Jermuk

Jermuk canyon at the entrance of the city

Jermuk is a spa town in Southern Armenia.

Understand

Much of the country's mineral water comes from Jermuk. The town is full of Soviet hotels and sanatoriums, some of which have been renovated to high standards. The countryside at this very high elevation resort is worth the visit as well, with canyons, forest and wildlife to explore.

Get in

Marshutnis and buses depart from the Kilikia (southern) bus station in Yerevan, travel time is 2½ hr. Shared taxis from there, or regular taxis from anywhere will work as well of course, as well as renting a car or bicycling.

One bus per day to Yeghegnadzor (1 hr).

Get around

Visitors end up at the resort section of Jermuk, which is completely separate from the bigger town below, separated by a canyon. The resort area is small and manageable enough to handle on foot. In fact, the whole area has a lot of trees, open spaces, views, interesting old sanatoriums and is really nice to wander around on foot.

See

Gndevank as seen from the road to Jermuk

Jermuk Bridge

• Jermuk Lake - just below Jermuk is a large reservoir lake
• Gndevank Monastery - under the cliffs of Gndevaz village is the fortified monastery of Gndevank. You can hike or bike down the picturesque old canyon road to it as well as scale down the cliffs from the village. The fortifications have a few levels of chambers and passages, the church and gavit are very nice, and there are some cool carvings, khachkars and picnic area.

Do

• 1 Water Gallery. Arcade of different temperatures of hot mineral water coming out of pipes in the wall. Try the different temperatures, which are supposed to be good for different ailments. 
• 2 Ski. Good news for the fans of active rest: Jermuk now boasts a new cable car (ropeway) meeting international standards, which enables the mountain-skiers to enjoy the professional ski-runs. At the last stop of the ropeway a special playground is built for riding sleds. Snowmobiles are available as well. 
• Soak in the waters!. Although those places that have the hot water facilities tend to keep you in bathtubs, with Soviet nurses running around, it's a cool experience, and that is after all what made Jermuk famous. 
• Hike. Lots of great hiking opportunities abound, so enjoy the mountains. 

Eat

Many of the sanatoriums include meals with your room, but in case you want to try one of the limited choices in town, they're easy to spot.

Sleep

• Jermuk Armenia Complex, 2 Miasnikyan Str.. Very nicely restored luxury sanatorium. 
• Anush Guest House, 5B Vardanyan Str.. 
• Jermuk Olympia (Sanatorium N3), 16 Shahumyan Str.. 
• Jermuk Ashkharh Sanatorium (former Lechkomissiya), 20 Shahumyan Str., ☏ +374 287 22443, +374 287 21208, +374 287 26242, +374 287 22433, +374 287 21208. Amenities: Hot water, TV set, bathroom, toilet, refrigerator, telephone and cold water in all rooms. Surroundings: Parking lot, playground. Buffet, bar, cinema, games room, sauna, tennis, billiard, swimming pool. Different discounts are offered for children of different ages. Double 10,000 dram (per person), Lux 20,000 dram (per person), 5th floor 15,000-20,000 dram (per person) with treatment.