My visit to Armenia wasn't quite as I'd liked it to be, it was the return leg of a trip to the Middle East, I'd noticed that Air Baltic had cheap flights from Yerevan to Riga and Air Arabia had cheap flights from Sharjah to…Read More

My visit to Armenia wasn't quite as I'd liked it to be, it was the return leg of a trip to the Middle East, I'd noticed that Air Baltic had cheap flights from Yerevan to Riga and Air Arabia had cheap flights from Sharjah to Yerevan, unfortunately my stay wasn't anyway near as long as I'd like and I was also totally skint having had to spend two days longer in Amman than expected and being surprised by the Israeli prices prior to that.

So I had literally no money and this limited me, what's more I'd been in the Middle East in December which was rather warm and was now freezing my ears off in the shadows of Mount Ararat. Typically under-dressed, I did a lot of walking but had to keep moving for fear of freezing.

Should you be in the same situation, depending on whether you want to save the best until last or do it first then I highly recommend a visit to the Cascades, this staircase has surprisingly large stairs and cascades in the middle, it was built in the 1970s and towers over the city, giving you fantastic panoramic views of the city and the surrounding area, including Mount Ararat.

The bottom section is a park with nice trees and benches, the cascade is littered with statues made by some reasonably well known artists, the top of this structure houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and there's two chubby sculptures made by Colombian artist Fernando Botero.

It's breathtaking in more than one way but like most climbs, is definitely worth the effort. For those who don't want to exert themselves, there are actually escalators, although this is not obvious. Should you wish to continue across the road at the top of the Cascades, you will come to Haghtanak Park, which again has wonderful views.. or at least should have, a sort of misty smog had developed whilst I was there and the visibility was really poor.

Haghtanak Park was built in commemoration of the countries participation in WW2 as a part of the Soviet Union, it too is sprinkled with statues but of a lot less artistic kind, these are the more serious looking memorial type as well as the 'peace statue'

Later, I went down to Republic Square, locally known as Hanrapetutyan Hraparak, an oval-shaped area, this is surrounded by majestic buildings and I spent some time photographing it from every different angle possible. Some really flashy cars may park up and at the same time you can have an old Lada taxi pulling up, this is a great place to people watch and really chilled out.

Yerevan has its fair share of museums which were off bounds to me due to my lack of lucre at the time, I found it surpisingly well developed and like other ex-Soviet capitals that I've visited, full of money in the centre. A walk into the suburban areas, shows a different side to the city though, a more rough and ready type and I highly recommend a little walk along the back road past the football stadium and famous Yerevan Brandy distillery!

I cannot wait to return to the region and would love to get a full look at Armenia.
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One of the most uplifting and beautiful experiences during my trip to Armenia was an all day drive into the Aragatsotn region, which took in a number of notable sights. It started with the 13th century monastery of Saghmosavank and then a detour to the…Read More

One of the most uplifting and beautiful experiences during my trip to Armenia was an all day drive into the Aragatsotn region, which took in a number of notable sights. It started with the 13th century monastery of Saghmosavank and then a detour to the birthplace of St Mesrob Mashdots at Oshagan, before taking a long drive to Pahlavuni fortress at Amberd. After lunch, we left the heat of the foothills behind to travel up the alpine slopes of Mt Aragats to the crystal lake just below its snow-covered summit. After dipping our feet into its painfully icy waters, we descended the mountain in the early evening, taking the little visited monastery at Tegher on the way home. Our day concluded with a well earned khorovadz (barbecue) at a riverside restaurant in Yerevan’s Hrazdan River gorge.

Along the way we took in breathtaking vistas decorated with the an artist’s palette of colour – a riot of wild flowers and grasses, sweeping meadows, vast fields of rock, magnificent river gorges, bubbling mountain streams and a veritable menagerie of wildlife. The journey was enriched by the sight of nesting storks, curious cows, elegant hawks and shy sheep.

I felt privileged to able to see the natural world in an almost unspoiled state. Signs of human habitation were few and far between, with a few yurts and trailers the only evidence of the Armenian cattle drivers and Yezidi goat herders who pasture their herds in the expansive foothills. Occasionally, the pristine landscape was scarred by abandoned cars and rusting electricity pylons, but these were relatively minor irritations.

