Mountains & monasteries: Armenia for first-timers

Anna Richards

Anna Richards

The chances are you know very little about Armenia*. It's a country that's had to fight to keep its identity after centuries of being invaded and pillaged, and its people massacred.

Armenian monastery against Mount Ararat across the Turkish border
Armenian monastery against Mount Ararat across the Turkish border © Alex Ishchenko - Adobe Stock Image

This tragic past means that there are many more Armenians living elsewhere in the world, a diaspora that at most counts works out as three times the population living in Armenia itself.

When it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia as a tourist destination began to creep quietly back onto the map. But footfall remains low, the hiking trails virtually untrodden and you're often the only visitor in a millennia-old monastery, or enjoying homemade wine for a pittance at a little guesthouse.

Getting to Armenia: let the experts at Wild Frontiers plan the perfect tour of Armenia*, whether you want to explore privately, on your own or as part of a group.

The essentials

Most of Armenia sits at little over freezing during the winter, the mountainous areas are covered in snow, with the highest points of the Gegham Mountains keeping some snow year-round.

In the summer, much of the country is stiflingly hot, particularly in Vayots Dzor and the south. The best time for a countrywide visit is May to June or September to October.

Public transport leaves much to be desired. Yerevan's metro is inexpensive and efficient, with gorgeous stations but, outside of the capital, there's not much infrastructure.

Slow yet characterful trains link Yerevan* with Armenia's second city, Gyumri. Local buses exist, but they're not simple to book and are frequently overcrowded. Many people use Yandex, an app which works like Uber, but it often isn't compatible with foreign phones.

Get a history lesson in Yerevan

Armenia's history is a tragic one, and as we witness another genocide unfold it feels particularly relevant to learn about one that was all but obliterated from world memory.

The Armenian Genocide Museum, a memorial site on the outskirts of Yerevan, has guided visits in English and retraces the darkest period in Armenia's history.

Entering the Genocide Memorial Complex, Yerevan
Entering the Genocide Memorial Complex, Yerevan © LM Spencer - Adobe Stock Image

The History Museum of Armenia traces the evolution of this small nation from Palaeolithic times to the present day, including the birth of Christianity here, and the 20th-century Soviet occupation.

Under the enormous staircase up from Alexander Tamanyan Park, the Cafesjian Centre for the Arts is an exciting look at Armenia's contemporary culture through modern art.

Food & drink

Travellers whose belly dictates the trip, make for Armenia. Armenian cuisine is all about sharing and abundance. For each meal, the table will be spread with a dozen or so tapas-like dishes. Don't feel as though you have to clear your plate, it's impossible!

Lavash flatbread in the making
Lavash flatbread in the making © KrimKate - Shutterstock.com

Raw vegetables, dried fruits and grilled meats are mainstays, as are lavash (enormous flatbreads as though a pitta has been put over a stretching rack), and bundles of fresh herbs, which you roll up, usually with a lump of cheese.

And while Armenia's claims to the first wine in the world are dubious (more sources say it's neighbouring Georgia), everyone makes their own, usually with the grape vines shading their own patios.

The gastro-yards rural tourism initiative opens up the farm-style homes of Armenian families to the public; you'll break bread together, explore their vegetable gardens and orchards and even get hands-on by preparing your own Armenian snacks and bottling your own wine. Many are easy to visit on a day trip from Yerevan (try family-run Yeganyans).

Go for a hike

Until very recently, Armenia's hiking scene was unknown. Most of it wasn't even mapped and trails didn't exist, although the highest mountain, Mount Aragats, soars to over 4,000 metres and toothy Arevik National Park's inhospitable, arid peaks are the ultimate challenge.

Now there's a hiking route running the breadth of the country: the Transcaucasian Trail. It takes six weeks to complete the Armenian part of the trail, but there are plenty of sections where day hikes are very well developed.

Lake Akna in the Gegham Mountains, Armenia
Lake Akna in the Gegham Mountains, Armenia © Jan - Adobe Stock Image

Azhdahak Volcano, an extinct volcano with a lake in the crater, sits at 3,597 metres and can be undertaken in one (long) day. The forest trails around Dilijan* are much softer and greener, while the Debed Canyon gives a good leg stretch with less physical effort than Azhdahak.

Explore the monasteries

There are allegedly more than 4,000 monasteries in Armenia, which was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion as early as 301 CE. Inside, they're usually pretty simple, or sometimes semi-ruined, so it's best to visit the ones in the most dramatic locations.

Tatev is one of the best-known and best preserved, and a 4-km hike downhill will take you to Tatev Hermitage, where an elderly monk is still in residence.

Baked clay Noravank, among Vayots Dzor's Mars-like landscape, is best seen in the summer. The sun beats down fiercely, but the 50 shades of red are otherworldly.

The 13th-century Noravank Monastery, Vayots Dzor
The 13th-century Noravank Monastery, Vayots Dzor © Gumbao - Shutterstock.com

Haghartsin, a day's hike from Dilijan, has the only monastery bakery, serving up several different flavours of gata (an Armenian flat cake), baked fresh on-site. Also well worth a visit is Armenia's only pagan temple, the Temple of Garni, which was built in 77 CE.

Climate in Armenia

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C
Hours of sunshine (daily)
Days with some rainfall

The above guide shows the climate in Yerevan. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Armenia.

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Anna Richards

Anna Richards

Posted on Monday 15th July 2024 in: Adventure Asia Culture

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