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Photo: Shaun Dunphy from Lindfield, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
If you want to see where silk road traders laid their weary heads a thousand years ago, head up the winding road to Selim Caravanserai. You can see the entrance/bar area, and the large cavernous room the guests would share with each other, and their animals. The room has convenient troughs for the animals to eat and drink from!
Orbelian's Caravanserai, is a caravanserai in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. It was built along the Vardenyats Mountain Pass in 1332, by prince Chesar Orbelian to accommodate weary travelers and their animals as they crossed from, or into, the mountainous Vayots Dzor region. Located at the southern side of Vardenyats Mountain Pass at a height of 2,410 metres (7,910 ft) above sea level, it has been described as perhaps the best-preserved caravanserai among Armenia's medieval monuments.
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Up in the mountains is the Monastery of Tsakhats Kar. A nice hike from the village below, or an offroad drive for those with a serious 4x4. Time seems to have forgotten this place, but you need not. It's across from Smbataberd (see below), and together they make a great outing.
A serious natural fortification with a serious fortress on top. This narrow sheer cape is capped with one of Armenia's biggest fortresses. The views of the valley are impressive and the sheer drop a bit scary. Impossible to imagine this fortress ever being taken by force.
This village, in a beautiful site in the canyon below Smbataberd (which may be better accessed from the opposite side of the canyon), has the very unusual triangular shaped Zorats Church, where the congregation is meant to stand outdoors. It also has another nice small church and much rougher one, and ancient Jewish cemetery across the river below, and don't be surprised to stumble upon women baking lavash in the traditional underground tonir over!
These two sites are quite close to each other, and a great day hike from Yeghegnadzor. A local guide, topographic maps or a GPS might be handy, but these very off-road sites (also accessible by car, preferably 4x4) are rarely visited.
Another good day hike from Yeghegnadzor, these adjacent sites are easy to find by following the road up past Vernishen village.
Overlooking the village, this nearly thousand-year-old small church has been immaculately restored.