Vanadzor

• • Church of the Holy Mother of God — Very old black and orange stone Armenian church. It is one of the nicest examples of historic architecture in Vanadzor. It was built in 1831 and then renovated in 1999. — Directions: by the river on the north end of town
• • Russian church of the Nativity of Virgin Mary — A very nice old church with a golden dome built in 1895. — Directions: right next to the train station, and if you take a marshutni to Vanadzor, this is where you'll likely start your visit
• • Saint Gregory of Narek Cathedral — The groundbreaking service for the new cathedral of the diocese of Gugark took place in May 2002. In 2003, His Holiness Karekin II; the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, conducted the blessing service for the foundation of the cathedral. The construction of the cathedral was completed in 2005 and named after Saint Gregory of Narek, to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of his Book of Lamentations.
• • The Prelacy of the Diocese of Gougark — The Diocese of Gougark is a diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church encompassing the northern Lori Province of Armenia. It is named after the historic province of Gugark; the 13th province of the Kingdom of Armenia. The modern-day province of Lori was one of the cantons of historic Gugark. The diocesan headquarters are located in the city of Vanadzor. The seat of the bishop is the Saint Gregory of Narek Cathedral. Until December 2010, the churches of Tavush Province were under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Gougark, when the new Diocese of Tavush was founded by Catholicos Karekin II.
• • Train Station — If you want to get a taste of the Soviet Union, head to the train station right by the Russian Church. Classic Soviet architecture of its time, which has remained virtually untouched since the collapse of the USSR. The train which used to connect Vanadzor with all of Eastern Europe and the world, now only gets you as far as Tbilisi, so the crowds are gone, but the shell is still there.
• • Mashtots Hill Archaeological Site — Archaeological site dating back to the 4th-3rd millennia BC.

= They suggest two tours ''Explore Vanadzor's Soviet heritage on two wheels or Bike to Soviet youth camps through mountains''. — Address: boomtbpark@gmail.com — Directions: 90/2-3 Myasnikyan St, Vanadzor 2001, Armenia — Hours: 1-3 hours, Tours are available 7 days a week, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (spring and autumn), 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (summer) Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance — Phone: +374 91 10 77 74 — Email: boomtbpark@gmail.com — Website: https://www.facebook.com/discovervanadzorontwowheels/

• • Vanadzor Botanical Garden — It was established in 1935, occupying southern hilltops of a town where more than 600 species of plants are found.
• • Vanadzor Central park
• • Park — It has a pond where lots of locals swim in its murky waters. Peddle boats are available for rent. There is also a small cafe serving coffee, drinks and desserts.
• • Sayat Nova park
• • Discover Vanadzor on two weels — Emma Petrosyan and Vaghinak Karapetyan are young bike enthusiasts who decided to resettle in Vanadzor. Vanadzor has both urban spaces and mountainous landscapes, which is why Emma and Vaghinak fell in love with the city. Encouraged by their experience in other countries, they founded the Boo Mountain Bike Park Project to develop mountain biking in the town. Their example has inspired local youth to stay and develop their hometown as one of the most popular biking destinations in the Southern Caucasus.

• • Lav Teh — Friendly, nice and quick restaurant. — Address: Tumanyan street 11a — Price: 4600 dram for two — Phone: +374 94 44 59 90
• • Pizza "Tashir" — Popular Armenian restaurant chain serving mostly pizzas, salads, soups, desserts. — Address: 65a Tigran Mets — Price: Pizza slice 250 dram, salad 700 dram
• • Restaurant "Tiflis"
• • Restaurant "Nshkhark"
• • Restaurant "Tagavoranist"
• • Cafe "Lori"
• • Restaurant "Oasis" — Big portions, tasty dishes, one of the best options to eat in town. European and Armenian cuisine. Open air terrace. — Address: Tigran Mets Ave — Price: Salad bar 2000 dram per plate, mains 2000 dram
• • Jazz Cafe — Quite decent food, desserts and alcohol cocktails. Pianist plays in the evenings and jazz band on Saturdays nights. — Hours: 09:00–22:30 — Price: Mains 1500 dram
• • Restaurant "Elkani" — Claimed to be a 5-star restaurant. — Phone: +374 322 41919

• • Vanadzor Market — Open air market where mainly food is sold.

• • "Green House" Hotel — A 5-minute walk from the centre of Vanadzor, Green house hotel is a first-rate building surrounded by the green park with beautiful trees and flowers. Stylish furniture and modern design in the 15 nicely furnished rooms. — Address: 8d Banak Str — Price: 10,000-25,000 dram — Phone: +374 322 40015, +374 322 20932, +374 91 310070, +374 91 428611 — Website: http://armeniainfo.am/lodging/?section=hotels_desc&est_id=2321
• • "Argishti" Hotel — The hotel "Argishti" is a three-storey building, located in the center of Vanadzor Town. The interior part of the hotel has been designed with the elements of the national style and coloring. The hotel rooms have bathrooms, with all necessary components, refrigerators, color TVs, satellite, telephones and hair-driers. It has an International telephone communication. — Address: 1 Batumi Str — Price: 25,000-35,000 dram — Phone: +374 322 42556, +374 322 42557, +374 322 42558
• • "Gugark" Hotel — Good no-frills budget option. — Address: central square — Directions: At the corner of the central square, a block or two from the bus station — Price: 10,000-15,000 dram — Phone: +374 322 41510
• • B&B MagHay — A back deck with mountain views, large living room, aside deck overlooking

the lush perennial garden. Homemade breakfast. Will make restaurant and tour reservations. — Phone: +37491380305 — Email: marined61@rambler.ru — Website: https://web.facebook.com/BB.MagHay/

• • Vanadzor Spa and Hotel Complex — Address: 31 Zakaryan St. — Directions: close to Botanical Garden — Price: Double from 18,000 dram
• • "Gross" Hotel — Phone: +374 322 4 15 53
• • Kirovakan Hotel — Rooms have cable TV, free WiFi, private bathroom. Splendid views of the mountains. 24-hour front desk. Table tennis. — Address: 1 Mashtotsa St. — Price: Double 14,000 dram — Phone: +374 322 47010, +374 98 417010
• • Hotel Laguna — Offers an outdoor pool, sauna, free WiFi. Very high ratings on a booking sites. — Address: 68 Yerevan Highway — Directions: A bit out of town, 3.5 km from the town center — Price: Double from 15,000 dram — Phone: +374 322 5-00-09 — Website: http://laguna.am

= The city lies on the railway connecting Tbilisi and Yerevan.

• Railway station — Provides sitting area, cachier desks, toilets, some simple snacks. Taxis are abundant.

Vanadzor is Armenia's third largest city, with a population of about 105,000 people. There are a few old churches, however big part of the city has been built during the time of the Soviet Union with a grand central square, a humongous old Soviet chemical factory which has been idle for decades, and a river running through the somewhat narrow valley, surrounded by hills.

Most of the attractions in Lori are along the Debed River canyon to the north, or around Stepanavan, and although Vanadzor can be used as a base to explore these due to its perfect transport connection, finding a place closer to them might be preferable.