Unforgettable հօlidays in Armenia: destination – Gyumri (part 1)

Spring in Armenia are incredibly picturesque and amazing owing to the delightful mountain landscapes. This South Caucasian country at this time of the year is beautifully buried in greenery and flowers, with breathtaking panoramic views from higher altitudes. In Armenia, especially in spring, a vacation is a journey of unforgettable experience nearly in every corner of the country, as the spring awakening can be acutely felt in every fresh breath of the mountain air. Today we will explore Gyumri, the second largest city of Armenia, which attracts attention of tourists with its flourishing beauty and unique architectural, historical, Christian monuments.

Attention! If you need prompt assistance in any aspect of your travel, residence, or relocation, e.g. if you need a visa to visit Armenia, or looking to obtain a permanent / temporary residence permit or Armenian citizenship, or you need an urgent solution to business-related issues, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@offshore-pro.info straightaway, or get in touch by online chat.

Let us describe in more detail what events you absolutely must attend in this beautiful city of Armenia Gyumri, as well as will explore TOP5 smartphone applications  that will make your trip to a mountainous country comfortable and memorable for you.

Spring holidays in Armenia – a guide to the creative and spiritual city of Gyumri

Guymri is the second largest Armenian city, which has long been known to tourists and travelers as a concentration of cultural and creative attractions. Your spring vacation in Armenia simply must include a visit to this unique place that invariably attracts admirers of delicious food, unique history, and Armenian culture. It is worth noting that the city has miraculously managed to preserve all the architectural monuments of historical value, including the facades of old buildings destroyed by the Spitak earthquake in the late 1980s.

If you plan to move to Armenia for permanent residence, we recommend that you definitely visit Gyumri to see a special part of Armenian history enclosed in ancient temples, taste aromatic Armenian dishes and admire various achievements of art and human creativity. Historically, attractive for artists as well as the comedy hub of the country, this city is actually a focal point of the Armenian bohemia. 

If your are a lover of last minute trip, without spending much time on planning, we recommend that you to contact our lawyers to clarify visa requirements (provided that you need one for visiting Armenia). Depending on your citizenship, we can help you with e-Visa, Visa on Arrival or Standard Visa.

Now let’s look at the main attractions of Gyumri, which make your vacation in Armenia in the spring summer memorable and impressive. To name a few:

1. Sev-Berd Fortress (Black Fortress), built in the 19th century by Nicholas I (Russian Emperor). This unique circular building was made of volcanic tufa. It currently has an amphitheater inside and is included in the list of historical and cultural monuments of Armenia.
2. Vartanants Square, located in the very heart of Gyumri. This place is surrounded by a large number of fountains, churches and buildings with characteristic architecture. Nearby is the local municipality, Vardan Mamikonyan Monument of Freedom. The square hosts a huge number of festivals and open-air events every year, and is a favorite place for evening walks and pastime for local residents.
3. Statue of Mother Armenia. This historical monument is located in Yerevan and Gyumri as a symbol of victory in the Second World War. It is surrounded by beautiful green parks, and tourists absolutely love taking photos against the background of this historical monument.
4. Kumayri district is the oldest district of the second largest city of RA, which makes recreation in Armenia in spring and summer simply charming. Here are the narrow streets with well-preserved historical structures built in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the first settlement of the Kumayri district dates back to the 5th century BC. The streets are full of cozy cafes where you can taste amazing Armenian cuisine and meet incredible Armenian hospitality.
5. Independence Square in Gyumri. This is the second largest square in the city with a statue of a girl with a cross in the center. The square is well-landscaped, and the statue was erected to commemorate the earthquake of December 1988.

Almost all foreign tourists who have visited Armenia in spring, have holidays memories about Armenia associated with the city of Gyumri. Experienced travelers strongly advise to pay attention to the Aslamazyan sisters’ museum, Alikhanyan puppet theater, the Museum of folk architecture and urban life, the Mher Mkrtchyan Museum, as well as the Gyumri Drama Theater.

 Spring holidays in Armenia in the city of Gyumri – how to get there and where to stay?

Since 2019, air communication with Armenia has been simplified for foreign tourists and travelers, thanks to the launch of new low-cost flights of European airlines. Now you have an option fly into Armenia directly from Greece (Athens, Thessaloniki), Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Vienna, Austria. The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, is located within merely two-hour drive from Gyumri, so travel will not take much time. 

Earlier, we discussed the best transportation option for travelling around Armenia. If there are no budget constraints, the best option would be to rent a charter helicopter, which will significantly reduce the time for crossing mountain passes and will allow you enjoy enchanting mountain landscapes. However, in case of limited budget or saving considerations, you may safely reach to different locations by renting a car, train or taxi.

Now let’s explore the best locations for you comfortable stay in Gyumri, the second largest city of Armenia. Here are some of the hotels recommended by foreign tourists from Europe and other countries:

• Hotel Plaza Viktoria, a luxury hotel with Russian-speaking, English-speaking staff, delivery of food and drinks to the rooms, and a buffet breakfast. All rooms are air conditioned, have private bathrooms, free public parking;
• Araks Hotel Complex – this is a budget option,  with family and single rooms. The hotel is in a convenient location on Gorki Street 25, in the very center of Gyumri. The restaurant serves American, European, Armenian cuisine, buffet and à la carte menus;
• Masters’ House  – a budget hotel  at Shahumyan , 97 with  staff speaking Armenian, Russian, English. There is an option for private parking. You will especially enjoy the open terrace and garden.

