Yerevan is the capital of Armenia, and with 1 million residents - by far the largest city in the country. With most of the city built during Soviet rule, much of the city is an excellent example of good Soviet architecture with an Armenian twist – almost all with pink stone facades, including most of the grand Republic Square. The center is very compact and easily walkable, with endless dining and entertainment options.
Yerevan is one of the three major cities of the South Caucasus and is the capital city of Armenia. It is home to some 1.1 million people and to the largest Armenian community in the world. In Soviet years Yerevan underwent massive reconstruction, following Alexander Tamanyan's (the architect) new plans to make a perfect city. The center is a true jewel of early soviet architecture. In those days Yerevan gained the name Pink City due to the color of the stone used for building.
PLACE TO VISIT
The Armenian Genocide Memorial (Genocide Museum & Tsitsernakaberd Monument) - Located on a hill above the city center. A very austere monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Worth seeing. Tsitsernakaberd (meaning "Fortress of swallows") is probably best reached by taxi. Genocide Museum is home to Armenian-French artist Jean Jansem's startling collection of paintings named Génocide.
Cascades – massive white stairwell up a hillside of central Yerevan, with fountains, a free escalator inside, and excellent views of the city and Mt. Ararat. The steps serve the double purpose as seating for free outdoor concerts in the summer and fall as well.
Victory Park/Monument - Amusement park. Features a huge monument of Mother Armenia as well as some Soviet military equipment on display. Very nice view of the city center.
Katoghike - The oldest (and possibly smallest) church in Yerevan, constructed in typical Armenian style. Currently undergoing expansion.
Parajanov Museum - The House-Museum of Sergei Parajanov, a famous Soviet film director is best known for the crazy collages, art made from junk, and other ecletic works. This is one of the funnest art collections you may ever see!
Erebuni Fortress – the excavations, recreations and museum of the nearly 3,000 year old fortress that established Yerevan.
Matenadaran – Houses the worlds largest collection of Armenian Illuminated manuscripts, and one of the largest such collections of any kind in the world. A display room has a sampling of some of the finest works, and the additional cost of the guided tour is worthwhile.
The National Art Gallery - Located at Republic Square in the same building as the National History Museum. Features several floors full of mostly paintings, organized by their country of origin. The Armenian collection is the best, but the Russian is quite good, and art lovers will enjoy the European collection as well.
Republic Square - Make sure to see the main square. Perhaps considered the finest example of Soviet era architecture as far as squares go. There is a free fountain and light show every night (weather permitting) in front of the National Art Gallery from 22:00 to 23:00. Accompanying the fountains is a program of classical favorites along with a variety of US and Russian hits.
The Ararat Cognac Factory – The oldest factory in Armenia. Offers tours and tasting.
The Opera House – a beautiful building, and hub of Yerevan. Freedom Square is behind it, surrounded by parks which have been taken over by cafes, and finally Swan Lake by Terian Street, which becomes an ice-skating rink in the winter.
St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral – Completed in 2001 to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of Armenia as a Christian nation. Seats 1700! The holy relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator were given back to the Armenian Church by the Vatican in 2001 and placed in this cathedral.
AquaWorld – a water park which is popular with the locals in the summers.
Levon's Amazing Underground World – see what happened when Levon set out to dig a potato storage cellar for his wife, you won’t be disappointed.
Northern Avenue - impossible to miss, this pedestrian avenue was just opened in 2008 connecting Opera with Republic Square, the two hubs of central Yerevan.
WHAT TO DO
For music fans, attend cheap and excellent performances at the Opera and/or the Chamber Music Orchestra. If a national dance group is performing, don’t miss it.
Spend a late night at a café in the Opera park. Station yourself by the sidewalk at Melody Café for some of the best people watching in Yerevan.
Visit one of the themed restaurants in the Hrazdan Gorge to see the locals partying. The food does not tend to venture far from barbeque and crayfish, but it is usually good barbeque, and the prices range from very reasonable to the unreasonable. Check the prices on the hard liquor and wines before ordering a bottle if you’re price sensitive.
Climb the Cascades (or take the escalator) one evening for the great views of the city and Mt. Ararat, then head across the street to the amusement park inside Victory Park for some cotton candy and a ride on the ferris wheel.
A walk through the weekend Vernissage by Republic Square metro is a must. From car (and perhaps rocket) parts to rugs, souvenirs, instruments and paintings, this outdoor market seemingly has everything.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Zvartnots International Airport (IATA: EVN) is the main gate to Armenia. In 2006, a new terminal was opened, where most arrivals and departures are now based. It remains a smaller airport however, so navigating your way around is easy and fast. Free WiFi access is availabe in the depature terminal. Also remember that all the passengers leaving Armenia from Zvartnots International Airport have to pay 10,000 AMD (30 USD) departure air tax in dram, so have this handy when flying out.
By train - An overnight train runs from Tbilisi, Georgia. It is roughly $20 and actually fairly comfortable though dirty, but slow enough that it is a good idea to bring food, snacks, and water. The wagons are the standard Soviet hold-overs that can be found throughout the former USSR. Tickets can be purchased for a seat in a four-person coupe (pronounced koo-peh) or a more expensive two-person SV (ehs-veh) class.
By bus - You can reach Yerevan by bus from Tbilisi, fare costs 15 lari ($10US) and takes about 12 hours. More expensive is to take a 30 lari ($20 US) marshutka/minibus but it’s much faster at about 5 hours. Sometimes you can take a shared car from Tbilisi as well. Again, a bit more expensive than minibus, but faster and more comfortable. Bus service to Yerevan also is available in Istanbul, or many of the cities on the Black Sea coast of Turkey en route to Yerevan, with a detour through Georgia. In Yerevan some of the bus lines from Turkey are: Karbut Tour: +374-10-54-26-97 and Oz Aybaki +374-10-56-50-03.
