I really enjoyed short visit of Armenia in December 2010 and when Austrian Airlines rolled out offer of return tickets from Prague to Yerevan for 219 Euro, it was easy to decide and go again. This time we went in couple and for a whole week - apart Yerevan, we wanted to see south of the country and include a visit of Nagorno Karabakh, which is de-facto independent state, but according international law being part of Azerbaijan. I also had climb on highest mountain in Armenia - Aragats, on the plan.

Countries visited: Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh (de-facto) / Azerbaijan (de-iure)
Travelperiod: 5/2011
Costs: 440 Euro

Republic Square in Yerevan

Little Ararat (3925m) seen during way to Goris

wineyards around Areni

driving up to Vorotan Pass

panorama of Goris from Khachik B&B terrace

church in Goris

Lacin corridor - Berdzor

arriving to Stepanakert

Papik u Tatik (We Are Our Mountains) monument near Stepanakert

Shoushi

sign along road Goris - Berdzor

cave town Khndzoresk

evening on the main street in Goris

view of the Vorotan River Gorge from Halidzor - Tatev cablecar (380m height !)

Tatev monastery

Vorotan River Canyon (the dot in photo upper part is the cable car)

iranian trucks on the way back to Yerevan

hiking on Mount Aragats

descending to Byurakan village

going on a trip to Lake Sevan and Dilijan

Sevanavank

on the road to Dilijan

Early afternoon we are taking a short flight to Vienna, where we have few hours time, so we head to downtown of the austrian capital. In the evening we take train back to the airport and half past ten the plane to Yerevan takes off. The flight took 3 hours and 15 minutes, but thanks to the time shift of 3 hours (which is a lot given the relatively short distance), it was already close to 5 AM local time, when we had landed.
Getting visas on arrival was hassle free, but i was just wondering how some arriving foreigners handle this operation. The rules are, that one has to pay the visa in armenian Drams (there is an exchange office open). However some people from Great Britain, Norway and Japan travelling with us, althought they had Drams in their hands, still wanted to pay in Pounds or Euros - this just made confusion of the immigration officers and was causing delays.
We had first 2 nights and also transport from airport arranged, so after passing customs, we met with our driver and headed directly to Yerevan downtown. Check-in was quick and shortly after 6 AM we are in beds. Around 9AM we forced ourselves to wake-up for the breakfast, but afterwards went for some sleep yet. At noon we finally get out and head to Nagorno Karabakh Republic embassy.
When we arrived, it was closed for a lunch break. But in 20 minutes, it gets open and we are called into the consular room and offered seats. Young lady asks about details of our intended NKR visit, checks our passports and says, we can get visas the same day. We complete the visa forms, pay the consular fee (3000 Drams per visa) and in half an hour we have our passports back with the visas! Afterwards we walk to the Cascade complex and spend the rest of the day in Yerevan downtown. In the evening, we go to see another hostel, where we would like to stay after we get back from southern Armenia. It's a large flat at the top floor, near Yeritasardakan subway station. We agree on the reservation for 3 nights with the staff and walk back.
The next day morning we pack all our stuff, check-out and take taxi to Zoravar Adranik station, where is a stand of marshrutkas going to Goris, city in south of the country, which will be our next stop. It's raining heavily. As we arrive, we are told, that marshrutka's are gone, we would need to wait for a lot of hours for next one. Nice fairytale from the owner of a taxi company... Anyway, we are offered taxi for 14 000 drams (marshrutka would cost us 5000 dram) to Goris, which is 250km away from Yerevan. We refused that, so the price goes down to 8000 dram for two, but there will a 3rd passanger with us. That sounds fair, so we accept. We sit into the back and start the journey. We drive first southwards along border with Turkey thru village of Yeraskh on the border with Azerbaijan enclave - Nakhichevan.
