Armenian Switzerland Forest Walk
Discover why Dilijan is called the Armenian Switzerland, exploring its remarkable dense deciduous forests of oak, beech, and hornbeam that cascade down mountain slopes in an ecosystem unique in the dry South Caucasus region.
- 1
Dilijan National Park Entry
Enter Dilijan National Park through the forested hills above the town, where the transition from cultivated valley to old-growth forest is immediate and the change in atmosphere from urban to wilderness is dramatic.
- 2
Beech Forest Trail
Follow the trail through ancient beech forest where centuries-old trees create a cathedral canopy above a floor carpeted with ferns, wild mushrooms, and shade-loving plants in an ecosystem sheltered from the dry highland climate.
- 3
Haghartsin Monastery Forest
Approach the 13th-century Haghartsin monastery through a forest setting so perfect it seems designed — the medieval church towers emerging from the tree canopy in a composition that has inspired Armenian painters for centuries.
- 4
Forest Stream
Rest beside a clear mountain stream that tumbles through the forest over mossy boulders, its cold water feeding the exceptional moisture levels that make Dilijan's forest unusual in a country where most of the landscape is semi-arid.
- 5
Viewpoint over Forest Valley
Climb to a forest clearing with views across the forested Aghstev River valley where the unbroken tree canopy stretches for kilometers, the landscape earning Dilijan its enduring reputation as Armenia's green lung.
- 6
Forest Edge Village
Descend to one of the small villages at the forest edge where traditional Armenian houses surrounded by walnut, mulberry, and apple orchards represent the long relationship between local communities and the surrounding forest ecosystem.