When we were in Yerevan, we saw many advertisements offering day trips to see the sites near Lake Sevan. Most, though, only visit its famous monastery, Sevanavank. We knew, however, that there was much more to see than just the one monastery, so we planned to spend a few days in the former Soviet city. While Sevan isn’t the nicest town, we were able to find quite a few other fascinating sites to visit around Lake Seven, making it a memorable trip.
Here are a few ideas of the sites to visit to help you discover the beauty of Lake Sevan.
Lake Sevan
Its location at 1,900 metres (6,230 ft) makes Lake Sevan one of the largest, high-elevation freshwater lakes in the world. The massive lake is said to display different colours, depending on the season, and can range from turquoise to deep blue.
We didn’t realize at the time, but Lake Sevan is a very popular destination for Armenian tourists. Its higher elevation and constant winds mean that temperatures here are much more comfortable during the summer than in other parts of Armenia. We had just visited Areni, where temperatures were in the mid 40s°C (105°F). Sevan was a welcome relief because the temperatures average just below 30°C and drop to the teens at night.
Because we didn’t know that it was a local hotspot, we did not expect the lakeshore to be so busy. We visited on a weekend, and it was hard not to get caught up in the celebratory mood. Families filled the picnic spots where they were grilling skewered meats, and loading the tables with salads, drinks and snack food. Sunbathers lay on the gravel beaches while the kids splashed in the water, and older kids raced around on boats and sea-doos. For those who don’t want to picnic, there are dozens of beach bars, food shacks and kiosks littering the shoreline. Another option is to eat at the Soviet Brutalist-style Writer’s Building. It is open as a hostel and restaurant.
If it looks too busy for you, there are other beaches further away that are much quieter.
Sevanavank Monastery
We didn’t travel to Sevan to go to the beach, though; we wanted to visit the sites including the famous Sevanavank Monastery. From below, we looked up to see the two heritage churches of Sevanavank stand together on a picturesque ridge above Lake Sevan.
The story of the monastery’s first residents is an unusual one. In the 8th century, monks arrived at Lake Sevan from the capital of Etchmiadzin, home of the country’s oldest cathedral. Some suggest they were sent to Lake Sevan to penalize them for their bad behaviour. In the summer, it is a pretty nice location and doesn’t seem like punishment. Winter, however, can be harsh and living in stone buildings when temperatures drop as low as -30°C must have felt like severe punishment to the monks.
Seeing so many people on the beaches prepared us for the numbers we’d see at the monastery. The stairs leading up to its cliff top position were very busy with pilgrims, tourists and vendors. Once we climbed to the top of the busy stairs, though, it didn’t feel as hectic as we expected.
What began as a site for penance became a valued monastery in the Armenian Apostolic Church. By the 9th century, Armenian Princess Mariam ordered the construction of two churches, the Holy Apostles (Surb Arakelots) and the Holy Mother of God Church (St. Astvatsatsin). She was the daughter of Ashot I, founder of the Bagratid Dynasty and later, king of Armenia.
We’ll learn more about this dynasty as we travel through northern Armenia to Sanahin, Haghpat and Haghartsin Monasteries.
Built from black tuff, the churches have a much darker appearance than others we’ve seen in Armenia. Their stone exterior set against the dark blue lake gives them one of the prettiest setting in the country. The interesting-looking buildings also once had more elaborate features than we see today. For example, we saw a beautifully carved door originally from the Holy Apostles Church in the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan.
Once we entered the churches, we discovered where all of the people were. The naves were filled with worshippers seeking a place to light a candle and say a prayer. It didn’t feel appropriate to be tourists in the church, so we didn’t stay inside either church for very long.
When the monastery was established, it was on an island, but today, that’s no longer the case. Without consideration for its historical value, in the early part of the 20th century, the Soviets partially drained Lake Sevan. The result was that the island was transformed into a peninsula connected to the mainland. We read that the government is considering returning the water levels to their natural state.
After visiting the two churches, walk to the end of the peninsula for wonderful views of this high altitude lake.
