Discover Armenia : Sports and leisure

National sports: long live muscles... and thinking!

Generally speaking, sport suffers from the economic difficulties of the country. However, chess, weightlifting and wrestling have withstood the hardships suffered by Armenian sport and remain the major national disciplines.

Dumbbells. Armenian weightlifters have enabled the discipline to develop in Armenia and to produce champions such as Simon Martirossyan, who gave Armenia its first (silver) medal at the Rio Olympics in August 2016, and Gor Minassian, also a silver medalist in Rio.

Wrestling. Armenian wrestlers stand out in the international arena in Greco-Roman wrestling. The discipline earned Armenia a gold medal, won in Rio in 2016 by Arthur Aleksanian (98 kg). Also in Rio, Mihran Haroutiounian (66 kg) won silver.

Chess. On the chessboard, Armenia gave several champions during the Soviet era, including Grandmaster Tigran Petrossian who was among the ten best players in the world between 1953 and 1980. A new generation then took over in Armenia even after the fall of the USSR, led by Levon Aronian, the 1998 world junior champion. He then led the Armenian team to the world title in 2011 in Ningbo, China, for the first time in its history. As for Levon Aronian, he remains undefeated, and won the Cup of the Grand Masters Tournament (Grenke Chess Classic), which took place at the end of April 2017 in Germany. In the world rankings, after rising to^2nd place, he was an honourable 7th on July¹, 2020.

Like everywhere else, football

In February 2018, Yerevan hosted the FIFA World Cup Trophy with great pomp and circumstance, making its first stop in Armenia on its 220-day tour of 50 countries before the tournament's launch. The Armenians were able to admire the precious FIFA World Cup trophy, presented by Christian Karembeu at a ceremony at the Yerevan Opera House in the presence of President Sarkissian and the country's highest dignitaries. The event reflected Armenians' passion for football, the country's most popular sport despite the disappointing results of the national team. As for famous players, the French stars of the 1998 World Cup, Youri Djorkaeff and Alain Boghossian are of Armenian origin and today the star of the Armenian national team Henrikh Mkhitaryan plays for AS Rome (in July 2020).

Armenia, on the assault of the roads

We often come to Armenia to walk. It's a lot of fun. Given the average altitude of the country, the average hike becomes indeed very quickly a high hike; but it remains generally accessible to all, provided that one is well equipped (sunscreen, walking shoes). The wooded mountains of Dzaghkadzor or Lori, further north, Chikahogh, in the south, or High Karabagh, are perfect for hiking, and present few risks. However, one should be wary of snakes and the risk of rock falls in drier areas, such as in the woods of the Khosrov State Forest Reserve after Geghard. TheAvarayr agency is the leading specialist in trekking across the country, offering various à la carte formulas, particularly in tents. It also offers bike tours, including mountain biking. Trekking is also an increasingly popular discipline. An activity that is practiced mainly on the heights of the Arakadz, but also on the volcanic peaks of Kegham (Mount Ajdahak, 3,598 m), with a guide

Horseback riding. If walking and cycling are very popular, equestrian activities are also developing and many agencies offer horseback riding in some regions of the country (Achtarak, Lori). It should be said that trekking in beautiful wooded mountain settings is legion in Armenia.

Armenia of the summits

Armenia has many high peaks on the alpine scale (Arakadz, 4,100 m above sea level), but they do not present any major difficulties that would excite experienced mountaineers. There is, however, an Armenian Alpine Club that has trained good mountaineers. With good equipment, and wearing crampons for the few glaciers and snows resistant to the summer sun, one can tackle the Armenian summits, the peaks of Arakadaz, but also the more jagged peaks of Zanguezour, dominated by the Kapoudjouk (3,910 m). The Armenian Alpine Club

offers climbs for a few days or for the whole stay in the canyon of Hrazdan or Noravank. But also ski and freeride sessions. Winter sports are beginning to develop in Armenia, concentrated mainly in the resort of Dzaghkadzor, which is equipping itself to international standards, but also little by little in Djermouk and more recently in Achotsk, towards the Armenian-Georgian border. With a strong snow cover, and mountains of various shapes, the long Armenian winter could soon be a gold mine... white.

Armenia, from water to sky

Armenia has no sea, but the vast expanse of fresh water of Lake Sevan, three times the size of Lake Geneva, allows a wide range of activities to develop on its shores, at an altitude of 1,900 m. Swimming and sunbathing of course, but also sailing, jet-skiing, water-skiing and windsurfing, and for some years now there has even been experimentation with the Jetovator, a kind of jet-ski propelled above the water, and the jet pack, where you fly away on the same principle with a kind of dorsal jet engine. Generally speaking, the other, smaller lakes and water reservoirs are as many refreshing and leisurely points of water in the heat of summer. Finally, as a mountainous country, rivers with powerful flows are legion, as in the Lori or Vorotan in the south, and will please rafting or canyoning enthusiasts. Sensations guaranteed! As if taking advantage of the summits to enjoy the Armenian nature from the sky. By parasailing above the water, but also much higher up by taking off from the mountains by hang-gliding or paragliding.