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Makaravank Monastery

Ijevan is a city in Northern Armenia. Just 25 minutes north of Dilijan, it has a much different feel. More of a real town, built along a river, and less of the forested resort feel. The market along the highway is the biggest in the area, and very active. There are some really cool buildings, and nice parks and homes in town, with the river and cafes a great place to stop and enjoy the local scene. There is a Tourist Information office in town, though you shouldn't count on them having an English speaker on hand necessarily.

Get in

Minibuses run from Yerevan's northern bus station (3 hrs, AMD 1500, hourly), they pass Dilijan along their way (300-500 AMD, 40 min from Ijevan). A few buses to Vanadzor (AMD 700, 1.5 hrs).

Shared taxi, taxi.

  • 1 Bus station.

Get around

Walk, or grab a cab. One of the taxi services - Taxi "Larg" 374-263-34000.

See

Fountain in Ijevan
Kirants Monastery

The town is very nice to explore on foot. Some cool old Soviet architecture, from the old hotels to the chess house are quite cool. Many old homes are of a very nice traditional style, and the river is quite good aside from the litter. There is even a sculpture park, an old ferris wheel needing repairs, and a semi-abandoned botanic garden. Aside from just exploring a bit on foot, there isn't much in the way of specific sites. It's just a pleasant town with some good places to explore in the region.

  • 1 Ijevan church.
  • 2 Ijevan Local Lore museum. Small ethnographic museum. Admission free.

In the vicinity of town

  • 3 Makaravank Monastery, Achajur Village (16km north of Ijevan). The biggest monastery near Ijevan (if you count Goshavank as part of Dilijan's turf), this purple and green stone complex in the forest above the village is a popular spot for a picnic.
  • Yenokavan Canyon, Yenokavan Village (1st village north of Ijevan), +374 263 3-14-65, +374 91 36-54-37 (Ijevan land line). This canyon is a like a time machine, where once you're past the top of the village, traces of modern life disappear. You are left with beautiful cliffs, forests, rivers, cascades, caves with deep carvings resembling Mayan or Aztec work, and a small camping area with a tree-house, a tiki-style bar, and other shelter made from the sticks and logs of the canyon. It's an awesome place where a guide will take you in, and set up your camping and food for you. Just call!
  • Srveghi Monastery, Srveghi Village. This red brick monastery is covered in the Shamshadin section surrounding Berd, but it's quite close to Ijevan.
  • Voskepar Church. This 7th century Armenian church in the ruined Azeri village of Askipari, is technically in Azerbaijan. Armenia now controls the territory now and the church is easily seen from the new highway, which is wholly in Armenia.
  • Misc. Churches around Ijevan. Some smaller and less significant/impressive churches in the area include the village churches of Gandzakar and Yenokavan, the smaller monastery or Moro-Dzoro near Lusahovit, and Ijevan's own smaller new church.
  • 4 Gandzakar church.

Kirants and Acharkut villages

Visiting the following monasteries can be done via Kirants and Acharkut villages, following the mud road through the lush forest along the river, you first come to the turnoff to Arakelots Monastery on your right, then to the bridge on to your left to get to Deghdznuti Monastery, then further past the bridge is Kirants Monastery. All three are well worth a visit, and combined it's an awesome day.

  • 5 Arakelots Monastery (Holy Apostles Monastery), a few kilometers north of Ijevan near Kirants village. 13th century monastery. It was first abandoned after Armenian genocide of 1915 and then blown up in 1960s. Today it's no more than a ruins.
  • 6 Kirants Monastery, 10 kilometers southwest of Kirants village. 8th-century Armenian monastery
  • Acharkut and Kirants Valley.

Do

  • 1 Ijevan Wine-brandy factory, 9 Yerevanyan St., +374 77 22-66-44. Free wine tasting tours are possible to arrange here, but you need to call in advance. There is also a shop.
  • 2 Ijevan Dendropark, 88 Usanoghakan St., +374-94-525688.
  • 3 Sculpture Park, Valansi St.
  • Horse back riding in Apaga resort (see #Sleep section)

Buy

The tourist information office sells some local handicrafts, from wood carving to small carpets. There is also a local wine factory you might be able to visit and pick up some wine from.

