//
Photo: Ondřej Žváček, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
It's the 8-lane highway of the city which somehow also accommodates a pedestrian zones on the sides (result of standard Soviet planning of main 'Prospekts'). It is overly noisy because of the heavy traffic (mostly unorganised public transportation) but the parts close to The Opera is a favourite hangout place for the locals. There are three buildings on the avenue which are well worth attention - Matenadaran, the covered market (the interior is now a modern supermarket and mall, but the highly-decorated original exterior survives) and Blue Mosque.
Mashtots Avenue, known as Lenin Avenue until 1990, is an avenue in the central Kentron district of Yerevan, Armenia.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Saryan-Mashtots Park
Tons of fountains - including a huge splash pad that kids love to run through in the summer.
Impossible to miss, this pedestrian avenue was opened in 2008 connecting Opera with Republic Square, the two hubs of central Yerevan. It's a post-modern response to post-World War II Soviet Yerevan architecture. It is emerging as the shopping district, together with Sayat-Nova ave., Terian st., Tumanian st. and Abovian st.
Spend a late night at a café in the Opera park, and outside the Melody Café for some of the best people watching in Yerevan.
Houses quite a selection of contemporary art by mostly Armenian artists. On the opposite side of the street, there is the newly opened HayArt cultural center as well as the Eduard Isabekyan Gallery.
If you are a lover of bright colours and enjoy Impressionist art then the House Museum of Martiros Saryan is a place for you. It's a 3-floor structure, designed by the artist and built during his lifetime, both as his home and a house for his heritage after his death.
Small but good art museum, commemorating the eponymous artist. Housed in an interesting round building in Brutalist style.