Journalists from Russia participated in a familiarisation visit organized by the Tourism Committee of Armenia, where they explored the beauty and hidden tracks of Armenia.
🇦🇲One of the results of the trip is an article by journalist Maria Zhelikhovskaya, who presents Armenia as an exceptional travel destination.

In her article, titled “Where to Go, Where to Eat, What to See in Armenia,” she shares insights about the places that impressed her the most.

To get to Armenia, Russians do not need a visa or passport. There are many direct flights from different Russian cities here, and it is also an excellent hub for connecting flights to Europe. We tell you which attractions are worth visiting and where to eat deliciously.

The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, has many interesting museums, and ancient monasteries are one or two hours away by car.

Winemaking is developing dynamically in the Ararat Valley, you can ski in Tsaghkadzor, swim in Lake Sevan, and drink healing mineral water in Jermuk. Add to this the familiar cultural codes and hospitality of local residents, most of whom speak excellent Russian, a warm climate with plenty of sunny days – and you get an almost universal tourist recipe.

There are also fewer problems with payments here than anywhere else: cash rubles can be changed on the spot, money can be withdrawn at some ATMs, and duty free at Yerevan airport accepts all Russian cards for payment (you can find out how else to pay abroad read here).

How to get to Armenia

There are up to ten flights a day from Moscow to Yerevan: this is done by Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Utair, Fly One, Red Wings, Azimut, and Shirak Air.

There are direct flights to the capital of Armenia from St. Petersburg, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody, Kaluga, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Ufa, Tyumen, Surgut, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg and Novosibirsk.

Pobeda Airlines flies from Moscow to Gyumri.

Sevanavank Monastery

In this ascetic architectural complex, founded in the 9th century and destroyed in the 17th century, two churches have been preserved – the Apostle and the Virgin Mary. The monastery is located on the Sevan Peninsula, on a hill with a marvelous view of the lake. On the opposite side the mountain range of the Lesser Caucasus is visible.

Khor Virap Monastery

The most “postcard” monastery is located on the border with Turkey, against the backdrop of Big and Small Ararat. According to legend, Gregory the Illuminator spent 13 years in a dungeon here, after which he converted Armenia to Christianity in 301. A small chapel commemorates this event.

Zvartnots Temple

Another temple, against the backdrop of the ruins of which in good weather Ararat can be seen in close-up, is Zvartnots, recognized as a UNESCO heritage.

The name comes from the ancient Armenian word “zvartun” and means “vigilant angels”. Built in the 640s–650s in the 10th century, the temple was destroyed by an earthquake and discovered by archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century. Only the reconstructed first tier with picturesque arches has survived to this day; there is also a small archaeological museum on the territory.

Noravank Monastery

The monastery of the 13th–14th centuries near the village of Areni was erected in a picturesque rocky gorge through which the Arpa River flows. The complex, which includes three churches, is integrated into the landscape, and the bright red rocks surrounding it give the place a special flavor. This is a popular place for newlyweds; wedding ceremonies are held here and photographs are taken against the backdrop of filigree stone carvings.

Bird Cave

Not far from the village of Areni, in the limestone rocks, there is a cave discovered by archaeologists in 2007 (it is also called Areni 1). Thanks to minimal temperature fluctuations, artifacts from various eras, from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages, have been preserved here. Among them is the same leather shoe kept in the Museum of History, as well as vessels for wine production dating back 6,100 years. It is curious that the cave remained inhabited until the 19th century, and today it has been turned into a museum. Every year in October a wine festival is held in Areni.

Garni Temple

The only surviving Hellenistic monument in Armenia with columns and classical triangular pediments rises near the village of Garni. It is believed that this pagan temple was built in the 1st century by King Trdat as part of the fortifications.
The earthquake of 1679 destroyed the temple, and it was restored only in the 1970s. On the territory of the complex, Roman baths with floor mosaics have been preserved, and a short drive away, in the Garni gorge, there is a natural complex called the “Symphony of Stones.”

Geghard

The active monastery complex of the 8th–13th centuries, 40 km from Yerevan, in the gorge of the Goght River, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is extremely popular among tourists and pilgrims.
Some monastery buildings are carved out of stone and decorated with carvings of birds and animals, including a lion attacking a bull, which symbolizes princely power. In the tomb with amazing acoustics, the vocal chapel regularly gives concerts of sacred music.

Mountains

Mountain lovers have plenty to do in Armenia: the country has 300+ mountain peaks. For skiers, there is Tsakhkadzor, a resort with an elevation difference from 1966 to 2819 m and 15 slopes of varying difficulty, on the territory of which there is a ski school. And also the new Myler resort with three ski areas and an elevation difference of 450–970 m. The season lasts from December to the end of March. And from May to October you can go hiking to the Ijevan ridge and climb Mount Dimats – on foot or in jeeps. The steep, rocky road promises a real adventure, rewarded with breathtaking mountain views and pastoral valleys with grazing horses.

What and where to try local cuisine

Armenian cuisine is considered the oldest in Transcaucasia. It’s quite versatile. As elsewhere in the Caucasus, shish kebab is popular – here it is called “khorovats” and is most often prepared from pork, which is first marinated in mashed onions with spices. Among the fish that deserve attention are whitefish and trout from Lake Sevan, as well as sterlet, which is grown on farms. What and where to try local cuisine

Armenian cuisine is considered the oldest in Transcaucasia. It’s quite versatile. As elsewhere in the Caucasus, shish kebab is popular – here it is called “khorovats” and is most often prepared from pork, which is first marinated in mashed onions with spices. Among the fish that deserve attention are whitefish and trout from Lake Sevan, as well as sterlet, which is grown on farms.

Thanks to the warm climate, the country has tasty and varied vegetables and fruits, and sliced vegetables and herbs are served with almost all hot dishes.

Traditional sweets are reminiscent of Middle Eastern ones – they are also made from nuts and dried fruits. In general, Armenians have many of their own versions of popular dishes of other nations. For example, they prepare dolma from beef and wrap it not only in grape leaves, but also in cabbage leaves; lobio is made exclusively from green beans; and kofta is prepared with the addition of cognac.

It’s worth trying arishta with gaurma (homemade noodles with beef) and lahmajun “pizza” – a thin crispy crust of dough mixed with matsun, topped with minced lamb with tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and herbs.Rejean Lamajo is a very thick cream, the consistency is something between cottage cheese and butter, it is eaten as a snack with a fluffy bun made from yeast wheat dough with the addition of olive oil.