If during your vacation in Armenia you are looking for exceptional comfort and the highest standard of living, we recommend that you take a closer look at the first option, where you will find an atmosphere of home comfort, more familiar to Europeans and Russians.

Holidays in Armenia in the spring – which applications will help you when traveling around Gyumri and other places?

First of all, we note that Gyumri is gaining popularity for spring holidays in Armenia due to direct air communication. Low-cost European allow you to reach this unique and historically rich country in a few hours. In the spring, Gyumri literally blooms – it is a green city with a large number of gardens, parks, flowers and other plantings. Another remarkable thing – in the spring, the second largest city of Armenia prepares for Easter, which is celebrated with a huge assortment of all kinds of delicacies, juicy fruits and national Armenian dishes.

Gyumri is a location of trendy cafes, famous boutiques (for example, Konjelazia Tourism & Design ), extraordinary places to stay (such as the above-mentioned Masters ‘ House Bed & Bar and Gyumri Loft). To try the traditional dishes, experienced travelers recommend visiting the Gwoog Gastrohouse, where you will be served an interesting and incredibly delicious panhash (lavash with cheese). If you want to enjoy amazing tea bouquets, you should stop by Herbs & Honey, a café in the city center that serves extraordinary hot drinks.

Next, we will consider important applications that will make your vacation in Armenia comfortable, without any possible inconveniences and will save you extra purchase of a local SIM card. Namely:

• Visit Gyumri  – application  for iOS  devices – Here tourists will find a complete list of attractions, including walking tours. A useful Armenian application for those who wish to visit cultural and historical monuments, find establishments with an exquisite menu;
• HIKE Armenia – an app which offers a comprehensive network of all tracks and trails, including those with difficult passage routes. The application is useful for fans of extreme, active recreation, including the option to identify a spot for overnight stay in villages along your travel route;
• Yerevan Card  – if your vacation involves being in Yerevan, Yerevan Card will be a useful, which allows you to easily track various points of interest. Conveniently, the application provides a free transfer from Zvartnots International Airport to Yerevan. It would seem a trifle, but for tourists who have just landed and have not yet acquired a local number, this would be a very convenient alternative to taxi;
• Xe.com is the essential software for real-time currency conversion. The website is indispensable for foreigners who need to quickly convert US dollars, euros, Russian rubles and other currencies into Armenian drams, thereby controlling their expenses. Taking into account that 1 US dollar costs a little less than 500 AMD, the application allows you to control large expenses and large sums of money on vacation in Armenia.

Menu.am, AYOLingo, Maps.me apps are no less popular among foreign tourists and travelers. In the first case, the user gets a vast access to restaurants and dishes of the national Armenian cuisine, deliverable directly home (tourists from other countries are not always in a hurry to visit restaurants or cafes to enjoy the amazing Armenian menu). In turn, AYOLingo will allow English-speaking tourists to understand the Armenian alphabet. This is a truly unique language that has no analogues in the world. The application will allow you to see an approximate Latin transliteration and be able to read in Armenian.

Maps.me will be useful for tourists, first of all, because it works offline (unlike Google Maps ), all you need is access to a Wi – Fi network. This is an app to assist in your fast orientation on the terrain with all destinations and the shortest routes.

And for those who love extreme mountain biking while vacationing in Armenia, especially in spring, we recommend using Yerevan Ride, an application for booking and renting bicycles in Yerevan.

Holidays in Armenia – cultural tours in Gyumri

Returning to holidays in Armenia, in the creative and vibrant city of Gyumri, let us explore special cultural monuments that will bring aesthetic satisfaction to foreign tourists and travelers. By the way, to choose a souvenir that is usually brought from trips to other countries, we recommend visiting the HayAr jewelry salon. Here all the products are original, created by an artist from Gyumri – Artak Tadevosyan.

And for cultural development, the following destinations are an absolute must-see:

• Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Yot Verq” (Seven Wounds) – the central Gyumri church of the XIV century on Vardanats square;
• Church of the Savior (Amenaprkich) with an eye-catching, unique color of the facade, where black tuff is mixed with an apricot hue (there is also a magnificent park with fountains nearby);
• Gyumri City Hall – a majestic building in the main square of the city in the style of Soviet modernism. Experienced tourists are advised to photograph this building at night, when it is lit by hundreds of thousands of small lights;
• Russian Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Shimmering Chapel) with incredibly interesting Gothic architecture – a favorite place for connoisseurs of unique frescoes;
• the church of Surb Nshan, which lost its spiers as a result of the earthquake, however, is still popular venue for wedding ceremonies – all sacraments and spiritual marriage ceremonies are organized here.

Often, after vacation in Armenia in spring and summer, foreigners express deep willingness to stay here for permanent residence. Our specialists are ready to deal with migration issues, including obtaining a residence permit, and subsequently – Armenian citizenship and an Armenian passport. Leave your question to us via e- mail info@offshore-pro.info and get qualified legal assistance in a short time.