City: Lori Province
Top Things to do in Lori Province
Top Restaurants in Lori Province
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What to do and see in Lori Province, Armenia: The Best Places and Tips
Lori (Armenian: Լոռի, Armenian pronunciation: [lɔˈri] ( listen)), is a province (marz) of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdi, and Spitak. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries and the well-preserved Akhtala monastery, where Armenians, Georgians, and Greeks make an annual pilgrimage on September 20–21.
Restaurants in Lori Province
1. Alaverdi Guides
Overall Ratings
5 based on 64 reviews
This is part of a local community economic initiative to improve your experience when visiting our region. In addition, unemployment in the region is high and to encourage youngsters to stay in their home town it is essential that job opportunities are developed. Currently most tour guides come from Yerevan and they provide generic tours. The locals do not benefit and tourists do not get to experience the passion and pride for their home that a local tour guide can share. All of our tours are unique: they have been developed over a two year period involving significant research into the locations, history and with the support and assistance of the National Matenadaran, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian National Archives and History museums, the regional government, local experts and numerous technical, research and general publications from the 19th to the 21st Century.We want you to enjoy your stay here, recommend it to your friends and stay longer. You are also invited to the English Club in Alaverdi, if you visit the town; we are near the centre and are open during the week should you wish to meet our students, who are learning English, and chat with them. There is also free wi-fi available and a toilet.
Reviewed By gkleiverda - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
We entered the newly opened museum of Mikoyan brothers and were very friendly met, even at closing time of the museum by Olga. One of the volunteers. She was very knowledgeable, speaking fluently English and took all the time to tell us the remarkable history of the two brothers. Really a great guide. Moreover, she arranged for us a stay in the very nice B&B Iris, and for the next day a walking tour. Starting with the visit of Haghpat Monastery, with the great guide of Armina, who told us a lot about the historical background, after that a nice hike to Sanahin Monastry with another guide, and in Sanahin Armina was waiting us to show around there as well. She is really perfect! Smoothly a taxi was organized to bring us back to our car. After that, a third guid, Anna was waiting us at the Akhtala fortress / monastery, and gave very detailed and useful information about the very nice frescoes. We are thrilled by this very good organization and enthousiasm of all these young enthousiastic guides to tell about the (local) history, nature and recent living circumstances, very well prepared. I really recommend this organization who makes the visit of this part of Armenia to a really very enjoyable experience.
2. Akhtala Monastery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By thelonious22 - Seongnam
The highlights here were the frescoes covering the interior of the building. Here we would be introduced to another recurring characteristic of Armenian churches in which images of would-be invaders would be integrated to the complex in an effort for the structure to be spared. Here, some images of Persians were painted.
3. Odzun Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By Katrien S - Ghent, Belgium
This is quite a large church, built in the 5th to 7th century. The outside has some of the original, but weathered, carvings remaining. Furthermore, there is a Colonnade on 2 sides on the outside, quite unique in Armenia. Inside there are three aisles, but both side aisles are very narrow. As most churches and monasteries, it is quite spectacularly located. Inside there is the remaining carving of the original 4th century church/chapel, as well as faint remnants of painted interior decorations. In the cemetery surrounding the church is one of 2 funerary monuments of its type in Armenia, probably dating from the 6th century. It consists of 2 slender steles located in 2 arches and placed on a pedestal. The steles have carvings on all sides, those protected by the arches are best preserved, but also hardest to see.
4. Kobayr Monastery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By SaintClair1986 - Athens, Greece
This ancient monastery was build by monks inside the mountain, its chronological of 12th century, one of the ancients in Armenia. The paintings of saints are still excellent, with very beautiful colors. Visit this monastery, you won't be disappointed. Really thrilling place. There is one caution I must tell: if you are going with little children (5-14 years old ),be sure to keep them near you,because there are really dangerous rocks.
5. Lori Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By Ashot81 - Yerevan, Armenia
It is an interesting place to visit. Located close to Stapanavan city it can be visited even by taxi from the city. This is a medieval castle (X-XI century) which had a population of 10.000 inhabitants in XI-XIII centuries.
Now here you can find only ruins of the castle. Many astifacts found here over the years now are exhibited at the museum of Stepan Shahumyan on Shahumyan squary in Stepanavan
6. Ardvi Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By saroohanyan - Alaverdi, Armenia
Tsaghkashat is a village in Lori province, located on the slope of Srblis mountain; the village is surrounded with Forests and and is considered to be one of the most naturally beautiful places in Armenia. Mining water spring plenty of fruit trees and bushes of berries are spread around the village, which can be used by the visitors in free of charge. As the road to Tsaghcashat is currently in bad condition till now few people've known about the village or gone there, but from this year hiking and horseback riding tours are organised between Haghpat and Tsaghkashat by local guides who know English and other foreign languages.
7. Anticafe Teynik
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Sashka A
We played a bunch of different games including uno and monopoly. Met some new people and was very warmly welcomed. Some people were playing the guitars and it was overall a very nice atmosphere.
8. Church of St. Nicholas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By patrickmeyer - Washington DC, District of Columbia
On our way to Lori Berd, driving by the town of Amrakits, we saw the spires of this strange-looking building peeking above the village. It looked so out-of-place in this small Armenian town that we had to go take a look. Much to our surprise, we found the Church of St. Nicholas Wonder-worker, a Russian Orthodox church supposedly built in 1846 by Ukrainian Cossacks. What little info we can find online indicates the church was active until about 1988, but was heavily damaged in the 1988 earthquake, and has sit crumbling since. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most unique and beautiful buildings I have seen in all of Armenia. It's like something out of Harry Potter. It is an extreme shame that it is not maintained and opened to villagers and tourists alike, but in Armenia there is no money to do this. Come check out this gorgeous outdoor art, before the whole thing blows down in the wind.
9. Sanahin Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Discovering Sanahin Discover Sanahin - one of only three UNESCO World heritage sites in Armenia - and it's not just another monastery visit. Learn about the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Alphabet and how these gave rise to some of the most beautiful buildings and books during the Silver Age of Armenian literature. Visit the cradle of learning, sit in the place of an ancient scholar and admire
Reviewed By fidelisblue - Vancouver, Canada
I visited a number of monasteries before coming to Alaverdi. Sanahin Monastery is very appealing to me because it is relatively "untouched and unrestored" compared to all the other ones that I have visited. Some parts of the complex are still functional. The ambience of the complex is quiet and contemplative.
10. Stepanavan Sochut Dendropark
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By Ashot81 - Yerevan, Armenia
This Dendropark is an ideal place to have a rest for families, friends and even solo. The park is very beautiful, with lots of unique trees. There are a lot of confortable chairs where you can have a rest and nice places to have a picnic.
Great place to spend whole day. As it is a Dendropark, there are some rules here but they really do not limit your activitiy here
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