Lake Sevan is called the “pearl of Armenia”, so it is definitely worth a trip. On an excursion to Lake Sevan, we visited the city of Dilijan, Lake Parz, the monasteries of Haghartsin and Sevanavank. Where is the Mimino monument and how we found the obsidian deposit.
At first, we were thinking about the best way to go to Lake Sevan: on our own or with an excursion? Minibuses from Yerevan run to the city of Sevan and many tourists use them. For those who want to spend all their time on the lake, this is a suitable option, but you need to look at the weather.
It is always windy and noticeably colder on the high-altitude Lake Sevan than in Yerevan. In mid-October, when we went to Armenia, the air temperature in Sevan was +10°C (feels even lower). We did not want to travel 1.5 hours by public transport in one direction in order to see the lake.
We decided to go to Lake Sevan with an excursion, visit more interesting places in this direction and listen to the guide’s story. Our 1-day tour of Lake Sevan and Dilijan included a visit to Dilijan, Lake Parz, Haghartsin Monastery, Lake Sevan with Sevanavank Monastery and a stop for lunch.
The routes of excursions to Lake Sevan from Yerevan differ depending on the organizer and the season. Read the description and choose the best guide based on reviews.
Alexey about the excursion to Dilijan Resort and Lake Sevan: a journey from Yerevan
An excellent excursion to the beautiful Lake Sevan, to the Sevanavank monastery and the equally beautiful Dilijan, next to which Haghartsin stretches in the autumn mountains.
It takes no more than an hour to drive from Yerevan to the first stop point, and during this hour the guide will introduce you to interesting historical facts — you will not get bored for sure!
Dilijan
The road to Dilijan is very interesting in itself. It consists of two different parts: an ascent along a straight highway to Sevan and a winding descent into the valley where the city of Dilijan is located. Between them, under the Semenovsky ridge, there is a long Dilijan tunnel.
When we were on the other side of the tunnel, the landscape outside the window completely changed. We were surrounded by hilly forests of Dilijan National Park. We arrived in Dilijan at the most beautiful time of the year — the golden autumn.
The city of Dilijan, called “Armenian Switzerland”, is known as a balneological resort and educational center. We had 2 short stops in Dilijan.
Dilijan Historical Quarter
As such, there is no Old Town in Dilijan. Tourists are brought to the small pedestrian street of Sharambeyan. A small piece of old Dilijan was reconstructed in 2004 by the Tufenkian company, which owns the Old Dilijan Hotel.
Along the stone-paved street there are tuff houses with carved wooden balconies. They house an ethnographic museum, souvenir and bookstores, craft workshops, cafes, and hotel rooms. On Monday morning, Dilijan’s ethnographic street looked deserted.
Monument to the heroes of the film “Mimino”
Dilijan has a monument to the heroes of the Soviet film “Mimino” (1977). The film itself was not shot here, but everyone remembers the famous phrase of Frunzik Mkrtchyan: “You open the faucet in Dilijan, the water flows — it takes the second place in the world.”
The bronze monument “Mimino” by sculptor Armen Vardanyan was installed in Dilijan in 2011. Three main characters are immortalized on it: Frunzik Mkrtchyan (truck driver Ruben), Vakhtang Kikabidze (helicopter pilot Valiko) and Evgeny Leonov (front-line soldier Volokhov). The same water flows from the tap, you can drink it, but the main thing is to take a picture for memory.
Lake Parz
After a short acquaintance with Dilijan, we continued our journey through Dilijan National Park. Its territory is 24,232 hectares, of which 94% is occupied by forests. There are many rivers and lakes in the reserve, we stopped at one of them.
Lake Parz is translated from Armenian as “transparent”. Its area is 2 hectares, the average depth is 8 meters. The lake is completely surrounded by forest, the dense crowns of the trees are beautifully reflected in the water. We were given free time for a walk.
There are activities on Lake Parz: boating and catamarans, zip line, rope park, cafe. We arrived on Monday when nothing was working, but several people from our group persevered. Two flew across the lake on a zip line, and one tourist persuaded the caretaker to take her for a boat ride.
There is a Deer farm next to Lake Parz, where excursions are also brought. The deer farm was established under the program for the restoration of the Caucasian red deer population with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Deer live in enclosures, then they are released into the wild for breeding. The route of our excursion initially included a visit to a Deer farm, but the males began to rut and they became aggressive.
Haghartsin Monastery
The road to the monastery complex of Haghartsin is surrounded by mountains and dense forests of the Tavush region of Armenia. The secluded monastery is visible from afar by its high, bright dome. We walked down the steep slope to it.
The monastery of Haghartsin (translated as “the game of eagles”) is a vivid example of the harmony of nature and architecture. It consists of a group of temple buildings of the X-XIII centuries. Three churches have survived to this day: Surb Astvatsatsin, Surb Grigor and Surb Stepanos, the refectory and the remains of the tomb of the Bagratid royal family. In the Middle Ages, there was a monastery school on the territory of the monastery.
The recent renovation of the Haghartsin monastery complex was carried out with donations from the Emir of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi, who was impressed by its beauty.
Together with the guide, we walked through the monastery and churches. We saw tombstones with the names of kings Smbat and Gagik, several khachkars, the remains of a miraculously preserved old oak tree. The monastery of Haghartsin is active.
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan or as it is also called “Gegham Sea” is the largest high—altitude freshwater lake in the world. It is located at an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level.
We drove to the Sevan Peninsula to see Lake Sevan from a height. Climbing the 200-step staircase to the Sevanavank Monastery, we were fascinated by the panorama that opened up. When the sun came out from behind the clouds, the water in the lake-sea shimmered and changed its color. View benches are installed along the edge of the observation deck.
We had 45 minutes to explore Lake Sevan and Sevanavank Monastery, which was quite enough for us, given the low air temperature and strong wind.
Sevanavank Monastery
Sevanavank Monastery was founded in 874 by order of Princess Mariam, daughter of King Ashot Bagratuni. Gregory the Illuminator took part in the laying of the temples. This unique monument of ancient Armenian architecture is included in the UNESCO List of Cultural Heritage Sites.
The medieval Sevanavank church complex includes the churches of St. Arakelots and St. Astvatsatsin, the narthex and the Church of the Holy Resurrection, cells of the monastic brotherhood and outbuildings, khachkars and tombstones. In the mid-1950s, the monastery buildings of Sevanavank were completely reconstructed.
The guide drew our attention to the ancient khachkar located in the main church of St. Arakelots. The figure of the crucified Jesus Christ is carved in the center of this unusual khachkar, surrounded by scenes from the Bible and ornamental patterns.
It is 60 km from Sevan to Yerevan. Obsidian, a black stone of volcanic origin, is being mined on this section of the highway, right by the road. The guide suggested that we go out at the deposit to collect a few pieces of obsidian as a keepsake. This was the last stop of our tour.
If you are in Armenia in winter, include the nearby Tsakhkadzor mountain resort in your route to Lake Sevan. Take a ride on the cable car, enjoying the views of the snow-capped peaks, and visit the ancient monastery of Kecharis.
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