Entrance is free; Opening Hours – 9am-6pm, daily.
Sevan City
The city of Sevan is the most populated community on the lake. Knowing this, we had certain expectations of the community, but it was not at all the resort centre we expected. The streets feel neglected, lined by old, dilapidated Soviet buildings. Needless to say, we were very disappointed. The sites around it, however, made up for the lacklustre appearance of Sevan.
Fishing is still a major industry, and Sevan Trout is the most sought-after fish. It is an endemic species and is an important part of the Armenian diet. Several stalls sell the fish on the town’s main streets.
The Soviets introduced the trout into lakes in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in the 1970s. One of those was Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan, which seems strange because it is a saline lake. The fish apparently adapted well to their new conditions and are thriving in the Kyrgyzstan lake. You can read about Issyk Kul here.
Even though Sevanavank Monastery is the largest draw to Lake Sevan, we knew there was much more to see. So, we spent the next day exploring the other fascinating sites in the area.
Noratus Cemetery
Visiting a cemetery may not be on most people’s lists, but Noratus is a cemetery unlike any we’ve seen before. In Noratus, nearly one thousand khachkars are spread across a large, open field. It is the largest collection of khachkars in Armenia, and together they make a spectacular sight.
A khachkar is an upright stone monument, engraved with a cross and other decorative elements. While stelae have been used since ancient times, their use as Christian symbols in Armenia didn’t begin until the 4th century. They were often placed at the site of new churches or when converting pagan temples to churches, but were also used to commemorate battles won. In Noratus, they were mostly used as grave markers to provide spiritual protection to the deceased.
Their popularity increased dramatically in the Middle Ages, and some of the khachkars in Noratus Cemetery date back to the 9th century. Today, you can find over 40,000 surviving khachkars in Armenia, 1,000 are in Noratus.
Each khachkar is decorated with unique hand-carved designs. The only common feature is a cross placed above a rosette or disc design. The remainder of the space around the cross is engraved with a variety of shapes, including religious symbols, flowers, grapes and images from daily life. Sometimes pre-Christian motifs, such as a sun, are intertwined with Christian ones. Most were trimmed with a geometric or rope pattern around the outer edge.
Seeing so many of these hand-carved stelae at once made Noratus Cemetery the highlight of our time in Lake Sevan.
In addition to khachkars, Noratus also has chapels, flat gravestones and cradle stones. The latter received that name because they resemble baby cradles. These often have images of the deceased carved on them.
Tip – Khachkars usually face west, toward the sunset. That is the case in Noratus, so for your pictures, it is better to go in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we didn’t know this before visiting.
The cemetery is not a UNESCO site, but the craft of sculpting khachkars is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Entrance is free; Opening Hours – 24 hours a day.
Hayravank Monastery
Sitting on the edge of Lake Sevan is the 9th century Hayravank Monastery. All that’s left today of the monastery is St. Stepanos Church. Constructed with black tuff, the church looks similar to those in Sevanavank. Another similarity is its picturesque placement above Lake Sevan.
Inside St. Stepanos Church, black limestone makes the nave even darker. In the dim light, we could just make out a few old carvings on the church’s stone walls and pillars.
There is an interesting legend about the church. Folklore says that when a resident monk saw invader Amir Temur and his army approaching, the monk ran into the lake. Instead of sinking, though, he walked on the water’s surface. Seeing this miracle, Amir Temur ceased the attack and said he would grant the monk a wish. The monk asked that he be allowed to save as many people as could fit inside the church. Temur agreed. Word spread quickly, and locals ran to the sanctuary of the church, but there were many more than the building could hold. To solve the problem, the monk was able to change them all into doves so everyone could fit inside, and all were saved.
The monastery has a few names, all related to this legend. One is Hovhanavank, named after the priest from the legend. Most commonly, it is called Hayravank, which translates to Father Monastery, for this same priest. The other name is Martaghavnyats Monastery, meaning Monastery of Human-Doves.
The lake behind is very shallow in this area, though, and, we can see reeds near shore. Maybe that was part of the illusion used by the monk.
