| Dilijan | |
 | |
| Sharambeyan Street, Old Town of Dilijan | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Armenia |
|---|---|
| Area | 13 km² |
| Population | 16 600 hab. () |
| Density | 1 276,92 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC 04:00 |
| Location | |
 40 ° 44 ′ 27 ″ N 44 ° 51 ′ 47 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
Dilijan is a city ofNorthern Armenia.
Understand
Dilijan is a tourist town in the northeast of Yerevan. The climate is mild there. The city is famous for its amazing setting, nicknamed "Armenian Switzerland" by locals because of the densely forested valleys and mountains and alpine meadows. It is an excellent center for walking.
Most visitors to Armenia spend their nights in Yerevan. Spend a night or two in Dilijan to explore the province of Tavush worth it. There is an abundant supply of accommodation in Dilijan, from the luxury Tufenkian Hotel to many other small hotels and guesthouses. From Dilijan you can explore the region to the Georgian border and the Berd region more accessible than from Yerevan, then continue to the province of Lorri.
To go
- Minibus - Take a minibus ( marchroutka) of the Medical University ( Pjhishkakan Hamalsaran) on the corner of Abovyan and Koriun towards the upper Avtokayaran. From there you can take a marchrutka in the direction of Ljevan and who will stop on the way at Dilijan.
- Taxi - a taxi from Yerevan will cost around 10,000 drams one way at the standard fare. You can probably negotiate a better rate, especially for round trips.
- Day trip - many companies offer day trips from Yerevan, which include Dilijan, Haghartsin and Goshavank. They can be cheaper than taking a cab. they leave in the morning on fixed days of the week.
Circulate
In the city, for most of the time, walking is sufficient. The tourist information office also has a few bicycles for rent if you want to go a little further. If you have to go to some of the regional monasteries, your best bet is to negotiate an overall price with a taxi. You can approach the tourist information office to help translate and negotiate, most drivers do not speak English to each other. If a driver tries to change the agreed price, absolutely refuse and take the matter to the police if necessary.
See
- 1 Haghartsin monastery – One of Armenia's most popular monasteries, Haghartsin is nestled in a wooded mountain setting a half hour drive from Dilijan. The monastery is in good condition and has a resident priest who sometimes gives guided tours. There are several different churches, a large gavit, a huge dining room, khachkars and a massive hollow tree. A slightly sweet bread is often baked in an old oven.
- 2 Goshavank Monastery (40 min north of Dilijan) – Goshavank Monastery is surrounded by a traditional village and has a caretaker who opens the main church and can show you around. It is the only church in all of Armenia where entry to any of the rooms is not free. The room is pretty but you can definitely enjoy the rest of the complex seeing it all the more if you don't understand the guide's explanation. There are excellent carved details and Khachkars, but Goshavank's "lace" Khachkar is one of the most impressive in the world.
- Jukhtak Vank Monastery – A pretty little monastery in the immediate vicinity of Dilijan, 10 min walk from the Dilijan mineral water plant. Huge steel bars support one of the two churches to prevent it from collapsing.
- Matosavank Monastery (Follow the marked path from the bottling plant.) – We reach Matosavank by a hike of 25 min from the mineral water plant. It's easy to miss and it's not particularly interesting from the outside, but the inside is a world in itself: green, damp, cool and filled with moss. The dim light illuminating clear green algae covering the khachkars is very calming. This environment transports you far from your daily life.
- Dilijan National Park – The Dilijan reserve surrounding the city has some marked hiking trails you can take and discover some lesser-known monasteries, a lake, forests, springs and the local flora and fauna.
Make
- Hiking
- Mountain biking
Buy
Handicrafts on Sharambeyan Street. There are a few small shops on the street in the old town where artisans are busy making their product. Go to Revik to see his woodworking workshop with its traditional creations, Christmas decorations and nativity scenes. The tourist information office has more information on local product artisans and local painters that you can visit.
Eat
Dilijan Map
- Tufenkian Restaurant Sharambeyan Street
16 €. – The furnishings are rustic and modern. High-end Armenian menus and prices. - restaurant-hotel-bar Haghartsin Kamo Street, 121 (first building at the entrance to the city of Dilijan, right on the Yerevan road, just after the last bend from the tunnel),
374 2682 7770, 374 77 636565 (cellphone) 8 to 16 €. – It is a nice and quiet place near the road from Yerevan to Ijevan, with a large guarded parking lot and a bus service. Here you can enjoy national cuisine in a modern and elegant restaurant lobby, banquet hall or a cozy gazebo on the trees. There is also a bar and a hotel (see accommodation). - Getap Restaurant 8 €. – The Getap restaurant / hotel (which means bank) is located a few minutes north of Dilijan, along the river. Large traditional wooden gazebos outside, some of them on the river serve as the perfect setting for a barbecue of fresh fish, meat or vegetables. The prices are quite reasonable.
