Road Tripping Through the Southern Caucasus

Kazbegui, in Georgia

The people in the Southern Caucasus simultaneously love, admire and curse their land, but above all will be surprised that you’ve chosen to visit their place.The landscape here consists of deep valleys hidden between walls of snow-capped mountains. And although the legacy of wars is visible and tensions especially noticeable at the many border crossings, you’ll find many quiet, ancient villages with stone churches and people with a warmth that transcends language. We spent a month taking collective taxis, (called marshrutkas) and trains from Armenia, through Nagorno Karabakh, up to Georgia and ending in Azerbaijan.

Your starting point, the Armenian capital Yerevan, is a Soviet style city nestled in the Ararat Valley, which grew quickly with an influx of refugees after the Armenian genocide. Before you leave the city, be sure to check out the genocide museum, the market and the Matenadaran, an ancient repository of manuscripts.

Start by heading East where the roads are good but the drivers can be crazy. First stop:Garni, an ancient pagan temple, with a distinct air of dignity, teetering on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Azat river. Then continue to Gerhard, a church with a peculiar internal structure: adjoining lateral chapels were carved out of stone by monks and are connected by small and dark corridors, lined with rich bas-reliefs; skylights and candles illuminate the passageways.

The following day, head to Ejmiadzin the Seat of Armenian Katholikos, the Vatican of the Armenian Gregorian Church, where visited the Cathedral that has been in use since the fourth century. Next, visit Khor Virap where St. Gregory was held captive by the Armenian king before the king’s conversion to Christianity in 303AD. The monastery offers a spectacular view of Mount Ararat and the bushes surrounding the holy place strewn with prayer-flags face the mountain, a reminder of the pain caused by the loss of their most important national symbol to Turkey.

Azerbaijani Shepherd

From Yerevan, head to Nagorno Karabakh (NK), a de facto independent republic populated by Armenians but situated in what it is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory. Since 1994, peace has been secured by a cease-fire, but tension continues. The name is a mashup of local languages, but means something like “Dark, Mountainous Garden,” a perfect description of the region. The government of the republic issues its own visas, which are required to exit, (you can buy these at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stepankert). Be sure to insist that the NK authorities do not stamp or staple your visa in your passport (we’ve heard stories of foreigners with NK visas being accused of spying by the Azerbaijani border control).

When he’s not motoring through the Caucases, Christian Hailer, a Bareclona native, is studying sustainable tourism at The George Washington University and planning his next trip.