Starting from the 60th kms of the Yerevan-Sevan highway, a wonderful view opens; the lake Sevan, which gradually becomes nearer and nearer, begins to glare with silver glitter under the rays of the Sun. Green, blue and turquoise waves, rippling quietly, with mountain wind bring their fragrance and make everybody, who even a second pays attention to nature’s painted canvas, become their eternal lover.
The lake Sevan is the pearl of Armenia. It is one of the highest and greatest freshwater lakes, and this is the reason for the lake to be called Geghama or Gegharqunyats Sea after the name of the country which was connected with one of the descendants of Hayk – Gegham. In the area of this country the present Gegharquniq is situated.
The lake Sevan is situated in the area of ”Sevan” national park. It is surrounded with the mountain-chains of Geghama, Vardenis, Sevan, Pambak and Areguni. 28 rivers and rivulets flow to Sevan, and only Hrazdan starts from it. Sevan has wonderful flora and fauna. There is Sevan koghak, karas and crab in the lake. The Sevan trout (ishkhan) and Sevan beghlu are included in the Red Book of Armenia. In ”Sevan” national park there is a vast variety of plants, the majority of which is endemic and unique species. Among animals there are otters, dark bears, wood cats, weasels, bezoar goats, which are included in the Red Book of Armenia, too.
Bird-watching is of special interest in Sevan. The latter is famous in gulls. In this respect the Isle of Gulls is unique, where one can watch Armenian gulls as well. The area of ”Sevan” national park strikes eyes with a great number of historical and cultural monuments. They include the period of 15 millennium B. C. and are represented in rock-images, five-thousand-year-old sepulchers of Lchashen, fortresses of Urartian and pre-Urartian periods, castles, settlements, cuneiforms and famous monuments of Medieval Armenia as Sevanavanq, Hayravanq, khachqars (cross-stones) of Noraduz etc..
The interests of Sevan are countless. In addition to cultural, cognitive, adventure and ecological tourism, one can just have a rest in sandy warm banks of Sevan, surrounded with fir-trees, and admire wonderful beauty of the lake, image of powerful mountains surrounding it, azure sky reflected in the lake and dream, dream…