Your hike starts in Yenokavan, a village and summer resort near the city of Ijevan in Armenia’s Tavush Province. This corner of Armenia is mainly mountainous, with rocky hillsides covered with Alpine meadows. It is sometimes referred to as a little Armenian Switzerland. The canyon near the village is lush with forests, rivers, and has caves with ancient carvings, which you will see during your hike.

The Lastiver Caves are located in a picturesque gorge, drowning in lush green dense forests, in the valley of the Khachaghbyur River, near the village of Yenokavan. On the walls of many caves, you can see bas reliefs, carved images, and sculptures resembling pre-Christian rock paintings. In fact, they were created by an unknown sculptor who lived during the Soviet era. Locals say he liked to come to Lastiver and spend his days alone, decorating the walls of the caves with these beautiful images.

“Anapat” literally means desert in Armenian. But the word is also used to refer to remote, isolated locations. These locations, usually in nature, were popular among Christian medieval monks, who would go there to live in isolation and maintain vows of silence. The Lastiver Anapat is one of these areas which you will see during your hike.

he Tavush region is rich with natural rivers that criss-cross the landscape. These rivers come from high mountain sources. The Lastiver Waterfall is the result of these rivers, and is one of the highlights of your hiking tour.