Stepanavan Begins to Breath and Live

In Armenia, they call people hailing from the region of Lori as the “simple-minded Loretsi”. The hidden meaning of this nickname is that residents of Lori are pure and untainted, sincere and unspiteful folk and a people possessing a rich spiritual inner world; similar to their unblemished natural surroundings. Of the many treasures dotting the countryside, of particular note is the city of Stepanavan, siitting on the heights above of Dzoraget River and nestled on the slopes of deeply forested mountains. What makes Stepanavan one of the country’s most gorgeous of summer resort areas is its sunny days, mild humid climate and abundance of green spaces.

Knock on any door in Stepanavan and you’ll be welcomed inside to find out, “whose son or relative you are.” Then the residents will offer you cheese and sour cream and recount the golden days of the past and the concerns of today. The old folk remember the time when, come the summer, the town would fill up with tourists and those with summer homes who’d arrive from all corners of the Soviet Union, especially Georgia and Russia. More…