If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, you want inspiration and creativity, mountain landscapes, ancient monasteries and beautiful lakes, then you definitely need to go to Dilijan. Barev dzes, dear friend, the perfect Armenian holidays are starting!
Contents
- How to get there
- Where to stay
- What to see and do
- Where to eat and drink
How to get there
First you need to be in the capital of Armenia — the glorious city of Yerevan. You can fly from Moscow on a direct one—way flight from 9150 rubles, from St. Petersburg – from 23,000 rubles. The most convenient way to get from Yerevan is by car (97 km), a regular bus that runs several times a day, or a taxi (on the way ~ 1.5 hours). Along the way, you will meet the mesmerizing beauty of the views of Lake Sevan.
If you decide to stay in Yerevan before or after Dilijan, then our article with a list of entertainment in the Armenian capital for a couple of days may be useful (delicious places are attached).
First you need to be in the capital of Armenia — the glorious city of Yerevan. Photo: Sergey Malomuzh/Shutterstock.com
Extend your trip
Our review article with the best sights of the country, life hacks and decent hotels will help you plan a route through Armenia for several days.
Where to stay
We have selected hotels and guest houses for different budgets available on the Island. For almost any budget, you can find housing options among the mountains and with a cozy territory. And discounts on the loyalty program of the GURU Island will also help you save money. To book with discounts of 10% or more, you only need to register in the service.
Verin Tun
A small hotel with affordable prices: from 4,533 rubles per room with breakfast included. Guests praise the hospitable hosts and the mountain and garden views from the rooms with a balcony.
Dilijan Park Resort and Villas
The stone houses are in the same style, and each has its own parking. A playground, billiards, and badminton are available for entertainment. There are forests, mountains and clean air all around, which is good news. A night here costs from 5,197 rubles.
Dilijan Park Resort and Villas Resort.
Guest house Toon Armeni
“It’s like at home, but you don’t have to cook!” the guests write in the reviews. Wooden houses with terraces and balconies, delicious breakfasts prepared by the hostess, a cozy garden and pleasant prices — from 6060 rubles per room are at your service.
Dilivita Guest House
Is another guest house with a wonderful territory, where there is a swing, a well-kept garden and unchanging views of the fluffy mountains. The room costs from 6642 rubles with breakfast.
Hotel Dili Town Resort & Spa
Hotel Dili Town Resort & Spa.
Aurora Luxe
Dilijani Tun
Armenian architecture and interiors reinterpreted in a modern style are waiting for guests here. Dilijani Tun is located in the upper part of the city and therefore offers magnificent views of the surrounding area. You can stay here for 14,720 rubles.
EcoKayan Hotel
Mountains, ponds, river, cows, goats — that’s what awaits you in this lovely hotel in the bosom of nature. There are gazebos with a barbecue on site.
The EcoKayan Hotel.
What to see and do
To check whether Dilijan really looks like Switzerland
Dilijan is comfortably located in three mountain gorges at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, in the heart of the spacious Dilijan National Park, one of the protected areas of Transcaucasia. The city is called the Armenian version of Switzerland, which is not surprising: it has a mild climate and a comfortable temperature all year round, fresh air with the scent of pine trees (in Soviet times, tuberculosis patients even came here for treatment), lush forests and mountains, among which charming stone houses hide. In summer, there is no heat here and everything is immersed in greenery, in autumn the landscapes resemble a revived palette, in winter the city looks like in the best Christmas movies, and in spring it bursts with new life. It’s a charming place, and you don’t need any Schengen.
Visit the creative resort town
In Soviet times Dilijan was a popular resort town. Celebrities came here for clean air and for medicinal purposes: Marcel Marceau, Dmitry Shostakovich, Alexandra Pakhmutova and others. The intelligentsia has always loved this picturesque and creative city, where even today the artisans of the Old Town draw inspiration from the surrounding landscapes.
After the 90s, the city became an educational center, and for good reason. Serbs, Kurds and Georgians have long lived in Dilijan. To this day, Molokans can also be found here — in the neighboring villages of Violet and Lermontovo. Such a mix of cultures has played an important role — this trend continues to this day and is embodied in various training centers and modern projects.
In Soviet times Dilijan was a popular resort town. Photo: Karen Faljyan/Shutterstock.com
That’s how Dilijan is!
Dilijan seems to be just a small town in the mountains, but in 2014 the international school UWC DILIJAN was opened here. It is one of the institutions of the United World Colleges educational movement (UWC), which promotes the unification of nations and cultures. Dilijan branch is the only one in the territory of the former Soviet Union.
