Yerevan, central plaza with fountains

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Yerevan

Leave your preconceptions at home, because Yerevan (ԵՐԵՎԱՆ) will almost certainly confound them. This is a city of contradictions – top-of-the-line Mercedes sedans share the roads with Ladas so old they should be in museum collections; traditional pandoks (taverns) serving khoravats (barbecue meats) and oghee (fruit vodka) sit next to chic European-style wine bars; and street fashions range from hipster to babushka with many weird and wonderful variations in between. In summer, locals take to the streets every night, claiming tables at the city's many outdoor cafes, sauntering along its tree-filled boulevards and congregating at the beloved musical fountain in Republic Sq. Few traces of the city's ancient past remain, usurped by Soviet-era buildings and modern structures with little regard for history. But wander into any dalan (archway) and enter a portal into a different world – you may find a gorgeous 19th-century balcony or beautiful church beyond.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • YEREVAN, ARMENIA - SEPTEMBER 28, 2015: The Cascade is a giant stairway in Yerevan, Armenia.; Shutterstock ID 371398735; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: 100 Cities Guides app image downloads

    Cafesjian Center for the Arts

    Yerevan

    Housed in a vast flight of stone steps known as the Cascade, this arts centre is one of the city's major cultural attractions. Originally conceived in the…

  • "Yerevan, Armenia - October 28, 2009. Eternal flame in Tsitsernakaberd. Tsitsernakaberd is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Yerevan, Armenia. The eternal flame inside the memorial."

    Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum

    Yerevan

    Commemorating the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922, this institution uses photographs, documents, reports and films to…

  • Yerevan, Armenia - May 02, 2015: Republic Square. The National History Museum of Armenia. Was founded in 1919 as Ethnographic-Anthropological Museum-Library. One of main landmarks in city

    History Museum of Armenia

    Yerevan

    Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every…

  • Sergei Parajanov Museum

    Sergei Parajanov Museum

    Yerevan

    For something totally unique, head to this museum near Hrazdan Gorge. Crammed with collages, drawings, photographs and assemblages created by the…

  • Mother Armenia Military Museum

    Mother Armenia Military Museum

    Yerevan

    There's symbolism aplenty in this huge 22m-high memorial above the Cascade. Mother Armenia's stern visage, military stance and massive sword project a…

  • Matenadaran

    Matenadaran

    Yerevan

    Standing at the top of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, this cathedral-like manuscript library is a source of enormous pride to all Armenians. The first…

  • Martiros Sarian Museum

    Martiros Sarian Museum

    Yerevan

    This museum preserves the studio and some of the works of 20th-century painter Martiros Sarian, known for his vibrant colour-saturated canvases. On the…

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