Entrance is free; Opening Hours – 9am-7pm, daily.
Tsaghkadzor
The ski town of Tsaghkadzor is only 20 km away from Lake Sevan, but it seems worlds away in terms of architecture, infrastructure and maintenance. Both are resort towns, but Tsaghkadzor was more of what we expected from a vacation destination, with clean streets, cafes and nicely tended hotels. More money must come in from skiing than from beach patrons.
If you visit in the summer, as we did, you may want to do some of the hiking trails, try a zipline or visit one of the many casinos. Admittedly, though, it is more of a winter destination.
Kecharis Monastery
On the edge of this tourist town is a monastery that was once an important centre for science and calligraphy. Some of the country’s top medieval scientists worked and studied at this monastery.
The town seemed to be expanding into the monastery grounds, though, so that three of Kecharis Monastery’s four churches are huddled together in a small plot of land. The fourth is separated by a 20th century paved road. St Nishan and Katoghike Churches were so close that it was a little difficult to distinguish one roof from the other.
St Gregory the Illuminator is the main church. First built in 1033, it endured many renovations over the centuries. You can see the different additions when looking from the outside, including the bell tower and main dome.
The fourth church, St. Harutyun, looks a little left out, sitting by itself across the street.
Behind the three churches on the main grounds is a small cemetery with several khachkars, which date from the 13th to 17th centuries. Seeing these old monuments was our favourite part of the visit.
Entrance is free; Opening Hours – 9am-7pm, daily.
Our Taxi Driver’s Home
We hired a taxi driver in Sevan to take us to these sites. At one point, we were not far from his house when he offered to show it to us. The taxi driver brought us first to his mom’s house, where they have a family chapel and several khachkars in their yard. He even picked a handful of apricots for us from one of the trees in their large orchard. And we weren’t done. Next, he brought us to his house, where his wife made us coffee and served plates of fruit, followed by a glass of home-made wine.
We ended up hiring him for our trip the next day, and now he’s our friend for life. He said when we visit next year, he’ll pick us up in Yerevan and we can stay with him. This is an example of how warm, inviting and friendly we found the people in rural Armenia.
Getting to Lake Sevan
Located 65 km from Yerevan, if you don’t have a car, you can travel to Sevan by marshrutka. They leave Yerevan from outside Yeritasardakan Metro Station when full. To reach it from other towns, you may be able to find a marshrutka, but mostly you will either need to take a taxi or return to Yerevan to catch another marshrutka. Note, you will have to pay for a seat for your luggage, or keep it on your lap.
Lake Sevan is the large lake in the centre of the map. The other sites in this post are located nearby. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in or click on a marker.
Getting around Sevan
To reach these sites, you either need your own car or you’ll have to hire a taxi or use the ride-share GG. We determined the correct pricing from the GG app, but then hired a local taxi driver. It turned out that his price was less than the one on GG. This happened frequently in Armenia.
Where to stay in Sevan
Most people visit Sevan on a day tour from Yerevan, and that isn’t a bad idea, except you will not see any of the sites we showed you outside the city. We spent four nights in the town of Sevan. We wanted to explore the region and thought it would be the best location. It was convenient; however, it is not a nice town. Instead of staying in the city, try to find a resort around the lake. A large concentration is located near the monastery. Most are rather old and worn, but there are a few newer hotels that look nice. If you stay at one, though, you need a car.
If you have a car, Tsaghkadzor is a nicer city with more choices for accommodation.
Where to eat in Sevan
There are several beach bars and restaurants along the water, below Sevanavank and along the lake’s shore. You can find a few in the town of Sevan, but they are not as high quality and we have none to recommend.
A favourite treat from this region that you may want to try is Gata. It’s a sweet bread, filled with a creamy walnut spread. Another common food throughout Armenia is lavash bread. Every meal you have in Armenia will undoubtedly include this very thin, flat bread.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Armenia.
To read more of our adventures in Armenia, click here.
Coming Next – A Day Trip To Haghartsin and Goshavank Monasteries Near Dilijan
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