This is a part of Armenia where patience and effort are richly rewarded. The winter snows play havoc with the roads, and its relatively common for cars to disgorge their passengers to lighten the load when negotiating frighteningly large potholes and craters. This makes getting anywhere on the upper reaches of Mt Aragats a time-consuming exercise, but the outstanding views and glacially fresh air are well worth it. The best time to visit this region is between late May and early July, when most of the flowers are in bloom, carpeting the mountainsides with sweeps of glorious colour.

As you can imagine, beekeepers do a brisk trade in this part of the world, producing divine wild mountain honey. That said, "new" honey is usually collected and sold in the autumn, so in early summer you will be sampling last year’s harvest. In the valleys, the orchards are heavy with fruit, with in-season mulberries, cherries and apricots decoratively arranged and sold at roadside fruit stalls. In short, Armenia’s bounty is not limited to its many churches, monasteries and ancient relics – it has a vast natural bounty that will delight the observant tourist.   Close

Armenians are an intensely proud people. For a small nation, spread around the world, they have had considerable success in all spheres of human activity. One half of the MIG partnership that produced some of Russia’s most famous fighter aircraft – Artem Mikoyan – was…Read More

Armenians are an intensely proud people. For a small nation, spread around the world, they have had considerable success in all spheres of human activity. One half of the MIG partnership that produced some of Russia’s most famous fighter aircraft – Artem Mikoyan – was born in Lori province. Tennis great, Andre Agassi is half Armenian, as is Cherilyn "Cher" Sarkissian. You may also have heard of Charles Aznavour, the band System of A Down, actress Andrea Martin, actor Eric Bogosian and director Atom Egoyan. The roll call of greats also includes Formula One driver Alain Prost, cymbal makers Zildjian and Sabian, chess master Garry Kasparov, composer Aram Khatchadourian and the guy who invented the MRI machine, Raymond Damadian.

In short, Armenians have a fair bit to be proud of and take every opportunity to distinguish themselves from other peoples. For most Armenians, there are two kinds of people – Armenians and "odar", or foreigner. However, for Armenia-born Armenians, there seems to be a third distinction – Diasporan or "ardasahman" (literally meaning "beyond the borders") Armenians. Armenia is a relatively new country. Much of Armenian culture was kept alive and thriving outside its borders – in fact the Diaspora is larger than the population of the home country. So, when independence was achieved in 1991, Diasporan Armenians, who were much better off that their native cousins, felt they had a vested interest in their homeland – after all, in their minds, they had done a great deal to advance Armenian culture and preserve tradition free of the constraints of the Soviet regime.

However, while they found their brethren in Yerevan eager to take their money, they were much less receptive to their ideas. A clash of cultures developed. After initial resistance to what Yerevan saw as troublesome Diasporan meddling, a sort of détente was reached. A Ministry of Diaspora has been established to improve relations and facilitate investment from Armenians abroad. That said, attitudes on "the ground" remain largely unchanged. In the capital, especially, you still get the impression that "ardasahman" Armenians are tolerated rather than welcomed. A perfect example was my visit to a small grocery shop. The door was opening and there was a bit of a hub-bub from inside. Desperate for some water, I went in, and as soon as I stepped inside, all conversation stopped. Despite greeting the three people inside with a hearty "Good Afternoon" in my best Armenian, they remained stony faced and sullen until I departed, breaking, once again, into a lively conversation.

The reasons for this behaviour are complex. Diasporan Armenians tend to be dreamers. We look at Mt Ararat and see it as a symbol of Armenia, representative of what we have lost, tantalisingly close yet unreachable across the Turkish border. Natives look at it and, by and large, see a huge lump of rock. This is merely a symptom of the disconnect between the two communities. Looking from afar, it is easy to judge, to criticise and to be patronising about what should and could be achieved. However, most Diasporans tend to visit once a year, for a few weeks and are out of touch with the needs and demands of the man on the street.

Simply put, the chief concern for the average Armenian is where his next meal is coming from. He has a very short-term view. He sees the wealthy Diasporan come in, wave their money about, buy flats and invest in businesses (pushing up their value from unaffordable to wholly unachievable), take the best of what Armenia has to offer and then disappear off to their well appointed houses in Paris, Los Angeles and other points West. Such cultural tourists are often taken advantage of – usually by subtle price gouging in amounts no tourist would quibble about except as a point of principle.

