Walking Tour: Lake Sevan – Lastiver Caves

Lake Sevan is a large freshwater lake in the Armenian Highlands. It is the biggest lake in the South Caucasus and one of the most important sources of fresh water in the region. Twenty-eight rivers flow into Lake Sevan, and only one flows out – the Hrazdan River, which later joins the Araks River.

The lake was formed by natural movements of the earth and lava flows from ancient volcanoes.

Lake Sevan is divided into two parts: Small Sevan in the west and Big Sevan in the east. Small Sevan is deeper and has more rugged, rocky shores. Big Sevan is shallower, with smooth shores and a flat bottom, reaching a maximum depth of around 30 metres.

When the water level went down, many ancient objects were found at the bottom – some more than 2,000 years old. Some are from the Bronze Age. Most of these are now kept in museums in Yerevan.

Sevanavank is a monastery in the north-west coast of the lake. The monastery is located on Sevan peninsula, which was previously a small island.

At the end of the 8th century, several monks settled on the island of Sevan, where they built their cells and a small chapel. Thanks to the island’s favorable location, their number grew, and active construction of the monastery began. To build the walls, a stepped recess was carved into the rock surrounding the island, on which large stone bricks were placed. The wall encircled the island, and a watchtower with gates was built on it. Later, the monks constructed three churches, cells, and utility buildings.

Sevanavank Monastery was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam, daughter of King Ashot I Bagratuni, and wife of Prince Vasak Gabur of Syunik. For a time, King Ashot II the Iron lived in the monastery. He led a battle near its walls against Arab forces who had reached the shores of Lake Sevan. The monks of Sevanavank also took part in the defence and later declared the victory to be an act of divine will.

In the 16th–17th centuries, the monastery walls were partly destroyed. In 1930, the last monk left the island. Today, Sevanavank is once again an active monastery and is also home to the Vazgen I Theological Seminary. With its beautiful location on the Sevan Peninsula and its historic churches, the monastery is one of the most visited spiritual and cultural landmarks in Armenia.

Lastiver is a fascinating cave complex with ancient rock carvings, located in the gorge of the Khachaghbyur River, about 3 km from the village of Yenokavan.

The path to the caves leads through a dense and scenic forest, full of fresh air, peaceful nature, and several small waterfalls. It’s a perfect spot for nature lovers and hikers.

During the Mongol invasions in the 13th–14th centuries, local villagers hid in the caves. To reach them, they built tall wooden ladders by stacking logs on top of each other. The structure looked like a stepped platform, so people started calling the area “Lastiver,” which means “Up the stepped platform” in Armenian.

Inside the caves, you can still see beautiful rock carvings.

If the weather is good, visitors can enjoy swimming in the Khachaghbyur River – a refreshing break in a peaceful natural setting.

For adventure lovers, there is also the Lastiver Zipline (before or after descending, not included in the tour price). You’ll fly across the gorge on five steel cables – 135 m, 268 m, 200 m, 375 m, and 750 m long – at heights of 200–300 metres, the average speed is 5 m/s. With amazing views and a bit of excitement, it’s an unforgettable part of the trip.

(The price includes the transport vehicle — it stays the same no matter how many people join.)

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