As I mentioned in the previous section, I stayed in Haghpat for two nights and spent the first evening looking around the monastery complex.
The following day I took a taxi (cost around 3000 Dram) to the neighbouring town of Sanahin, which also has a UNESCO World Heritage listed monastery that is paired with the one in Haghpat. My plan was to look around the monastery, then hike back to my hotel in Haghpat.
The Armenian cross was the main decoration in the complex
When I took the taxi in the morning I was surprised to see how busy it was at Haghpat. Several coaches had arrived and there were big groups wandering around the site. Apparently it is a popular day trip from both Yerevan and Tbilisi, but I'm not really sure there is enough to see to justify such a long trip.
The churches share similrities with the redesigned Hagia Sophia
Sanahin was similar when I arrived. The complex was slightlly better preserved than Haghpat, but I found it to be a little less charming. Generally though it was similar, with picturesque churches and lots of Armenian crosses forming the bulk of the decoration. There was a plaque at the entrance explaining the general history of the site, but not too much information in the buildings themselves.
Elsewhere in Sanahin is an interesting museum dedicated to the Mikoyan brothers. Hailing from Sanahin, they were celebrated enginners in the Soviet Union, with one of the brothers designing the MiG fighter jet, which was named after him.
From the monastery I started the hike, following a trail into the forest. It was a very well-maintained path yhat led to the ruins of a church after a few kilometres.
A section on road followed through Akner before I crossed an open plateau towards Kayan Fortress where there were some beautiful views down into the valley. It was necessary to pass through a small hotel here, but it seemed like there was a public right of way.
Sanahin Monastery
The hike ended with a descent crossing a small stream, before a final climb back into Haghpat.
In total the hike was only around 11km, but it was undulating enough to be interesting and the trails were very scenic. I think it was a good way to both visit the monastery and see a bit more of the countryside.
Nice hiking between the monasteries
After my hiking interlude I was back on the bike the next day. At the start of the route it was necessary to retrace my steps slightly, descending down from Haghpat to Alaverdi, before climbing up to Odzun on the main road.
I had considered heading north-east from Haghpat along the M6 into Georgia. But the road wasn't very interesting: it was getting busier and didn't have the best scenery and I was keen to explore more of the Lori region of Armenia.
My rough plan was to get to Tbilisi. If I had gone on the M6 I would have crossed into Georgia at Sadakhlo and taken a track from Akhkerpi up towards Bolnisi. I definitely wouldn't recommend riding on the main M7 up through Marneuli.
The Kayan Fortress outcrop
Lori & Leaving Armenia
Once back in Odzun I was exploring new territory once more, crossing the picturesque Lori region of Northern Armenia. This route was nearly all on well paved roads (mostly the H23), so I progress was quickly made towards my destination of Stepanavan.
The terrain was rolling and had little traffic, even after passing through several villages. I took a detour near the end of the route to visit Lori Berd fortress. This is an impressively situated castle overlooking the confluence of two rivers. Unfortunately there wasn't much to see inside. The outer walls remained and some excavations were ongoing, but it was quite overgrown and difficult to get a feel for how it would have looked in all its glory.
There was also an annoying metal fence around the perimeter of the site which impeded views looking down on the river.
A pass between Debed Canyon and Stepanavan
I only stayed for one night in Stepanavan, which was enough. I really enjoyed the riding around here, but didn't find the town itself particularly interesting. This was to be my last night in Armenia before returning to Georgia.
Overall, I really, really liked Armenia. It might not come across so much in writing, because there perhaps wasn't anything truly awe-inspiring in terms of monuments, scenery or food. But it was just a very relaxing and enjoyable place to ride around.
The towns and villages had a friendly atmosphere and the countryside was beautiful and inviting to explore. I definitely plan to go back, probably to the south of the country around the towns of Meghri and Tatev.
Lori Berd Castle
I still wasn't 100% sure which way to go in Georgia. Part of me wanted to return to Kutaisi to see the city and to ride around the Upper Svaneti mountains. But I was also keen to see Tbilisi and maybe ride into the mountains north of there instead. I had about two weeks before my flight left, so didn't have time to do both.
In the end I chose the Tbilisi option. This was partly because my flight was leaving from there, so it would avoid the need to take a train at some point. And partly it was because I already felt very comfortable in Georgia, and the wilder less travelled terrain of the Tusheti and Pshav-Khevsureti National Parks appealed to more than the more tourist friendly Svaneti.
Track out of Privolnoye
This option meant heading north out of Stepanavan. As usual, I opted to avoid the busier M3 road through Tashir and instead took the quiet and scenic H34 to Privolnoye. Here I genuinely wasn't sure which way I should go. My destination for the day was the town of Bolnisi, and ideally I wanted to head to Akherpi and follow good quality trails there.
However, I was unsure if I was allowed to cross the border there. In Privolnoye I asked some friendly locals (who I think were ethnically Russian) and they seemed unsure themselves, but the general consensus was that it was for locals only. In the end I decided not to risk it and instead took a really nice dirt road across via Sarchapet and crossed the border at
Gogovan-Guguti.
Returning to Georgia
The border crossing was quick and efficient, even though the officer wanted to do a very cursory check of my panniers. I had been slightly concerned that the S6 road would be a bit busy. It was, but not until passing the town of Kazreti. In fact, the first 30km from the border were extremely quiet and very nice for riding. The surface was in great condition and the road mostly went downhill at a gentle 2% or 3% gradient - it was hardly necessary to either peddle or brake!
The first part of this descent was in forest, but from Saparlo the scenery opened up and was very pleasant riding alongside the river.
Around Kazreti there was a big quarry and after this there became a lot more trucks on the road. Shortly after passing the distinctive Kveshi fortress I turned off, deciding to take back roads into Bolnisi.
