Unforgettable Moments in Yerevan – Cathedral Visit, Delicious Food and Exploring the City Center – Armenia

Hello everyone. I’m continuing to share our adventures in Yerevan, Armenia with you. In my previous post I mentioned that we were searching for an apartment. After getting through the first few days, our wish finally came true. But not only did we find an apartment we stumbled upon an even better option: a large private house.

The house was located about 2 km from the city center, in a neighborhood filled exclusively with private residences. The rent was 400 euros per month, with electricity billed separately. This was an amazing deal because, as I had shown in my previous post, the apartments we were offered were at least 40 years old, renovated Soviet-style units. But this place was a fantastic find.

I’d describe it as a two-story structure, though the second floor only had a barbecue area and wasn’t occupied. We had our own private entrance. The house was a total of 70 square meters, offering plenty of space. It had everything we needed for a one-month stay. I really liked it. Of course, there were a few minor downsides, like the absence of a large wardrobe. But there was a small chest of drawers for our belongings and this didn’t bother us at all because we loved the place from the start.

After settling in we headed towards Yerevan’s city center. Conveniently there was a bus stop just 50 meters from the house. Besides a large supermarket, there were also small mini-markets nearby. There was even a 24 hour convenience store, meaning we could buy things at any time, even in the middle of the night.

We arrived at Armenian Market No.2. A large marketplace, though I have no idea why it’s called No.2 (perhaps there’s a No.1 somewhere?). At first glance we saw many fast-food spots, small cafés and a large indoor market. We decided to go inside to check out the prices, as we hadn’t explored local markets yet and had only visited supermarkets so far.

Overall I can say that supermarket prices in Armenia are cheaper than in Georgia and in some cases, significantly more affordable. Fruits and vegetables were particularly inexpensive. At the entrance we grabbed large checkered shopping bags before heading into the open market section. Everything was neatly arranged and visually appealing. The dried fruits were beautifully displayed, almost as if they were designed to be gifted. One standout was a special sweet made of apricots, honey and walnuts.it looked absolutely delicious. Another eye-catching item was mandarins stuffed with dried fruit, both original and visually striking.

Next we checked out the churchkhela section. The vendor recommended trying a grape juice-based churchkhela and it was amazing. Possibly the best I’ve ever had. The small size was also a plus, making them easy to eat in a single bite. This market’s dried fruit and spice section was massive and vendors constantly offered samples to try.

Then we moved on to the sausages and pastirma (cured beef). According to the vendor, these meat products could last 20 days without refrigeration, three months in the fridge and indefinitely in the freezer. This makes them a perfect food choice for hikers or campers in the WorldMappin community. We found the sausages more flavorful, but those who prefer pastirma might enjoy that instead. Ultimately it’s a matter of personal taste. If you decide to buy some, you don’t need to get too much. 200 to 500 grams should be plenty.

Then we arrived at the drinks section, where we found more affordable wines. 1 liter for 5 euros, including pomegranate and blackberry-flavored options. There were also apricot brandy and peach vodka available. Honestly, this place had everything.

We also discovered a local sorrel (a tangy herb), priced at 2 euros per pack. The vendor mentioned that it’s used in soups and salads. To be honest, it was our first time seeing it. I wonder what a soup made with this herb tastes like?

We had first tried sheep cheese in Georgia and absolutely loved it. It was slightly salty and very flavorful. Here there were plenty of cheese options, even blue cheeses. The vendor said one of them was similar to Dorblu. There was also another blue cheese that looked like crocodile skin. The seller claimed it had medicinal properties. Can moldy cheese really be beneficial? We had never heard of such a thing before.

Anyway after leaving the market, we walked one block and came across one of Yerevan’s most important landmarks. There was a beautifully maintained, green park and right there stood one of the largest Armenian cathedrals in Yerevan. We saw people going inside, so we decided to visit as well.

The cathedral is called Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and it houses holy relics that were once kept in a monastery in Naples. The surrounding area was well-maintained, with visitors stopping on the steps to pray. It looked stunning and the interior was even more fascinating. Of course, as always we arrived at the busiest hour, so climbing the stairs under the hot sun was a challenge.

Inside we saw people kneeling in prayer as soon as they entered. They handed me a skirt to cover my knees, as is customary for modesty. The cathedral was massive, we wandered inside for a bit. There were stained glass windows, wooden pews and a peaceful atmosphere where people could sit, pray or simply reflect. The huge chandelier in the center, the icons and the overall silence made the place feel serene. No one spoke loudly and the atmosphere was filled with tranquility.

Entry was completely free and visitors could easily go inside. As I mentioned if you’re not dressed appropriately, they provide modest clothing at the entrance. You can just sit and enjoy the peaceful ambiance.

As we walked back down, we found a small park with a statue. Yerevan has a lot of green spaces and like many other parks, this one had mini amusement rides and a Ferris wheel for children. Within 10 minutes we arrived at the heart of the city: Republic Square. I had already covered part of it in a previous post.

We had explored Northern Avenue on a past visit, so this time, we walked in the opposite direction. I noticed red, double-decker tour buses, which seemed to be sightseeing buses covering the city’s major attractions. From what I understood, these tours take visitors to the most significant landmarks.

