Recently, a new tourist destination has become popular: Armenia, Lake Sevan. Rest on the banks of this reservoir is considered elite. Once a small industrial town of the same name, today it has turned into a developed resort with camp sites, private hotels, boarding houses, and cozy national restaurants. Sevan is ready to receive guests all year round, but the peak of the season, of course, falls on the summer months.
What is Lake Sevan (Armenia)? The photos show us an amazing, azure-blue color, the water surface, as if resting in the arms of high mountains. Seeing this lake, Maxim Gorky said lapidarily: “Yes, it’s beautiful!” But the Armenian classic Avetik Isahakyan said about this landmark of his country as follows: “Sevan is so beautiful that a person does not feel sorry for drowning in it.” And indeed, the bowels of the lake beckon, fascinate. Fresh mountain air makes you dizzy, and in the water you can count every pebble at a deptheleven meters!
History
But from the point of view of the mundane science of geography, Lake Sevan is of volcanic origin. It was formed approximately 25 thousand years ago as a result of the eruption of the Geghama volcano, when lava created a natural dam near the Hrazdan River. Where did the name of the lake come from? In ancient chronicles, it was called the Geghama Sea (Gekhama Tsov). But in 874, a monastery was founded on its banks by two princesses Mariam Bagratuni and Syunik. The building was erected from dark tufa. "Black Monastery" - translated from Armenian, Sev-Vank gave the name to the water area, on the shore of which it still rises.
Lake Sevan is high mountain. Its elevation above sea level is 1896 meters. Due to some narrowing, the water area is conditionally divided into Big Sevan and Small, but in geological, geographical and biological terms, the lake is one. From the west it is surrounded by the Geghama Mountains, from the south by the Vardeni Mountains. The Areguni and Sevan ranges stretch to the north and east. The water area before the construction of the hydroelectric power station was 1415 square kilometers, but now it has decreased to 1246 km2. Due to shallowing, a small rocky island connected with the land.
Tourism
In terms of tourism, Lake Sevan provides vacationers with not only mountain tanning and swimming. By the way, under the southern sun of Armenia, the water warms up to 24 degrees in August, and this is almost two thousand meters high! Beachgoers can expect a lot of water activities: waterbicycles, catamarans, yachts and pleasure boats, surfing and water trampolines. Many hotels are equipped with large heated pools. The shores and waters of the lake are also national parks and reserves. But fishing is also allowed. In the depths of the lake there are Sevan trout and specially launched valuable fish Ladoga whitefish.
Winter holidays
Lake Sevan is of interest to tourists in winter as well. In its northern part, on the slopes of the mountain, a new ski resort has opened. From the shore of the lake to the top you can climb by cable car, and stop to rest to fully use the day for skiing at the Akhtamar 4hotel. From the veranda of his restaurant, amazing views of the mountains and the frozen expanse of the lake open up. And for a comfortable beach holiday, comfortable rooms of the Avan Marak Tsapatakh 4 and Blue Sevan 3 hotels are suitable.
