Yerevan Cascade
Giant limestone stairway with modern sculpture and city views
- Area Yerevan
- Type City landmark
- Time needed 1h
The Cascade is a vast limestone stairway climbing the hillside above central Yerevan, begun in the 1970s and finished decades later, now housing the Cafesjian Center for the Arts with sculpture on every terrace.
Open in the planner →Getting there
At the top of Tamanyan Street, five minutes' walk from the Opera. Escalators run up the inside of the structure past indoor exhibition halls, which is the easy way up.
What you see
Five terraces of fountains and sculpture, with works by Botero, Lynn Chadwick and Barry Flanagan among them, and the indoor galleries behind the escalators. The view from the top terrace takes in the whole city, with Ararat behind it on a clear day. The sculpture garden at the foot is free and open.
What to pair it with
The Opera, Northern Avenue and Republic Square are all within a 20-minute walk downhill. The Matenadaran is ten minutes along the slope.
When to go
Evening, when the fountains are lit and the terraces fill with people. Go to the very top in the early morning for the clearest Ararat view.
What is hard about it
The monument above the top terrace is unfinished and the area behind it is a building site, which comes as a surprise after the climb. The escalators do not reach the top — the last stretch is open steps. In midsummer the stone radiates heat well into the evening.
Common questions
Is the Cascade free?
The exterior terraces and the sculpture garden are free. [VERIFY — confirm current charges for the indoor galleries]
How many steps does the Cascade have?
572 on the outside stairway, though the internal escalators cover most of the climb.
Can you see Mount Ararat from the Cascade?
Yes, from the upper terraces on a clear day — best in the early morning.
Nearby
- MatenadaranRepository of ancient Armenian manuscripts
- Republic SquareYerevan's central square with musical fountains
- Erebuni FortressUrartian citadel from 782 BC, the birthplace of Yerevan
- Armenian Genocide MemorialHilltop memorial and museum to the victims of 1915
- History Museum of ArmeniaNational collection from prehistory to the modern era
- National Gallery of ArmeniaThe country's largest art collection, on Republic Square
More of the same kind
- Vernissage MarketOpen-air weekend market of crafts, carpets and art
- Northern AvenuePedestrian boulevard through the heart of the city
- Yerevan Opera TheatreTamanian's 1933 opera house set in Freedom Square
- Yerevan Brandy CompanyHistoric Ararat brandy cellars with tastings