Let’s talk about Vanadzor
When a friend of mine swore that Vanadzor was his favourite city in Armenia, I couldn’t quite understand. The couple of times I’d been there before had either been for work, or to drive through on a road trip, and each time I’d been pretty unimpressed. That was until I decided to tag along on a weekend away and give Vanadzor a proper chance. Surprise doesn’t even begin to cover how I felt when what felt like all these hidden gems were revealed to me.
All I can say is I’m glad I have persuasive friends with good taste.
The Highlights
Forest1961 Boutique Hotel
Let’s start with where to stay. One of my favourite hotels in all of Armenia, and you can find it in this unassuming city. It’s definitely on the pricy side, but worth it for the quality of service, food, and decor. The hotel design is fresh & modern without feeling out of place in the surrounding nature. They have live music most Fridays and Saturdays, a great bar & a beautiful restaurant.
Something super unique about this hotel which I love is that they have a Botanical Garden (Dendropark) as a part of it.
Dendropark
The garden with entry from the Forest Hotel is an incredibly peaceful place, perfect for a walk, a yoga session, or even a wedding.
You can visit even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, so don’t miss out on spending a little while exploring.
The Boo Cafe
The highlight of your trip to Vanadzor. A cafe built in a bike park overlooking the city, the perfect place to go to appreciate the beauty of Vanadzor. The coffee is great and on a sunny day there is nowhere I would rather be in all of Armenia than on the patio of this cafe.
Shamam’s Macarons
A place run by one of the greatest ladies in Vanadzor, Shamam’s dream was to open a cafe all her life and she’s done us the amazing public service of making her dream come true. The baked goods are seriously some of the best in Armenia & the atmosphere is special.
Artek Soviet Camp
Looking for an abandoned soviet youth center in the middle of the forest? No? Neither was I, but turns out it exists and it’s got some pretty incredible views. Abandoned in the late 1980s, this structure was once used to gather young soviet pioneers (scouts) for yearly camps and now. You’ll find it on Google Maps (follow the directions and they should lead you to a path through the forest).
Sajj Terouh Sette
A lebanese restaurant, run by a lebanese woman with no Armenian roots who chose Vanadzor as her home in Armenia. Definitely a one of a kind place and the first restaurant in Armenia for Saj.
