Travelling between Stepanavan and the Debed Canyon, one of two possible routes passes the monastery of Hnevank, located on a winding road 7km from Kurtan and 12km from Dzoraget. Standing inside the gorge on the southern side of the canyon, near the confluence of the Gargar and Dzoragets Rivers, the complex has been ruined and rebuilt several times; most of what is visible today dates from the 12th century. It is particularly attractive in spring and summer when it is surrounded by wildflowers.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.81 MILES
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…
11.76 MILES
Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen…
19.12 MILES
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…
16.58 MILES
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…
10.22 MILES
Sanahin is a World Heritage site packed with ancient graves, darkened chapels and medieval study halls. The inner sanctum of the cross-shaped Surp…
26.57 MILES
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…
4.53 MILES
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…
6.59 MILES
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…
Nearby Northern Armenia attractions
1. Hovhannes Tumanyan House Museum
3.4 MILES
Those who have already visited the Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum in Yerevan will find this timber house where he grew up interesting, but those unfamiliar…
4.53 MILES
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…
5.64 MILES
This cool and tranquil 35-hectare arboretum 11km south of Stepanavan was established in the 1930s and has a vast array of conifers and deciduous trees. It…
6.59 MILES
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…
8.81 MILES
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…
10.22 MILES
Sanahin is a World Heritage site packed with ancient graves, darkened chapels and medieval study halls. The inner sanctum of the cross-shaped Surp…
10.41 MILES
This Soviet-era museum is a shrine to brothers Anastas and Artyom Mikoyan. Anastas was in charge of administering food in the USSR and survived 60 years…
10.85 MILES
Formally known as the Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, this gold-domed church dates from 1895 and serves the city's small Russian Orthodox…