Arzakan: Thermal Springs, Monasteries and the Aghveran Loop

Arzakan brings together mineral-rich hot springs, religious buildings and a hiking route that begins here. Hotels and spa resorts are located near the springs; the Aghveran Loop starts specifically in Arzakan.

Thermal Springs and Hotels for a Wellness Break

Arzakan’s mineral-rich hot springs are associated with wellness and relaxation. Hotels and spa resorts nearby offer accommodation. If you are considering a particular hotel, check its details against what matters to you during your stay.

Churches and Monasteries in Arzakan and Neghuts

Two churches in Arzakan can be distinguished by their locations and histories. Saint Mary Astvatsatsin, near the village center, dates to the 12th century and is partly in ruins. Saint Gevorg stands at the northern edge of the village in a cemetery and was built from black tuff and basalt. Its location and state of preservation offer a different point of reference from Saint Gevorg’s construction: this lets you include the churches in your travel plans based on several specific features.

Neghuts Monastery dates to the 10th or 11th century. The complex consists of a church, an adjoining gavit and a separate small chapel; the monastery also includes a domed church without columns. Of the surviving Saint Astvatsatsin Church near Neghuts, three walls remain, while the south wall has collapsed. An inscription on the Neghuts complex bears the date 1451; other inscriptions date from the 13th to 15th centuries. The architectural form, surviving walls and inscriptions thus offer different perspectives on the site, rather than defining it only by its age.

Every August, Arzakan holds a pilgrimage celebration that includes visits to Saint Astvatsatsin Monastery. If you would like to plan your trip around this religious occasion, check the specific event date in advance. This lets you consider the celebration as a separate planning point alongside a stay focused on architecture, thermal springs or hiking.

Landscape and Hiking Around Arzakan

Arzakan Monastery stands on a remote, wooded high hill between branches of the Neghos Gorge. This setting gives the monastery a different landscape focus from the architectural features of the churches and the Neghuts complex. These are distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: the hill and gorge here, churches, a chapel and inscriptions there.

The Aghveran Loop is a five-hour hike that begins in Arzakan and leads from Kotayk to Aragatsotn. The route passes through the volcanic Tsaghkunyats Mountains to Lake Tsaghkunyats. As route details can change if the trail is revised, check the current route description before setting out. For winter hikes, bring snowshoes, check snow and weather conditions, and take avalanche risk into account. The duration and landscape help distinguish this excursion as a longer day hike from a stay focused on the churches or thermal springs.

Discover more destinations: Ptghni, Geghadir, Tsaghkadzor, Abovyan, Arzni, Dzoraghbyur, Artavaz, Byureghavan

For the broader travel overview: Kotayk.