Must-see attractions in Armenia

  • Geghardavank or Geghard monastery is an Orthodox Christian monastery located in Kotayk Province of Armenia

    Geghard Monastery

    Garni & Geghard

    Named after the lance that pierced Christ’s side at the crucifixion (a shard is now on display at the museum in Etchmiadzin), this World Heritage–listed…

  • "Yerevan, Armenia - October 28, 2009. Eternal flame in Tsitsernakaberd. Tsitsernakaberd is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Yerevan, Armenia. The eternal flame inside the memorial."

    Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum

    Yerevan

    Commemorating the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922, this institution uses photographs, documents, reports and films to…

  • Yerevan, Armenia - May 02, 2015: Republic Square. The National History Museum of Armenia. Was founded in 1919 as Ethnographic-Anthropological Museum-Library. One of main landmarks in city

    History Museum of Armenia

    Yerevan

    Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every…

  • Noravank

    Armenia

    Founded by Bishop Hovhannes in 1205 and sensitively renovated in the 1990s, Noravank (New Monastery) is one of the most spectacular sites in Armenia and…

  • Garni Temple

    Garni & Geghard

    Built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD, this Hellenic-style temple set on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was dedicated to…

  • Old Khndzoresk

    Armenia

    Dug into volcanic sandstone on the slopes of Khor Dzor (Deep Gorge), the village of Old Khndzoresk was inhabited as far back as the 13th century. By the…

  • YEREVAN, ARMENIA - SEPTEMBER 28, 2015: The Cascade is a giant stairway in Yerevan, Armenia.; Shutterstock ID 371398735; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: 100 Cities Guides app image downloads

    Cafesjian Center for the Arts

    Yerevan

    Housed in a vast flight of stone steps known as the Cascade, this arts centre is one of the city's major cultural attractions. Originally conceived in the…

  • Khor Virap Monastery

    Armenia

    Located 32km south of Yerevan at the foot of Mt Ararat, Khor Virap has been repeatedly rebuilt since the 5th century. Legend says the pagan King Trdat III…

  • Sergei Parajanov Museum

    Yerevan

    For something totally unique, head to this museum near Hrazdan Gorge. Crammed with collages, drawings, photographs and assemblages created by the…

  • Matenadaran

    Yerevan

    Standing at the top of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, this cathedral-like manuscript library is a source of enormous pride to all Armenians. The first…

  • Lori Berd

    Northern Armenia

    On a promontory between the gorges of the Dzoragets and Miskhana Rivers, this ruined fortress has huge towers and massive stone blocks along its exposed…

  • Marmashen

    Armenia

    Marmashen’s location deep in a river valley 10km northwest of Gyumri is unusual – medieval monasteries in Armenia were almost always constructed in…

  • Haghpat Monastery

    Northern Armenia

    Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen…

  • Republic Square

    Yerevan

    From dawn till late into the night, Republic Sq is Yerevan's focal point and beating heart. Designed by architect Alexander Tamanyan as part of his 1924…

  • Medieval Goris Cave Dwellings

    Armenia

    Locals say the cave shelters of Old Goris carved into the hillside on the east side of town were built and inhabited in the 5th century. Several trails…

  • Noratus

    Lake Sevan

    Approximately 900 khachkars (headstones) dating from as far back as the 10th-century dot this breathtaking cemetery on the western edge of Lake Sevan…

  • Hovhannavank

    Armenia

    Perched on the edge of the Kasagh Gorge, this monastery in the village of Ohanavan was once an important educational and theological centre where…

  • Saghmosavank

    Armenia

    Surrounded by a fortified wall and commanding wonderful views over the Kasagh Gorge and to Mt Aragats, Saghmosavank (Monastery of Palms) is located in the…

  • Centre of Popular Creation

    Yerevan

    Its somewhat esoteric name means that many visitors to Yerevan overlook this museum. This is a great shame, as it is home to the best folk-art collection…

  • Museum of the Aslamazyan Sisters

    Armenia

    Artists Mariam (1907–2006) and Yeranuhi (1910–98) Aslamazyan were born in Bash-Shirak village near Gyumri and two floors of this handsome 19th-century…

  • Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

    Armenia

    Etchmiadzin is the Vatican of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the place where Surp Grigor Lusavorich saw a beam of light in a divine vision, and where he…

  • Zvartnots Cathedral

    Armenia

    Catholicos Nerses III (known as 'the Builder') sponsored construction of the 'Celestial Angels Cathedral' in the 7th century. Destroyed in the 10th…

  • Entrance to the Areni-1 Cave, a 6100-year-old Winery Discovered in this Cave, the Village of Areni, Archaeological site in Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia, 5th Oct 2019; Shutterstock ID 1628242591; full: 65050; gl: 65050; netsuite: poi; your: Barbara Di Castro
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    Areni-1 Cave

    Armenia

    In 2007, proud Armenians were ecstatic when archaeologists discovered the world's oldest known winery dating back 6100 years at this cave. The next year,…

  • Haghartsin Monastery

    Northern Armenia

    Hidden in a verdant valley 13km northeast of Dilijan, Haghartsin ('Dance of the Eagles’) was built between the 10th and 13th centuries and has three…

  • Martiros Sarian Museum

    Yerevan

    This museum preserves the studio and some of the works of 20th-century painter Martiros Sarian, known for his vibrant colour-saturated canvases. On the…

  • Akhtala Monastery

    Northern Armenia

    Akhtala, a small village 20km northeast of Alaverdi, has one major claim to fame: the magnificent frescoes in its 13th-century church. These include a…

  • Amberd

    Armenia

    Constructed on a ridge above the confluence of the little gorges of the Amberd and Arkashen streams, this majestic stone fortress dates back to the 7th…

  • Sanahin Monastery

    Northern Armenia

    Sanahin is a World Heritage site packed with ancient graves, darkened chapels and medieval study halls. The inner sanctum of the cross-shaped Surp…

  • Harichavank

    Armenia

    Once the summer residence of the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, the still-functioning Harichavank is located in the old town of Harich, about 4km from the…

  • Tatev Monastery

    Armenia

    The bishops of Syunik built the main church, Surp Poghos-Petros (St Paul and St Peter), in the 9th century to house important relics. There are faint…

  • Sevanavank

    Lake Sevan

    A pagan temple once occupied this elevated site overlooking the lake, but was replaced by a now-ruined church in 305. Two further churches, Surp…

  • Spitakavor Monastery

    Armenia

    Only accessible by foot or 4WD, this 14th-century monastery was built on the site of a 5th-century basilica and has a church, gavit (antechamber) and bell…

  • Goshavank

    Northern Armenia

    Founded in 1188 by the saintly Armenian cleric Mkhitar Gosh, who was buried in a little chapel overlooking the main complex, this monastery features a…

  • Mt Aragats

    Armenia

    Snow covers the top of the highest mountain in modern Armenia almost year-round, so climbing is best from July through September. Be careful, though –…

  • Sardarapat Memorial & Museum

    Armenia

    Set on a hill, the stunning orange tuff memorial at Sardarapat commemorates the battle in May 1918 when forces of the first Armenian republic turned back…

  • Kobayr Monastery

    Northern Armenia

    Perched above the hamlet of Kobayr is the 12th-century monastery of the same name. The main church has some partially restored Georgian-style frescoes and…

  • Yervand Kochar Museum

    Yerevan

    Though small, this fascinating museum does a great job of documenting the life and work of the prolific Armenian painter and sculptor. The museum…

  • St Astvatsatsin Church

    Northern Armenia

    Built on the site where legend tells us St Thomas buried Christ's swaddling clothes in the 1st century, the core of St Astvatsatsin dates from the 5th…

  • Surp Gevorg

    Armenia

    This handsome 17th-century church is located in the neighbourhood of Mughni, on the northern edge of Ashtarak. It features striped bands of stone around…

  • National Gallery of Armenia

    Yerevan

    Housed on the top floors of the History Museum, Armenia's foremost art gallery holds a large but somewhat underwhelming collection of European and Russian…

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