Tsaghkadzor

Tsaghkadzor is the most popular ski and climatic resort of Armenia. In summer people come here to hide from the Yerevan heat, while in winter it turns into an ideal place for sport lovers. There are 15 skiing trails of several difficulty levels recently renovated and rebuilt by Italian specialists, and there is a ropeway, too. The winter season lasts almost 6 months here – from November until April. Besides, there was a time when Tsaghkadzor served as the main training ground for the USSR Olympic Team. The word “Tsaghkadzor” means “a gorge of flowers”. The historical name of the place is Kecharis, which is still the name of the 11th-century monastery complex located in the town. One of the monastery buildings, the Saint Gregory Church, was built by Prince Grigor Magistros – an acclaimed scientist and philosopher, who translated the works of Plato and Euclid into Armenian. The first pages of the translated Euclid's “Elements” are displayed in Matenadaran. Another Tsaghkadzor place of interest is the Museum of Orbeli Brothers. Personal belongings and scientific works of the noble and renowned brothers – Joseph Orbeli, who was the first president of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences and director of Hermitage, Leon Orbeli – a physiologist and vice-president of the Academy of Sciences of USSR, and Ruben Orbeli, who was an archaeologist and the pioneer in the underwater archeology in the USSR – are kept in the museum.