• Experience holy Echmiadzin, the capital of Armenia from AD 180-340, and the location of the Cathedral of St Gregory the Illuminator.The cathedral's treasury contains a spearhead believed to have been used to pierce the side of the crucified Christ.

• Tour Yerevan's impressive array of cultural sites, including the National Gallery (founded in 1919) and the Yerevan library of ancient manuscripts (Materadaran), which houses over 13,000 texts.

• Don't miss the State Museum of Armenian History in Yerevan, which houses the country's best collection of historical artefacts.

• Make a pilgrimage to one of Armenia's most dramatic sights, the Geghard Monastery. A monastery has occupied this site since the fourth century AD, and the existing churches, all magnificently carved, date from the 13th century.

• Take a detour from Geghard Monastery to visit Garni Temple. Repeated earthquakes have destroyed most of the original structure, but the temple's vertiginous position, dominating the valley from a plateau 300m (984ft) above the Azat River, secures its beauty.

• Photograph the beautiful Lake Sevan, much vaunted for its pure waters, stunning setting and delicious salmon trout. The lake is 70km (43 miles) east of Yerevan and the largest in the Caucasus.

• Relax in Dilijan, a town set amid lovely pine forests with walking trails that ascend to alpine lakes. The town has a number of renovated Soviet-era sanatoriums and a community of retired artists.

• Travel to the steep-sided Debed Canyon where you can visit the UNESCO-protected monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin. It is believed that the great Armenian troubadour-poet, Sayat-Nova, was born in Sanahin, and became a monk at Haghpat.

• Journey to Goris, a town that has changed little since it was first planned by a 19th century German architect. The surrounding area is worth exploring for its cave dwellings. Nearby is the spectacular Tatev Monastery.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.