The first 30km from the border on the U6 were very quiet
This was a great end to the ride with a combination of quiet lanes, gravel roads and a singletrack climb and descent. All of it was rideable, although it was slighlty muddy on the final stretch into Bolnisi.
I liked Bolnisi a lot as a town. It's not a particularly touristy place, but it does have a few wineries and a lively central district, so it attracts weekend visitors from Tbilisi.
A short singletrack climb into Bolnisi
In the southern part of the town I stumbled across a German district. In the 19th century a large community emmigrated here from Wurttemberg and named the settlement Katharinefeld after their queen. Quite a few German style houses still exist,
as well as a Lutheran church that was turned into cinema during Soviet times and is now a sports centre.
Continuing with the German tradition, there is also a brewery in town, attached to Marani restaurant. I enjoyed sampling the local produce here, which not only incuded beer, but also more delicious Georgian cuisine.
German style houses in Bolnisi
Bolnisi was a very walkable town and had a nice atmosphere. It think it would be a good base to spend a few days cycling, with plenty of good trails around. You could ride out to various wineries, and also visit the impressive looking hilltop monastery of St Peter and St Paul.
From Bolnisi I was considering riding more through the mountains to Tsalka or Manglisi, but instead decided to go directly to Tbilisi so that I would have time to spend in the Upper Caucasus.
And a German style micro-brewery
Tbilisi
The ride to Tbilisi was not the most enjoyable of the trip. The route itself was fine, but I had a minor stomach upset (hopefully not from the beer!), and it was also a baking 37°C.
The S6 out of Bolnisi was busy and didn't look good for riding, so I took side roads to the south through Chapala and Mamkhuti. It was slow going at times as there was a large wedding procession in one of the villages, but it was fun to see local life.
There was one awkward section crossing the river near Kvemo Arkevani. I had to ride through a quarry where the paved road turned to gravel and became rough and a bit muddy, but it soon returned to a good surface as the road continued into Marneuli.
Avoiding busy roads around Tbilisi
Marneuli is not a very picturesque town, and my one aim there was to avoid the S6 highway. I took side roads along the railway line and before long had left the town.
I should have stopped for water in Marneuli, because I was already running quite low and there would be nowhere to fill up for the next 26km. Leaving Marneuli the route entered a very arid desert like area. There were lots of dirt and sand trails through here, most of them eventually converging on their way to the Kumisi Reservoir.
It was a very nice alternative to the busy S6 and I would definitely choose this way again.
Fun trails between Marneuli and the Kumisi Reservoir
Rounding the Kumisi Reservoir there was a short climb and more gravel trails leading to Kvemo Teleti village. Again, I avoided the main road, taking trails through the village, where finally I was able to buy some refreshments!
It was just in time, because the route continued with a very steep climb up to Shavnabada Monastery. This was the quietest way I could find into Tbilisi that looked to be on roads and decent trails and that didn't have a huge amount of elevation gain. The climbing it did have though was steep, with around 2km averaging 14%.
From the monastery I joined a trail which was much more gentle and continued alongside the newly built Tbilisi Hills complex.
Shavnabada Monastery - the back way into Tbilisi
The trail took me down to a road next to the entrance to Tbilisi Hills and from there it was a very fast and steep descent into the city. I only had to ride a few more kilometres to my hotel in the old town, but it wasn't the easiest task.
The notorious Tbilisi traffic was not too bad on the narrow back roads, but there were plenty of steep gradients and cobbles which exacted every last watt from my hot and tired legs. It was a relief when the hotel came into view and the knowledge that I would have four nights in Tbilisi to rest and recuperate.
Tbilisi's charming old town
Tbilisi's old town was by far the most touristy place I had been in Georgia - mostly with Russians and other eastern Europeans. It was something of a culture shock having spent a while in small villages and rural areas, but it wasn't at all unpleasant and I quickly got used to it.
There is a lot to see in Tbilisi - a city which has an incredibly rich history. It is only in the last century that it has had a majority Georgian population, and the various Persian, Turkish, Armenian and Russian influences are evident in the architecture and city design.
Khinkhali are not the most photogenic dish, but they are certainly tasty!
I particularly enjoyed strolling the narrow streets and stumbling upon churches, baths and remains of the old defensive fortifications. Unfortunately the Narikala Fortress was closed for repairs, but I could still admire it from the outside
and I did some pleasant hiking around the Botanical Garden and neighbouring Mtatsminda Park.
A problem developed with a laptop that had been bashed around a bit too much on one of the descents, but managed to get this repaired in the Vake neighbourhood, which was a pleasant part of the city. While the computer was being repaired I took the old cable car up to Turtle Lake and did a hike back down, which was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
Old and new Tbilisi
One of Tbilisi's main attractions is also of course its food. I ate copious amounts of khinkhali, khachapuri, phkali and even treated myself to a very nice Thai meal. There were a few decent brew pubs not far from Liberty Square. In one of them (Tsota Tsota) there was an interesting copper ale which was kind of tasty, but had a strange sour flavour (not necessarily unpleasant). The barman seemed surprised and commented that it should be sweet because was made with maple syrup (it was a colab with Canadian brewery). He surmised that some local bacteria had probably got into the syrup and turned it sour and that he should start marketing it like a Belgian style Gueze!
Elsewhere in Tbilisi I largely avoided the main toursity streets around Jan Shardeni, but was impressed by the nearby Sioni Cathedral and Orbeliani Square.
In any case, after spending a few days exploring Tbilisi I was ready to get back on the bike again. The next and final sections
of my tour would be riding a circle to the north, visiting the mountain towns of Roshka and Shatili.
