Guide to Noravank and Jermuk

Armenia has very diverse nature and the best way to see it is to travel North and South. The Northern part is green and full of alpine meadows as well as forest areas. The central part of southern Armenia is dry, but beautiful with rocky mountains covered by sparse bushes.

In this guide we will follow the route from Yerevan to Areni, Noravannk, Eghegnadzor and finally Jermuk. The route is interesting not only because of gorgeous landscapes and nature, but also for ancient monuments and churches.

The trip starts from Erebuni area of the Yerevan. You can use back roads and see the villages in Ararat region or you can take Artashat highway. If you take the back roads, you will see stork birds with their interesting nests on top of trees and telegraph poles. Just be careful, roads are pretty bad, even our 4X4 Niva SUV had a hard time jumping from pothole to pothole. Once on the highway you will find very nice roads surrounded by the poplar trees and fields of Ararat region. When you travel trough the villages stop by the local farmer's stands and get some fresh apricots, plums and peaches. The farmers are very generous and will give you more fruits for the money. They are the true keepers of great Armenian traditions like kindness and helpfulness. We have never tasted such a fresh fruits in US, especially apricots and peaches. By the way, in Latin language Apricot is called Prunus armeniaca, which means Armenian plum. Enjoy fruits of Armenia, they are the best in the world.

The first thing to notice in Ararat Valley is the Mount Ararat, cane bushes near numerous lakes and small rivers. On the left side of the road you will see reddish mountain chain between Arevshat and Vedi villages. The highest is Yerakh Mounain that reaches 1418 (4652 ft) meters above the sea level. The mountains have very interesting wildlife; mainly dry desert species like scorpions, sunspiders and poisonous Levantine viper ("Gyrza" in Armenian). When you rich Town of Ararat, you will see the Khosrov Reservation on the left side of the road. After you pass Eraskh village, you will continue towards the Vayots Dzor region. The region is known for the best vineyards that produce unique tasting grapes for Areni and Vernashen wines.

On your way to Vayots Dzor region, make sure to stop on the road and observe an interesting oasis of villages covered with the green vegetation among the dry mountains. The contrast is very obvious and amazing. You can see that during the hottest summer months, July to August. In spring and early summer, southern Armenia is covered with the green grass that gradually turns yellow and brown as precipitation decreases. The mountains are also home to many endemic species of plans and animals.

The road condition from Yerevan to Eghegnadzor is acceptable, but road- work is ongoing and flat potholes are not visible when driving fast, so be careful the sharp edges can easily ruin the suspension of any SUV vehicle.

The Vayots Dzor region of Armenia is very mountainous and beautiful. The next point of interest is Areni village. First thing you will notice is view of the small church below sheer cliff in quite inaccessible area. Areni is a small village known as for the best Armenian wine. You can buy wine from the local sellers for really cheap price, 2 liters for $5. The locals will gladly help you choose and taste different types of wines, just like local version wine tasting in Napa Valley. The dry red wine of Areni is exceptional and they usually sell natural wine without sulfites that makes it even better.
After the Areni, the next interesting place to visit is Noravank Monastery. From the Areni village take right turn when you see Noravank sign. The road is one of the most beautiful roads in Armenia. It slices through high mountains and takes you to the hidden monastery. Notice the caverns on the left side of the road, they are actually very deep and sometimes serve as hiding place for the rare leopard and various species of bats. Also, one of the caves in the beginning of the road has Bronze Age child burials. The entire region from Areni to Eghegnadzor is known for the deep caverns, most of them are not fully explored.

On the way to Noravank there is a nice picnic place and café in the cave. They serve only coffee and drinks, but no food. The road from Areni to Noravank is about 7 miles long and very enjoyable if you like fast driving trough the tight turns. In the end of the road you will see magnificent monastery built from the same rock that surrounds the structure. The monastery's oldest church is St. Karapet was built around 9-10th century, but the entire complex was recently restored.
Most interesting part of the main church is cantilever stairs leading to the second store level. It is quite easy to climb the stairs, but quite difficult to come down. The Noravank Monastery and the nature around it are one of the most beautiful places to visit in Armenia.

On the way to Jermuk you will see small Town of Eghegnadzor. Not far from the town you will find Gladzor University ruins. Gladzor University was one of the biggest educational centers of medieval Armenia and existed from 1281 until the 1338. The scholars and theologians of the university played a major role in Armenia's theological resistance to union with Catholicism. Not far from the Gladzor is Vernashen village known for the best semi-sweet red wine.

To get to Jermuk you will need to take left turn when you see Jermuk sign. The road to Jermuk is in very bad shape and it is impossible to avoid huge potholes. It follows the Arpa River that was utilized in Vorotan-Arpa-Sevan tunnel project to supply water to the Lake Sevan. The tunnel is 70 km long and cuts across a high relief mountainous terrain.

When you get closer to Jermuk you will notice once again the landscape and nature change from the dry mountains to forest areas. The Jermuk Bridge is under construction, so you will have to take the road that goes trough the gorge. The road is in extremely rough and 4X4 vehicle is recommended.

Jermuk is resort town full of mineral water springs and park areas. It is also the source of famous, mineral table water - Jermuk. About 14 years ago it was one of the prime vacation spots in Armenia, but currently majority of sanatoriums are under reconstruction and will be fully functioning in a year or so. In the town you will find the gallery with mineral water taps where you can try water of different temperatures. We also recommend visiting waterfall and mineral water pool. The parks in Jermuk are very nice and perfect place for a good dinner.
We stopped by a nice, open air restaurant near the entrance of the town. We were quite surprised when owner told us that they only serve couples, but in our case he would brake his rules and feed us with the natural pork barbeque. So, the next time we must arrive with couples if we want to eat in his restaurant. The food was very good. Try marinated herb - Shushan, it is a little biter and it is a perfect appetizer for vodka. The dinner for two cost us around $20, including drinks and bunch of appetizers.

When coming back to Yerevan you will find incredible mountain views. In Armenia you can stop by any place and climb any mountain it is open for everyone. Appreciate our environment and in the same time openness of the country. Enjoy diverse nature and ancient monuments of the hidden treasure that called Armenia.

You can visit all described places in one day and get back in Yerevan by 9pm. The distance from Yerevan to Eghegnadzor is only 76 miles to Jermuk 108 miles and to Noravank is around 60 miles. The only problem is road conditions, especially small
Jermuk portion can take some time because of rough road.

If you traveled to Armenia and want to share your story, send us an email and share your experience with haykland.com users. Next time I will write the guide about Synik region.