Armavir town, Sardarapat Memorial, Gardens, Akhuryan Water Reservoir, Gyumri:

Biking Trail Description
The trail begins from the Armavir Brandy Factory, located in the town of Armavir. Whether you are a fan of alcoholic beverages or not, you can visit the brandy factory. Agriculture has developed greatly in the Armavir province. There are many hectares of grapes, apricots, peaches, plums, watermelon and other species of fruit and vegetables in Armavir, which are both sold in Armenia, and also exported abroad. You will be able admire the indescribable beauty of the high mountains on your way to Armavir, on both sides of the trail, which will accompany you as you climb up to the gardens: these are Mount Aragats (4,090m) to the north and Mount Ararat (5,165m) in the east, which is only 20km from the trail.
While crossing the village of Araks, you will see a memorial made of red tuff with winged bulls on both sides. This is the Memorial Complex of the Battle of Sardarapat, constructed on the very spot of the battle. It should be noted, that the Turkish border is only about 7-8km away from this place.
Next, you will reach the village of Vanand, overcoming a small hill rising through the gardens, and riding a few kilometres more you will reach the Aragatsotn, and then, the Shirak provinces. Riding along the Akhuryan River, in the Shirak province, you will reach an ancient and interesting place, the village of Aghin. This village, lying on the bank of the Akhuryan River, has become obsolete, and the local villagers are constructing new houses a few kilometres away from the village, and moving to their new premises. The old houses of the village remain empty. There are more abandoned communities in Hin (Old) Harjis, and Hin (Old) Khndzoresk, among other places.
The trail continues up to Gyumri, an important cultural center for Armenia, and ends near the churches of Surb Amenaprkich (Church of the Holy Saviour) and Yot Verk (The Seven Wounds).

Monuments description
Sardarapat Memorial was built in memory of the heroes of the Battle of Sardarapat, on the very spot of the battlegrounds. It is an outstanding complex, with unique winged bulls and majestic triumphant bells. In the center of the complex there is the 35m high ‘Belfry’ made with refined artistry. Every trait has an artistic meaning. The Belfry is vertically set on a stave-shaped stylobate, which even more emphasizes the motion, striving upwards. The entire landscape is integrated into the architectural space. The Belfry consists of four columns, so you can see the blue sky through them, if you look up. Three rows of bells are hung inside the sculpture. Those bells seem to be ready to ring and alert whenever there is danger. During the battle of Sardarapat, these bells were constantly ringing for six days, announcing the launch of the liberation struggle. The bells were heard throughout the Ararat valley.
The architect of the National Museum of Armenian Ethnography built on the left-hand side of the Sardarapat Complex, is Raphael Israelyan. The Museum, with its scale and concept completes the complex, making the museum look like a fortress without windows. The architect of the building made two windows on the southern façade, one facing Mount Aragats, the other one Ararat.

Gyumri - the Town of Arts and Crafts is all accepted names of the town of Gyumri. 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.

Akhuryan Water Reservoir is on the lower stream of the Akhuryan River, on the Armenian-Turkish border. The reservoir was built with the consent of Turkey and The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, and both parties equally had access to the reservoir. The reservoir is 20km long, and the volume of water held there is 525,000,000 cubic m. The reservoir is used for irrigation of agricultural lands on both sides of the border, although research carried out in the reservoir showed that the water is contaminated with heavy metals and toxic substances.

Flora
The Akhuryan River is one of the most abundant rivers in Armenia, and 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.
In the Armavir province, the air temperature often rises up to 40-42°C during the summer time. Mountain-valley winds are very typical for this area. Winters are severe, cloudless and windless. Sunny, windless, long falls are especially enjoyable, with the fruits maturing in the orchards and fields.

Fauna
There are only a few species of animals in the Armavir and Shirak provinces, because of the lack of woods. There are wolves, foxes, rabbits, mice, birds, butterflies, insects and beetles, also snakes and lizards during the summer time.

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

Technical parameters
Best period: May - October
Distance: 43km from Yerevan
Duration: 41 minutes
Biking trail length: 128.3 km.
Ride duration: 7 hours.
Altitude from sea level: 867-1,530m above sea level.
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 Armavir Brandy Factory, which will cost 4,300 AMD, (by taxi). Taxi services are quite affordable throughout Armenia. We recommend taking a cab with a taximeter.