The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Gegharkunik

A good place to hike and camp for a night. Be prepared to have loud neighbors with cars but they are stopping the music around 11PM😄

One of the most beautiful places in armenia. The biggest lake. The structures are very fascinating to look at. And the clouds gathering near the mountains during a sunset with the soft breeze is such a lovely memory for you keep.

According to an inscription in the smaller of the two churches, the monastery was founded and endowed with goods in 874 (871) by Princess Mariam, daughter of the "Prince of Princes" (from 862, king from 884 to 890) Ashot Bagratuni and widow of the regional prince Vasak Gabor of Gegharkunik in Syunik (reigned 851–859). Around 800, some monks had already built a chapel and several cells on the site of a fortress destroyed by Muhammad ibn Marwan around 701/702. The monk and later Catholicos Mashtots became the founding abbot of the princely monastery. In 883, Ashot Bagratuni donated a cross relic with a precious staurothek, received from Emperor Basil I, to the monastery, as well as numerous other properties (Wikipedia).

Here you can take a walk to the former house of Aghasi Khanjian, a former communist, built in 1936. It is currently not in the best condition, but offers a view of the countryside overlooking forests and the beautiful Dilijan Mountains.

Gosh (Armenian: Գոշ) is a village in the Dilijan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. The village is named after Mkhitar Gosh (1130–1213) who took part in the rebuilding of the Nor Ghetik Monastery during the 12th-13th centuries, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1188. The newly built monastery was later named Goshavank in honor of Mkhitar. Goshavank is located just off the main highway that runs through the village. On a hillside west of the monastery complex sits a chapel that also serves as the tomb of Mkhitar Gosh. It was situated to overlook the monastery in which he helped build. The chapel is square in plan with a single centrally located dome above and one portal. Nearby are the ruins of what is said to be Mkhitar's house. Stone foundations and low walls still exist. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosh,_Armenia

In the tradition of the Armenian Church, Khachkar (Armenian խաչքար, transliterated Xač'k'ar, "cross stone") is an artistically carved memorial stone with a relief cross in the middle, which is surrounded by geometric and plant motifs. The upright, rectangular stone slabs, up to three meters high, are decorated with bas-reliefs on the front side. They represent one of the central cultural symbols of the Armenians. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khatschkar According to our hiking guide, the cross stones here are said to date from the 17th century.

The Surb Astvatsatsin, which stands southeast of Surb Arakelots, has a floor plan of around 12 × 15 meters and is slightly larger than Surb Arakelots with its 8 × 10 meters and was probably only built after Surb Arakelots. It also contains a small side chapel that was added later and several side rooms at both ends of the north side. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewanavank

According to an inscription in the smaller of the two churches, the monastery was founded in 874 (871) by Princess Mariam, daughter of the “Prince of Princes” (king from 862, 884–890) Ashot Bagratuni and widow of the regional prince Vasak Gabor von Gegharkunik in Syunik (r. 851–859), founded and endowed with goods. On the site of a fortress destroyed by Muhammad ibn Marwan around 701/02, some monks had already built a chapel and a few cells around the year 800. The founding abbot of the princely monastery was the monk and later Catholicos Mashtoz. In 883 Aschot Bagratuni donated to the monastery a cross relic received from Emperor Basil I with a valuable storage archive as well as numerous other lands. The core of the monastery were three small churches consecrated around the year 874, two of which still exist today (Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin). The other monastic buildings (library, school, residential building, etc.) were grouped around these, none of which remain today. In contrast to almost all other Armenian monasteries, Sevanavank was not surrounded by a defensive wall, as its island location did not make this necessary. Life in the monastery was strict, as the monastery was intended for monks from Etchmiadzin who had sinned there, as well as for Armenian nobles who had fallen from grace. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewanavank