Gyumri, Spitak, Harichavank, St. Arakelots Church of Pemzashen

Biking Trail Description
This trail starts from the Gyumri town square, where you can see two churches - the Yot Verk Church (The Seven Wounds) and Surb Astvatsatsin church (The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin) (Shirak province). Gyumri is considered the capital of the culture of Armenia and is the second largest city by populace.
You will ride up from Gyumri towards the town of Spitak. On the east, you will notice the picturesque Aragats massif with its four summits. In the town of Spitak, the trail passes near the newly built Surb Harutyun church (Holy Resurrection) (2001), built after the major earthquake in Spitak (December 7, 1988). The Bazum mountain range stretches across the north side of Spitak, and the Pambak mountain range stretches along its south. The highest point on the trail is on the border of the Lori and Aragatsotn provinces, passing through round bands up to the Spitak mountain pass, at an altitude of 2,378m above sea level. Then the road descends down to the Harich Monastery Theological Seminary School. The paved road continues through the towns and villages of the Shirak province, up to the Surb Astvatsatsin church (The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin) of Pemzashen (5th century). The return path is from Pemzashen.

Monuments description
Gyumri- the town of arts and crafts
Gyumri, with its cultural significance and population, is the second largest city in Armenia, located in the Shirak province, 126km from Yerevan, and at an altitude of more than 1,550m above sea level. The residents of Gyumri are known for their sharp humour, and the city has been called ‘the capital of Armenian humor’. There are many historical and cultural sights in Gyumri. The symbol of the city is the tawny statue known as Mushurba (copper goblet) built in 2013. The residents of Gyumri have a custom of giving a “mushurba” to their guests. Culture is very developed in Gyumri, there are many museums, theaters, and cultural centers here.
The city is located in the 8-9 magnitude seismic zone, and during the 20th century, two devastating earthquakes took place (October 1926, and December 1988). The harm caused by the earthquake of 1988 has left scars on industry, architecture, and other important cultural centers within the city. 1.8 million square meters of dwellings were destroyed, including 22,678 houses, and about 100,000 people remained homeless.
Cultural artifacts (III millennium BC, up to the Middle Ages) found during the excavations in the Shirak province and particularly in Gyumri are kept in the Shirak Geological Museum. In 1941, mammoth ribs were found during excavation in the territory of a meat plant.

Spitak is located in the Lori province, at an altitude of 1,650m above sea level. Spitak sits in the picturesque valley of Pambak, and was called Hamamlu until 1949. The name Hamamlu, probably derives from the word ‘hamam’ (Persian) meaning ‘bath’. Big clay jars and pipes found in this area are evidence of the existence of bathhouses here. Spitak occupied a territory of about 14 square kilometers before the earthquake of 1988, and had a population of 18,400 and was developing day by day. The town is called ‘Spitak’ (meaning white) due to the limestone mines around the town. After the devastating earthquake, different foreign organizations constructed blocks of houses in dissimilar architectural styles for the homeless citizens of Spitak, the victims of the earthquake. The blocks received the names of the countries which assisted in the rebuilding of the town. Among them are the Italian Village district, the Triangle district sponsored by Germany, the ‘New Town Spitak’ district and ‘Varpetats District’ built by the RA.
The Yerevan-Tbilisi, Vanadzor-Yerevan, and Vanadzor-Gyumri highways pass through the town of Spitak. Yerevan is 93km away from Spitak.

Harichavank is a medieval church complex in the Shirak province, the oldest of which is the S.Grigor church, constructed in the 7th century. There are two-storey chapels near the church built in the 13th century. The head church of the monastery was constructed by the order of the Zakareh and Ivane brothers, in 1201. This monument is one of the masterpieces of medieval architecture, encircled with delicate traceries. The building is magnificent with its simplicity and perfect construction. The monastery was also an education center. Renowned Armenian writer, Avetik Isahakyan studied at the famous monastery school between 1887-1889. Future clergymen study at the Harich Monastery. Nowadays, besides Harich, there are also religious schools in Vagharshapat and Sevanavank.
Surb Astvatsatsin church (The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin) of Pemzashen

The Church is located within the village of Pemzashen, in the Shirak province. The complex includes three medieval churches built next to each other. The monument was built in the 4th – 7th centuries, and is one of the unique examples of Armenian architecture preserved to this date, having the oldest composition of features. The central church (6th century) of the complex has three tabernacles. Its shape is cruciform and central-domed from the inside and rectangular from outside. It is built of tuff and has marks on the building made by the masters its construction. The decorative ornamentation is typical of the Armenian architecture of the 6th – 7th centuries. Upon the lintel to the main entry to the church is a carving of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms, and an angel to either side descending to Mary with child, holding a cloth in their arms.

Flora
The Akhuryan River is one of the most abundant rivers of Armenia, and which flows through this province. The climate is dry here. Winters are severe. The air in Gyumri is bracing and healthful, and the flora is steppe. Pseudo-acacia, elm, ash and other tree species grow in the valleys.
The Arpi lake-reservoir, the Armenian section of the Akhuryan water reservoir, and the Mantash water reservoir, are also located in the Shirak province. The Shirak valley extends in the center and southern parts of the province, and the Ashotsk plateau in the northern part. Parts of the Pambak and Bazum mountain ranges, Yeghnakhagh, Javakhk and Aragats massifs also extend along the Shirak province. The area is rich with construction materials: tuff, basalt, clay, as well as fields of black soil.

Fauna
There are few species of animals in the areas within the Lori and Shirak provinces, because of the lack of woods. There are wolves, foxes, rabbits, mice, birds, butterflies, insects and beetles here, also snakes and lizards during the summer months.

Safety and Security
All the communication networks operating in Armenia are almost always available in the Shirak, Lori and Aragatsotn provinces. In case of emergency, call 911, a service available throughout Armenia.

Technical parameters
Best period: May -October
Distance: 126km from Yerevan
Duration: 1 hour and 50min
Biking trail length: 118km.
Ride duration: 9 hours.
Altitude from sea level: 1,530-2,378m
The best drink to have on hand is bottled water.

How to Reach the Trail
To reach the above-mentioned biking trail you should get to the town of Gyumri, which will cost 13,000 AMD , (by taxi). Taxi services are quite affordable throughout Armenia. We recommend taking a cab with a taximeter.