Cycling Armenia: Gyumri & Yerevan

This is the third of seven parts detailing my cycle tour around Georgia & Armenia in August and September 2024. Here are links to Part One, Part Two, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six and Part Seven. It was cold when I left Ninostsminda in the morning. The region is in a large plateau situated at around 2,000m elevation, so even in August it can get a chilly at times. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the sun broke through and the road to Armenia was gently climbing most of the way, so it was easy to stay warm.

I decided to follow the S11 road to the border. There are some gravel and dirt roads to the north, but similar trails had been quite muddy the previous day (a horrible very stick kind of mud that clogs up the drivetrain). The road was fine, I was passed by the occasional truck but overall it was fairly quiet and I could make fast progress.





After around 10km I arrived at the village of Gorelovka, whose name looked conspicuously Russian compared with those of nearby towns. Along the main road I found a beautiful Dukhobor house, which confirmed my suspicions. The Dukhobors were a group of Russians, who were kind of a bit like hippies of the early 19th century. Their unorthodox ways upset the Tsar's representatives, and they were exiled to the edge of the empire, in the inhospitable mountains of the Lesser Caucasus.



Here they built small communities of which the partially restored house and oprhanage remain. It is very colourful compared with typical Georgian and Armenian houses, and has a distinctive turf roof used for insulation.

From Gorelovka it was very quiet until the border, which I crossed quickly without any problems.



My plan in Armenia was to continue riding to Gyumri, the country's second largest city, and to take the afternoon train from there to Yerevan. Since it was mostly downhill to Gyumri, I reasoned that I had enough time to take the scenic route.

So, after a few kilometres, I turned off the main M1 highway (which wasn't busy yet, but which does have a lot of traffic closer to Gyumri), and took a gravel road through Tavshut.



From there I followed fantastic gravel trails for around 20km, mostly alongside the Akhurian River. This was one of my favourite riding sections of the whole tour. It was extremely quiet, with just livestock and the occasional horse riding cowboy keeping me company.

The trail was mostly a smooth surface in very good condition, with great views of the river and rolling hills throughout. I left the river near a small dam and climbed a short but steep trail up to the town of Amasia.

Amasia was the first reasonable sized town I reached in Armenia, and I was able to get hold of a Sim card and withdraw some cash here. There were also public water fountains where my bottles could be filled. I wandered around the town a bit and stumbled across a statue of Lenin in a very post-Soviet looking scene.

The photo below with the stray dogs and wrecked cars doesn't show Amasia in its best light - it was a nice and friendly town with generally good, modern infrastructure.



From Amasia the route was mostly on the paved H32, which was a nice undulating route that runs kind of parallel to the far busier M1. I descended to check out Marmashen Monastery. The site, dating from the 10th century, is partly in ruins, but the church is still in good condition and it was nice to explore.

This was my first introduction to Armenian monasteries. Similar to in Georgia, its difficult to understate how important monasteries and Christianity were in the formation of Armenian identity. Armenians are proud of being the first country to official convert to Christianity - although some modern scholars do question whether it did infact predate Roman emperor Constantine's conversion in 312.

In any case, monasteries are the princpal historical sites in Armenia. They represent the continuation of Armenian culture throughout various centuries of rule or oversight by Persia, the Seljuks and various other dynasties.



From Marmashen the roads got busier closer to Gyumri, but were still fine for riding. Gyumri is a picturesque city centered around Vardanants Square. It is known as the 'black city' thanks to the extensive use of black volcanic stone in its construction. The Cathedral and All Saviours church are the most striking examples, but many ordinary houses and shops in the center also have a similar appearance. Much of the city was rebuilt following a major earthquake in 1988.

Gyumri was pleasant enough, but I wasn't overly sad to be leaving after a couple of hours. I headed to the train station and bought a ticket to Yerevan for the late afternoon train, paying a small extra supplement for my bike.

The train was crowded and quite chaotic. I eventually found space for my bike behind the driver's cabin and managed to sit for the three hour long journey.

Yerevan

It was dark when I arrived in Yerevan so I took side roads to get to my accommodation a little to the south of Republic Square. The driving is quite aggressive in Yerevan, it was necessary to yield frequently even though I technically had right of way. I spent three nights there exploring the city.

In contrast to Gyumri, Yerevan is known as the 'Pink City', thanks to the pink stones that make up many of its buildings. Its a very walkable city, with wide pavements, squares and some pedestrianised areas, and there is also a useful metro line for getting around.



I won't go into too much detail, because I'm sure there is a lot of information already online about Armenia's capital. The main highlight for me was visiting the History of Armenia museum. This was situated in Republic Square and was a large building full of archaeological finds and artefacts dating back thousands of years.

As is often the case in a national museum, the history is perhaps not always entirely objective, but it was certainly fascinating to see the importance that was placed on certain events and certain eras which helped to shape Armenia.

The Cascade Complex was another interesting site, which seemed to primarily be built to offer views of Mount Ararat. The mountain is currently situated over the border in Turkey, but is seen as a semi-mythical symbol of Armenia. I was hoping to see it imposingly tower over Yerevan, but unfortunately, due to pollution it was just a faint outline.

Garni

Arguably Yerevan's most impressive attraction is actually situated to the south of the city. The Temple of Garni is a Roman era monument dedicated to the god Mihr, which dates from the 1st century CE.

It's set in a stunning location, overlooking a deep gorge and is a very popular day trip from the city. I felt like doing something active and so decided to hike along the gorge to reach the temple.



I took a GG (like an Armenian Uber) to the village of Banavan and hiked from them. It was only a short walk and was very easy - I probably should have started from the Azat Reservoir and gone a bit further.

But it was still very enjoyable, with great views of the steep cliffs, including the Temple of Garni itself. Shortly before climbing up to Garni I passed through the so-called 'Symphony of Stones', an area with rock formations which resemble a pipe organ.

The climb up to Garni was mostly along a paved road and very straight forward.



The temple itself is part of a Roman era complex, alongside the ruins of a bathouse and some houses. It is partly reconstructed following an earthquake, and the interior is a little disappointing, but the frieze and decoaration on the exterior is extremely impressive. Decorative motifs of walnuts and pommegranates are exensively used - patterns that were unique to the Armenia region.

This is because the temple itself, although largely Roman in style, symbolised a slight break from the Roman Empire. Armenia had long been a loyal client state to Rome, and would kind of remain so. However, the temple was built by a king named Tiridates who was actually of Parthian (Persian) ancestry. Some historians believe that in naming Tiridates as king, the Roman emperor Nero was effectively ceding Armenia to its great eastern rival.

In this respect the temple kind of nicely encapsulates Armenian history. It is strongly influenced by different neighbouring empires, but in its friezes and decoration it still retains a uniquely Armenian identity.



Further up the road from Garni is the Geghard Monastery which is another popular attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is often regarded as being the high point of Medieval Armenian architecture and was a major cultural center.

I had ran of time at Garni and so didn't visit there, which I slighlty regret. Although I would go on to see several other fantastic monasteries as I left Yerevan and continued riding north through Armenia.


Part 1 - Kutaisi & Akhaltsikhe

Part 2 - Vardzia & Ninotsminda

Part 4 - Lake Sevan & Haghpat

Part 5 - Stepanavan & Tbilisi

Part 6 - Mtskheta & Roshka

Part 7 - Shatili & Mutso


Georgia & Armenia Tour Overview


Cycling in Georgia


Cycling in Armenia


Cycle Touring Guides