Oplevelser i Armenien

Yerevan, the capital, is built largely of rose-coloured tuff, and its wide Republic Square, the stepped Cascade complex and the Matenadaran library of medieval manuscripts anchor the centre. On clear days Mount Ararat fills the southern horizon, just over the border in Turkey. Armenia took up Christianity as a state religion in the early fourth century, and churches and monasteries stand on hilltops and in gorges everywhere.

Khor Virap monastery sits on a rise facing Ararat, while Garni, a Greco-Roman style temple, and Geghard, a monastery partly carved from the rock, lie in the valley east of the capital. Lake Sevan spreads across the high plateau, and Tatev monastery overlooks a deep gorge in the south. Gyumri, the second city, lies in the north-west, built of dark volcanic stone and rebuilt in places after the earthquake of 1988.

Lavash, a thin flatbread baked against the walls of a clay oven, accompanies almost every meal, along with grilled meat from the khorovats barbecue, dolma and plates of fresh herbs. Apricots and brandy are matters of pride, and winemaking in the south goes back thousands of years. May and the early autumn are comfortable for sightseeing, and snow closes the high passes in winter.