Pink City, Monasteries and “Wings of Tatev”: What is a must-see in Armenia?

Pink City, Monasteries and “Wings of Tatev”: What is a must-see in Armenia?

A guide to interesting places and activities from a long-time traveler.

President of Pro-Vision, author of Vinogradov.story community

Traveling to Armenia is a journey not only in space, but also in time. Ancient monuments, Christian relics, caravanserais of the Silk Road and the richest intangible cultural heritage are all concentrated on a small but very picturesque piece of land surrounded by the ridges of the South Caucasus. What is a must-do in Armenia, I will tell you below.

Wander around Yerevan

The key word here is wander. “Pink” due to the shades of tuff, Yerevan is one of those lucky cities where you risk to meet something historical, interesting or paradoxical around every corner. If not the monumental Grand Cascade with its impressive city panorama, then the pleasant English Park, where you can hide from the heat. If not the central “GUM”, then the authentic “Vernisazh”. And if not the Museum of Yerevan History, then the more controversial and controversial Museum of Modern Art. Choose Erebuni Fortress, the place where Yerevan began. And from there, follow the itinerary – the capital itself will tell you how not to miss the most significant and interesting things.

Yerevan

Try Sevan crayfish

Sevan crayfish is as sure Armenian specialty as pita bread or shashlyk. To get to Sevan and not try the legendary crayfish shakes is like driving through Italy without pizza: you can, but it’s better not to. Having satisfied your gastronomic hunger, you should also satisfy your emotional hunger – the views of the lake, snowy mountain caps and the ancient Sevanavank monastery will perfectly fulfill this task.

Sevanavank Monastery

Marvel at the neighboring architecture of Hellenism and Christianity

Not far from Yerevan, two ancient temple complexes paradoxically neighbor – the pagan Garni and the Christian Geghard. The first resembles the Acropolis of Athens, which by some miracle was brought to the Caucasus, while the second one strikes with its skillful “embedding” in the surrounding rocks.

Garni

According to legend, the spear that pierced Christ on the Cross was kept in Geghard for a long time. Over time, the Christian relic was taken to Echmiadzin, but the name Geghardavank – “the monastery of the spear” – still reminds of these events.

If you are lucky, in the monastery you can hear amazing polyphonic singing, which in the surroundings of the rocky temple complex completely erases the boundaries of reality and takes you somewhere very far away from everyday problems and reflections.

Gegardavank

See the top of Ararat

The sacred Ararat means a lot to every resident of Armenia. The mountain can be seen from almost anywhere in the country, but the most impressive view is from the foot of Khor Virap Monastery. The austere and ascetic monastery walls are shaded by the majestic plain and the silhouette of mountain ranges, which creates a mesmerizing panorama from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. To enhance the impression, I recommend visiting Khor Virap at sunrise or sunset: the monastery and the slopes of Ararat look most spectacular in the sunlight.

Ararat

Take a ride on the world’s longest cable car

Located in the southeast of the country, the Tatev Wings cable car is a nearly 6 kilometer cabin ride over the Vorotan River Gorge and the shortest way to Tatev Monastery. Built in a record 10 months, the ropeway officially renewed another world record and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest passenger ropeway. The time spent traveling to the monastery is 12 minutes. Add 3.5 hours from Yerevan and you have a full day tourist program. But Tatev Wings and Tatev Monastery are definitely worth it.

“Wings of Tatev”