Armenia is the smallest of the republics of the former USSR. It has an ancient history and many interesting objects on its territory. The country is inexpensive, it is really possible to visit it without a passport. Flights to Yerevan are cheap, there will be no problems with the Russian language on the spot. Therefore, those planning such a trip need to know what to see in Armenia.
Features of visiting
Tourism in Armenia was developed back in the years of the USSR. In those years, people traveled to this republic to inspect architectural monuments, to be treated at mineral resorts, to taste local cuisine and alcohol. Since then, for tourists, in fact, little has changed, but rail transport has fallen into decay, railway communication with Russia has ceased.
You can get to Armenia without a passport, but for this you need to fly by plane, because by land near its borders there are such features:
- With Turkey and Azerbaijan, everything has been closed for a long time, and it is unlikely that anything will change in the coming years.
- Two international trains run through Georgia to Armenia (fromBatumi and Tbilisi) and many buses, as well as transit buses from Moscow, Pyatigorsk and other Russian cities. To travel by land, you need a passport.
- You can come from Iran, but you also need a passport. Iran is visa-free for visiting for 30 days, but you must fly to major airports.
Interesting places in the capital
Tourism in Armenia is, first of all, visiting Yerevan. About a third of the country's population lives in the capital. The city stands out from all the rest. There is even a subway.
Planning a tourist route in Armenia can start from the capital. If time is not running out, then you can spend a week here, and this is enough to visit all the museums, admire the monuments, architecture, try national dishes.
From worthy of visiting museums in Yerevan it is worth noting:
- Historic. The richest collection of exhibits in the country. They cover the period from the Stone Age to the present.
- A. Khachaturian's house.
- Director S. Parajanov.
- The house of the artist Saryan.
- History of the city.
- Miniature arts.
- Contemporary Art.
- Erebuni fortress.
Besides this, there are interesting monumental buildings in and around the city:
- Great cascade.
- Monument of Mother Armenia.
- Singing fountains.
- Temple of Zvartnots.
- Cathedral in Etchmiadzin.
- Temple of Garni. He is 2000 years old, despite the early adoption of Christianity,the pagan temple has also been preserved.
- Yerevan Theaters - Russian and Armenian.
- Church of Surb-Sarkis.
Besides this, it is worth taking a tour of the Ararat cognac factory and going to the zoo.
Various travel agencies of Armenia are also located in Yerevan. For example, Yerevan Travel. There you can order a transfer, services of guides and translators, group tours for a week and one-day excursions (from 6000 rubles).
Almost all interesting places in Armenia are located within a day trip from the capital. It is about 300 kilometers to the border with Iran, and even less to the border with Georgia.
Ski resorts
Fans of ski tourism in Armenia will like it, as the nearest ski resort - Tsakhkadzor is located 40 kilometers from the capital. From its mountain slopes, a view of Sevan and Ararat opens up. The infrastructure is modern, it includes a network of drag lifts, a three-level chairlift, a network of hotels and camp sites, restaurants and a spa center, ski equipment rental.
The snow cover is 1.5 meters thick, the skiing season lasts all winter and early spring. The total length of the tracks is 30 kilometers, including:
- Six red runs, 13 km.
- Five easy blue runs, 14km.
- Three black runs, they are also the most difficult, 3 km.
Elevation difference in the resort is about 850 meters, from 1966 to 2820 meters.
The price of a ski pass is 13 euros. The cable car seats are heateddelivers in 10 minutes to the starting point of the route.
Ski slopes are located 170 kilometers from the capital, on Mount Shish near Jermuk. The length of the two tracks is 2.6 km.
Seventy kilometers from Yerevan there is another ski resort - Sevan. The slopes of the mountains near the lake of the same name are gentle, they are suitable for beginners.
Mineral water resorts
Another type of tourism in Armenia is medical, which involves visiting mineral resorts, where you can get medical treatment and just breathe fresh air, admire nature, visit architectural monuments nearby.
On the way from Yerevan to the city of Vanadzor, it is worth stopping by the Dilijan resort. It is the greenest of all mountain climatic resorts in the country. The combination of mountainous wooded terrain and calm weather provide a year-round healing climate. In Dilijan, you can see a monument to the heroes of the film "Mimino" at the famous tap with mineral water. The monasteries of Haghartsin and Goshavank are located near the resort.
The resort of Jermuk is located at an altitude of 2000 meters in the opposite part of the country on the banks of the Arpa River, which flows into Sevan. Local mineral water is suitable for the treatment of diseases of the liver and musculoskeletal system. In Jermuk and its surroundings, you can visit a drinking gallery, a waterfall, a cable car, medieval cave complexes.
85 kilometers from Yerevan is the resort village of Hankavan, which is known for its healing and healing mineral waters.
The closest mineral water resort to YerevanArzni is located at an altitude of 1300 meters. It is about 20 kilometers away.
Trip from Yerevan to the south of the country
Tourism opportunities in Armenia are not limited to ski resorts and mineral waters. It is worth going from Yerevan to several more interesting places. For example, to the Tatev Monastery in the south of the country, 250 kilometers from the capital. He is over 1000 years old. It is interesting not only for its ancient buildings, but also for the cable car, which is the longest in the world, its length is almost 6 kilometers.
On the way, you can make a stop in the city of Yeghegnadzor or in the village of Areni near it. They are known for their wines and cheeses. The village has a 14th-century church and a cave, which is being studied by scientists from different countries.
Places to visit north of the capital
Cities and Vanadzor are located in that part of the country. They are an example of what the former industrial centers of the Armenian SSR have become. Both are half empty, but suitable for a short visit to see the churches. For example, in Vanadzor there is a Russian Orthodox church of the late 19th century - a very rare building for Armenia.
Ethnography lovers should stop by the village of Lermontovo, 13 kilometers from Vanadzor, where a community of Russian Molokans lives, such a trend in the Old Believers.
Be sure to visit the city of Sevan on the shores of the most famous lake in Armenia and the monastery of Sevanavank nearby.
