Dzorashen
Shirak's most scenic village

What is this place

Dzorashen is a mountain village in the north of Shirak Province, right by the border with Lori, often called the most picturesque settlement in the area. It was formerly known as Yerord Karakilisa.

Dzorashen sits at roughly 1,706 metres among wooded slopes and gorges at the foot of the Bazum Range. The road here leads away from the busy highways, so the village has kept a quiet, almost untouched character: green meadows, cool springs and views that reward the climb into these hills. Travellers come for hiking trails, fishing and the unhurried rhythm of village life.

Small as it is, the surroundings of Dzorashen are rich in traces of the past. The village itself has a church rebuilt in 1863, while nearby stand the ruins of the 12th-13th century Surb Stepanos monastery and the remains of an old fortress. A little further on, in the gorge of the Chichkhan river, on whose left bank the village lies, the Trchkan waterfall and the ancient monuments of neighbouring villages await the curious traveller.

Today Dzorashen is above all a calm starting point for those who want to see northern Shirak up close — its mountain paths, pastures and the wide Armenian horizons, far from any crowds. From here it is easy to set off to the nearby springs and hiking trails and feel the unhurried rhythm of a mountain village.