That brings me to the title of this short discourse. I was walking along Mashdots Street, one of the main avenues in Yerevan, dressed in a T-shirt and cargo shorts. I was taking some snaps of a streetside kiosk, when a young woman and her older companion passed me, rudely remarking, in Armenian, about my choice of clothing (men normally do not wear shorts in Armenia – nothing marks you out as a tourist faster - the camera didn’t help either I suppose). Most natives, when seeing a tourist, can’t imagine for a minute that their lingo will be understood, much less spoken, so the look of shock, when I replied in perfect Armenian was priceless. I said:

"My dear lady, the reason for my abbreviated attire is that I love this country so much, that I sold the bottom half of my trousers so I could send relief money here…"

The older woman turned and stormed off in a huff, but it was all her younger companion could do to stifle a fit of the giggles. At least one half of the Cold War seemed to have thawed.

© Hishyeness 2010   Close

Almost all international visitors to Armenia will arrive at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, which is about a 20 minute (and 12km) drive from the city centre and its main hotels. The airport has undergone extensive renovation and remodelling, but still retains the original concrete–dominated monolithic…Read More

Almost all international visitors to Armenia will arrive at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, which is about a 20 minute (and 12km) drive from the city centre and its main hotels. The airport has undergone extensive renovation and remodelling, but still retains the original concrete–dominated monolithic features so beloved of Soviet architects.

Zvartnots is served by a number of major airlines, but only British Midland fly direct from the UK (Heathrow). If you don’t mind changing aircraft, Air France, Austrian Airlines and Czech Airlines all offer flights from Heathrow with layovers in Paris, Salzburg and Prague respectively. For reference, BMI were charging £750 for a direct flight, but I booked Air France with a two hour layover at Charles de Gaulle for £450.

UK visitors will require a visa, which can be obtained electronically in advance from the Armenian Embassy in London, or can be paid for immediately before passport control on arrival. It costs the equivalent of around $5 to $8 USD (depending on exchange rates) but payment is only accepted in the local currency (Dram). For reference, its actually cheaper to buy the visa at the airport rather than the embassy.

You will need immediate access to cash to pay for your visa, the luggage trolleys and also your cab fare. Helpfully, there are exchange facilities available (at typically unfavourable rates) both before and after passport control, and given the difficulty of obtaining the Dram abroad, you will have little choice but to change some at the airport.

Rates in town are much better, so don’t be tempted to change too much. Cash is king in Armenia and although credit card usage is getting more prevalent, almost nowhere outside the main city centre will accept cards, so make sure you bring enough for your stay. The best cards to bring are Visa or Mastercard – Amex is almost unheard of in Armenia.

Once you clear passport control you are (strangely) directed through a new shop, aimed squarely at tourists, which sells the usual stuff (cigarettes, alcohol, perfumes etc.) that you would expect to find in the duty free – on departure. The luggage carousels are just after the exit from this shop.

Waiting times for your luggage are generally minimal given the infrequency of flights. If you have more than one pull-along and need a trolley, there is a small charge for the trolleys, as well as a paid for porter service. Most uniformed airport staff speak a smattering of languages, so communication (at this point) should not be an issue. Taxi ranks are clearly signposted from the terminal in English (Armenians have their own unique alphabet and the script is indecipherable to most westerners) but drivers tend to speak only a smattering of English. Fortunately, most of the city centre hotels are well known, so this is not usually a problem. That’s it – you’re on your way. Welcome to "Hayastan".

On a final note, unfortunately, the main road into the city has become a mini Las Vegas, with small gaming parlours and larger, more ostentatious casinos competing for trade with garish neon illuminated frontage. Word is that the government has woken up to the negative impression the trade has on newly arrived visitors and is actively working to relocate Yerevan’s very own "Sin City" to a more discreet part of town. It is certainly unrepresentative and uncharacteristic of the country.
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What struck me on my belated return to Armenia was the growing chasm between those who have money and those who don’t. A tourist who keeps to the relatively well-trodden area around the centre of Yerevan and the tourist attractions on the outskirts of town…Read More

What struck me on my belated return to Armenia was the growing chasm between those who have money and those who don’t. A tourist who keeps to the relatively well-trodden area around the centre of Yerevan and the tourist attractions on the outskirts of town will not get any idea of this very pronounced and very real divide. Yerevan is full of vanity projects. Rich benefactors, both from the Diaspora and from the oligarch class, the latter ostensibly seeking to redeem their excesses, will sponsor or build almost anything, as long as their name remains indelibly connected to it.

