Jermuk
Tour to Jermuk
Three hours drive from the capital of Armenia - Yerevan, is a large resort town of Jermuk, which is located 2080 meters above sea level on a small plateau. The Arpa River, which flows through the picturesque gorge, is divided into two parts by this plateau. The purest air of these places, wonderful green meadows, many waterfalls, a magnificent view of the mountain peaks strongly resembles the Alps. The city is equipped with a cable car. In winter, the ski season begins here. Jermuk trails are the hardest in Armenia.
The mild climate contributes to excellent rest throughout the year. The average spring temperature here is equal to half a degree of heat, in summer, autumn and winter its average values are +15, -5 and -9 degrees, respectively.
The name is known from the 13th century, however, in the city there are the ruins of a church and a fortress, the creation of which dates back to the 8th century, which suggests that its history began five centuries earlier. Water sources that are in the city have always been considered healing. There are numerous evidences that people suffering from various diseases cleaned up narrow paths through the gorges in order to plunge into the healing waters of Jermuk.
According to historians, this city was a summer residence for the Syunik princes . The swimming pool, the ruins of which can be seen in the city, was built in the Middle Ages, and this suggests that the Dzhemruk mineral waters were a popular means for making wellness treatments at that time.
Dzhemruk guests are greatly impressed by the huge waterfall falling into the gorge from seventy meters into the gorge. In the people, this natural phenomenon is called "Mermaid's hair". This name is associated with the beautiful legend of the love of the prince's daughter to a simple shepherd. The prince cursed his daughter and predicted that she would become a mermaid if she did not stop loving her lover. When she tried to escape to the shepherd, the curse worked, and the girl's hair turned into a waterfall.
In Vayots Dzor region a large number of attractions, cultural and historical monuments. These include the Arpa-Sevan tunnel and the Kechutsk reservoir, which is filled with the Arapa River. The reservoir is the main element in the hydraulic system “Arpa-Sevan” and it is from here that the tunnel laid under water, whose length is 48 km, begins. Tourists can see traces of the foundation of Gladzor University, founded in 1282, the Noravank complex.
The modern history of the city of Jermuk began not so long ago, in 1940. It was then that the first sanatorium was built here. In the following years, conditions were created in the city and its environs for proper recreation and tourism. Nowadays there are numerous high-class resorts in the city, equipped with the latest technology. Here numerous vacationers successfully combine leisure with exciting excursions and tourism. The “Jermuk Armenia” sanatorium is especially known among fans of such a holiday.
