Caucasus 2018: 04 Alkhaltsikhe, Georgia - Gyumri/Yerevan, Armenia

"You cannot expect to stay on the right path if you are walking with the wrong people..."

(Vardanant Square in Gyumri)

Day 04: 18 April 2018 (Wednesday)
Route: Akhaltsikhe / Ninotsminda-Bavra Border/ Gyumri/ Yerevan
Hotel: Olympia Hotel Yerevan, Armenia 

By 8:30 am we checked out and were ready to board the van for our journey to Georgia/Armenia border to cross to Armenia. We had to remove four unoccupied seats in the van to accommodate our bulky luggage. In Akhalkaki, a small town on the way, we stopped for a brief comfort break and photo opportunity.

(Still comfortable with limited luggage space)

(Scenic view along the route)

(The roads on the hilly terrain)

(A short break on the mountain road)

(An old fort on the mountain)

The Ninotsminda/Bavra Border was about 100 km from Akhalsikhe but it took us about three hours to reach there because of bad road conditions. This is not the most popular route. Border clearance was smooth at the Georgian side. On the Armenian border there was a requirement for Visa-on-Arrival for Armenian Dram 3,000 per person. Custom clearance was hassle-free. For less than an hour we cleared border formalities and entered Armenia safely.

(Small villages by the lake)

(Horse riding on the vast plain)

(A small border town)

(Georgia/Armenia Border Crossing)

(Our visa on arrival)

Republic of Armenia is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in West Asia on the Armenian Highlands, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh (Nargono Karabakh) and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

(Serene beautiful view of the lake at the border

(Having a picnic by the road side)

After border clearance, we headed to Gyumri in Shirak district. Gyumri is 72 km from the border. This second largest town in Armenia was conquered by the Muslim army of Oguz Turk in the 14th Century.

In the van, we had a light lunch of egg-sandwich which Anna had packed for us.

(Entering the town of Gyumri)

(Gyumri City Centre)

(Exchanging some foreign currencies at a bank)

We arrived in Gyumri late afternoon and drove direct to Converse Bank to exchange some local currency. Next to a famous Cherkhezi Dzor Fish Restaurant for lunch of baked trout and sturgeon. While waiting for our meals, we performed our prayers.

(Admiring the tulips at the fish farm)

(Spring is Tulips flowering season)

(Varieties of trouts and sturgeons in the pond)

(A popular fish restaurant in town)

(A filling late lunch of baked trouts)

(Many fish ponds in the spacious compound)

(Pony riding is available too)

Most of the streets in Gyumri city center were under massive road constructions and some were converted into walking street. We parked our van and had to walk a distance to the Vardanants Square to visit the attractions.

(Massive road works in town)

(The Pedestrian Walk leading to the square)

Vardanants Square is the large central town square in Gyumri. The rectangular shape square was known as the ‘May Uprising Square’ named after the failed Bolshevik uprising against the Dashnak government of the First Republic of Armenia in May 1920. The square is decorated with several fountains with a memorial to the Battle of Avarayr at the central part. The memorial includes a group of historic Armenian figures who led the Armenian army's campaign against Sassanid Persia. The equestrian statue of Vartan Mamikonian is erected at the centre of the memorial.

(The water fountain was under repair)

(Church of the Holy Saviour)

(Memorial to the Avarayr Battle)

(The City Hall)

(Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God)

We skipped visiting Hovhannes Shiraz Museum because of time limitation. The Museum was a house of Gyumri born outstanding Armenian poet. His first work called ‘Beginning of Spring’ was published in 1935. Novelist Atrpet gave the talented poet the epithet ‘Shiraz’, because the poems have the smell of roses, fresh and covered with dew, like the roses of Shiraz.

(The 'October' Cinema Hall)

(An Art Gallery on the Walking Street)

Later we visited Serv Berd or the Black Fortress. It was already late and the entrance gate was closed. We were lucky that the caretaker to the fortress allowed us to enter the compound. We were given a guided tour of the museum situated on the lower ground of the fort. The Black Fortress is an abandoned Russian imperial fortress which lies 8 km from the Turkish border. It was built in response to the Russo-Turkish War of 1828 –1829. It is one of the national cultural heritage monument in Armenia.

(Mother of Armenia Statue)

(The Mother of Armenia and the Black Fortress)

(The front facade of Serv Berd)

The main entrance into the Black Fortress)

(Impressive stained glass door)

(The central auditorium in the fort)

(The circular viewing gallery)

(Exhibitions in the underground museum)

(Ancient well in the heart of the fortress)

(The well is still functioning)

(With the Museum curator)

(The world globe against the sun)

The distance from Gyumri to Yerevan is about 122 km and it took us more than two hours to reach our hotel in Yerevan. On the way, our van was stopped by a police car because of speeding and the driver had to pay coffee money of USD20 to the police.

(Panoramic view of Gyumri)

(The winding trunk road from Gyumri to Yerevan)

We arrived at our hotel around 8:30 pm. There was a mass protesters against their newly elected Prime Minister for a couple of days now and the roads in town were mostly congested. As the hotel restaurant was already closed we decided to have vegetarian pizza dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Diana, the representatives from the local travel agent came to meet us at the Pizza Restaurant to discuss the itineraries for the next few days in Yerevan.

 2018 Caucasus Trip: 05 Yerevan/Koyayk/Lake Sevan, Armenia👉

👈2018 Caucasus Trip: 03 Akhaltsikhe, Georgia