Some might say that such "naming rights" are a small price to pay for the greater public good, and in many cases, where such projects have a real benefit to the majority of the people, they have a point. However, that is not often the case. The typical Armenian man on the street is more concerned with where the daily bread is coming from than viewing modern art in the air conditioned confines of a museum aimed at a very small sub-section of society. The fatalistic attitude of most, which, in many ways is anathema to progressive state-building, is to take what they can today, and worry about tomorrow if it comes.

In many places, this ostentatious show of wealth goes beyond the unedifying and more into the realms of a deliberate display of strength and power. Why else would the oligarchs build multi-million dollar walled compounds and mansions in the hills overlooking Yerevan’s poorest districts? These ornate villas and so-called palaces often exhibit the hallmarks of those who have much more money than sense, or indeed, taste.

Of more concern than the vanity of the wealthy (and their blatant tax evasion) is the misdirection of the funds that actually do make it into the public purse. Huge sums of money were spent building a new cathedral – St Gregory the Illuminator – in the heart of Yerevan while many of Armenia’s priceless architectural treasures, such as the monastery of Sanahin in distant Lori province, is left to further deteriorate, despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The interior of the country, especially, is crying out for investment and renovation. Half-built apartment blocks and factories blight the otherwise beautiful landscape, rusting and collapsing in on themselves since Soviet funding for their development dried up with independence in 1991. Those that were operational when Armenia achieved independence were often asset stripped by their senior managers, making themselves wealthy and leaving Armenia with a rotting, dysfunctional industrial infrastructure.

All these negative thoughts came to me while sitting on a bench under a shady tree at Sanahin’s ancient monastic complex, with moss, weeds and vines clogging its medieval roof, with a thick black column of pollutants snaking its way skyward from the city of Alaverdi far below. Even at distance, the abandoned industrial hulks in their dark brown and orange competed with the verdant greens of the landscape as the dominant colour.

This is the other side of Armenia that the tourist board would rather you not see, but is almost impossible to avoid for all except the most myopic traveller. That said, my journey through Armenia, up to Lori province was punctuated by interactions with the local populace that were all the more remarkable for their genuine warmth and humility. It seems the more impoverished the wallet, the more wealthy the heart and soul. Perhaps there is hope for my homeland yet.

© Hishyeness 2010   Close

The Best Diesel in YerevanThe catalyst for my return to Armenia, my ancestral homeland, after a 23 year absence, was to see my sister get married in Yerevan. In a manner typical of the Armenian Diaspora, which is actually larger than the population of the…Read More

The Best Diesel in Yerevan

The catalyst for my return to Armenia, my ancestral homeland, after a 23 year absence, was to see my sister get married in Yerevan. In a manner typical of the Armenian Diaspora, which is actually larger than the population of the mother country, my sister, UK-born and New York-raised (but resident in Yerevan for the past two years) was getting married to a Lebanese-born, LA-raised Armenian fellow. The wedding was to be traditional Armenian, with all of the ancient customs that my sister had meticulously researched. The main event was to be two days after I arrived, so I left myself five days after the newlyweds disappeared off on honeymoon to explore Armenia.

The main advantage of my sister’s past two years of experience living the Hye*-life, was her vast array of local connections and friends, all of seemed only too happy to show me around. I had my heart set on visiting the monastic complexes of Sanahin and Haghpat, near neighbours in the distant and most northerly province of Lori – very close to the Georgian and Azerbaijani borders. However, given the state of the roads and the fact that the area is very mountainous, the journey normally takes a minimum of four hours each way. This was not a mission for the faint-hearted, and I was resigned to taking a guided tour - until one of her friends – a repatriated Syrian Armenian called Nicholas – happily volunteered to drive us. He worked for the American Embassy as a driver and had a robust but ageing seven-seater van at his disposal.

Given the distance, we decided on a relatively early start. Nicholas duly collected our party – myself and my parents - from our central Yerevan flat at 8am on a glorious summers morning. On the outskirts of Yerevan, before we hit the main highways, we stopped for petrol, and stepped straight into an unexpected soap opera, drama and comedy all rolled into one. We pulled up to the pump, and a grease monkey in his early twenties, unlit cigarette dangling from his lower lip, looked expectantly at Nicholas, who told him to fill it up. Thirty seconds into the fill, Nicholas let out a despairing whelp and started shouting at the attendant to stop. Seeing a large van, the fellow had automatically assumed that he should fill up with diesel. Unfortunately, the van ran on unleaded petrol.

