Arzakan offers a variety of things to explore: mineral-rich hot springs, a hike along the Aghveran Loop, and churches and monasteries with their own historical features. The wellness appeal of the springs is especially relevant when looking for a place to stay: nearby hotels and spa resorts offer accommodation. This lets you choose your location based on what interests you most—relaxation, outdoor activities, or cultural history.
Hot Springs and Accommodation
The mineral-rich hot springs are considered a wellness and relaxation experience. Hotels and spa resorts nearby offer accommodation. If wellness is central to your choice of destination, this aspect of Arzakan is directly associated with its hot springs. For a different focus, you may be interested in the hike or the town’s religious buildings.
The Aghveran Loop: a Five-Hour Hike
The Aghveran Loop starts in Arzakan and takes five hours. The route passes through the volcanically formed Tsaghkunyats Mountains to Lake Tsaghkunyats and runs from Kotayk to Aragatsotn. Plan the hike as a separate, longer activity. The mountain scenery and lake give the tour a clear connection to nature, while the start in Arzakan marks the trailhead.
For winter hikes, it is advisable to bring snowshoes, check snow and weather conditions, and take avalanche risk into account. Route details may change if the trail is revised, so check the current route description before setting out.
Neghuts: Monastery Complex and Inscriptions
The Neghuts complex consists of a church, an adjoining gavit, and a separate small chapel. Neghuts Monastery dates from the 10th or 11th century; the complex includes a domed church without pillars. The surviving Saint Astvatsatsin Church at Neghuts is incomplete: three walls remain, while the south wall has collapsed. House foundations and khachkars lie around the church.
The inscriptions also give the site its own sense of time. One inscription at Neghuts bears the date 1451, while other inscriptions date from the 13th to the 15th century. The different dates refer to the inscriptions, not to the monastery’s founding date. On an individual tour, Neghuts Monastery is the final stop.
Churches, Landscape, and Pilgrimage Tradition
The Saint Mary Astvatsatsin Church is near the center of Arzakan, dates from the 12th century, and is partially destroyed. Saint Gevorg stands on a cemetery at the northern edge of the town; the church is built of black tuff and basalt. The buildings therefore differ in their locations, their recorded dates, and their materials.
Arzakan Monastery sits on an isolated, wooded high hill between the foothills of the Neghos Gorge. Another religious tradition takes place every August: Arzakan holds a pilgrimage celebration at Saint Astvatsatsin Monastery. The celebration provides a regular seasonal point of reference, while the churches and monastery complexes showcase different aspects of religious architecture.
Arzakan’s historical daily life also included three smithies, three weaving workshops, a carpentry workshop, and a wool-processing workshop. These crafts are historically documented and offer another perspective on the town’s history alongside its religious buildings.
Discover more destinations: Meghradzor, Byureghavan, Zaghkadsor, Hrasdan, Goght, Karashamb, Hankavan, Abovyan.
For the broader travel overview: Kotayk.
