Southern Armenia

城市概覽

Most visitors do not venture past Goris and Tatev, so the very south is almost wholly undiscovered. Goris is the last town on the highway leading to Karabakh, so many visitors just pass through and don't enjoy what the area has to offer. This whole part of the world is known for its hospitality, and the parts of Southern Armenia which see few tourists are even more so than others. Venture into a village for directions, and you can find yourself at the receiving end of a feast, homemade fruit oghi (vodka) being drunk and them making you spend the night. Refusing hospitality is often challenging, but don't bother as the experiences are sure to be memorable. There is one main highway going through this region, which leads to Iran at the southern end. You'll see Iranian trucks coming and going, as well as a decent number of barbecue restaurants along the highway.

如何抵達

Almost all of Southern Armenia's visitors drive down the highway from Yerevan. You can also enter from the Lake Sevan Region, or from Iran. Depending on your budget and your plans, you can enter by tour van, private taxi/van, shared taxi, rent a car, or take public transport - either a bus or a van (marshutni) that's heading to or past a town you want to get to. You can also try hitching. It's not as popular as it used to be, but it's still perfectly acceptable, although unaccompanied women might find themselves getting more attention than they'd like. The only major town not on the North-South highway is Jermuk, so catching a bus or van going directly there is your best bet, unless you really do want to hitchhike or try to find a taxi in one of the towns along the highway. Public transport is cheap, and often crowded. Have some smaller change on you and ask a fellow passenger the fare to have it ready.

當地交通

Most tourists arrive in Southern Armenia on a tour van. You can also arrange a private tour with guide with most companies, or just negotiate with taxi drivers in Yerevan to take you around. A taxi might be cheaper than renting a car, and easier than driving one. Getting around in the South can be tough with public transportation, unless you're sticking to the main highway. From there, taxis or hitching are your best bets. On the main highway, buses and vans are frequent, and as long as they're heading in the right direction (north/south) it's tough to go wrong. If you're not depending on public transport, just have wherever you are staying arrange a cab for you for the day. Taxis are reasonably priced in Armenia and usually cost 100 dram/km. There are no car rental agencies in the south, although you can rent a car in Yerevan and drive down.

必看景點

Noravank Monastery - Surrounded by brick red cliffs, and the famous church on top of a church design, Noravank is one of Armenia's most popular attractions. Access to the second story church is by rock steps jutting out of the facade. There are many intricate carvings on the churches and in the khachkars on the grounds. Tatev Monastery - Notable even in a country known for stunning landscapes and architecture. The massive monastery complex is a continuation of a sheer cliff that drops below it for hundreds of meters. Once the seat of great wealth, this monastery controlled much of the surrounding countryside. It saw invasions, peasant rebellions and earthquakes. A severe earthquake in the 20th century caused great damage that was partially fixed during Soviet times. Now, it's still a spectacular site accessible by a long, bad road, which deters many visitors. At the foot of the cliffs you'll find Satan's Bridge (see below) Satan's Bridge - At the foot of a sheer canyon with a river running along the bottom, this natural land bridge is called Satan's Bridge (Satanayi Kamurj) by locals. It has a carbonated spring, that you can drink from, along the side of the road, and if you go down a short trail you can swim in a spring fed pool. A tough climb down below the land bridge will reward you with stalactites, stalagmites, and little pools in a cavernous tunnel. Plenty of space around to camp and picnic.

Ughtasar Petroglyphs - The spectacular site is a valley with a lake, surrounded by mountain peaks on most sides. The valley is littered with massive boulders, some of which have one, two or even dozens of petroglyphs on them, totaling in the thousands, aged from the 5th to 2nd century BC. Patches of snow are found year round, and nights are very cold even in August. The site is only accessible in July-September, as it is above 4,000 meters in elevation. A visit to the remote, mountaintop site of the Ughtasar petroglyphs is a full day proposition. It is better to start th

體驗活動

Hike - There's limitless great hiking in the whole area. From Sisian to Tatev (not on the highway), from Tatev to Kapan on the backroads, around Shikahogh Reserve, all around Yeghegnadzor, Noravank Canyon, in the Smbataberd-Arates-S. Sion valleys, and elsewhere. This includes sections of the Transcaucasian Trail. Bike - Biking is a good way to get around the backroads of the region, and highways if you don't mind sharing the road with cars. The Tatev - Kapan backroad is a great one, and so is the area from Yeghegis to Herher. Hotsprings/Spa - Visit the spa town of Jermuk, where much of the country's mineral water comes from. The town is full of Soviet hotels and sanatoriums, some of which have been renovated to high standards. The countryside at this very high elevation resort is worth the visit as well, with canyons, forest and wildlife to explore.

美食

The main highway is sprinkled with barbecue places. Few have menus, although prices are usually reasonable and asking avoid any potential for problems in the end. The menus consist of barbecued chunks of meat (khorovats), kebabs, and whole vegetables with pig fat. Strained yogurt, olives, greens and lavash are also normally brought to the table. For anything close to fast food outside the main towns you usually have to go to a grocery store for the ingredients to make a sandwich.

飲品與夜生活

The specialty in this area wine in the Vayots Dzor state and mulberry vodka (tuti oghi) in Syunik. Home made fruit drinks (compote) are usually very nice.

住宿

Budget options: many towns have old Soviet hotels which are cheap, sparse accommodations. The cleanliness and prices can vary greatly. As for a mid-range - there are quite a few choices at almost every city. And there is nowhere to splurge yet in Southern Armenia!

順遊推薦

You can get out of Southern Armenia by heading up to Central Armenia, heading east to Karabakh, or heading south to Iran. Again, buses and vans (marshutnis) heading north (to central Armenia) and south (to Iran) are fairly frequent. Some buses go all the way to Tehran. From Goris and points north, vans or taxis can be caught to Karabakh, and taxis to Yerevan can be caught from anywhere in the South, though going to a bus station might yield some fellow passengers to split a ride with.