Yerevan Cascade

At an altitude of 900 meter Yerevan is dominated by the mighty silhouette of Noah's mountain, Ararat. However, for generations Ararat and the former Armenian land around it has belonged to Turkey. One can sense a certain melancholy or resignation in this stony country that has suffered repeated conquests and earth quakes. Yet Yerevan has a fresh atmosphere, although the years after independence from the former Soviet Union were tumultuous. The visitor sees a young, quite egalitarian country.

 

To fully explore the capital of Armenia, one needs several days. Thankfully, street names and locations in Yerevan are now signposted in both Armenian and Latin script. Tourism is welcome with an air of honest hospitality. Restaurants of all kind and budgets are everywhere, Jazz clubs are going through a revival.

 

Climbing the Yerevan Cascade from the bottom to the top is a good exercise - repeat as often as needed. The upper third of the stairs leads past a huge construction pit, which is likely to remain under construction for a while. The lower part can be also overcome by escalators.

 

At each level, there are pieces of art, both outside on the stairs and inside where the escalators are. The whole area is an open-air museum of modern art.

Visit the link to also see more of Yerevan, including the Musical Fountains