Cue some furious gesticulating, raised voices, much wailing and gnashing of teeth. We immediately realised that our trip had hit a major snag, and possibly affected Nicholas’ livelihood as well, so I got out of the van to try and help. By this time, the little drama had drawn a crowd - in less than thirty seconds, around six or seven men had materialised from seemingly nowhere, all ready to offer advice and assistance. After much head scratching, a man identified himself as the manager and tried to assure Nicholas that his diesel was "the best in Yerevan, prime quality, no problem" and suggested he turn over the engine to make his point. I was horrified. I know, in the UK at least, that the one thing you do NOT do when you put the wrong fuel is start the engine, so I physically interjected, and in my rusty Armenian, tried to explain to the manager, by analogy, that if you put the finest salt in the world into a sweet cake, its not going to be sweet – it ruins the cake. He grudgingly accepted the point and we finally convinced him that the tank needed to be drained.

We put the van in neutral, and while my parents and I watched (I was happily snapping away with my camera, which the lads seemed to enjoy) six lads pushed the van onto a small ram situated under the front wheel, while another found a bucket and a manky looking rubber hose. Using old-fashioned sucking power, the tank was slowly siphoned dry. In the meantime, two of the younger chaps – Harout and Khatchadour – curious about where we were from, got to chatting, posed for photos, and were thrilled to learn that there was a chance their photos might go up on the internet at some point. Their five second of fame secured, they returned to the task of wheeling the van back to the pump so we could get the unleaded fuel we had stopped in for 45 minutes before. We exchanged numbers with the manager, just in case there was a problem, but in the event nothing happened, and the manager even called, thirty minutes into our journey, to ensure that everything was working fine. We were on our way, at last.

* Armenians refer to themselves as "Hye" and to their country as "Hayastan"

© Hishyeness 2010
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ARRIVALMost visitors to Yerevan (and Armenia) will arrive at Zvartnots International Airport, which is about a 20 minute (and 12km) drive from the city centre (known as "getron"). This small airport is an odd mixture of the old and new – with 1960’s Soviet style…Read More

ARRIVAL

Most visitors to Yerevan (and Armenia) will arrive at Zvartnots International Airport, which is about a 20 minute (and 12km) drive from the city centre (known as "getron"). This small airport is an odd mixture of the old and new – with 1960’s Soviet style monolithic architecture supplemented by an attractive modern terminal. You will need immediate access to cash to pay for your 21 day visa, the luggage trolleys and also your cab fare. Helpfully, there are exchange facilities available in the airport (at typically unfavourable rates). There is no train service into the city, so you will need to take a taxi or (if booked) a hotel courtesy bus. Prices vary, but generally, you should not have to pay more than 1000 Dram for a trip into town. Most taxi drivers speak a smattering of basic English, and know the names of the main tourist hotels, but as Armenian and Russian are still the main languages, you may struggle to make yourself understood if you are going off the beaten track. The Armenian language and written script is unique and difficult for foreigners to decipher, but fortunately, since independence, more and more signage is being written in English as well.

GETTING AROUND

The city is broadly laid out on a grid system and relatively easy to navigate. Provided you have a sensible pair of shoes, eyes in the back of your head and watch approaching traffic like a hawk, Yerevan is an eminently walkable city which has much to offer the observant tourist. There is an incredibly cheap one-line, ten-stop Metro that is squeaky clean and ultra-reliable that connects the centre of the city with the outer suburbs. It operates from 6:30 to 23:00, and tokens, bought from sullen-faced booth operators, cost a measly 50 Dram whatever distance you travel. The stops of most interest will be Hrabarag (Republic Square), Sasuntsi David, which serves the main railway station and is home to the impressive statue of the same name, and Marshall Bagramian, which serves the Parliament and the American University.

Apart from the Metro, the city operates a chaotic tram-bus, traditional bus and mini-bus system which I found far too daunting to use. There are no clear directions at the bus stops as to which buses go where. You have to rely on the signs (in Armenian, but sometimes English as well) in the front and side windows of each bus - if you are quick enough to catch them. The Soviet-era Lada and Volga taxis, which you simply flag down, are the most efficient and cost effective way of getting around. Most journeys within the city will cost around 600 Dram, but drivers will always profess to having no change. With the smallest value note being 1000 Dram, it pays to carry the right change if you are particularly cost conscious. There is no need to tip drivers.

