Sevan: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Lake Sevan lies about 1,900 metres above sea level, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. In Soviet years its water was drawn off for power and irrigation, the level fell by some 20 metres, and the island of Sevanavank became a peninsula. The town itself began in 1842 as Yelenovka, a village of Russian Molokans. This short route covers the peninsula and the shore around it in a morning; bring a jacket, the wind off the lake is cold.
A short history of Sevan
The town of Sevan was founded in 1842 by Molokans, members of a Russian Christian sect who were exiled to the Caucasus, and was first called Yelenovka; it received its present name in 1935. On the peninsula above it stands the Sevanavank monastery, built in 874 on the initiative of Princess Mariam, when the site was still an island. In the Soviet period, from the 1930s onwards, the lake's water was used for irrigation and electricity, and its level fell by about 20 metres, until the island was joined to the mainland. Lake Sevan lies at an altitude of about 1,900 metres and is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.
The ten best sights in Sevan
1SevanavankTwo 9th-century churches on the peninsula; climb the stairs early, before the tour buses
2Writers' House CanteenThe Soviet modernist dining hall that juts out over the slope; look from the peninsula road
3HayravankA small monastery on a rocky cape over the water, 20 minutes south
4NoratusThe great field of khachkars near Gavar, 30 minutes south; give it an hour
5Lchashen Bronze Age CemeteryWhere the falling lake exposed ancient graves; little to see, but a big story
6GoshavankA monastery in a forest village on the Dilijan side; see the lace khachkar
7HaghartsinForest monastery above Dilijan, 40 minutes north over the pass
8Kecharis MonasteryIn the ski town of Tsaghkadzor, 25 minutes west
9Ddmashen St Thaddeus ChurchAn early-medieval church in a village on the Hrazdan road
10RaketaA beached Soviet hydrofoil on the north shore, now a restaurant
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Sevan →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Sevan:
Free walking tours in Sevan
The island that became a peninsula
Lake Sevan lies about 1,900 metres above sea level, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. In Soviet years its water was drawn off for power and irrigation, the level fell by some 20 metres, and the island of Sevanavank became a peninsula. The town itself began in 1842 as Yelenovka, a village of Russian Molokans. This short route covers the peninsula and the shore around it in a morning; bring a jacket, the wind off the lake is cold.
- Surb Arakelots Church · Princess Mariam, daughter of King Ashot I, built the churches of Sevanavank in 874, after the death of her husband. Until the water fell, pilgrims reached the island by boat.
- Surb Astvatsatsin Church · In the 19th century Sevanavank was a strict house where monks of Etchmiadzin who had broken the rules were sent to repent.
- Surb Harutyun ruins · Only foundations remain of a third church on the hilltop, and the old island shoreline can still be read in the terraces below, metres above today's water.
- Writers' House Canteen · The retreat was designed in the 1930s by Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan. Kochar was arrested in Stalin's purges and sent to the Gulag; after his return he added this dining hall in the 1960s, cantilevered out over the slope like a ship's bow.
- Ishkhan · The restaurant is named for the ishkhan, 'the prince', a trout found only in Lake Sevan. The falling water and introduced fish pushed it close to extinction, and today it survives mostly thanks to hatcheries.
- Raketa · Raketa hydrofoils, built in the Soviet Union from the late 1950s, skimmed across rivers and lakes on underwater wings. This one ended its days on the shore of Sevan and now serves food.
Bronze Age shores and khachkars
The drop in the water did not only make a peninsula: it uncovered the shore where people lived and buried their dead three and four thousand years ago. Further south the old road along the lake passes monasteries on capes and the largest field of medieval cross-stones in Armenia. This half-day drive runs down the western shore from Lchashen to Noratus. The road is good; bring water and a hat, there is little shade.
- Lchashen Fortress · Walls of huge unworked stones ring the hill above Lchashen, a fortress of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Such 'cyclopean' forts stand on many hills around the lake.
- Lchashen Bronze Age Cemetery · When the water fell in the 1950s, graves appeared on the old lake bed. Inside were wooden wagons and chariots about 3,500 years old, among the oldest found anywhere; they are now in the History Museum in Yerevan.
- Turquoise Beach · The lake is fed by some 28 rivers and streams but drained by only one, the Hrazdan, which flows down to Yerevan. In summer its surface warms only to around 20 degrees.
- Hayravank · The monastery grew between the 9th and 12th centuries on a rock jutting into the lake. Its small cross-shaped church, the oldest part, is roofed with a single drum and dome.
