Eco-tours, self-guided tours...and more
1. Down the mountain to the Silk Road: Go for an easy walk down the mountain behind our house (an hour to an hour and a half, depending on your speed). On the way, you will meet many farmers who will greet you warmly. You can discover wild-life en route (Armenia's gorgeous butterflies - in season). We can also arrange a swim in a natural pond under a waterfall and drinks from natural water springs. Your walk will end up on the Silk Road, which runs along the Yeghegis river. (If you keep on, this new road will take you through the mountains to Sevan.) Further along the river there are three great restaurants: “Getap”, manager Vanik or Alvard for reservations 66444, and “Ouréni”, where you can reserve ahead by calling the manager, Vahik, 093-151011, 093-827560; Or “Sisakan”, about 800 metres further north, reserve ahead by calling the manager, Guéna, at 20000, 24107 or 20304 or 093-358708 or 093 347920. Then you can take a taxi ‘home,’ or keep on walking along the river to Shatin and then to Selim Saray. To your right along the Silk Road, you will pass a ‘liquid Nitrogen generation plant’ where you can taste home-made oghi (vodka) with its owner, Napoleon (without his armies – we can give him a small donation or present). Make it a day trip and you can also swim at the river.
2. Another hike on the other side of the main highway will take you to the 13th century bridge (sour Kamourj), also on the Silk Road, and to the nearby ’Rhino Rocks’. In the same area, you can visit a small swimming and fishing lake owned by the Baghdassaryans, where you can catch your own fish and they will prepare it for you (Call Argam Sargsyan 093-077787). You can also visit a stone quarry and bathe in a ‘Hot water tub’ in Agarakadzor.
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3. Drive (or walk) to Gladzor Museum (at the Museum, ask for the guide at the house next door), and then up the mountain to the 12th centurty Tanahat monastery, seat of Gladzor University, and then up another mountain to a little church perched on the top, Sourp Khatch. From there, you can drive down to the Russian-Armenian friendship museum in Malichka, next to the brand new church, Sourp ???. (2-3 hours). If you prefer a walk, you can walk to the Gladzor Museum from our house; it’s a lovely walk through two villages, Gladzor and Vernashen (2-3 hours)
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4. Pack a picnic for a longer half day hike (2 hours vigorous walk up from the museum, one and half hour back down, + one hour at Spitakavor) -- veer left just after the Gladzor Museum and walk up the mountain to visit the 11th century Spitakavor church and Garegin Nejdeh's tomb, near the 13th century fortress called Proshabert. On the way, you will go through a shepherds’ village, have a splendid view of Ararat if the weather is clear and can drink from numerous mountain springs.
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5. In the town of Yeghegnadzor, you can visit the city museum and art gallery 23392, the cyclopean wall remains of the fortress where Vartan Mamikonian’s remaining braves from the battle of Avarayr against the Zoroastrian Persians (451 AD) retreated to continue guerilla warfare (downtown Yeghegnadzor), some Ourartian (8th BC) burying grounds (also downtown Yeghegnadzor). You will not want to miss, right in the centre of the city, a visit to a Soviet garment factory. It stopped operating since the collapse of the USSR, but everything is there, intact as the day it closed. You'll see their equipment, the garments they produced, the gaz masks in case of a NATO attack, Lenin's posters and books, etc. The English-guided tour costs 500 drams per person and is arranged by appointment.
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