SOME OF THE MAIN SIGHTS

Opera District

Opera and its immediate surroundings provide the focal point for the Yerevan social scene. The area, which is roughly bounded by Mashdots, Terian, Sayat Nova and Tumanian Street is dominated by the squat, circular Opera house with its bas-relief Doric columns. The building houses two concert halls and has been providing world class performances since opening its doors in 1932. The area around Opera is packed with attractive outdoor cafes and bars, which both tourists and locals flock to day and night. It is the only central city location I have ever been to where you can get a coffee for less than 50p, or a beer for less than £1.

Republic Square

"Hrabarag", which used to be Lenin Square, is the off-centre focal point in the southern part of Yerevan. Arranged in a rough circle, its constituent buildings show the nuance, detail and style of Armenian Soviet architecture at its best. The main building material is local tufa stone, a porous, volcanic rock that comes in various colours, of which the most prized are the orange-pink shades. The main feature of the Square are the fountains in front of the museum, which offer colourful nightly displays set to classical and popular music. Not quite on the scale of the Bellagio, but worth watching nonetheless. Proceedings kick off around 8:30pm and last around twenty minutes.

Madenataran

At the top end of Mashdots Street, built into the side of a hill, and overlooked by the giant statue of "Mother Armenia", is the Madenataran – a museum and research institute which houses Armenia’s vast collection of historic illuminated manuscripts, books and documents. The display area of the museum is surprisingly small, with two, well illuminated main halls showing perhaps one percent of the treasures stored within it. The rest are stored in a secure vault bored deep into the side of the hill and are not accessible to the public.

Fruit Market

Almost directly across the street from the mosque is a covered fruit and vegetable market which is best visited early in the day (at least before noon) to catch the colourful displays of dried fruit, herbs and spice, and traditional Armenian produce such as cherries, apricots, grapes and pomegranates. Given the vibrant, chaotic atmosphere inside at its busiest, it is easy to overlook the uninspiring, dilapidated and crumbling interior. Armenian stall owners can haggle and hawk with the best of them, so it’s not an environment for the shy or easily intimidated.

Cascade

Directly north of the Opera is a complex of planted terraces and fountains built like set of giant steps into the hillside and called "the Cascade". You can walk up the exterior steps (it’s quite a long and tiring walk), stopping periodically to take in the ever expansive views of the city and Mt Ararat - or there is a series of escalators that run underneath the complex which run all the way to the top.

Dzidzernagapert

The "Fortress of Swallows" is the name given to the hilltop area to the south of the centre which houses the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum. This evocative memorial commemorates the million and a half Armenians slaughtered by the Young Turk regime between 1915 and 1918 in the first genocide of a bloody twentieth century. The memorial, built in the late 1960’s – shortly after the 50th anniversary of the genocide - consists of an arrow-shaped granite stele and twelve inward leaning granite slabs which shelter an eternal flame. The underground museum is a relatively recent and very welcome addition, built into the hill to ensure that the focus remained on the imposing main monument.

The Vernissage

The oddly named Vernissage is a weekend open air flea market, just off Republic Square on a natty bit of parkland adjacent to the Metro station, seemingly full of the entire collected bric-a-brac of the good citizens of Yerevan. The market is broadly divided into sections for clothing, souvenirs, jewellery, china, household goods, militaria, books, crafts and art. As with the fruit market, be prepared to haggle - it’s not unusual to pay a third of the initial asking price - which tends to start higher or lower depending on how (a) rich; (b) foreign and (c) gullible you look, in no particular order.

Other Sights

Other attractions recommended to me (but I didn’t have time to visit) were the Erebuni Museum complex, Victory Park (which hosts the Mother Armenia statue), the Museum of the City of Yerevan at City Hall, and the Ararat Brandy factory, which offers guided tours on the making of Armenian cognac.

