6 March 2025 - Dilijan to Tatev, Armenia

The washed clothes had dried overnight and only breakfast was left to be done before departing Dilijan. Breakfast, once again, consisted of chocos, cornflakes, bananas and milk. I messaged the owner of the house of my vacation of the guesthouse. It was bright and sunny when I left the city. I set course for the Noratus cemetery with the intention of a short sojourn to appreciate Lake Sevan.

I came across Lake Sevan within a half hour drive from Dilijan. The waters had substantially thawed and its views against the snowed mountain and a blue sky were irresistible. Unfortunately, as I was driving towards Noratus the lake was on the wrong side of my driving lane.

The vehicular traffic was high at the time, too. I had to find a suitable location to make a U-turn, which I eventually did. I had a 1.5 km stretch to explore. To my dismay, I found that most accesses to the lake front were private properties. I found a couple of properties that were open.

I spent time there admiring the huge water body, which is the largest lake of the Caucasus Region and one of the largest freshwater high-mountain lakes of Eurasia. It is also the least saline lake among the others of like nature. The basin of Lake Sevan makes up one sixth of the total territory of Armenia.

Twenty eight rivers and streams pour into Lake Sevan and the outflow from the lake is used for power generation and irrigation. Lake Sevan is the most important source of fresh water and freshwater fish in the Trans Caucasus Region. About 90% of fish catch and 80% of crayfish catch of Armenia is from Lake Sevan. Another economic activity supported by Lake Sevan and its hinterland is tourism.

It was difficult to drive past the Lake without stopping at numerous locations. I did that to take in the breathtaking landscape. From Lake Sevan it was another 40 km to the Noratus cemetery, the largest collection of Khachkars in the world; more than 900 of them. Khachkars serve as memorial stones, religious emblems and national symbols of Armenia. Their distinguishing feature is a cross mounted on the form of a rose and elaborate, decorative patterns which cover the remainder of the stone surface.

It was originally believed that the Armenian crosses could provide protection from national disasters and bring salvation to the soul of a living or deceased person They were also used to commemorate a military victory or the construction of a church. Although khachkars were commonly erected in graveyards, they rarely served as actual gravestones.

There was snow on the ground and it was incredibly difficult to walk through the cemetery. There is also a small church within the old cemetery dedicated to the Holy Virgin. Besides the ancient Khachkars, a portion of the cemetery. has been cordoned off with a fence which contains a modern graveyard with elaborate tombstones.

From Noratus cemetery I was to drive to the Khndzoresk swinging bridge and cave town. The distance was 220 km. Little did I know that I would be driving through mountain roads covered in copious amounts of snow. For miles one could see very little other than the blinding snow, with bright sunlight shining on them.

Fortunately, most of the route had decent roads. Snow ploughing machines are located at critical points to ensure that the route is kept open through the year. Nearly 86 percent of the country is mountainous and is ranked sixth in the world, with Bhutan number one, in the list of the most mountainous countries.

At times the car skidded a bit. However, it was an unforgettable driving experience on the snowed down, winding ghat roads. During the course of the drive, I had a strange experience. Possibly due to the cold and the steep, winding roads the fuel tank got to reserve suddenly. I had expected it to last till the final destination for the day, Tatev. I had to find a fuel station quickly as I had only enough fuel for about 50 km. That too was not sure as the consumption was erratic due to the steep roads.

On the way I stopped near a truck carrying military personnel to enquire where I could find the next fuel station. I was told that I would find it in 30 km. At that point, I didn't know if I would make it that far. In a few km from there I came across a gas dispensing point from where I gathered that I would find a fuel station in the next 10 km, which I did. What a relief, you cannot imagine, it was!

I reached the road leading to the Khndzoresk swinging bridge. It was about 3 km plus from the main road, which looked slushy and barely motorable. I found a person close to the turnoff and asked him if my car would make it to the bridge. He said it would, or that is what I understood from his gestures. When I got on to the dirt track, my concern grew. I waited for a car coming in the opposite direction to reconfirm from its driver. He told me not to risk taking my car there and asked me to hire a taxi. That put paid to my plans for the swinging bridge and cave town.

After aborting the swinging bridge exploration, I decided to drive to Zartonq, my accommodation in Tatev. It was about 40 km of ghat roads with many hairpin bends, but clear of snow. As I reached Tatev village there was plenty of snow on the road, particularly the last stretch leading to the hotel. The owner of the accommodation came out to greet me and asked me to wait for his friend. When that person came along it was explained to me that the water pipes in Zartonq suffered damage in the last two days due to excessively cold weather.

I was asked if, for the same price, it would be okay to occupy a guesthouse opposite the Zartonq Hotel. I went in and found the accommodation modern, the room big and well appointed. The owner gave me directions to go to the cable car terminal, which was just 500 meters from the guesthouse. He also told me to take the cable car tour first, as the weather was good, and visit the Tatev monastery later, as it would be open till late. He also advised me to dine in one of the cafes near the monastery as he had nothing for dinner at his place.

The Wings of Tatev or the cable car was constructed as part of the Tatev Revival program. It holds the Guinness World Record for 'The world's longest non-stop reversible aerial tramway'. The construction was carried out by a Swiss company and lasted 10 months.

Opened to public in October 2010, the cable car between Tatev and Halidzor takes 12 minutes to traverse the 5.7 km route attaining the maximum height of 320 meters and an operating speed of 37 km per hour. The fee for the trip is steep at 6500 AMD for a one-way ride and 9000 AMD for a return trip. The cable car is also a public transport system for the locals who are charged only 500 AMD per trip.

Many interesting sights can be seen during the aerial ride. Chief among them is the Devil's Bridge which spans the 500 meters Vorotan Gorge. A natural wonder, the Devil's Bridge was formed over millennia, created by wind and water polishing and piercing petrified lava. The multiple loops on the ghat road are another exciting sight. Deep down can also be seen the ruins of a medieval settlement and vestiges of a village abandoned after the 1961 earthquake. I spent about 30 minutes at the Halidzor terminal before taking the return trip to Tatev. The Halidzor terminal has a restaurant and a small cafe.

Back to Tatev I walked the few 100 meters to the Tatev monastery. The lady vendors, who were closing up for the day, tried to sell their teas, walnuts and Gata to the last few visitors. The 9th century Armenian Apostolic Christian monastery stands at the edge of the Vorotan Gorge overlooking the Vorotan River. The Tatev Monastery is one of the two best known monasteries in Armenia.

The fortified Tatev monastery consists of three churches, a library, refectory, bell tower, mausoleum, as well as other administrative and auxiliary buildings. The contribution of Tatev Monastery towards fostering science, religion and philosophy was immense in the 14th and 15th centuries through the medieval University of Tatev. Restoration of those days of honour is part of the Tatev Revival program.

Once I exited the monastery complex, I was on the hunt for something to eat. In that cold, a hot meal was an absolute must. As a Heaven sent, I located the modest Zarine's kitchen. All else was closed. The hostess told me that the choice is limited due to the season and also because her mother was away. I ordered red bean soup and dolma with lavash and a bottle of beer.

There were four others in the small cafe, locals on a short tour from Yerevan. They struck up a conversation with me. One of them told me that he has a friend who had recently visited Delhi and had told him stories of his visit. He was surprised to know that I was touring the country in a hired car. He said that I am a brave man to be driving alone in Armenia. Later, as we parted, he presented me with a bottle of vodka, Gilli, a local brand. The food was bland but was a tummy filler and freshly made. That's all that mattered. From then on, the only thought was to seek out a warm bed.