Lori
Lori Province
The Lori Province is home to the masterpieces of Armenian architecture, the Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries and the Lori Berd (fortress) ruins, which are included in the UNESCO's World Heritage list.
In 1828, in one of the mountain passes of Bazum mountain range, Alexander Pushkin came across Alexander Griboyedov’s body. Griboyedov had organized the Armenians’ migration to Armenia from Persia. Now the pass is named after Alexander Pushkin.
Geographical Position
Lori is the third largest province in the Republic of Armenia. Lori borders the following provinces
- Kotayk and Aragatsotn - in the south
- Shirak – in the west
- Tavush - in the east
In the north, Lori has a long border with Georgia.
The present-day Lori Province is situated in the eastern part of historical Armenia’s Gugarq State.
General Description
The province center is the city Vanadzor (it was previously called Gharakilisa and then Kirovakan). Vanadzor is the third largest city in Armenia.
The climate in Lori Province is temperate and humid. The summers are nice and attract a lot of locals for long holidays, as well as tourists for shorter stays and visits.
Generally, the lands in Lori are fertile and there are many lakes and springs. Fishing is very popular in this province.
Resorts and Sanatoriums
There are many resorts in the east of the Lori Province. Dense forests occupy this area of the province. The most popular resorts are in the vicinity of the cities Stepanavan, Vanadzor and Akhtala. There is a health resort in Dendropark, where a wide variety of tree and plant species native to various locales in the world are cultivated. The needle-leaved trees that grow in the Stepanavan area make it an excellent place for recuperation of persons with chronical lung diseases.
The Terrain
The Lori Province has a broken and unforbidding terrain. In the south and east, the Pambak and Bazum mountain ranges stretch west to east. These mountains are bare and become increasingly rocky in the northeast.
Towards the east, the Lori Province becomes an exuberantly green mountainous land with luscious valleys and gurgling rivers. The Lori Gorge is an especially beautiful place. Hiking in these mountains and valleys can be a dramatic adventure, since you can happen on churches hiding in the upland forests.
The Major Cities of the Lori Province
- Stepanavan is about 139 km from Yerevan and 24 km from Vanadzor. It is a sanatorium area surrounded by forests.
- Tashir was once a Russian deportation camp and was known as Vorontsovka. In 1991, it was named Tashir. The city is about 162 km from Yerevan and 42 km from Vanadzor city.
- Akhtala is about 186 km from Yerevan. There is a medieval cathedral and the ruins of an ancient fortress.
- Vanadzor is about 115 km from Yerevan. Therer are a few resorts in the city. The newly built St. Narek church is in the center of the city.
Getting to the Lori Province
Though the Lori Province is far from Yerevan, there are buses going to Vanadzor. You can take a bus at the Khorenatsi Bus Station (behind Rossiya trade center) or at the Northern Bus Station (on Tbilisi Highway).
Also, you might want to know that the main railway from Yerevan to Tbilisi passes through Lori.
Perhaps it will be more interesting to travel to Lori by car. The longest auto tunnel of the republic is located in the Lori Province. In three hours and half you can get to Vanadzor and from there the trip all the way up to Akhtala will be intense, if you choose to stop by the Hnevank Monastery, the Kobayr Monastery, the Odzun Church, the monasteries Sanahin and Haghpat, the ruins of Kayan fortress, the Dsevank Monastery and, finally, the fortress and the monastery in Akhtala.
Its rugged mountains, steep gorges, green valleys and dense forests make Lori a dramatically beautiful province worth visiting and exploring.
