Caucasian Food: Shared Tables and Distinct Flavours Across Three Countries

Caucasian Food: Shared Tables and Distinct Flavours Across Three Countries In Sheki’s old quarter, a halva-maker layers rice-paper-thin dough by hand — rishta, laid eight or ten sheets deep around a filling of hazelnut, cardamom and coriander, the whole tray finished with a saffron pattern before the syrup goes on. A few days and one […]

Armenian Khachkars: Stone Crosses, Memory and Medieval Craft

Armenian Khachkars: Stone Crosses, Memory and Medieval Craft Armenian khachkars are among the most distinctive works of medieval Christian art anywhere: upright slabs of stone carved with a cross rising from a rosette and surrounded by vines, pomegranates and interlace so fine it can resemble lacework. Each was made by hand, each is different, and […]

Caucasus Tours for Older Travellers: What a 22-Day Small-Group Journey Involves

Caucasus Tours for Older Travellers: What a 22-Day Small-Group Journey Involves Caucasus tours cover a lot of ground — three countries, two mountain ranges and a genuine change of culture and script at each border — and it’s reasonable to want a clear picture of what that actually means day to day before booking. Odyssey […]

Caucasus Itinerary for Mature Travellers: From Baku to Yerevan

Caucasus Itinerary for Mature Travellers: From Baku to Yerevan Tbilisi’s old town at dusk, with the Kura River and the Caucasus foothills beyond — roughly the midpoint of the route this itinerary follows. A good Caucasus itinerary is not three country guides stitched together — it is a single route with its own logic, and […]

Armenian Brandy: Yerevan’s Distilling Heritage and the Ararat Landscape

Yerevan at golden hour, with Mount Ararat on the horizon — the mountain behind both the city’s brandy houses and its vineyards. Winston Churchill kept a case of it at Chartwell and, for years, insisted no other spirit came close. Armenian brandy carries that kind of reputation into Yerevan’s tasting rooms and museums today, distilled […]

Lake Sevan, Armenia: Monasteries, Landscapes and the Route to Yerevan

Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus, is the hinge of this stage of the journey from Dilijan to Yerevan. Lake Sevan appears without warning. After a morning spent moving between medieval stone and forested hillsides, the road opens onto water the colour of hammered copper, stretching toward a horizon that could pass for […]

Walking tours for active travellers – tips for seniors

Walking tours for active travellers – tips for seniors Why walk? Because for the traveler , as a couple or solo traveler , walking tours are a great tour to access sites off the beaten track. Exploring on foot, on a guided walking holiday, as a preferred travel style gives you access to more authentic […]

Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan, Armenia Similar to its neighbouring countries in the South Caucasus, the Republic of Armenia has a history marked by incredible losses and bloody wars, which continued even after its independence from the former Soviet Union. But the tide of history seems to have turned in 2018 with the Armenian ‘Velvet Revolution’ and Armenians expressing […]

Among the Mountains: A Guide to the Nations of the Caucasus

The three nations of the South Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – have long been regarded as the ‘lands in-between’ – in-between Europe and Asia, Russia and the Middle East, Christianity and Islam. They have passed between a succession of rulers – Persian, Turkish, and Russian. This article will provide a basic overview of the landscape, nations, and pre-modern history of the Caucasus.

Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia: The South Caucasus Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in one trip makes logistical sense as the countries sit next to each other south of the Caucasus Mountains but their deep, historical connections also make it imperative for travellers to visit all three to get a clearer picture of the region. In […]

Armenia’s Religious Architecture: The Definitive Guide

Buildings and Christianity in Armenia | Small Group Tours Armenia In this post, we will look at examples of Armenia’s buildings and building design before and after its conversion to Christianity. These buildings represent some of Armenia’s most significant destinations and they are often as physically beautiful as they are riveting. If you’re planning to […]

Armenia: An Ancient Civilisation

Armenia: An Ancient Civilisation View over the city of Yerevan, capital of Armenia, with Mount Ararat in the background With a recorded history of more than 3,500 years, Armenia is home to one of the world’s oldest civilisations. This article is a brief summary of Armenia’s long history from ancient times to its modern-day independence. […]