Trails start at the door: Lastiver's caves and waterfalls, Urartian forts in the woods, and the Armenian National Trail running through the village.
- Lastiver, round trip
- ≈ 4–5 h
- Armenian National Trail
- ≈ 60 km to Lori, no asphalt
What's out there
Lastiver is the walk everyone knows: down through the beech forest to the Khachaghbyur river, the waterfalls and the cave shelters. People lived in those caves for centuries. The stone walls inside date from around the 10th to 12th century; the carvings are modern. Go after breakfast and you're back for dinner.
Lastiver is only the start. Within a few kilometres there are several fortresses from the Urartian period, one of them a hundred metres from the zipline platforms; the 10th-century watch fort of Chanchi-kar inside the park; the ruins of the Krnatakh settlement in the forest; and churches from the 7th to the 13th century. Below Yenokavan, the Getahovit-1 cave holds traces of some of the earliest human camps in the region.
The Armenian National Trail passes through the village: some 60 km to Lori without touching asphalt, if you want the long version. Bring water and real shoes, and don't count on phone signal in the gorge.
Trail map
Open the map full screen
Go with a guide
Reception arranges guides and horseback tours.