Four centuries have passed since French traveler Jean Chardin spoke about Armenia’s greenest city in his travel notes. Since then, the fairytale city, the city/spa resort has become a strong favorite among both residents and guests of Armenia.
Today, let’s talk about what makes us love Dilijan, the things we want to embrace and carry away with us, sing songs and spread grace about, and preserve the aftertaste!
Archaeological research has shown that humans have been living in the area since late Bronze Age – early Iron Age.
Dilijan’s climate is a sweet friend: mild summers, sunny and warm winters, mostly dry weather that does not shy away from rains, nevertheless.
If you travel to Dilijan in late fall, close your eyes while driving into the tunnel. Remember the view before and hold your breath. On the other side, the wonders of nature and climate will not take long to astonish!
The city is located at 1,500m height above the sea level and is surrounded almost entirely by Dilijan National Park. Dilijan Reserve Forest is the richest in the South Caucasus. The status of national park was granted to Dilijan forests in 1958.
The park takes up the territory located at 1,500-2,800m above the sea level. Armenia’s “lungs” are home to brown bear, rock marten, Caucasian squirrel. In total, the park features 35 mammal species and 102 tree species. The territory of the park occupies 24,232 hectares.&nbsp;
Dilijan is also the crossroad of three highways. Remember: you will cross Dilijan when traveling from Yerevan to Ijevan, from Vanadzor to Noyemberyan.
What to see?
While planning your trip to Dilijan, mark as a must visits to Goshavank and Haghartsin monasteries (built in XII-XIII centuries and XI-XIII centuries, respectively), lakes Parz and Gosh, as well as Lastiver, hidden between waterfalls and caves. If you go to Dilijan from Yerevan, blue-eyed Lake Sevan will be on the route, too.
Many wealthy families visited Dilijan for vacation in the XIX century, but it was granted the status of city only in 1951. Now Dilijan is considered one of Armenia’s intellectual centers. It hosts UWC Dilijan and TUMO Center for Creative Technologies that provides free courses to children aged 12-18. Many composers, artists and prominent cultural figures of Armenia have lived in Dilijan.
In one of the hidden nooks of the city forests stands the composers’ house that used to host Arno Babajanyan, Maya Plisetskaya, Martiros Saryan. That is where Shostakovich composed for the film “Hamlet”.
Come to the house, stand in the center of the living-room and sing any melody – we promise, the overtones of your voice will fill up the room and all the hearts in it! Many years have had their toll on the building, yet, thanks to the genius of the Soviet school of architecture the acoustics have been preserved up to these days.

Now, Dilijan attracts musicians anew. Armenia’s best jazz musicians perform here every evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The city has a huge number of restaurants, hotels and guesthouses. Dilijan’s tourist infrastructure has been developing faster than that of any other region of Armenia in the last 5 years.
We recommend making a stop at the entry to Dilijan, right after the tunnel, and taste the famous corn. Eat it with your hands, add some salt, and collect the stories of the elderly selling the corn. Each one of these people has a story to tell: about the city, the region, their own life.
If the Dilijan experience happens in your life, you carry it with you forever. That is the way.
“Dear Valiko jan, open the tap in Dilijan in an ordinary kitchen and get water that ranks second in the world! – Really? And the top-ranked water is in Yerevan, isn’t it? – No, it’s in San Francisco!” Quote from “Mimino”, a 1977 film.

Dilijan

Four centuries have passed since French traveler Jean Chardin spoke about Armenia’s greenest city in his travel notes. Since then, the fairytale city, the city/spa resort has become a strong favorite among both residents and guests of Armenia.

Dilijan

Why we love Dilijan

Tours and tickets

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