Armenia packs ancient churches, gorges and volcanic highlands into a compact, mountainous south Caucasus. Yerevan, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, buzzes with café culture beneath pink-tuff buildings. Beyond it lie alpine Lake Sevan, the wine valleys of Vayots Dzor and cliffside monasteries reached by winding roads. Hospitality runs deep, the brandy is famous, and apricots and lavash anchor the table. Spiritual, scenic and warmly welcoming, it…
Parajanov's “The Color of Pomegranates” (1969), a tribute to the poet Sayat-Nova, is one of the most mesmerising films ever made.
Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, in the year 301.
Khor Virap monastery is best photographed in the morning, Mount Ararat as a backdrop. An eSIM helps: the GG or Yandex app in Yerevan, offline maps to Tatev and reviews of Areni's wine cellars.