Stepanavan

Stepanavan (Armenian: Ստեփանավան) is a city in Northern Armenia. It's famous mainly because of the ruins of the walled city of Lori located nearby. There is also a rather big museum of Stepan Shahumyan in town and nice Dendropark 12 km south of town.

Understand
Stepanavan is the main city in the large Dzoraget River valley area, which is separated from the rest of Lori by high mountains.



Get in
The two ways into the Dzoraget river valley region (aside from the Georgian border crossing) are over the mountain from Vanadzor, or through the pass at Dzoraget Village along the Debed River Canyon near Tumanyan.

Minibus/van or taxi from Yerevan or Vanadzor, car rental, or getting a driver are your options for getting transport to this area, aside from hiking or cycling in, which are both great options for those with some time (or a bicycle).

By bus


There are 6 buses per day to Yerevan (1,500 dram), 5-7 ones to Vanadzor (400 dram, 40-60 min), one to Tbilisi (3,000 dram), 2 to Alaverdi (600 dram), one to Gyumri (1,200 dram) and number of other buses to local villages nearby (2015). For details see Transportation schedule.

Get around
Same as the options to get in, with local public transport based out of Stepanavan.

By taxi
Taxis are ready to deliver you any place you want, some taxi fares: around the town 500 dram, to Lori berd 1,000 dram, to Stepanavan Dendropark; 2,000-2,500 dram return with 1 hr waiting.

See




Do
This is a hiking, biking, camping wonderland, as there are no fences, few cars, lots of back roads and trails, and very friendly people.


 * Rafting. – Dzoraget River is the only Armenian river suitable for rafting. The commonest rafting route begins at the Dzoraget bridge, near the town of Stepanavan. Rafting on the river is concentrated in the Dzoraget Canyon, which is in some places as deep as 300 m.



Eat
There are a few places to eat in Stepanavan, some barbecue restaurants on some of the highways and food at some of the hotel/resorts (e.g. SH Resort, Anahit Holiday Hotel).

Drink
Drinks are found where food is served, plus a few cafes in the summer in Stepanavan.



Go next

 * Khorakert Monastery and Khuchapi Monasteryat the border with Georgia, see Northern Armenia
 * Alaverdi – The town itself has little to offer of historic value, but there several beautiful monasteries in the vicinity of it: Sanahin Monastery, Haghpat Monastery
 * Gyumri – Armenia's 2nd largest city which once dwarfed Yerevan. Small old town area still shows earthquake damage from 1988.
 * Vanadzor – Armenia's 3rd largest city with Soviet industrial architecture, although it has a few nice churches