Then the road begins to wind up to the mountains, passing Areni and Yeghenadzor, where driver makes a stop for taking fuel. CNG to be more precise - almost all cars in Armenia run on CNG or LPG, which requires, that all passengers get off the vehicle. After 15 minutes we continue towards Vorotan Pass, which is 2350m high (yet snow was laying there). Follows descent to Sisian and from there a short way to Goris, our todays destination. We first drive the lady, who travelled with us, somewhere to the suburbs and then head to downtown. The driver doesn't know, where the street we need to get to is, so i told him to take us to the post office. Luckily, the locals around knew where we want to get to and the driver gets the right directions.
At half past 3 in the afternoon, we arrived to Khachik B&B which will be our base for the next 3 days. Mr. Khachik awaits us, we are getting a very nice room and are given some basic info about Goris and surroundings. After a short nap we go for a walk around and end up in, (apparently) the only, restaurant in town called SKS. They have a nice outdoor seating, so we order beer, salad and khoravats (barbecue) with bread. It was rather average, but there was no other choice anyway. On the main street we yet check in taxi office price for transport to Stepanakert - 12 000 Drams seems quite high, so back in the guesthouse we ask Mr. Khachik, if he could perhaps arrange a trip for us. The price is 21 000 Drams for whole trip including waiting in Stepanakert, Shoushi and Khndzoresk, so we accept. Later in the evening we have a nice talk with Mr. Khachik about his business, tourism in Armenia and Goris, history - in one of the rooms, he keeps a small collection of things from the time of his grand-parents and grand-grand-parents. We are also taken upstairs and meet with his family.
Next day after breakfast we are picked by old Lada (perfect car for such a trip) and head towards Nagorno Karabakh. Weather is wonderful and the road winds up to the mountains, so we can enjoy nice views along the way. In less than an hour we stop at the checkpoint on bridge over the Aghavno river, which marks border between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh ( but de iure we are entering Azerbaijan, as Nagorno Karabakh is not internationally recognized as a souvereign state). Another interesting thing is, that although one needs visa to enter (actually to leave, because it's not needed to enter and can be issued in Stepanakert), your Armenian visa is not "closed". Our passports and travel permit (exactly states places, which we are allowed to visit) are checked and our names entered in some registration book.
The road climbs up the hills, passes town Berdzor (Lacin) and continues in endless turns thru the forrested mountains. The nature here is wonderful, unspoilt... seen so many eagles flying. Short before Stepanakert we have to take gas, so again get out of the vehicle and wait for maybe 10 minutes. In Stepanakert we wanted to first see the monument of Papik u Tatik (in English called We Are Our Mountains), which is a statue of an old man and woman from Karabakh mountains. Our driver had problems to find it, but after asking few people we got there. The monument stands right next to road leading to Askaran and Agdam.
After that, we drive to Stepanakert. Unfortunately, the driver didn't drop us where we needed and it takes some time to find out where we actually are. It turns out, that to city centre it's still some 2km. We bought some small souvenirs, visited Nagorno Karabakh museum and walked around the main street. After Stepanakert we continue to Shoushi, which is only 10km away up the hill, back towards Goris. The war, which ended in 1994, was still (unlike in Stepanakert) visible here. We made a short visit of newly built local church, bought few postcards and jumped back to car for a return to Goris. While passing Berdzor, we were instructed by police to park our car on right side of the road. Same was ordered to all others, also those driving in counter direction. After few minutes it gets clear, why all traffic got stopped. A convoy of police and black Lexus jeeps flies by - our driver explains, that it was president of Nagorno Karabakh. We continue the drive down to Aghavno river, wait a bit at the check-point, again present our passports and our entry- permit is being collected.
In the morning we noticed a sign, which welcomes one in NKR and would like to make photo in front it - so we are turning heads after passing each sign. Finally we passed the right one, so requesting an immediate short stop. Photo there is a must at the end of visit of this nice region. Hopefully the unresolved situation with the Nagorno Karabakh gets more clear in the near future - it lasts for 17 years already.
