Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan, set high in the mountains of northeastern Armenia at nearly 1,900 metres, is the jewel of the country and one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world, its vast expanse of shimmering blue water ringed by mountains. A cool, refreshing summer escape from the heat of Yerevan, its shores draw visitors to swim and relax, and its most famous sight is the Sevanavank monastery, a pair of ancient churches perched picturesquely on a peninsula jutting into the lake, with sweeping views over the water.

History

The lake formed some 25,000 to 30,000 years ago from a much larger Palaeo-Sevan, and an 8th-century BC inscription of the Urartian king Rusa I, found at Odzaberd on the south shore, uses the word suinia, usually read as lake and the likely source of the name; early medieval Armenian texts call it the Sea of Gegham, the Greeks Lychnitis, and Russian and British sources from the 17th to the early 20th century often Gokcha, the blue lake. In medieval Armenia Sevan was the name of the island and its monastery, Sevanavank, and the island became a peninsula when heavy use of the lake's water lowered its level (Wikipedia, Lake Sevan).

Highlights

• Sevanavank - the ancient monastery on the peninsula over the lake.
• The blue lake - the vast shimmering high-altitude water.
• The beaches - the summer swimming spots along the shore.
• The khachkars - the carved cross-stones and Noratus cemetery nearby.

When to go

June to September, the summer, when the high-altitude lake is warm enough for swimming and the shores are lively; even in summer the water is cool and the weather can change, and outside summer it is cold and quiet. It is an easy trip from Yerevan.

What to expect

At high altitude, the lake is cool and its swimming season short, really only high summer, and the water level has fluctuated over the years due to historic overuse. Parts of the shore are developed with resorts and can be busy in summer. The famous Sevanavank monastery involves a climb of steps. The vast blue lake, the monastery and the cool mountain air, though, are a lovely escape.

Nearby

The Noratus cross-stone cemetery, the Dilijan forests and Yerevan are within reach.

Key facts