Armenia

After having seen so many churches in Armenia, it's probably nice to see a church that is a bit different, and Akhtala's fine frescoes put it aside. The setting is also spectacular in the sense that it is on a rock outcrop with great views down the canyon - and to abandoned Soviet factories which kind of sums up the Armenian history. There is an overgrown ruin of a fortress below which is equally interesting. It doesn't receive many visitors, so you'll probably have to find the gatekeeper to open the church for you.

Alaverdi is the travel hub for the Debed Canyon and the two UNESCO World Heritage listed monasteries of Sanahin and Haghpat. It is a rather dull Soviet-era town squeezed in between the highway and the mountains. There are a railway station, a few shops, a little market and lots of concrete apartment blocks. Unless you are a big fan drab places, it is not recommended to stay here, luckily, there are homestays near the Haghpat monastery.

On the slopes of Mt. Aragats lie the ruins of Amberd fortress and a bit further down right on the edge of the gorge, Vahramashen church (which sometimes also is called Amberd). The fort dates back to the 7th century while the church is from the 11th century. The name Amberd means "the fortress in the clouds", giving a hint that it can get cloudy here at 2,160 m at the foot of volcano Aragats. The inside of the fortress can be explored and any trail you find will lead you to another breathtaking view of the wildflower covered landscape.

Echmiadzin is for the Armenian Apostolic Church what the Vatican is for the Catholic Church. The first Armenian church was built here in 301 and it has since become the most holy place in Armenia. The church was later rebuilt and extended to the cathedral you can see today, and the complex now includes chapels, priest seminar, home for the Catholicos (leader of the Armenian Church) and the treasury. Here, they keep all the religious relics that have been found in Armenia, including the spear a Roman soldier poked Christ with and pieces of wood from both Noah's Ark and the Holy Cross. Try to visit on a Sunday when mass is going on and the whole place is buzzing.

Let's be honest, Armenian wine is not among the best - not even in the region. Nevertheless, it is still interesting to taste some Armenian cherry wine, apricot wine, peach wine, pomegranate wine, and variations of red and white wines. And with a bottle price of about 6 USD, it is okay to try a few to see which one gives you the least hangovers. Their cognac though is another story, reputed to have been a favourite of Winston Churchill, who, by personal request, received several dozen cases from Stalin.

Geghard is probably the finest cave monastery in Armenia. It stands deep in a canyon and blends in with the surrounding cliffs. The complex is partly dug out of the mountainside with annexed buildings. It was supposedly founded in the 4th century but invading armies have left nothing from that time. The two cave churches and vestibules you see today are all from the 13th century. Above the main entrance to the churches is a 10 m passage which leads to a cave chapel that is fully carved out of the mountain and has amazing acoustics. A small peephole in the corner makes it possible to look into the cave chamber below (see picture). The monastery got its name Geghardavank - meaning "the Monastery of the Spear" - since the spear that wounded Christ on the cross was kept here (the spear is now displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury).

The Debed river, that cuts through Armenia and ends in Georgia, has carved the Debed Canyon, one of Armenia's most beautiful areas. The main road to Georgia follows the river at the bottom of the canyon, offering amazing view at every turn. The slopes are mostly covered in woods with a few towns and villages here and there. There are two World-Heritage-listed monasteries in the region, Sanahin and Haghpat, along with less famous (but not less interesting) churches and chapels - and the usual bleak reminders from Soviet time, including a copper mine at Alaverdi.

Devil's Bridge is a mineral spring inside Vorotan gorge. It is prime picnic site for local tourists who have been to Tatev monastery. There are two natural spring pools, none of them particularly inviting but very popular with macho guys and kids. The place got its name due to a natural bridge that passes over the river below. You can climb down to the river and some caves behind the last pool, but the trail is risky since you have to hang on to a rope or free climb.

Dilijan tries hard to become the tourist town of the North - even to that extent that it tarted up a whole street in the name of tourism. Some find it charming, others might think it is the most un-Armenian part in the whole of Armenia. Anyway, the rest of the town is still very much Armenian. Dilijan is a great base to explore the many monasteries in the North and is fairly close to Yerevan now the tunnel to Lake Sevan is opened.

Garni temple is a temple from the 1st century A.D. dedicated to the Roman God of Sun, Helios. Later, a summer palace and a Roman bath (with heating) were added for Armenian royalty leaving the temple untouched for novelty. In the 9th century, a church was built on the cramped sites right at the edge of the cliff. An earthquake in 1679 knocked the temple into rubble leaving it like that until 1970s when it got fully reconstructed. The only things left from the summer palace and the church, however, are the foundations but the Roman bath has been excavated.