Yerevan: a first-timer's guide to Armenia's capital

Why go

Yerevan is easy to love. The centre is compact and walkable, ringed by a green belt of parks, and the main sights sit within a short stroll of each other. Mount Ararat, the sacred mountain of Armenians, rises across the Turkish border and fills the view on clear mornings. The food is generous, the wine scene is lively, the museums are excellent and people are warm towards visitors, especially anyone who tries a few words of Armenian.

Top things to do

Start at **Republic Square**, with its grand arcaded government buildings and the History Museum of Armenia. Walk up **Northern Avenue** to the Opera House, then on to the **Cascade**, a giant stairway of terraces and modern sculpture with the Cafesjian Center for the Arts inside and a fine view from the top. The **Matenadaran** holds one of the world's great collections of ancient manuscripts and is a highlight even for people who rarely visit museums.

Set aside a quiet morning for **Tsitsernakaberd**, the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum on a hill above the Hrazdan gorge. It is moving and essential to understanding the country. Other favourites include the **Vernissage** weekend open air market for crafts, carpets and Soviet curios, the covered **GUM market** for dried fruit, spices and churchkhela, the **Sergei Parajanov Museum**, the eighteenth century **Blue Mosque**, and the **Erebuni Fortress** where the city began.

For a sense of old Yerevan, wander the lanes of **Kond**, one of the few surviving older neighbourhoods. End an evening with a tour and tasting at the **Yerevan Brandy Company** or a glass at one of the wine bars around Saryan Street.

Day trips

Yerevan is the base for the classic excursions. **Garni** is a first century Greek style temple above a gorge of basalt columns known as the Symphony of Stones, and is usually combined with **Geghard**, a monastery partly carved into the rock. **Khor Virap** sits below Ararat, where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned before Armenia adopted Christianity. **Echmiadzin**, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is often combined with the ruins of **Zvartnots Cathedral**. Each is half a day or less, by tour, taxi or marshrutka.

Where to stay

The **Kentron** district, the centre inside the ring of parks, is the best base for first timers: you can walk to almost everything. Streets around Northern Avenue, Abovyan Street and Republic Square suit people who want restaurants on the doorstep, while the area near the Cascade and Saryan Street is slightly quieter with wine bars nearby. Budget travellers will find many hostels and guesthouses in the centre, and there are international chain and boutique hotels too.

Eating and drinking

Yerevan is the best place to try the full range of Armenian food, from khorovats barbecue and dolma to zhingyalov hats flatbread and lahmajo. Many restaurants put on traditional music in the evenings. The wine bar scene is one of the most interesting in the region, with natural and small producer wines from Vayots Dzor and Armavir, and the café culture is strong.

Practical tips

Summer days are hot, often very hot in July and August, so plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings. The metro has a single line and is useful for a few stops, but taxi apps such as Yandex Go and GG are cheap and the easiest way around. Crossing busy roads can be tricky: use underpasses and crossings. Carry some cash for markets and small cafés.