Vardenis city in Armenia: what to see and how to get there

Vardenis is considered one of the oldest cities in Armenia. Within its limits and beyond it, traces of antiquity are found, which attract travelers so much. But the main wealth of Vardenis is nature. Here are mountains, and meadows, and river and lake water.

Contents

1. History of the city of Vardenis
2. How to get to the city?
3. Places of interest

History of the city of Vardenis

There has been a settlement on the southeastern shore of Sevan since time immemorial. According to legend, it was founded in the III-I centuries. BC. King Gegham is the grandson of Hayk Nahapet, the progenitor of the Armenians. It was in honor of Gegham that Lake Sevan until the 18th century. called the Geghama Sea. And he named the village Gegham by his own name - Geghamabak. During the times of Great Armenia, it was part of the ninth province of Syunik. And now on the outskirts of the city they find burial places of those centuries.

In the ninth century AD the village was found in a ruined state by the Syunik prince Vasak Gabur. He restored the settlement and named Vasakashen in his own honor (“Vasaka village”). The territory was repeatedly raided by Tatar-Mongols and Turkic-Oghuz. They were probably attracted by the location near Lake Sevan, the Masrik River, surrounded by the Vardenis and Sevan mountain ranges, as well as a gold deposit in the neighboring village of Sotk.

Gold, like other minerals, is mined here to this day. And from the XVI to the beginning of the XIX century. Vasakashen was Voskeshen - the "golden village".

In 1830, Armenians moved here from Diyadin (Tateon) in Western Armenia, and then Azerbaijanis. They named the village Basargechar. And only in 1969 the village became Vardenis (“land of roses”) after the name of the mountain in the south-west of the city. In 1995, the village has grown to the title of the city.

Now local residents are engaged in agriculture. They present their products at fairs in different regions of Armenia. And in 2014, such a fair “Golden Wheat” was held for the first time in Vardenis itself. The city is famous for its wheat. In Soviet times, it was supplied to a local brewery, but now it goes to a bakery. At the site of the brewery, a factory for the production of Ecokat cheese is now operating. You can buy Gouda, Lori and Chanakh cheeses. The city also has its own dairy enterprise, Gnel Khachatryan, which purchases milk from local families. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are poured here, such as Tateon brandy, which is made from local apples, as they say, to the sound of classical music. There are also many furniture factories and even a sea buckthorn processing plant, Samelon Vardeins.

As you can see, this seemingly small provincial town is of great economic importance.

Here the summer is short, not as hot as in the capital. In addition, constant winds save. In autumn it is rainy, and in winter it is snowy and -6°C.

How to get to the city?

Vardenis is located 170 km from Yerevan. You can get there by car in 2.5–3 hours. It is convenient to rent a car in Move2Car. The road runs along the lake shore and coastal forests. On the other side of them are mountains, so the trip promises to be pleasant.

There is a bus from the Northern Bus Station (Verin Ptkhni, highway M-4) to Vardenis. Also in summer, from Friday to Sunday, you can take a train from Yerevan to the station "Sevan" or "Shorzha", and from there get by car.

The city is located on the Sotk-Karvachar road, connecting Armenia with Artsakh. Vardenis is located 20 km from the border and has been repeatedly shelled. Be careful when traveling here and find out the situation in the region in advance. Our support team will help you with this. @move2armenia_official.

Places of interest

So far, Vardenis is little known among tourists. More often, for a holiday in Sevan or a trip around the Gegharkunik region, larger cities are chosen, for example, Sevan of the same name or Shoghakat (Shorzha station). But there is something to pay attention to in Vardenis and its environs.

Nature

We called nature a separate attraction. Vardenis is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on a plain. Some tourists compare the local expanses with the Kazakh steppes. 23 km away are the Vardenis mountains, where you can find ancient petroglyphs. The Sevan mountain range is visible to the north. At 10 km - the lake of the same name.

Spring of Vardan Mamikoyan

Among the natural resources of Vardenis, let us single out the spring of Vardan Mamikoyan. It is located outside the city limits. It is believed that the Armenian commander stopped here during his campaign. Residents of Vardenis consider spring water to be healing and call this place holy.

City square and park

Green is not only outside the city. In Vadenis, it is good to walk around the square named after Monte Melkonyan - the National Hero of Armenia, the hero of Artsakh. You can also breathe fresh air in the city park named after academician Viktor Hambardzumyan. A house-museum of the scientist has also been opened in Vardenis. Interestingly, his father, the philologist Hamazasp Hambardzumyan, was born in the then village of Basargechar. It is also worth stopping at the memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War - the mother of a soldier, carved from stone, mourns for them, kneeling down.

Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Vardenis

The main thing to see in Vardenis is the church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). The first church was founded by Vasak Gabur. In the XVI century. the historian Hovhannisik Tsaretsi worked here. He restored and rewrote chronicles. That temple has not survived to this day, but in 1905 a new church was erected on its foundation. On its territory there are khachkars of the XIV-XVII centuries.

Surb Astvatsatsin churches in Sotk town and Hayrk village

There are churches of the Holy Mother of God not only in Vardenis, but also in the nearest settlements. In the city of Sotk there is a temple of the 7th century. Within its walls are khachkars of the 13th century. And in the village of Ayrk there is the church of St. Astvatsatsin of the 12th century, opposite which is St. Gevorg of the 13th century. Near each there is an ancient cemetery with khachkars. The temples seem to be connected by a military fortification supposedly of the Iron Age.

Vanevan monastery

On the way to Vardenis, you can stop by the Vanevan monastery of the 10th century. Moreover, the path lies through a picturesque gorge. On the territory of the monastery, two churches and a bell tower have been preserved. Tourists note how quiet, peaceful it is, and around greenery and mountains.

Monastery Makenats Vank

Makenis village is located 18 km from Vardenis. There in the ninth century Queen Mary built the Makenyats Vank Monastery in memory of her dead brother. Once it was considered an important cultural center, where Armenian Catholicoses even studied.

Fortress in the village of Tsovak

The path from Vardenis to Lake Sevan lies through the village of Tsovak. There is a fortress built in the 1st century. BC. On its territory at different times there was a church, a cemetery and cave dwellings, in which traces of soot from the hearths are visible. A cuneiform inscription dating back to the 8th century is carved on the rock. BC.

We continue to talk about the cities of Armenia. If you are interested in learning about other settlements near Lake Sevan, check out our articles on Gavar and Martuni.