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Photo: Soghomon Matevosyan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Likewise majestic alpine monastery with a very interesting copula, which was the inspiration for the National Cathedral's in Yerevan. [May also be inaccessible due to Georgian border troops blocking access].
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A monastery of beautiful colored stones in a magical forested region, with intricate carvings and tiny stairwells inside the walls to take you up to the soaring roof. [May also be inaccessible due to Georgian border troops blocking access
With the possible exception of Kobayr Monastery, Akhtala has the most exquisite frescoes in Armenia. This fortified monastery, with massive gates and beautiful details, carvings, and ruins, is above a mining town of the same name. Built by the intertwined Armenian-Georgian royalties of the times, this monastery captures the best of both. There are sunken rooms, arches that outlasted their buildings, and nice views.
Local hiking guides able to show you some of the hidden trails of the Alaverdi countryside.
Artyom Mikoyan was a famous aeronautical engineer and designed the aircraft of the Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter series (MiG parked out front), while his brother Anastas become Premier of the USSR. The price includes a guided tour in English (translated folders in German, French and Spanish are also available at the museum).