Armenia: Top to Bottom

The Debed River Canyon is littered with stunning scenery and monasteries.  The river runs under mountains and cliffs, which are often topped with perfectly flat plains, where little agrarian villages sprouted thousands of years ago.  Alaverdi is the biggest town in the canyon, and good for shopping and catching transportation, but it really doesn't offer much unless you are interested in massive Soviet mine operations.  A cable car will whisk you up and away from the mine however, to the plain above where you can take a 20 minute walk across the town/village to UNESCO World Heritage Site Sanahin Monastery.  With church after church, halls, passages, khachkars, views, a cemetery and a bell tower, this basalt and red stone complex has plenty to offer.  Reading up on the history while sitting on the grounds is a great way to feel how the tides of history have swept through this thousand year old Monastery.

From Sanahin, you can see across the canyon, in a small village, another large monastery poking out.  That, and the foot bridge crossing the Debed River way below are all part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site.  That village and monastery are named Haghpat, and it is equally impressive, and worthy of a visit.