There was also an interesting building nearby, which I believe was the post office. And we found out that the fountain in Republic Square isn’t just illuminated. It’s actually a musical fountain. However, we hadn’t seen the lights yet. There was also a building with an arched design that reminded me a bit of the Arc de Triomphe.

The park we strolled through was called Shahumyan Park. It seemed quite popular, likely because of its central location. Both tourists and locals came here to walk and relax. The park had walking paths, places to buy tea, coffee and ice cream and a small decorative fountain.

However, one thing caught my attention. Earlier in our walk, we had seen many public drinking fountains. But now, they were almost nowhere to be found. The temperature had really risen and finding a place to drink water became difficult.

I really enjoyed Yerevan. The only downside was that we were living slightly outside the city center, but honestly, staying in the house I mentioned was a much better option than renting an old apartment in the center. Especially since a central apartment would have been twice as expensive. Plus taxis in Yerevan are very cheap, we could reach Republic square from our house for just 2.5 euros.

Finally we arrived at an open space with a large fountain and trees, where children were playing in the water. To be honest in this heat, I also felt like jumping in. The water must have been nice and cool. In most countries playing in fountains is prohibited and you can even get fined because it’s considered unsafe. But here either it’s allowed or no one really cares.

Here you can rent not only electric scooters but also bicycles. You can rent a bike by downloading the Armenia Bike app. I had ridden a similar green bike in Dubai marina, where you barely needed to pedal. It moved almost on its own with just a slight push. Yerevan also has electric bikes like that.

The city center is beautiful and well-maintained, making it a great place to explore. If Armenia had a sea, the number of tourists coming here would be much higher. Of course, there is the huge Lake Sevan, which we also visited. Most people go there mainly for a beach vacation. From what I saw there are many hotels and people generally prefer ones with swimming pools.

Just when we needed it most, we finally found a drinking water fountain. Right across from us was the History museum of Armenia and on the corner, there was a place to drink water. It was cool, refreshing and tasted great. not too cold, just the right temperature for the throat. There are drinking fountains all over Yerevan. But sometimes, they’re hard to find. For example, we couldn’t spot any while walking in the park, but here in Republic square, there was one.

Nearby there was also a hotel called Ria Hotel. If you’re looking for a comfortable stay in the city and money is not a concern, I’d recommend this place. It’s within walking distance of all the main attractions, so there’s no need for taxis. Everything is right outside your door. Plus the hotel is in a renovated historic building, which adds to its charm.

After drinking water I started feeling hungry, so it was time to search for a budget-friendly restaurant. There were several options around and we hoped to find the most affordable yet delicious one. We walked a bit away from Republic Square.

Many restaurants were located on the first floors of old buildings and they looked quite expensive. However, service seemed excellent and since they were in the center, the best food was probably here, though of course, at higher prices.

One interesting place we saw was ANS Burger, a fast-food restaurant similar to McDonald’s. It was quite large and the combo meal (drink + fries) was only 3.5 euros, which is a pretty affordable option for such a central and historic location. I tried Angus beef, which was really tasty. The first time I had Black Angus was in Dubai, maybe at Zero Gravity or some other beach complex. It was very juicy, though I wouldn't say there was a huge difference in taste.

Now our real adventure began: finding the right restaurant. We checked out two places, but their menus mainly offered rice, meatballs, mashed potatoes and soup, the kind of food we eat at home every day. We wanted something different, so we started looking for Armenian cuisine. After all since we were in Armenia, we had to try the local food.

After walking through a few streets, we finally found a nice and cozy place. It felt like being in a vineyard and they even had swings to sit on. We chose a table outside and it was really enjoyable. There were a lot of mist sprays to cool down the area, but they kept dripping on my head, which was a bit annoying. Other than that, everything was perfect.

And finally our first dish arrived: Lahmajun. This is a traditional Armenian dish with minced meat and vegetables on top. We also ordered local draft beer, which was delicious. My friend wanted more meat since the portion alone wasn’t very filling. It was so tasty similar to a cheburek, but instead of deep-fried dough, it had a thin, crispy crust with flavorful, spiced meat. A unique dish and I’m sure you’ll love it if you try it.

Actually, we had eaten the same dish in Turkey before. As I mentioned in a previous post, Turkish and Armenian cuisines have a lot in common.

Then our table filled up with food: lavash (flatbread), dolma, kyufta and khash. Everything was delicious. The dolma had plenty of meat and the spices were amazing. Kyufta was also very flavorful, juicy and tender. I really loved it.

However, I didn’t like khash. I couldn't really understand the taste. It was too plain. Maybe you’re supposed to eat it with meat, but on its own, it had no flavor. It felt like just hot broth with a slight meat aroma, but it didn’t taste good to me.

The total cost for four dishes, lavash and two beers was 32 euros. The meal was filling and satisfying and the price was reasonable considering the amount of food we had.

After eating we decided to explore a bit more. We walked toward the Opera house, then headed to the Cascade complex. There was also a shopping mall, so we checked it out. Afterward we stopped by a store before heading home.

This was our first time renting an apartment in Armenia and it felt a bit unusual at first.

See you soon with more adventures in Armenia.