Meghri

Meghri is the southernmost town in Armenia, wedged into a deep gorge by the Aras river right on the Iranian border. The low ground and the shelter of the mountains give it a subtropical microclimate: the gardens around it grow figs, pomegranates, persimmons and grapes, an unusual combination for Armenia. The only overland route from Armenia into Iran passes through Meghri, so the town is often the last stop before the border.

Main sights

• The old quarters of Mets Tagh and Pokr Tagh — houses of brown stone clinging to the steep sides of the gorge, with narrow lanes and gardens behind their walls.
• Surb Astvatsatsin church (Holy Mother of God) — a seventeenth-century church painted inside from end to end, one of the most richly decorated in southern Armenia.
• Surb Hovhannes church — the town's second old church, up in the higher quarter.
• Fortress ruins — what is left of medieval defences on the ridge above the town, with a view over the gorge and the Iranian bank.

Food and prices

The wealth of Meghri is its fruit, fresh and dried: figs, pomegranates, peaches, local wine and mulberry spirit. Cafés serve plain Armenian food, and lunch comes to about 3-5 euros. Cards are accepted, but close to the border cash is useful.

Getting there

Meghri sits at the end of the M2, and the drive from Yerevan through Goris and Kapan takes seven to nine hours over hairpin roads. Minibuses run, but the trip is a long one under your own steam; many people come purely as transit into Iran, with the Agarak-Norduz crossing 8 km away.

When to come

This is the warmest place in Armenia: hot summers, mild winters. Late summer and autumn are the best of it, when the fruit ripens and the heat drops off.