Gyumri is Armenia’s creative capital and will captivate you with its art, architecture and fantastic food. It’s the country’s second-largest city and combines historic charm with a Soviet past. Spend most of your time in the historic centre, where you’ll find cobbled streets and pedestrian promenades lined with beautiful Belle Epoque buildings.
Things to do in Gyumri
Stroll around the historic centre and admire a jewel box of Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau buildings. Many are built from locally quarried black volcanic stone with apricot-coloured trim. Peer into beautiful Amenaprkich Church overlooking the main square and take your pick of trendy cafes and restaurants that spill onto the pedestrianised streets. Try local specialties like plump “pelmeni” dumplings and “ponchik” Armenian donuts filled with jam.
Get lost in a sea of stalls in Gyumri Shuka market. It’s one of the largest markets in the country and will entice you with its towers of colourful spices and stacks of peaches, cherries, apricots and wild plums. Stock up on freshly ground coffee and fill your bags with cured meat, cheeses and bottles of Armenian sherry.
Black Fortress welcomes you with an imposing façade built from charcoal-coloured volcanic stone. It was built by a Russian Emperor in the 19th century and strategically perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. Walk around the ruined stronghold and descend into the subterranean museum to learn more about its battle-scarred past.
Learn about crafts like blacksmithing, woodwork and embroidery at the Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life of Gyumri. The museum is housed in a handsome 19th-century mansion and features a gallery filled with works by famous Soviet sculptor, Sergei Merkurov.
Getting around Gyumri
The Gyumri historic district is compact and easy to get around on foot, while taxis are a fast and affordable way to cover longer distances. Daily trains run between Gyumri and Yerevan in three hours and weekend express trains take just two hours. Zvartnots International Airport is a two-hour drive away.