- Shawerma (just below the bus station) – A modern Kebab fast food with rotisserie meat served in a pita or lavash sandwich. Cheap and fast food.
- Georgian Restaurant (Just above Sharambeyan Street, overlooking the valley) – Georgian restaurant in town with good food and soups. The prices are low, the menus are not in English and is located in a former Soviet cafe. 2 or 3 Khinkali for 1 € ... and they are not small.
Have a drink / Go out
You can go for a drink in any establishment serving food. Usually vodka is served but also often beer or wine.
Housing
- Daravand bed and breakfast Abovyan Street, 46 (Proceed on Abovyan Street, go under the bridge, to your right on a short dirt driveway with two sharp bends), 374 2680 7857, 374 94 420965 18,000 AMD (for 2 persons) with bathroom or 14,000 AMD with shared bathroom. – The guest rooms were opened by an Armenian carpenter in Dilijan on the scenic route to Jukhtak Monastery. Built in a quiet valley, the guest house is very comfortable. The valley offers many hiking possibilities and has 2 monasteries in the forest within a short walking distance. Seven rooms are available. A library and games room and billiards room are available to guests. An outdoor dining area is also available with a view of the beautiful valley. The bar, lounge and beautiful garden provide spaces for guests to gather and relax. The owner, Razmik, is friendly, helpful and speaks good English.
- Bed & Breakfast Dili Villa Myasnikyan Street 12a, 374 268 27059, 374 91 456164 13 000 AMD per person per night. – Dili Villa is located in central and picturesque corner of the city of Dilijan. It is a three-story house with a winter garden, charming loggia with a fireplace, a studio and a nice balcony with stunning views of the mountains. Dili Villa offers dinner / lunch service, free shuttle service to Dilijan as well as guided 4x4 tours. The cottage has satellite TV and WiFi. Capacity per night: up to 13 people and for meals: up to 30 people.
- restaurant-hotel-bar Haghartsin Kamo Street, 121 (far enough from the center (1000 AMD by taxi), one of the last building on the road to Yerevan), 374 268 2 777 0, 374 77 636565 (cellphone), fax : 374 268 27770, email: [email protected] 25000-40000 AMD. – It is a nice and quiet place near the road from Yerevan to Ijevan, with a large guarded parking lot and a bus service. There are 21 comfortable rooms, 10 comfortable cabins and 10 motel rooms with spa and satellite TV in the hotel, as well as a conference room with large plasma screen, heated swimming pool, fitness room, games room for children. children and playgrounds, billiards (snooker and Russian), sauna and Finnish and Russian bar. The atmosphere of the Hotel has something of a wooded mountain hideaway. Here, too, you can enjoy national cuisine in a modern restaurant hall, wedding hall, banquet hall, an outdoor summer cafe or cozy gazebos among the trees.
- Bed and breakfast Ananov Sharambeyan Street (Up the street, right), 374 10 65 58 77 – Part of the Tufenkian premium hotel chain. Conveniently located on historic Sharambeyan Street in the heart of Dilijan.
- Pension Dghyak Sayat-Nova Street, 10 (near the main road Dilijan-Ljevan and the forest), 374 26823003, 374 93416811 (in German), 374 93187518 (in English), email: [email protected] 12,000-45,000 AMD. – The Dghyak pension was newly built. The bedrooms are on the first and second floor, which also has a large conference room. There are 21 comfortable rooms (junior, standard, superior, family, deluxe). Each bedroom has two sleeping rooms. Services: 21 rooms, bathroom, satellite, billiards / tennis, conference room, garden, hot / cold water, swimming pool.
Around
- Villages moloques - if you take the road to Vanadzor, some of the villages you pass will be Moloque villages. The Moloques belong to an ancient Russian sect and much like the Amish in Pennsylvania, they grow beards, shun technology and have their own religion.
- (in) This article is partially or entirely from the Wikivoyage article in English entitled « Dilijan » (see the list of authors).
