Embark on a rare cross-border journey that connects three countries and two eras — from today’s vibrant Yerevan to the silent stone poetry of Ani and the multicultural heritage of Kars. This route reveals how Eastern Armenia once stretched across these lands, where Armenian, Russian, Georgian, Molokan, German, and Ottoman histories still stand side by side.
Expect panoramic mountain roads, border landscapes, fortress silhouettes, and a deep dive into architecture that shaped the region.
Begin with a brief stop in Armenia’s second-largest city, Gyumri, known for its humor, crafts, and Russia-influenced 19th-century architecture. Visit St. Arseny the Serbian Church — the “sister twin” of the Alexander Nevsky Church in Kars. Drive past the historic Russian military base area and the preserved Imperial barracks, identical to the ones you will later see in Kars. In Gyumri, at the central square, we will see a replica of the Ani Cathedral, built by settlers in the mid-19th century
Continue through Akhalkalaki, moving toward the high plateau and crossing into Turkey via the Karzakh (Kartsakhi) border.
Take an evening walk in Kars, a multilayered city shaped by Armenians, Russians, and Ottomans. Explore Kars Fortress, standing above the river since medieval Armenian times, later reinforced by the Russians. Cross the old bridge over the Kars River, with basalt arches built with local Armenian stone.
Visit the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, first an Armenian church, later a Russian Orthodox church, then a mosque. Stroll through the Russian Imperial District, with wide boulevards, stone houses, old barracks, and the unmistakable urban planning of the Tsarist era. Discover the Molokan and German quarters, settlements of communities who introduced new agricultural methods and famously taught the region to make hard cheeses.
The next morning, drive to Ani, once known as “the City of 1001 Churches.” Explore Gagkashen (Gagikashen), the 10th-century rotunda built as a replica of Zvartnots, preserving the grandeur of Armenian royal architecture. Visit the Cathedral of Ani, a masterpiece of Trdat the Architect, whose work later restored the Hagia Sophia dome.
Walk through grand boulevards, carved stone ornamentation, and echoes of urban life from a thousand years ago. Take in valley views of the Akhurian canyon, marking the modern border but historically the heart of Eastern Armenia.
We will spend the night again in Kars.
On the morning of the third day, we return to Yerevan.
