Travel Guide Dzaghkadzor

To find the coolness of the forests and leave the stifling heat of Yerevan, to which it is connected by the northern highway (turn left to Hrazdan before Sevan), nothing beats a trip to Dzaghkadzor, the "Valley of Flowers", which would equally deserve the name of "Snow Queen" since the authorities decided to develop winter infrastructure there. And in a frenzied way! Indeed, it is hard to imagine that barely 20 years ago, there was a village nestled between forests and mountain pastures, at an altitude of 1,800 m, with a few pretty dachas scattered around its superb monastery of Ketcharis, reminding us that in the 19th century, the locality, which was then called Daratchitchak, was the favourite place for walks and holidays for the Russian and Armenian elite of Yerevan. It had a status of a winter sports resort already in the Soviet era, but the ugly buildings of the time and the ancient chairlift had not really changed its appearance. It is now a resort of international standards, but of Pyrenean rather than alpine dimensions, which is developed on the Dzaghkouniats (flowery) chain, with several peaks, such as the Téguénis and the Ampassar, or the Tez Ler, bordering or exceeding 3,000 meters, where the ski area has expanded. The numerous hotels, at prices that remain affordable but high for Armenians, welcome a clientele mainly Russian, Iranian and Middle Eastern, summer and winter, with the peak of attendance around New Year's Day. The neighbouring town of Aghveran offers a similar setting in a more intimate setting, although it is also developing its infrastructure.