"9 days in Lori" Active tour in Armenia without tents

On this day we'll get acquainted with several monasteries of Lori. Let's begin with a church in Kurtan village which is situated on a left bank of a river. Then we'll continue to hike to Hnevank monastery, which is situated on the right bank.
We'll go to Ardvi- to the monastery of Srbanes or Surb Hovhannes. The monastery was founded in the VIII century. It is interesting because it was built not from purely hewn stones, like most Armenian churches and monasteries, but from formless pieces of andesite.
In Odzun, where we'll hike next, stands ancient monastery, the foundation of which, according to the legend, is associated with Apostle Thomas.
The night stay will be in Haghpat village.

On the morning of the third day, we'll start hiking from Odzun to Horomayr and Kobayr monasteries.
Horomayr stands on the left side of Debed River's gorge(Lori's main river). The monastery consists of 2 structures- upper and lower. These two parts are connected with an almost impassable path.
Then the road leads to Kobayr monastery. Like Horomayr, Kobayr is also situated on the edge of a gorge, as if it's impregnable. All the structures of the monastery were built with taking into account relief's difficulties.
After finishing this hike, we'll go to Haghpat. It seems that the whole nature of Lori is represented in Haghpat. Here, in one place there are- gorges, mountains, forests, and of course the medieval monastery of Haghpat. It is still one of the main spiritual centres of Armenia.
The night stay will be in Haghpat.

On the fourth day of the active tour in Armenia "9 days in Lori", in SUV we'll pass from Haghpat to the foothill of Lalvar mountain, from where we'll climb the mountain top. The mountain isn't so high(2544 m) but nature here is adorable. It is rich in alpine plants, and the north side in forests."
After climbing the mountain, we'll return to Haghpat.

In the morning, we'll hike through a mountain forest, after which, we'll drive to Sedvi village in SUV. From there, we will go to the monastery and fortress of Sedvi. Although the construction of monasteries and fortresses in the gorges and on their edges had practical importance, it also gave special beauty to these buildings.
Both the monastery and fortress(XIII) were built in the gorge, in the place, where once was a settlement the traces of which can be found in the whole area.
The night stay will be in Haghpat.

Two kilometers from Haghpat- on the cape, surrounded by deep gorges stands the fortress of Kayan. We will hike there.
Not far from the fortress, there's another defensive structure- Zarni Parni. As in many cases, including Kayan fortress, natural features of the area were used for defensive purposes. Stone structures were built near the caves on the rocks- an observation tower and a protective wall. This is our next destination of today's hike.
Sanahin, where we will hike next, was built like many other monasteries- on a hill, by a riverbank. The monastery was one of the important and great medieval spiritual and scientific centres, which is evidenced by not only churches, but also by numerous ancillary structures of the monastery- the seminary building, a book depository, and so on.
If we manage, we'll probably go to Akhtala fortress, where Akhtala monastery stands.
For the night stay, we'll return to Haghpat.

Above it was said that Haghpat stands at the mountains' foothill, and so, one of these mountains is called Surb Luys (Holy Light). It is named so because of the holiness of this place and because the Sun in Haghpat rises from this mountain. On the eight day of our tour we will climb exactly this mountain. From there open many picturesque views to the surrounding mountain landscapes.
After getting down from Surb Luys mountain, we'll go to Haghpat for the night stay.

The beautiful gorge of Martz is one of the places that need to be visited. Of course, we'll hike through the gorge.
Then, from the gorge, we'll hike to the monastery of Bardzrakash Surb Grigor. The monastery was destroyed by ground peculiarities, but richly decorated stones of the monastery amaze with their beauty.
The monastery is located not far from Dsegh village, so we'll hike there. From Dsegh, we'll go to a picturesque mountain river that has some small waterfalls. The river is Debed's tributary.
For the night stay, we'll return to Haghpat.

On the last day of the hiking in Armenia, we'll hike not through Lori, but through other beautiful places. At first, we'll drive to Dilijan- a city with amazing nature and interesting architecture, and of course with water(not only from the water tap but also mineral).
Passing through the mountain serpentine, we'll get to Lake Sevan.
And through places that has completely different and fascinating nature, we will return to Yerevan. And yes, on the way, we'll also stop by the hot springs.