Armenia travel guide

Garni temple is a temple from the 1st century A.D. dedicated to the Roman God of Sun, Helios. Later, a summer palace and a Roman bath (with heating) were added for Armenian royalty leaving the temple untouched for novelty. In the 9th century, a church was built on the cramped sites right at the edge of the cliff. An earthquake in 1679 knocked the temple into rubble leaving it like that until 1970s when it got fully reconstructed. The only things left from the summer palace and the church, however, are the foundations but the Roman bath has been excavated.

Goris town is different from many other Armenian towns. The majority of the houses are made in stone with red roofs making all the streets look the same. Shady trees line the hilly streets and there are hardly any ugly Soviet buildings in sight. The town is nested in a bowl of green hills and on the outskirts of the town, you find the cemetery and what can be best described as a "mini Cappadocia" - natural limestone pillars with cave dwellings which, these days, are mostly used as stables for cattle and napping for the herdsmen in the fierce summer heat. Goris is the travel hub for Nagorno-Karabakh and Iran and makes a great base while exploring the area.

Another fine monastery from the 12-13th century. It is located in the little village of Gosh and is a compact complex (almost all the buildings are touching one another) with several chapels with finely ornamented facades along with equally detailed cross stones, khachkars. There is a chapel further up the hill which offers good views of the monastery and the beautiful surroundings. Goshavank is fairly popular with local pilgrims/tourists due to the proximity to Dilijan town.

Haghartsin monastery is nicely tucked away in the forest on the mountainside. As with many other monasteries in Armenia, it dates back to the 13th century. It is under serious restoration, getting a total makeover apparently sponsored by Sheikh of Sharjah in the UAE, losing some of its ancient magic to sparkling nenovated splendour. There are some overgrown cross stones on the left handside of the road before you get to Haghartsin.

Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries lie in plain view of each other separated by a canyon. Haghpat is also on UNESCO's World Heritage list and dates from the 10th century as well, though Sanahin is 50 years younger. Haghpat is a compact monastery complex with several chapels, some fine cross stones (khachkars) and a groomed garden setting. The views are splendid and the village of Haghpat is charming and easygoing.

Khor Virap is that iconic church you see on postcards and paintings from Armenia. It is perched on a small hill with an almost too picturesque background of majestic Mt. Ararat which rises across the border in Turkey. The present church of Khor Virap was built in the 17th century on a foundation of previous chapels. Saint Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for 13 years in a deep pit - khor virap means "deep well" in Armenian - which can be visited today by climbing down a steep creepy ladder. Khor Virap is an important pilgrimage site for Armenians and religious services are held at the church, including some strange rituals like sacrifice of roosters and release of white doves (which are trained to fly back to the seller). Try to visit in the weekends if you want to see some action.

Lake Sevan is Armenia's largest lake and is located at an altitude of 1,900 m - which should make it the second highest commercially navigable lake after Titicaca (3,811 m). It is deep blue and fringed by green fields, abandoned Soviet buildings, local villages and ancient churches - and popular for holidaying Armenians. In pre-Soviet times, the water level was 20 m higher with a surface 50% larger than today, but a Soviet-engineered irrigation project (similar to the one that made the Aral disaster) shrunk the lake and turned Sevan Island into a peninsula. Recent attempts have been made to save the delicate ecosystem by raising the water level to its original level, but it will be interesting to see how far they will get since farmers, resorts and even the president's summerhouse (behind Savanavank) are located right at present water level.

Homestays are the norm in Armenia and are a great way to taste some local food and meet the friendly Armenians. At first, the people might seem a bit reserved, but when the first shyness has worn off, you will be welcomed like a relative. Learn a few Armenian phrases (or Russian), it will kickstart the conversation and loose up the atmosphere - else will the aragh, the local home brewed liquor.

Since imposing Mt. Ararat (5,137 m) rises in the horizon behind the Turkish border, Armenia's highest mountain is the beautiful little sister Mt. Aragats (4,090 m). It is a volcano with four peaks and the beautiful green foothills are dotted with tent camps of Yezidi Kurd herders along with their livestock. An old Soviet observatory Byurakan is located at 3,200 m and is the reason why there is a road all the way up to the alpine Lake Kari that forms during spring. The southern peak can be reached by scrambling (not just trekking) while the northern peak (the highest) needs gear to be summited.

Yes, we are well aware that Mt. Ararat (5,137 m) is located in Turkey and so is the Armenian people, but nevertheless the Armenians consider it as one of their own. The picturesque cone of Mt. Ararat (and Lesser Ararat) is always something people look for whether it is from their apartment window in Yerevan, from the top of the Cascade (also in Yerevan), as a gorgeous backdrop for the iconic Khor Virap monastery or from the slopes of Mt. Aragats (4,090 m), the highest mountain in Armenia. So if the visibility is good, do as the Armenians and take in the splendid view.