Hnevank

Monastery at the meeting of two rivers

Area Lori
Type Monastery
Time needed 30m

Hnevank is a small restored monastery in Lori, standing on a bluff where the Dzoraget and Gargar rivers meet. It is a short detour from the Stepanavan road and takes well under an hour, which makes it a stop rather than a destination in its own right.

Open in the planner →

Getting there

About 121 km from Yerevan, roughly 2h 12m of driving. The final descent from the plateau into the gorge is on a rough unsurfaced track off the road near Kurtan village.

What you see

The domed church has been reroofed and looks noticeably new in places, with older carved fragments and gravestones set around it. The setting does most of the work: bare green slopes, the two rivers joining below, and a view back up the gorge. A ruined gavit and sections of wall adjoin the church.

What to pair it with

Combine it with Stepanavan, the Lori Berd fortress site and Dzoraget on the way north.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn are best, when the grass is green and the track is dry. After heavy rain or snow the descent is poor and sometimes impassable in an ordinary car.

What is hard about it

The access track is the main difficulty, and the restoration is heavy enough that parts of the church read as modern masonry. Thirty minutes is honestly enough unless you are drawn to the landscape.

Common questions

Can I get there in a normal car?

In dry weather, carefully, yes. In wet or snowy conditions the unsurfaced descent into the gorge is better attempted in something with clearance.

Is the church open?

It is generally unlocked and in occasional use, but there are no fixed visiting hours. [VERIFY — confirm current details]

Is it worth the detour?

If you like river gorges and quiet sites, yes. If you have already seen several Lori monasteries, it adds little architecturally.