The cave and fortress complex "Zarni-Parni" is located very conveniently - on the way to the village of Haghpat. To the left of the road leading to the famous monastery of the X century, an iron soldier shows the way. Here you need to turn left, walk about a kilometer along the path leading to the rocks and, voila, here’s the cave fortresses. Of course, you may rich this place on vehicles, but then you will deprive yourself of a walk with unforgettable views under the birds singing.
Clearing the territory, research, construction and landscape work took 5 years. Archaeologists, historians, restorers, engineers, seismologists, designers - the enormous work of many people created and recreated this unique place. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail here and for the convenience of visitors, while maintaining a natural texture. Along the path are objects and artifacts from different eras, found and brought here from all around. The vineyards were also placed here for an important reason - specialists found traces of winemaking in ancient crucians, and the wine comes from local grape varieties no worse than the more promoted wine of neighboring Georgia.
In the open area, the restaurant also has a place for a bonfire - spending time here will be a separate pleasure. We can see a remarkable rocky hill from here, surrounded on three sides by a gorge, with a 15-tower fortress of the 13th century Kayan and the Surb Astvatsatsin church (Dsevank), damaged by earthquakes, but partially restored in the 19th century. The Kayan fortress is also undeservedly ignored by the majority of the region’s guests, it can be seen from Haghpat, but our complex is literally opposite, and behind it on the carved gorge shore you can also see the village of Sanahin, and a voluminous panoramic typical Lorian picture appears, which is impossible to mix up with another one in Armenia. By the way, in Kayan-bird there is a walking route, which leads you to Zarni-Parni, when you can have a rest, gain strength, new knowledge, eat some local dishes and wait for a dizzying sunset.
Since the beginning of May, Zarni-Parni has been welcoming guests. The Internet is already full of rave reviews and photos of those who managed to visit this complex with an amazing fate. Here everything is carefully subordinated to nature, inscribed with love and taste in it. But could it be otherwise in the place where Hovhannes Sarkavag Imastaser himself was reclusive, who declared nature to be the cradle of creativity and an object for human imitation?
