Gyumri

Armenia's second city, whose well-preserved Kumayri historic district is built of black and red tuff; famous for its humour and crafts, with medieval monasteries such as Marmashen and Harichavank nearby.

Gyumri sits on a plateau in Shirak Province in northwestern Armenia, at about 1,550 m. It is the country's second-largest city; in the 19th century it was called Alexandropol, and in Soviet times Leninakan. The city is known for its buildings of black and ochre-red tuff: the Kumayri historic district preserves whole streets of Tsarist-era mansions, churches and cast-iron balconies, and Gyumri is also Armenia's capital of crafts, humour and theatre. The 1988 Spitak earthquake devastated the city, and buildings still under restoration can be seen today, making it an important stop for understanding modern Armenia. Highlights: walk the old town (Vardanants Square, the Church of the Holy Mother of God of the Seven Wounds and the Church of the Holy Saviour, the Dzitoghtsyan Museum and several family-run museums), then climb to the Black Fortress and the Mother Armenia statue on the west side of town for sunset. Half-day to full-day trips lead to Marmashen Monastery, Harichavank and Lmbatavank, and in summer you can go birdwatching at Lake Arpi. Getting there: Gyumri is about 120 km from Yerevan, about 2–3 hours by train (including a summer express) or about 2 hours by minibus; Shirak Airport has a few international flights. The best season is May–October; winters are cold and snowy. Plan on 1–2 days.

Top sights

• Kumayri Historic District – A cluster of 19th-century houses built from black and red tuff, with cast-iron balconies. It is the best-preserved old town quarter in Arme…
• Marmashen Monastery – A 10th–11th century monastery built of red tuff in the Akhuryan River valley, only 10 km from Gyumri.
• Vartanants Square – Gyumri's central square, surrounded by the City Hall, an equestrian statue of General Vardan and two major churches.
• Church of the Holy Mother of God (Yot Verk) – A 19th-century cathedral built of black tuff, one of the few churches that stayed open during the Soviet era.
• Holy Saviour's Church – A cathedral of red and black tuff modeled on Ani Cathedral, which underwent years of reconstruction after the 1988 earthquake.
• Black Fortress (Sev Berd) – A circular fortress of black tuff built by the Russian Empire in the 1830s, perched on a hill to the west of the city.
• Mother Armenia, Gyumri – A World War II memorial statue built in 1975 on a hilltop to the west of the city, overlooking the entire city and near the Black Fortress.
• Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life – A museum in a merchant's mansion built in 1872, showing the daily life and crafts of old Gyumri residents.
• Gallery of Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters – A gallery in an old house holding hundreds of oil paintings, prints and ceramics by the Aslamazyan sisters, women painters from Gyumri.
• Hovhannes Shiraz House-Museum – The tuff-built house and courtyard of Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenia's national poet, displaying manuscripts and furnishings of old Gyumri.
• Cathedral of the Holy Martyrs, Gyumri – A cathedral of the Armenian Catholic Church consecrated in 2015, with a modern design in orange tuff.
• Gyumri Central Park – The city's largest green space, with tree-lined paths, a small lake and an old-fashioned amusement park, popular with local families.
• Vardan Achemyan Drama Theatre – A theatre company dating back to 1865, considered one of Armenia's earliest professional troupes, and the theatre building is a city landma…
• Harichavank Monastery – A monastery complex on the edge of a gorge, founded in the 7th century, which in the 19th century served as the summer residence of the Cat…
• Lmbatavank – A small 7th-century domed church on a hillside at the edge of Artik, with rare early wall paintings preserved inside.
• Yererouk Basilica – The ruins of an early Christian basilica from the 4th to 5th centuries, located on the Armenian-Turkish border by the Akhuryan River.
• Lake Arpi National Park – A highland lake and wetland national park at about 2,000 meters, one of Armenia's most important birdwatching sites.

Where to eat

• Cherkezi Dzor – A fish pond restaurant in the gorge next to the Red Fortress, serving freshly caught trout and sturgeon, known by local…
• Poloz Mukuch – A legendary beerhouse housed in a 19th-century mansion in the old town, renovated into a restaurant-bar in 2023 while p…
• Herbs and Honey Teahouse Restaurant – An herb-themed teahouse restaurant on Ryzhkov Street, offering a wide variety of wild herbal teas alongside abundant ve…
• Basturma Shop & Grill Bar – A grill bar housed in an 1881 mansion in the old town, famous for its signature basturma burger and also selling homema…

Itineraries

• Northern Armenia Slow Travel by Public Transport – Connect Lake Sevan, Dilijan, the Debed Canyon, and Gyumri using marshrutkas and trains.
• Grand Armenia Loop – From Tatev in the south to Debed and Gyumri in the north, cover all the main regions of the country in one loop.