In the Northern Armenia there are two old monasteries placed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List: Haghpat and Sanahin – both located on the rim of the picturesque Debed Canyon in the north of country. It is possible to go there on your own – it is more then 2 hours drive by minibus from Yerevan to the town of Alaverdi and then you must rent a taxi (I think – 25 USD) to get you to both monasteries and back.
Anahit – my charming host in Yerevan convinced me to go there on a day tour organized by Sati Tour Agency. They charge 13000 drams per person and lunch, guide and entry fees are included. I got off-season discount – 10%.
It was a good choice – there were only 7 people in the group and the cost was even lower then individual visit.
On the route we enjoyed the views of snowy Mt Aragats (4090m) – the highest mountain in Armenia.
Both monasteries are old (10th century) and very interesting. We saw various churches and chapels, annexes, sepulchers, bell-towers and libraries… Haghpat is more photogenic I think… The only unpleasant surprise of this day was the landscape of the beautiful canyon damaged by the industrial buildings and smoky chimneys of Alaverdi town… Shame…
