Ashtarak and Kasagh River Gorge monuments in Central Armenia
Ashtarak and Kasagh River Gorge monuments in Central Armenia
Hovhannavank Monastery
The picturesque town of Ashtarak is less than half an hour from central Yerevan. It has 3 very old churches standing and 2 in ruins. It is also home to Ashtaraki Dzor Restaurant Complex - well worth a stop for a reasonably priced meal and nighttime entertainment show, all outdoors, and long popular with Armenians.
A little down the river is Oshakan Village, where the creator of the Armenian alphabet, Mesrob Mashtots, is buried in the village church.
Just north along the river (and highway) is Mughni, with an interesting church where alternating colors of stone form black and red bands around the cupola.
Further north is Ohanavan village with Hovhannavank Monastery. This restored monastery is perched atop the cliffs and has a great view of Mt. Ara.
Saghmosavank Monastery, just east of Artashavan village shares the same great views of the gorge and Mt. Ara. You can hike from one to the other in the gorge. Great architecture, carvings, details.
Much further north is the town of Aparan, whose inhabitants are the butt of jokes which pin them as not the brightest folk. The very ancient, black Kasagh basilica church, just a few meters from the main highway is worth dropping into on your way to Lori Marz.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Central Armenia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Central Armenia - updated May 2024
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Central Armenia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
