Think you’ve seen it all? Armenia is here to reset your compass – with a twist.
1. Hitch a Ride on a Soviet-Era Cable Car—Run by a Monk
Okay, not actually run by a monk (safety first), but hidden in Armenia’s forested Lori region is the nearly-forgotten Sanahin cable car – a creaking metal time capsule that rattles over gorges like it’s 1973. At the top? An ancient monastery where robed monks casually chat about metaphysics and Wi-Fi. You’ll swear you’re in a Tarkovsky film.
2. Eat Soup Inside a Volcano
Sort of. Head to Mount Aragats, Armenia’s highest peak, where locals simmer khash (a garlicy cow-foot stew) in steaming vats on the volcanic slopes. In winter, they even serve it in tents surrounded by snow—with shots of vodka to “balance your body energy,” as your host will cheerfully insist.
3. Sleep in a Carpet-Loom Treehouse
Move over glamping. Armenia’s weaving villages like Megri or Shamb now offer treehouse stays where the walls are actually looms – and yes, you can try your hand at making your own tapestry before bed. Wake up wrapped in wool and the smell of mountain thyme.
4. Wine Tasting Underground… in a Monastery Cellar That’s Older Than France
Forget rooftop terraces – Areni-1 Cave, the world’s oldest known winery (6,100 years old!), now hosts exclusive candle-lit tastings beneath crumbling church ruins. You’ll sip ruby-colored Areni Noir while archaeologists brush dust off Neolithic wine jugs beside you. It’s history. It’s hedonism. It’s Armenia.
5. A Hike That Reads You Poetry
The new Armenia National Trail isn’t just a trail – it’s an interactive cultural journey. Some guesthouses en route offer “word stops”: places where villagers recite poems in Armenian, Russian, French, or Persian – right in the woods. You’ll walk into a forest clearing and leave with a stanza etched into your soul (and your Instagram reel).
6. Meet the Last Shepherd-Philosopher
Deep in the Syunik mountains lives Arshak, a man with 47 sheep, 1 radio, and a head full of Plato. He’ll welcome you with cheese and existential questions like: “Is time a circle or a stick?” Stay the night, help milk a goat, and leave with both enlightenment and some serious biceps.
7. Yerevan’s “Basement Jazz Battles”
At night, the capital city’s sleek surface gives way to something wild. In old wine cellars turned clubs, jazz musicians go head-to-head in improvisation duels. Losers buy wine. Winners play until 3 a.m. Entry is free if you can name three Armenian composers (hint: Komitas is your friend).
Final Thought:
Armenia in 2025 is not about ticking off monuments – it’s about walking into a poem, eating your way through 6,000 years of survival, and discovering that sometimes the road less traveled is just a donkey path to wisdom and wine.