FOOD & DRINK

Eating and drinking seems to be a national pastime. Armenian food is generally meat based, with pork, lamb and chicken khorovadz (barbecue) a speciality. For good, filling and cheap fast food, any number of "shawarma" (barbecued meat served in flatbread – think doner/gyro) and/or lahmajun (Armenian meat pizza) places are a great option. There are a string of these places on Toumanian Street – a sandwich and a drink should set you back no more than 1000 dram (£1.40). For a sit down meal at a café or full service restaurant, with drinks, expect to pay around 10,000 Dram a head (£15), more if live music is being played.

WHY GO?

There is enough to see and do in Yerevan to keep you well occupied for a whole week, but those short on time can see and do most of the major sights in around three days. The best time to go is Mid April to Late June, and then September and October. The summer gets unbearably hot with temperatures reaching 40C. The place closes down for the winter, as it gets bitterly cold, rendering the outdoor facilities that create much of the city’s atmosphere unusable.

© Hishyeness 2010   Close

When I visited Yerevan in December last year, a rock bar had just newly opened. I was keen to check it out as soon as I heard - if there's a place to rock, then surely it's Yerevan! It has to be said be…Read More

When I visited Yerevan in December last year, a rock bar had just newly opened. I was keen to check it out as soon as I heard - if there's a place to rock, then surely it's Yerevan! It has to be said be said that as nice as Armenia's cafe culture is, there must have been a desperate need for a rock pub until this one came along. It's really a metal pub, the music is loud, the pub is smokey and posters dedicated to the gods of metal adorn the walls.

Beer is cold and reasonably priced, the music rocks, hot meals and snacks are available and the pub keeps sane hours - opening at 4pm and closing at 4am. Whether it's the cosy hours before people finish work which gives you time to talk to the owner/bar couple about your favourite bands or stay in Yerevan or the crowded and sociable atmosphere that grows later on that you like, there's something for every metal fan.

This place is also a hang out for metal bands visiting the region as the bar owner is extremely active in such circles and a musician himself, this is definitely the place to rock! A wide range of styles of metal from heavy to thrash to black metal to the bar's favourite of pagan or viking metal is played here, it's not everyone's cup of tea but a friendly locale which is definitely a metalhead's dream.

The pub is centrally located on Parpeti 16 and ideal for a lot of visitors as it is right next to Yerevan's best youth hostel.With nice cool beer starting at 600 dram, I could easily live there! Make use of some of the great promotions - they have a $1 shot, a 2500 dram voucher to be used in the pub to be won on quiz nights and a 10% discount on Sundays.    Close

Whilst I imagine that most peoples visits to Zvarnots International Airport in Yerevan are uneventful are straight forward, this wasn't the case for me! Having arrived from Sharjah, UAE after very little sleep for about 40 hours - I was initially surprised to see that…Read More

Whilst I imagine that most peoples visits to Zvarnots International Airport in Yerevan are uneventful are straight forward, this wasn't the case for me! Having arrived from Sharjah, UAE after very little sleep for about 40 hours - I was initially surprised to see that the terminals looked rather new (the airport underwent renovation recently), not only that but the Armenians were all fairly orderly and didn't seem to pushing and shoving to get in to the queue, the norm in ex-USSR countries in my experience.

I headed to the visa section which was quite quiet and began filling in my immigration card, the Armenian visa is usually 30 dollars but at the airport it is 50 dollars and this stumped me, I had only about 40 dollars on me, so the woman behind the counter organised a policeman to escort me through customs to the bank machine on the other side, much to the confusion of the other police officers there. Things didn't get much better as the bank card didn't work and I was left searching for plans and tried to ask for the transit visa which would last for 3 days and do me fine - to get a transit visa though, it is necessary to have your onward flight ticket. I did have that but it was in my main luggage which of course was on the other side of customs, so back to the police office - asked a few questions, sent through another metal detector, few jokes with the police offers and back to the luggage carousel which of course is empty now due to everyone being long gone.

We then hunt for my luggage which had been moved out by my new found friend that I had made at Sharjah and who was waiting to give me a lift to the center - eventually after finding him, he storms back to the visa place and just hands them 50 dollars for the visa and away we go!

I have to say that everyone, police included were really pretty nice albeit very confused and my mish mash of Russian and hand gestures with a little help from the woman at the tourist information desk wasn't really helping!

