Northern Avenue
Pedestrian boulevard through the heart of the city
- Area Yerevan
- Type City landmark
- Time needed 30m
Northern Avenue is the pedestrian boulevard cut through the old centre in the 2000s to link Republic Square with the Opera. It was part of Tamanian's original plan, built eighty years late, and it is now Yerevan's main promenade and luxury shopping street.
Open in the planner →Getting there
In the city centre, a minute from Republic Square, and the obvious walking spine between the square and Freedom Square.
What you see
The avenue is a straight run of pale new stone, with ground-floor shops and cafes under tall residential blocks faced to match the older centre. The interest is the evening passeggiata rather than the architecture: musicians, families, and a steady flow of people between the two squares. Side turnings lead to older courtyards that survived the clearance.
What to pair it with
Links Republic Square at one end with the Opera and the Cascade at the other, with Katoghike Church a short detour away.
When to go
Evenings, when it fills with people, and especially summer evenings. In winter it is a wind tunnel and much emptier.
What is hard about it
Architecturally it is bland and self-consciously new, and it was built by demolishing older housing, which still causes resentment. There is little shade and the cafes are priced for visitors.
Common questions
Is there anything historic to see?
Not on the avenue itself, which is new. The older Yerevan survives in the side streets and courtyards on either side.
Is it a good place to eat?
There are plenty of cafes, though prices are higher than a street or two away. Nothing specific is recommended here.
How long is the walk?
A few minutes end to end between Republic Square and the Opera, longer if you stop.
Nearby
- Yerevan CascadeGiant limestone stairway with modern sculpture and city views
- 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
More of the same kind
- Vernissage MarketOpen-air weekend market of crafts, carpets and art
- Yerevan Opera TheatreTamanian's 1933 opera house set in Freedom Square
- Yerevan Brandy CompanyHistoric Ararat brandy cellars with tastings
- GorisStone town ringed by cave-riddled hoodoos