Monasteries of Armenia

It is outside the capital city of Yerevan, that Armenia truly beckons the traveler. There are monasteries; LOTS of monasteries and after three days you will hope to never see another monastery for a very, very long time.

Each is unique and beautiful and each has a story to tell. Some of the monasteries sell locally produced honey, which is absolutely delicious. The big decision is whether you take the risk of having it leak into your suitcase so that Aunt Mary can have a taste or simply eating it all during your stay. I ate it all!

A couple of hours north is Noravank – one of the most peaceful and stunningly located monasteries I have ever seen. If you are lucky, the local priest might be on site and if you are even luckier he might sing for you. His voice fills the small church and resonates from the smoke-blackened walls – this is the stuff goosebumps are made of!

Other sites not to be missed around Yerevan are the Gerhard Cave Monastery and the Temple of Garni. We were given a private concert by a quintet (more goosebumps) and the history accorded to these sites is truly fascinating.

Armenia shares its northern border with the Republic of Georgia making for an ideal opportunity to pair these two countries in the same trip.