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Day 1
The day starts from visit to Oshakan, an ancient settlement. Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of Armenian alphabet lived here in the 5th century. After his death a chapel was erected over his tomb (441г), and later a church.
We continue to Mughni, where St.Karapet's church with frescos of the 18th century is situated.
Visit to Hovhannavank monastery. This complex consists of several churches, built in the 4th-13th centuries. The legend, which we are going to explain, is connected to this place. We will visit the church that was built in the 4th century by instructions of Grigori the Enlightener. Hovhannanavk is situated over the gorge ofKasakh river.
A few kilometers up the Kasakh river stream there is another Monastery, Saghmosavank, built on the 12 century (1700m). The view on the canyon, Ararat valley and majestic Ararat isunforgettable. Lunch in a hospitable house of a popular artist.
Day 2
We descent to Dzorap village, where we will visit the Arshakuni kings Pantheon of the 4th century. You will hear another legend about the kings.
We reach the meteostation on transport and then walk (1-1.5hrs) along the picturesque way to a town-fortress Amberd of the 8th-12th centuries (2300 m). Amazing findings in Amberd provoke many thoughts...
From Amberd we descend to Tegher, to a marvelous St.Mary's church. You will witness the synergy of ancient and contemporary in Tegher. Lunch on open air in the shadow of trees and an exciting panorama of the Ararat valley.
Day 3
This day we will ascent even higher to the altitude of 3800 m. above the sea level. First we will reach Karilich lake (3200 m) on transport. To acclimitize ourselves to the altitude we will stay here for a while, walk around the lake and see the Institute of Physics of space rays. Ascent to the Southern pick of Aragats will take 3 hour, but the efforts will be more than compensated by the thrilling panorama of the Aragats crater and even more majestic Ararat. And one more legend... Lunch box on the southern pick and way back to Karilich will be easy. Возвращение к озеру. We will have our dinner in a restaurant in the Kasakh river canyon.
Day 1
Early start off for Aragats. On the way Hovannavank, Saghmosavank, Amberd forest, weather station. Walk from the station to Amberd fortress (7th century). Box lunch at the bank of the river. Going up to Qarilich lake (3200m above the sea level) by bus. Camping. Stars over Aragats.
Day 2
Acclimatization day. After breakfast a slight training walk to nomad station. Lunch at the station. Return to the camp. Stars over Aragats.
Day 3
Early start off for Southern pick climbing. Sunrise on the pick. Descending to crater. Lunch and rest. Return to the camp. Stars over Aragats.
Day 4
Breakfast. Return to Amberd forest. Lunch on the open fire in the forest. Going to Tegher village by bus. St. Mary's Church (1213), amazing panorama of the Ararat Mt. and valley. Dinner in a village's restaurant.
Aragats is the highest mountain of Armenia. It has four picks. The northern pick is the highest one and it is 4091m. above the sea level, the southern pick is 3800m. There are also western and eastern picks. The northern pick is twin, one of its twin picks is called false and the other one is real. There are 90 meters of "live rocks" in between them. It is quite dangerous to pass them without an experienced guide.
The easiest pick is the southern one. There is a beautiful crater between the picks , in the middle of the mountains, that will astonish you with a variety of colors.
The road leads to Qarilich lake (3200m).
Day 1. Arrival on mountain lake Qarilich. Aclimatization. Spending the night in tent.
Day 2. Climbing to the southern and western picks. Descending to the crater. Spending the night in tent.
Day 3. Climbing to the northern and eastern picks. Return to Qarilich. Spending the night in tent.
A few kilometers from Tegher there is a cyclopean fortress of the 1st-2nd millenium BC. Below the fortress, in a beautiful valley you will see the ruins of Khoytur village. People are returning to the village but still live in tentes and temporary buildings. You will get acquainted with their life.
Marvellously delicious mushrooms grow on Aragats. "Gary dmak", white and fleshy mushrooms, come out in spring. It is good in all kinds - baked, fried and boiled. Shampignons grow in autumn. They are white with pinkish gills. It is very dry in summer, but if you rise higher into the mountains, you can find mushrooms there. A true mushroomer will definitely have good luck.
Armenia is a small mountain country, situated on the Armenian Plateau in Southern Caucasus between the Black and Azov seas. Botanical and geographical Armenia is located at the interfaces of the Caucasian and Armenian-Iranian floristic provinces. Piculiarities of each of them together with a number of other conditions contdibuted to richness and diversity of the country's flora. Due to mountains there are seven types of landscapes in Armenia starting from deserts and ending with Alpine meadows. Ecosystems and flora types are closely connected to the landscapes diversity. There are sand deserts and semi-deserts that are starting from 400 meters above the sea level, and Alpine meadows, starting from 3,000 meters above the sea level as well as mountain xerophyte communities, flora of the overdamped habitats, mesophile meadows and feather-grass steppes.
