Walking up an appetite in Armenia’s Caucasus mountains
Neighbouring Georgia gets all the attention when it comes to Caucasus adventures and cuisine, but nothing beats the ‘primeval happiness’ of a post-walk feast in Armenia - and there are far fewer trekkersIt’s only a couple of miles up the trail opposite Noravank (new monastery), Armenia’s top tourist draw, but it’s a steep zigzagging slog, especially in summer. Thankfully, the view from the vantage point is more than worth it.Only from a distance is it possible to really take in the masterwork of the red stone monastery complex, comprising churches and chapels, and to appreciate the sheer remoteness of the cinnamon-hued canyon it sits in, dotted with honeycomb caverns – “nests for bears” as a local priest later told me. And once you’ve reached the top and come back down, on the road leading to Noravank there is a small cave cafe offering respite in the form of refreshing salads, thick cool madzoon (similar to yoghurt), fresh lavash bread and fizzy bottles of Jermuk, the famous local mineral water. Continue reading...
Neighbouring Georgia gets all the attention when it comes to Caucasus adventures and cuisine, but nothing beats the ‘primeval happiness’ of a post-walk feast in Armenia - and there are far fewer trekkers
It’s only a couple of miles up the trail opposite Noravank (new monastery), Armenia’s top tourist draw, but it’s a steep zigzagging slog, especially in summer. Thankfully, the view from the vantage point is more than worth it.
Only from a distance is it possible to really take in the masterwork of the red stone monastery complex, comprising churches and chapels, and to appreciate the sheer remoteness of the cinnamon-hued canyon it sits in, dotted with honeycomb caverns – “nests for bears” as a local priest later told me. And once you’ve reached the top and come back down, on the road leading to Noravank there is a small cave cafe offering respite in the form of refreshing salads, thick cool madzoon (similar to yoghurt), fresh lavash bread and fizzy bottles of Jermuk, the famous local mineral water. Continue reading...