Wipe the noses of the movie’s characters”Mimino”
Do you remember that very dialogue between the charismatic Frunzik Mkrtchyan and Vakhtang Kikabidze in the movie “Mimino”?
— In our Dilijan, you open a simple faucet in the kitchen — the water flows, it takes second place in the world!
— And the first one is in Yerevan, right?
— No, in San Francisco.
A few years ago, a monument “Mimino” was erected in the city, symbolizing the Armenian-Georgian friendship. Why here? Because one of the main characters of the film hails from Dilijan and glorifies his small homeland in a cult film. Bronze statues are supposed to rub their noses for good luck, so go ahead: first you need to drink water, make a wish, and then touch Frunzik.
A few years ago, a monument “Mimino” was erected in the city, symbolizing the Armenian-Georgian friendship. Photo: vvoe/Shutterstock.com
Take a picture of the monument in honor of the 50th anniversary of Soviet Armenia
Wander through the cozy stone streets of Old Dilijan
Hovhannes Sharambeyan Street is the most atmospheric street in the city, which is completely recreated in the old days. In the 90s, it was decided to turn it into the cultural and historical complex Old Dilijan Tufenkian. Here you can admire wooden openwork balconies, brick buildings with tiled roofs, stone houses, attics, retro signs, cozy restaurants and shops of local artisans who pass on their skills by inheritance.
Take a walk in the “Drunken Forest”
An area with views of the city and the surrounding area, a sports ground, bungee, gazebos and walking trails. The forest was nicknamed “Drunk” due to the trees twisted by the winds. To get here, you first need to walk to the amphitheater, and then climb up the stairs located nearby. There will be white and red markings on the trees, so you won’t get lost.
The forest was nicknamed “Drunk” due to the trees twisted by the winds. Photo: Artem Avetisyan/Shutterstock.com
Taste the dilvados
In Normandy, calvados was invented, and in Armenia, more precisely in Dilijan, dilvados. It is an alcoholic beverage based on distillate from the juice of wild fruits growing in local forests. You can try a fruity alcoholic drink right where it is produced — at Dilvados Rancho And Distillery. The place is located in the mountains, and the tasting can be combined with a homemade lunch and a feast with the hospitable owner of the ranch.
Feel like a local in a city park
The city park is a favorite gathering place for locals. Come here to admire the artificial, but no less beautiful lake, to think about how good life is, over a cup of coffee in a cozy restaurant or just to take an evening promenade. The longest rope park in Armenia, VereV Rope Park, operates here. Five trails with a length of about 550 meters for different levels of training are at your service.
Come here to admire the artificial, but no less beautiful lake. Photo: Chalermpon Poungpeth/Shutterstock.com
Go on a hike through Dilijan National Park
Dilijan is located on the territory of the national park of the same name. There are many hiking trails in its expanses, and if you go hiking along them for one or two days, you can find ancient monasteries, healing springs, untouched nature and red-book representatives of the animal world.
During the walk you can see: Matosavank Monastery with preserved documents of ancient Armenian script, Juhtak monastery with two churches of the XI-XII centuries, Haghartsin monastery complex (do not forget to make a wish inside a tree that was struck by lightning) and Goshavank Monastery, where in ancient times there was a university and sciences were taught.
In addition to monasteries, during the trek you can observe lakes Parz and Gosh with the purest water and mountain ranges: Pambaksky (height — 3101 m), Areguni (2740 m) and Miaporsky (2993 m).
You can go to the track with a guide or download the HIKE Armenia app and go along the route yourself.
During the walk you can see: Matosavank monastery with preserved documents of ancient Armenian script. Photo: TeeS/Shutterstock.com
Visit the museum
If time permits, take a look at the local history museum with a decent art gallery or visit the charming Ashot Babayan workshop museum with a collection of artful wooden sculptures.
Where to eat and drink
- Tava Restaurant, a stylish restaurant with original recipes of Armenian cuisine.
- Cafe #2, a cozy cafe without frills, but with a great view of the lake in the city center.
- Papanino House, a restaurant with a good selection of wines and juicy steaks.
- In Ker U Sus, go for the best fish in the city and experience real Armenian hospitality.
- Dilijazz Restaurant offers its guests decent cuisine to the sounds of jazz.
- Well, Sovats Vozni is the most stylish and cozy place in the city with a real yurt and a stove inside.
Tava Restaurant, a stylish restaurant with original recipes of Armenian cuisine. Photo: Gleb Eremeev & Nikita Blokhin/Yandex.Maps
It is impossible not to fall in love with Dilijan: the charm of this city strikes you on the spot and leaves no chance to remain indifferent. Come and see for yourself!
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Cover photo: Ash Haghighi/pexels.com