- Noratus · About 900 khachkars stand in this cemetery, the largest group in Armenia. A local legend says villagers once dressed the stones in helmets and cloaks so that from a distance an invading army took them for soldiers.
- Ddmashen St Thaddeus Church · On the way back west, this 7th-century church stands in the village of Ddmashen, one of the oldest churches still standing near the lake.
Over the pass to Dilijan
North of the lake the road climbs through a tunnel and drops into a different country: green forest, wooden balconies and the town Soviet Armenians called their Switzerland. Dilijan was the place for summer holidays, rest homes and film crews. This day goes into the forests of Dilijan National Park to its monasteries and a small lake, and ends in town. A full day by car; the monastery roads are narrow but paved.
- Haghartsin · The name is usually read as 'the play of the eagle': legend says an eagle circled over the dome on the day the church was consecrated. The monastery grew between the 10th and 13th centuries.
- Haghartsin refectory · The monks' dining hall was finished in 1248, its stone roof carried on crossing arches. It is one of the few medieval refectories left standing in Armenia.
- Goshavank · Mkhitar Gosh, the scholar who wrote the first Armenian code of law in the late 12th century, founded this monastery, and it took his name after his death. Its khachkar of 1291 by the master Poghos is so finely cut it is called the lace stone.
- Parz Lich · Parz Lich means 'clear lake'. It lies in the forest of Dilijan National Park, and a path of a few kilometres leads from it through the trees towards Goshavank.
- Matosavank · The small monastery of 1247 is hidden in the forest a short walk from the road, its roofs grown over with moss and grass.
- Mimino monument · Georgiy Danelia's 1977 comedy Mimino, about a Georgian pilot, an Armenian driver and a Russian, was loved across the Soviet Union. The sculpture of 2011 shows its three heroes together.
Getting to Sevan and getting around
- Sevan Railway Station · A summer-only train runs from Yerevan to the lake; check that it is running before you plan on it
- Bus stop for Yerevan · Marshrutkas to Yerevan, about an hour, leave from the main road through the day
Cheap eats in Sevan
Sevan eats from the lake: fried or smoked sig, crayfish boiled with dill, and trout grilled over embers, sold at stands along the shore road and in the beach restaurants of the peninsula. In town there are bread houses, cafés and simple grills. Prices are low — a fish lunch with bread and salad rarely passes 5,000 dram a person.
- Parus lunch · Breakfasts, grills and fried fish on the main road; lunch about 2,000-3,500 dram
- Hatsatun Maku · Armenian bread and pastries; lahmajo about 400-600 dram
- Cupid · Coffee and cake in the centre; coffee about 500 dram
- Mirans · Simple lunches in town; about 1,500-3,000 dram
- Sevan Bread Factory · A loaf about 200-400 dram
- Seyrani mot · Smoked or fried lake fish to go; about 2,000-4,000 dram a fish
Holy places in Sevan
- Sevanavank · Up the stairs on the peninsula; covered shoulders
- Noratus · About 900 khachkars; go late afternoon for the light
- Hayravank · A cape monastery over the water
- Goshavank · Look for the lace khachkar of 1291
- Kecharis Monastery · Founded in the 11th century, in Tsaghkadzor
Museums in Sevan
- Writers' House Canteen · Soviet modernism on the slope above the peninsula
- Lchashen Bronze Age Cemetery · The site of the famous wagon graves
- Lchashen Fortress · Cyclopean walls on the hill
- Raketa · A Soviet hydrofoil on the shore
Nature and day trips near Sevan
- Turquoise Beach · Sand and cold clear water on the western shore
- Parz Lich · A forest lake in Dilijan National Park
- Sevan Botanical Garden · A shady walk on the slope above town
- Matosavank · A mossy monastery in the forest
Where to eat in Sevan
- Ishkhan · Fish restaurant on the peninsula beach
- Lusabac · Lakeside tables below the monastery
- Kambuz · Fish and regional dishes on the peninsula
- Semoyi mot / Collette · A fish house on the north shore, open since 1995
- At Vardges · Grill and fish in the centre of town
- Ashot Erkat · Regional food by the peninsula
Frequently asked questions about Sevan
What is there to see in Sevan?
The top sights in Sevan are Sevanavank, Writers' House Canteen and Hayravank. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Sevan?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Sevan without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Sevan?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Sevan, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The island that became a peninsula.
How do you get to Sevan and get around?
The main ways are Sevan Railway Station and Bus stop for Yerevan. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Sevan, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Sevan that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Sevan for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.