Lori Berd

Lori Berd was built in the early eleventh century by King David Anhoghin as the capital of the Kiurikian kingdom, on a triangle of basalt with gorges cutting down on two sides and a wall closing the third. The wall, gate and tower stubs survive, along with the remains of a bathhouse, a church and cisterns inside. A medieval arched bridge crosses the Dzoraget below. The columnar basalt in the gorge walls is worth the walk down on its own.

What you actually see

• The main wall - the eleventh-century fortification closing the neck of the promontory.
• The gorges - deep basalt canyons on two sides of the site.
• The bathhouse - excavated remains of the medieval bath inside the walls.
• The old bridge - a medieval arched crossing over the Dzoraget below.

When to go

May to October is the season; the ground is boggy in spring and snow-covered in winter. Autumn colour in the gorges is the best of the year. The site is open and unstaffed.

Honest expectations

Much of the interior is grass and low foundations rather than standing building. The gorge edges are unfenced. Getting down to the bridge is a rough scramble.

Nearby

Stepanavan is four kilometres away, and the Dendropark is nearby.