There are around 3,500 species of vascular plants in Armenian flora, which is highly original. There are many centers of specific difference of many plants, including herbs, such as cornflowers, pears and astragalus. At the same time more than 120 species are narrow local endemic plants, which means that you will not find them anywhere on the earth except Armenia. N.I.Vavilov, the celebrated Russian botanist and geneticist, distinquished Armenia as one of the centers of diversity of wild congeners of cultured plants and one of the centers of origin of cultured plants of Western Asia.
Despite the fact that Armenian flora is well examined, botany experts and amateurs would be still surprised with amazing findings. One of the latest surprizes of this kind is the discovery of the Acanthaceae family, which is new to the whole Caucasus. Three small populations of a beautiful Acanthus dioscoridis were found near Yerevan at the northern slope of Adis mountain. Another important discovery for Armenia are Lycopodiaceae. Lycopodium selago was found on the northern side of Murguz mountain. Above these two families a lot of other species were found, which are new to Armenia, fewer genuses, and a few species, which are new to the science. Nevertheless, during last few years a lot of endemic plants were found and described in Armenia.
From the floristic point of view, Armenia is a fabulous country!
Medicinal herbs and Folk medicine
According to historical data about 2000 types of plants (60% of flora) were used for different purposes in Armenia. According to literature the population of Armenia used about 500 types of merely eatable plants at the beginning of the XX cent. At the present moment this figure has been greatly reduced to 100 types, and only about 30-40 types are used widely. The population gathers only 14-15 types of fruits and berries out of 50.
One of the peculiarities of Armenian flora is that its largest part is located in the mountainous xerophytes zone. Xerophytes are plants growing in arid places. Dry, fruitless, stony, rocky or rubbly mountainsides with barely visible, thinned, grey downy plants seem like a lifeless desert. However, the majority of wild useful plants of Armenia are growing right here. The most interesting and valuable medicinal, volatile-oil-bearing, dyeing, tanning, eatable and ornamental plants are mountainous xerophytes.
Medicinal plants are used as a main acting agent in traditional folk medicine of Armenia. They are used separately as well as components of mixtures. About 50 types of plants are used widely. At the moment there are about 40 types of medicinal plants, collected or raised at the territory of Armenia, sold in drugstores of Armenia.
Here is an incomplete list of Armenian medicinal plants:
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Immortelle (Helichrysum angustifolium), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), Cephalaria gigantean, Germander (Teucrium polium), St.-John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), Bryonia alba, Bryonia dioica, Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.), Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.), Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), Elder (Sambucus nigra L.), Ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.), Ephedra, Origanum, Hawthorn (Crataegus (over 13 types, including oriental, Caucasian, Mayer), Birch (Betula), Shadberry (Amelanchier), Cornflower (Centaurea L.), Astragalus L., Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae L.), Walnut (Juglans regia), Hazel (Corylus), Rose, Dog-rose (Rosa canina), Thyme (Herba serpylli), Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Nettle (Urtica dioica L.), Camomile (Matricaria recutita L.), Mint (Mentha piperita L.), Saffron (Crocus)...
The nearest spring, Tanakhpyur, is in the river gorge. Walk to the spring will take about 40 minutes, but you will not want to leave this place soon. Magic of the water spouting from under the ground charms... A couple of steps from Tanakhpyur there is Surbakhpyur, a spring that people consider sacred.
At the distance of 1.5 hour walk up to the mountains there is another spring called Pato. It was named after Pato, the inhabitant of Tegher who died as a hero during the last war, in 1993. It has a special place where you can stay for a couple of hours and have rest.
At a farther distance there is one more spring. Its water is so chilling that if you plunge a watermelon in it, it can crack.
There is even more springs, one of them is Azat spring, named after another soldier, who died in the last war.
Descent to Dzorap will take just about an hour. This is a big and rich village, buried in verdure of the orchards. You will see ruins of an ancient church and Pantheon of the Arshakuni kings of the 4th century in the middle of the village. There are two sarcophagis, at the left and on the right. Pre-Christian kings were buried in the left one and and Christian kings in the right. Don't forget to take a pocket flashlight with you to be able to discern stone carvings on sarcophagis. For tireless tourists there is an opportunity to descend to the river gorge and enjoy not only the coolness of tree shadows, but also climb all over the rock dwellings and grottos.
If you cross the river and ascend the opposite gorge bank, you will find yourself in Orgov. This village is known for its scientific institute and readio-telescope. It will be 20 years soon as scientists try to build a solar electric power station. However, time dictates its rules and priorities...
Additional information
Information about Armenia, popular tourist destinations, recommendations on traveling to Armenia and much more you can find on the Armenia Travel Blog