Central Armenia forms the western center Armenia. It is the center of the country from a political, economic and cultural point of view. The state capital is also located here Yerevan and the religious center of Echmiadzin.
Regions
In addition to the capital, the four provinces are located in this region Aragazotn, Ararat, Armavir and Kotajk.
places
- 2 Ashtarak.
(Ashtarak) - the capital of the Aragazotn Province.
- 3 Artashat.(Artashat) - the capital of the Ararat province.
- 4 Armavir.(Armavir) - the capital of the province of the same name Armavir.
- 5 Hrasdan.(Hrazdan) - the capital of the province of Kotayk.
- 6 Abovyan.(Abovyan) - city in the province of Kotayk.
- 7 Echmiadzin.(Ejmiadzin, Echmiadzin) - the country's religious capital, seat of the Catholicos and World Heritage Site.
- 8 Talin.- City in the province of Aragatsotn.
- 9 Tsaghkadzor.(Tsaghkadzor) - holiday and winter sports resort.
background
This is the heart of the nation, with Yerevan at its center. Much of the area consists of the Ararat Valley, which is flat and dry for most of the year and offers spectacular views of the Ararat when the weather is clear. The valley was cut in half after Turkey invaded shortly after World War I, and the border is still a sensitive area with Russian troops and military bases guarding the Armenian side.
language
As in the rest of Armenia, Armenian and Russian are fairly widely spoken, while English, French and German are spoken by a few. English is becoming more and more popular.
getting there
Most tourists arrive at Zvartnots International Airport and stay in Yerevan.
Almost all other visitors come from Georgia in the north or from the south of the country on the highway.
Depending on your budget and travel plans, you can travel by tour bus, private taxi / minibus, shared taxi, rental car, or public transport. Public transportation is cheap and often overcrowded. You should have small change ready in order to be able to pay the fare appropriately.
You can also try to hitchhike. It's not as popular as it used to be, but it's still fine. However, unaccompanied women may get more attention than they'd like.
mobility
Most tourists arrive in Central Armenia by coach. But you can also organize a private tour with a guide, or simply negotiate a sightseeing tour with taxi drivers in Yerevan. A taxi could be cheaper than renting a vehicle, and it might be easier than driving one yourself.
Getting around can be difficult using public transport unless you stick to the main thoroughfare. From there, taxis or hitchhiking are the best ways to get around. Buses and minibuses are frequent on the main thoroughfare, as long as you are traveling in the right direction (north / south) it is difficult to go wrong.
If you don't want to have to rely on public transport, you can simply organize a taxi for the day. Taxis are cheap in Armenia and usually cost around 100 drams per kilometer. There are no car rentals in the south, you can only rent a car in Yerevan and then drive down.
Tourist Attractions
 Khor Virap Monastery with Ararat in the background |
In the province of Aragazotn
- 1 Amberd Fortress (Ամբերդ), 10 կմ հս-ամ.
- 2 Aragaz (Արագած).The highest mountain in Armenia with 4090 m is an extinct stratovolcano, which, in addition to the main summit in the north, is formed by the west summit with 4080 m, the east summit with 3916 m and the south summit with 3879 m. In summer it is a popular destination for mountain hikers. On the southern slope there is an observatory, at 3200 m is the Orgow station, an observation station for researching cosmic particles, and at a similar height is Lake Kari.
- 3 Daschtadem (Dashtadem) (Դաշտադեմ), approx. 6 kilometers south of Talin.Castle and church in the middle of a fortress. These are being restored and are worth a detour on the way to Gyumri in the north.
- Garnahowit. City and church from the 7th century
- 4 Howhannawank Monastery (Հովհաննավանք) (աե մասում).(Hovhannavank).
- Mastara. City and church from the 5th century
- Mughni village. With a church well worth seeing.
- Oshakan village. Oshakan. In the local village church, St. Mesrop Mashtots buried who developed the Armenian alphabet.
- 5 Saghmosavank Monastery (Սաղմոսավանք) (հս-աե մասում).(Saghmosavank).
- City of Talin. With its 7th century cathedral.
- Tegher monastery
In the province of Ararat
- 6 Chor Wirap Monastery (Խոր Վիրապ), 0.7 կմ հվ (0.7 կմ հվ).Khor Virap ("deep dungeon") is a monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church, near the Turkish border, at the foot of the Ararat. From here there is a wonderful view of the biblical mountain. The monastery is located above an underground prison where the Armenian King Tiridates III. St Gregory the Illuminator was held captive for about 13 years until he was converted to Christianity (301). The entrance to the underground prison, which is still intact today, is in the St. Gregory bell tower, which was built in 1661. The underground prison is 3 to 6 meters deep.
- Chosrow National Park. Cave city (Khosrov Caves) in the east of the province, southeast of Yerevan.
In the province of Armavir
- 7 Sardarapat monument (Սարդարապատի հերոսամարտի հուշահամալիր).At the site of the Battle of Sardarapat from May 24th to 26th, 1918, in which the advance of the Ottomans into Armenia was stopped.
- Ancient city and cathedral Zvartnots (Zvartnots) with a 7th century cathedral.
In the province of Kotayk
- Aghweran village. Aghveran, holiday village in the mountains.
- Bjni village. Bjni, church, remains of a fortress.
- Garni village. With a small, but all the more important Roman temple.
- Geghard monastery. From the 11th century, Unesco World Heritage Site.
- Hankawan city. Hankavan, of Greek origin.
- Monastery of St. Karapet
activities
- Winter sports in Tsaghkadzor.
- Climbing Mount Aragaz.
kitchen
spirits
- Cornelian cherry brandy
- Mulberry brandy
- Grape brandy
- Apricot brandy