Leaving wasn't much better as I was skint by this time and the bank card still wasn't working, I'd tried my bank card for the last 2 days before my flight to no success. The airport was about 20km from the part of Yerevan, I was staying in and my flight was at 5.30Am, so i figured with no money on me if I left at midnight, I'd get there in time - someone had told me of a 10,000 dram (30 dollars) departure tax to be paid at the airport before you can get your boarding card- exactly 10,000 dram I didn't have, so I figured that I would just try to talk my way through customs. No other options really!

So off I start walking, across the bridge and along a pavement next to a rather quiet unlit two-lane highway, after being ferociously attacked by a really pissed off savage dog which changed his mind when I swung my backpack at him. After about 10km and at 1.30am, a guy in a lada gave me a lift to the airport.

The airport is the craziest shape, a circular alien looking building with heaters blowing furiously but not particularly warm air just above every seat. Despite pleaing with the woman at the office, she didn't seem to believe me and said it was against the rules and I wouldn't be able to fly - so away I went to try the bank card one more time and amazingly it worked and I managed to get out exactly 10,000 dram! Off to border control, have both index fingers pressed into a little electronic machine (same on the way in) and into an unbelievably modern terminal - an empty one with some plasma screen tvs, duty free - I was even able to use wireless free there, very impressive indeed.

It's really quite a nice airport but you have to be aware of the inflated visa price for arriving by air and also the departure tax.   Close

Whilst I imagine that most peoples visits to Zvarnots International Airport in Yerevan are uneventful are straight forward, this wasn't the case for me! Having arrived from Sharjah, UAE after very little sleep for about 40 hours - I was initially surprised to see that…Read More

Whilst I imagine that most peoples visits to Zvarnots International Airport in Yerevan are uneventful are straight forward, this wasn't the case for me! Having arrived from Sharjah, UAE after very little sleep for about 40 hours - I was initially surprised to see that the terminals looked rather new (the airport underwent renovation recently), not only that but the Armenians were all fairly orderly and didn't seem to pushing and shoving to get in to the queue, the norm in ex-USSR countries in my experience.

I headed to the visa section which was quite quiet and began filling in my immigration card, the Armenian visa is usually 30 dollars but at the airport it is 50 dollars and this stumped me, I had only about 40 dollars on me, so the woman behind the counter organised a policeman to escort me through customs to the bank machine on the other side, much to the confusion of the other police officers there. Things didn't get much better as the bank card didn't work and I was left searching for plans and tried to ask for the transit visa which would last for 3 days and do me fine - to get a transit visa though, it is necessary to have your onward flight ticket. I did have that but it was in my main luggage which of course was on the other side of customs, so back to the police office - asked a few questions, sent through another metal detector, few jokes with the police offers and back to the luggage carousel which of course is empty now due to everyone being long gone.

We then hunt for my luggage which had been moved out by my new found friend that I had made at Sharjah and who was waiting to give me a lift to the center - eventually after finding him, he storms back to the visa place and just hands them 50 dollars for the visa and away we go!

I have to say that everyone, police included were really pretty nice albeit very confused and my mish mash of Russian and hand gestures with a little help from the woman at the tourist information desk wasn't really helping!

Leaving wasn't much better as I was skint by this time and the bank card still wasn't working, I'd tried my bank card for the last 2 days before my flight to no success. The airport was about 20km from the part of Yerevan, I was staying in and my flight was at 5.30Am, so i figured with no money on me if I left at midnight, I'd get there in time - someone had told me of a 10,000 dram (30 dollars) departure tax to be paid at the airport before you can get your boarding card- exactly 10,000 dram I didn't have, so I figured that I would just try to talk my way through customs. No other options really!

So off I start walking, across the bridge and along a pavement next to a rather quiet unlit two-lane highway, after being ferociously attacked by a really pissed off savage dog which changed his mind when I swung my backpack at him. After about 10km and at 1.30am, a guy in a lada gave me a lift to the airport.

The airport is the craziest shape, a circular alien looking building with heaters blowing furiously but not particularly warm air just above every seat. Despite pleaing with the woman at the office, she didn't seem to believe me and said it was against the rules and I wouldn't be able to fly - so away I went to try the bank card one more time and amazingly it worked and I managed to get out exactly 10,000 dram! Off to border control, have both index fingers pressed into a little electronic machine (same on the way in) and into an unbelievably modern terminal - an empty one with some plasma screen tvs, duty free - I was even able to use wireless free there, very impressive indeed.

It's really quite a nice airport but you have to be aware of the inflated visa price for arriving by air and also the departure tax.   Close