the Goght River, on the site of a sacred spring that still exists. The structure’s uniqueness stems from the fact that some of the complex’s temples are intricate architectural and engineering buildings dug out of a rock mass. The acoustics in the cave temple are remarkable; the reverberation in the cathedral may be heard for 40 seconds.
The pagan temple of Garni.
The Hellenistic temple of Garni, the only surviving pagan temple in Armenia, was built in the 1st century. The summer home of the Armenian kings was founded by the Armenian king Trdat I in AD. Garni is located on a high cliff above the gorge of the Azat River. In the vicinity of the temple there is an excavated palace complex, consisting of a temple, a throne room, a front hall, a residence and a bathhouse with a mosaic floor and the remains of a water pipe.
Tatev
Tatev Monastery, founded in 906, was one of the most important centers of science and education in medieval Armenia. The monastery impresses with its location – on the edge of the gorge, from where a stunning view of the surroundings opens. Tatev is part of a large tourist complex, which also includes the hermitage “Tatev Hermitage”, the natural bridge and cave “Satani Kamurj” (“Devil’s Bridge”), as well as the Wings of Tatev cable car connecting the monastery and the village of Halidzor.
