Nestled at the foot of the Zangezur Mountains, this Armenian town sits along the Vorotan River. Medieval khachkars dot the landscape, while the rushing waters power local hydroelectric stations.
Goris, a town in southern Armenia’s Syunik province, invites you to walk past one-story stone houses with arched gates, explore the 4th-century Surp Hripsimé Basilica, and hike to an abandoned cave city carved into volcanic cliffs. You can examine Bronze Age tools at the regional archaeology museum, watch weavers demonstrate Zangezur carpet patterns, or attend the August festival where locals press mulberries into syrup. Soviet-era apartment blocks stand near medieval churches like the 16th-century Surp Hripsimé, rebuilt on 4th-century foundations. The town lies 40 km from Tatev Monastery, accessible via the Wings of Tatev cable car spanning the Vorotan Canyon.
Stone Architecture and Ancient Sites
Goris developed its distinct appearance through a 19th-century urban plan that organized streets around the town’s natural rock formations. In the Old Town, you’ll find rows of houses made from dark basalt blocks, each with courtyards shielded by walls taller than a person. Carved directly into the cliffs east of town, the Old Kores cave complex includes over 200 chambers once used as homes, storage rooms, and stables, with some still sheltering goats and sheep today. The Surp Hripsimé Basilica in Old Goris displays khachkar crosses from the 1600s, though its original structure dates to Armenia’s early Christian period. For panoramic views, climb the stone steps to Dzagedzor Citadel, a 10th-century fortress overlooking the Vorotan River’s jagged canyon.
Museums and Cultural Institutions
The Goris Archaeological Museum houses arrowheads from Urartian battle sites and medieval oil lamps excavated near Tatev Monastery. At the Axel Bakunts House-Museum, you can see the wooden desk where the novelist wrote “The Dark Valley,” surrounded by his personal book collection. Local artists display oil paintings of Syunik’s landscapes at the Goris Art Gallery, located in a renovated 19th-century merchant’s home. The town honors gusan (folk singer) Ashot through weekly performances of his compositions on the tar and kamancha instruments. Goris Dramatic Theatre stages plays in a modern auditorium designed with arched ceilings that mimic the area’s cave dwellings.
Hiking Trails and Day Trips
From Goris, drive 15 minutes to Khndzoresk village, where a 160-meter suspension bridge connects cliffsides dotted with abandoned cave houses. The Wings of Tatev cable car transports visitors to Tatev Monastery in 12 minutes, passing over the Vorotan Canyon’s steepest drops. North of town, the Karahunj archaeological site has 204 upright stones arranged in circles, some with holes aligned to track stars 7,500 years ago. In Goris itself, the Children’s Sports School opens its climbing wall and chess club to visitors on weekday afternoons.
Seasonal Festivals
During the last week of August, the Mulberry Festival fills Goris’ central square with stalls selling fruit leather, mulberry vodka, and honey made from silkworm-fed bees. Weavers from nearby villages demonstrate how they create geometric patterns using madder root and walnut husk dyes. Musicians play duduk melodies accompanied by explanations of how apricot wood shapes the instrument’s sound.
Transportation and Climate
Buses depart Yerevan’s Kilikia Station daily at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM for the 4-hour drive to Goris via the M-2 Highway, passing through the Selim Pass. Summers rarely exceed 25°C, with July being the driest month for hiking the Vorotan Canyon trails. Pack warm layers if visiting between December and March, when temperatures often drop below freezing and snow dusts the cave city cliffs. Most guesthouses cluster near Kirov Street, within a 10-minute walk of the archaeology museum and bus station. Order jingalov hats at family-run eateries—these flatbreads stuffed with 12 types of greens taste best when paired with matsoni yogurt.