Eat

There are a few places in town to get some food, near the market (shuka).

Drink

Same as the places to eat.

Sleep

  • 1 Hotel "Otevan", 45 Yerevanyan st., +374 77 203088. Free WiFi, on-site bar, private parking. Rooms come with flat-screen TVs and private bathroom. Double AMD 10 000, Suite AMD 15000.
  • 2 Hotel Mosh, 3 Yerevanyan st., +374 263 35611. 8 moderately small rooms equipped with cable TV, computers and kettles. Some of the rooms have a separate seating area. Also some rooms have a private bathroom, others - only shared bathroom. There is a shared kitchen at the property. Probably, not the most perfect option. Double AMD 5000-7000, lux suitable for 4 people - AMD 11000.
  • 3 Guest House Anakhit, 4 Tavrizyan st, +374 77 012274. Typical guest house with OK rooms that come with TV, seating area, Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are shared or private. Nicely decorated common area, fully equipped shared kitchen. Very high ratings on a booking sites. Twin AMD 12000, single AMD 5000.
  • 4 B&B Kamar, 2 Nalbandyan St, +374 93 191200. Simple, a bit smallish rooms are equipped with a TV, wardrobe. Hotel has a fully-equipped kitchen, luggage storage, ironing service and laundry. Twin AMD 18000, suite AMD 30000.
  • 5 Karimar B&B, 26 Tavrizyan st. WiFi. Twin AMD 11000.
  • 6 Dok Hotel, 40 Ankakhutyan str., +374 10 25 31 41. It has adjacent bar and restaurant. Double AMD 10000, lux AMD 20000.
  • Geghetsik Rest-House, Spitak Lakes territory, +374 263 34603, +374 263 32195, +374 93 992202. This building is situated on a hillside, looking out over a forested landscape. It is located five kilometers from Ijevan. Visitors can avail themselves of the many mountain hiking trails in the area. Amenities: The bed, wardrobe, chair, cold water, heating, bathroom, toilet , TV set(in some rooms) and 2 TV sets general in the lobby, hot water is also available at certain hours. AMD 7000-9000/person.

Out of town

  • 7 Apaga Hotel, Yenokavan village, Apaga Resort, +374 77 004413. Upscale hotel located in the picturesque area near Ijevan with a superb views over nearby mountains. It consists of about ten detached houses with 22 rooms in total. Most of the rooms offer mountainous view, and all of them have private bathrooms. Hotel has sauna, restaurant, barbecue facilities, a stable with 45 horses. They organise horse riding. WiFi. Double hut 19000 AMD, double cottage 29400 AMD. Horse-riding 15 min 4000AMD, sauna 1 hour 8000 AMD.
  • 8 Park Village Lastiver, Lastiver, Yenokavan village, +374-94-603010. Extremely bizarre hotel located in a forest, offering small cottages placed on top of a trees. Facilities are extremely basic (e.g. no electricity) but, hey, they literally allow you to live on a tree. Horse riding, cycling and fishing are offered by the owners. Cottage AMD 14000, Sleeping Bag in 8-Bed Cave AMD 10000, Tent (2 Adults) AMD 8000.
  • 9 Mayisyan Kamurdj Hotel, crossroad of highway Ijevan-Noyemberyan and Ijevan-Berd (12 km away from Ijevan), +374 93 405242. Surrounded by forest this hotel offers an outdoor pool, restaurant, garden, children's playground and a terrace. Big and decent rooms are all equipped with a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, refrigerator, private bathrooms. Junior suite AMD 13000.
  • Milena Guest House, Getahovit village, +374 263 3 21 01. 2 story house with 4 bedrooms, 8 beds, has 3 balconies with picturesque scenery.

Connect

Tourist Information office, or city hall.

Go next

  • Berd - surrounding region is a hikers and bikers paradise
  • Dilijan - center of Armenia's "Little Switzerland" area, and very popular place for locals to get away from the city.
  • Noyemberyan - small town near the border with Georgia, featuring 2 small nearby monasteries
  • Vanadzor - Armenia's 3rd largest city with Soviet industrial architecture, although it has a few nice churches


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