We still had a visit of the cave town Khndzoresk ahead, so after the short photo stop, we continue the drive. After half an hour we turn from the main road, reach village of Khndzoresk and drive slowly an unpaved road down the hill to a view point of the cave town. It's nestled in a steep slope and above stands the Khndzoresk village. Unfortunately it was not possible to walk down to the cave houses. Or maybe we just did not find the right path. Anyway, we would have just a short time for exploring the caves.
Short before 4PM we are back in Goris, pay our driver and trying to agree with him for the next day on trip to Tatev Monastery (some 30 kilometres away from Goris), which is one the highlights in Armenia. But our Russian is limited, so we likely misunderstand each other, what we would need and the price sounds bit too high. Later we speak to Mr. Khachik, what we would like to do and he suggest us to drive by car to village Halidzor, from there take new cable car (it should be the longest in the world - almost 6 km long and going 380 metres above the Vorotan River Canyon) to Tatev, then walk down to Devil's bridge, where the car would pick us up again. This sounds fine, so he calls the driver and all gets agreed for the next day.
In the evening we have dinner in the guesthouse, cooked by Mr. Khachik's wife. All fresh, home made, real bio vegetable from the house garden. Raspberry lemonade with dozens of raspberries leached inside, nothing chemical. Everything was so delicious.
Following day, we pack our bags, leave them in the hall and as was agreed we drive from Goris to the cable car station in Halidzor. But a cross throught the planning - the parking lot is closed and cable car not running. Our driver Gaghig goes to check with some workers if it will be running today. We wait and enjoy the beautiful view. Cable car should be running, but first one at 11 AM and we have 9:30 AM. While we discuss with each other how to change the plan a van with cable car workers arrives and apparently, there would one run to carry some of them to the Tatev side at 10 AM. We are promised, that we can take it as well. We pay 2000 Drams per person and at 10 AM sharp the cabin starts to move. First half of the ride offers some nice views on nearby mountains, but the best comes when it passes the edge of the gorge and one flies over more than 370 metres above the earth surface. The whole ride takes 11 minutes and one lands only some 300 metres away from the well preserved Tatev monastery.
The monastery was apparently founded in the 9th century and enlarged 2 centuries later and is said that up to 600 monks lived here. It stands right on a cliff of the Vorotan River Canyon and is walled around. In the courtyard are 2 churches and a pillar with khatchkar on the top. Along the courtyard are various rooms, which likely served as library, dining room, sleeping rooms etc. One of the doors near the pillar lead to terrace with nice view into the canyon.
As it was early, no tour groups were here, so we could enjoy the place just for ourselves. After maybe an hour we head to Tatev village and following the road down to Satan's bridge, hoping we find the path, we saw from the cable car. Not successful, so we have to walk the unpaved road down, but fortunately almost no cars here. It turns to be a bit longer way, than we expected, so we are arriving a bit late to the bridge. But good timing, since right with the last steps, it started to rain. Follows a short drive back to Halidzor and Goris.
Back in Goris, we take our backpacks, say good bye to Mr. Khachik and want to walk to the main street, haggle with taxi drivers and drive back to Yerevan. However we are offered, that Gaghig drives us there and helps us to find a taxi. Of course he had a friend, who he gave a quick call - so on the main street we change from one Lada to another one, drive 2 blocks away and make another swap into an old Volkswagen. Our new driver just runs home for car keys (but comes back also with a 20cm long knife) and we start moving.
The first kilometres he drives like crazy (which recalls me a suicidal ride i had in a marshrutka from Tbilisi to Yerevan back in December last year), but he calms down and keeps the way of driving in an acceptable range. Short behind Goris comes the ritual with taking gas, so we have to go for 15 minutes out. A group of 3 older italian motorbikers arrives and a large group of young Armenians gathers around them, all wanting to be allowed to sit on the motorbike and be photographed by their friends.
