Perhaps one of the easiest and still very picturesque cycling trips in Armenia is around Sevan lake. The lake lies high at the altitude of 1900 meters surrounded by beautiful volcanic mountains. From the cultural side you can see several medieval monasteries on the shores of Sevan and the unique Noratus cemetery where the largest remaining collection of khachkars stands.
The trip can be done in 2-3 days adding x-amount of days to take rest, swim and lay in the sun. We took 2.5 days cycling, and 1.5 days resting which was also dictated by the logistics. I will talk about it below.
Practical Info
- Type: round trip
- Length: 204km
- Climb: 920m
- Altitude: 1900-2090m
- Surface: mostly asphalt (very destroyed one in some parts)
- Difficulty: medium
- Sightseeing: Sevanavank Monastery, Hayravank Monastery, Noratus Medieval Cemetery, Sevan National Park, Soviet buildings
- Food: Wish-Up Shore’s bar, Miqayelyan Family Farm for cheese degustation, Tsovagyugh Bakery
- Drink: plenty of villages to ride along, some public water sources
- Best season: May-September
Logistics
If you are travelling from Yerevan, the easiest way to get to Sevan is by train. The bike can be taken fully assembled and the ride costs about 1$. However sadly, the train runs only in summers and on certain days, so you need to check the train schedule in advance (see links below for the railways website).
As an alternative you can hire a private taxi (around 20$ one-way) or hitchhike. I wouldn’t advice for buses and minibuses as it’s either too small or crowded to fit your bike.
There are not many accommodations option besides the town of Sevan which is not very useful as it is likely to be the start or the end point. But there is a very nice campsite near Shorzha which you should probably not miss.
Obviously the trip can be made in either direction and as fast or slow as you want but I would suggest the following plan:
- Day 1 – arrival to Sevan and riding from Sevan to somewhere at the north side where you can find pretty pines to camp under
- Day 2 – ride until Shorzha and camp at Wish-Up shore
- Day 3 – Camp (or rent a hut) and try water sports, eat fresh fish at the bar and simply enjoy Sevan
- Day 4 (or 5 or 6 after you have had enough fun at Wish-Up) – ride another 45 km until Sevan and take a train back to Yerevan
Weather. The weather around Sevan can be quite unpredictable. Scorching hot at one minute, it can hailstorm at another. In three days of riding we got rained and hailed at three times.
Not to miss
Noratus medieval cemetery. While there are many old khachkars here (khachkar means cross-stone in Armenian and it was often used as a tombstone), my favourite tombstones in Noratus are those with descriptive carvings. Find many interesting khachkars and try to interpret them. There is farm life, weddings, etc.
Sevanavank or Sevan Monastery. This monastery earlier stood on the island but since the water level decreased it now stands on a peninsula. Climb for pretty views and check out a working seminary from above.
Birds. Hard to photograph but fun to observe, there are 200 bird species around lake Sevan. The most common to spot is the Armenian gull, then perhaps Sand Martin, but if you are careful – and lucky of course – you can spot a European Hoopoe or a Glossy Ibis.
Soviet Architecture. If you are outside of ex-USSR countries, you probably like photographing old Soviet building. Well, there are plenty around Sevan – railway and bus stations, summer pensions and children camps.
Wish-Up Shore. You get to choose from staying at a wooden house, hexagon ‘hut’ or a tent. You get nice atmosphere, simple shower, a bar and water sports.
Tsovagyugh Bakery. It’s a five-minute detour from the route but it is definitel:y worth it. It’s a big supermarket which a great bakery part. Try warm bread with cheese from tonir and sweet Gavar pakhlava from around Sevan – all you need to re-fill your cycling energy 🙂
Useful links
Wish-Up Shore Campsite – www.facebook.com/wishupshore
Railways – www.ukzhd.am
Gallery (click to enlarge)
Terrific l, and well written article with condensed practical information and useful recommendations.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to put it all together