Travel Diaries

Free Music Concerts

Of the many things to love about Yerevan, one of my top 5 is their rich culture in art and music. Around the city centre, you can easily spot musicians on the streets serenading the public with their renditions of traditional Armenian music. Right on Republic Square or around the Northern Avenue or anywhere near the National Theatre, you will find artists setting up stage right on the sidewalk with their speakers and instruments where they perform for the generous public. It is very easy to lose track of time listening to them play. But what is even more lovely is that, as you force yourself to walk away, the music continues to follow you down the road, only to fade out for the next artist on the street.

Bread and Wine

Armenian food borrows from a lot of other regions. Having been occupied so many times by different conquerors its easy to see their impression in Armenian cuisine. Now while all this delicious food might not be free, if you eat in the local hotspots they come to be extremely cheap and a definite bang for buck. Their famous lavash bread, a traditional thin flat bread, resembles the bread usually found in Levant cuisine. This bread is found everywhere in Armenia, from large supermarkets to little bakeries along the street. You just need to trust your nose on this one. Because the aroma from the bakeries provided better navigation than a map for our hungry stomachs. You can pair the bread with some madzoon(thick strained yoghurt) and compote, a refreshing fruit based drink, found at every restaurant, again all for very low price. Or you can go with the famous Armenian wines. While wines range in their price, you can always go to find some wine, especially the exotic ones like cherry and pomegranate for less than a dollar.

Countryside landscapes

During your travels to the prominent sites around Armenia, there is one thing that will keep you hooked – the landscape of their country side. Especially if you are en-route to visit the Tatev monastery down south, the views are so striking that you would not mind the otherwise long and tiring journey. The route is filled with sights of the beautiful country side dotted with horses, cattle and tiny hamlets. Another picturesque route is the road from Yerevan to Dilijan, where you will be surprised by the temperate grasslands giving way to lush green forests. This part of Armenia has a distinct shift in weather and topography compared to Yerevan, with a warm tropical climate and dense forests. These breathtaking landscapes are a lovely bonus to any road/rail travel you take up within the country making it all the more worth it and at no extra cost.

View from Top of the World

Cafesijan Center for the Arts, more famously known as the Cascade complex, houses an art museum inside the building, but what is unique is the structure of the building itself. Cascading steps on both sides interjected with levels of gardens and fountains, this complex is one of the most prominent landmarks of Yerevan. And the one thing you shouldn’t skip doing when you arrive here, is get to the very top of the complex and enjoy a 360 degree view of the entire Yerevan skyline. This looks especially beautiful at night with the lighting of the cascade complex and the entire city making it a sight to behold. There are 2 ways to get to the top – you can brave the climb from the outside (if you feel athletic enough for the job) or you can use the escalators inside the complex. And yes, the entry to the complex and the view point at the top is absolutely free!

Travel back in Time

Probably the most unexpected part of our trip was getting a chance to ride a soviet era train. It felt like we were living through a piece of history. With its wooden benches, large open windows, slow pace and steady chug, the charm of this train outweighed the other disadvantages. This train takes longer and is slightly less comfortable than its express counterpart but I highly recommend hopping on this 2-bogey Soviet train just for the experience. We used Armenia’s small railway network to travel between Gyumri and Yerevan, but there also other towns connected via rail. Currently, this is also the best option considering the status of the roads and it is so cheap you can almost consider it free.