Tank is full, we jump back to the car and continue the ride the way we already know - passing Sisian, climbing up to Vorotan Pass, descend in numerous turns down to Vayk, in Yeghenadzor we stop as the driver needs to hand something to his friend. Then again drive up to another mountain pass and then finally comes descent along the border with Azerbaijan enclave Nakhichevan to the plain below Ararat mountain. One more stop for gas and at 6 PM we are in Yerevan. Paying the driver and taking subway to the hostel, we booked before we left for Goris.
We met one of the hostel owners in front of the entrance. She was somehow surprised, that we really arrived and told us to go upstairs, and that she comes in 5 minutes and will explain. Explain what? We walked upstairs, met her husband at the reception. He welcomes us and asks to sit down and wait for a while. I started to have a feeling, that there is no space for us. After 10 minutes waiting, we were told exactly that - because we booked in person, somebody made online booking meanwhile and they could not block the room in the system. As a back-up solution they offered us one room in their flat, which is on the same floor, where the hostel is. It doesn't seem to be causing us any harm so we agree on a discounted rate and move our bags inside. After short rest, it's time for a stroll in Yerevan downtown, eating some crepes and having a beer.
Next day morning we woke a bit earlier as i had on the plan some hiking at Aragats mountain and Renata had booked a tour to Lake Sevan and Kecharis monastery with a local tour agency. I'm taking a taxi to take me to a marshrutka stand going to Ashtarak. Being lucky, short after i jump in, althought not full, we depart. In half an hour we are at destination and after short haggling with local taxi drivers, i'm moving forward towards the mountain. My driver is a mid 60 year old Armenian, driving a 40 years old soviet Lada. On the way, offers me some home-made vodka and armenian bread. It was short before 11 AM, when he dropped me at 2100m height. I take warmer clothes on and start to walk up the hill following the road to Lake Kari.
The weather was not promising a nice day - dark clouds on sky and a light rain. As i gained the height, there was more and more snow and above 2500m i had to put my snowshoes on. Unfortunately a dense fog ruled upwards from here. I was following the partly cleaned road to the lake and at 2800m i reached a historical snow-plough fighting with the 2 meters snow laying here. As time was running and weather was not getting better, i dropped the plan to get to the lake (a cosmic ray observatory stands on its shore) and decided to try to climb to ridge called Karatakar (3258m), which was much shorter way, than to the lake. In the end, somewhere below 3200m i had to turn back anyway (dense fog and generally bad weather).
Walked down the same way and continued to village called Byurakan, which was some 10 kilometres from the place, where the taxi originally dropped me. The descent was neverending and it started to rain again. Luckily a bus (there are only 2 per day!) was passing by, when i was going thru the village, so i jumped in and in less then an hour i was back in Yerevan.
We wanted to spend the evening somewhere out, but Yana and Arthur (the hostel owners) invited us for a borsch and armenian Ararat cognac and we spent with them the whole evening chatting about life, travelling, business...
Following day prior breakfast, Yana and Arthur invite us for a trip to Lake Sevan and Dilijan. Lake Sevan is a dejá vu for us, but Dilijan could be fine so we joined them. We first made a stop at Sevanavank monastery, then drove to Haghartsin Monastery, which is placed in a narrow mountain valley and was recently fully renovated. Another stop was Parz Lich (Clean Lake). But it was raining heavily, so instead of walk around, we went to restaurant to eat some khoravats, bread and baked potatoes. Then we directed straight back to Yerevan.
Back in Yerevan, we go yet to buy some gifts, vodka, eat last pancakes and then back to the hostel to do the final packing. Arthur yet orders for us a taxi to pick us up at 2AM at the hostel, so we will have only a 3 hours long sleep. In the middle of the night we wake up and head to the airport. We yet change some of the remaining Drams and at 5:30 AM the plane takes off on the schedule.
Again to roll the clock back by 3 hours, so we land in Vienna only 20 minutes later, than we took off. We have only 30 minutes for plane change, which we luckily catched and in another hour we are in Prague.
To sum it up - i can highly recommend visit of Armenia. If one likes nature, history and don't want to fight with hords of other tourists, then it's an ideal destination.