Jermuk, Armenia

We spent two nights in Jermuk, a place known for its mineral water. It was developed as a medical spa town during Soviet times. There still are several sanatoriums in town where you can receive treatments for different "conditions". The only treatments we looked for were fresh air and exercise!

View of Jermuk

On the top of a hill overlooking town

Snow on the mountains not that far away

Colonnade with mineral water of different temperatures to drink for your health

Art displayed

Lots of paths to stroll down

and benches to sit on

and ponds to look at

A soviet hotel and sanatorium overlooking the gorge. Apparently they still have "economy" rooms that don't have hot water.

Abandoned "Palace of Sport"

Fruit, jams, etc for sale

The bridge into town spanning the gorge

View under a natural land bridge

Waterfall

Riverside path

Our hotel

Breakfast

Old Khndzoresk cave town

In the late 19th century Old Khndzoresk was a large town but it was abandoned after an earthquake in 1931. Now it's a ghost town.

It was very foggy when we visited

Day trip to Tatev, Armenia

We visited the nearby Tatev Monastery and the village by the same name. To get there you have to cross a massive gorge. A 5.7 km cable car spans the gorge or else you can take the 16 km road that switchbacks down and up the other side. We took the cable car, and then also drove down to the bottom of the gorge for a different point of view.

The day was very foggy so for part of the ride all we could see was the bit of cable we were dangling from.

Cable car station

Disappearing into the mist

View from the cable car

The road snaking through the gorge

Almost at Tatev

Tatev Monastery

The Monastery church

Entrance

Interior of church

Lighting candles

A mausoleum next to the church

Monastery yard

Old khachkars

Street in the farming village of Tatev

Farm yard

Fountain and water trough

Barn and corn

Cows grazing and lazing

We had lunch at this cafe