While close to the famous Tatev Monastery and tram, the remote mountain village of Tandzaver is definitely off the beaten track—far from main roads and rarely visited even by Armenians from other regions. However, this is where Mikayel Shelemetev and Paloma Rubio moved from Spain to explore the natural beauty and historical monuments of their new home. Thanks to Mikayel and Paloma’s efforts, you may now participate in hiking tours, biking tours, hands-on art installations, and more.
The Magic Forest Open-Air Museum is one of the highlights of Tandzaver, consisting of a 5.5-kilometer hiking trail from the village center through the surrounding forests of Ashkharates Mountain. This is one of the few “land art” museums in Armenia. Along the trail, you will see and learn about many examples of land art, which are made from stones, leaves, fallen branches, and other natural materials found in the forest. You can even leave a lasting impression on the forest yourself by creating your own pieces of land art, which may be added to the museum. Mikayel and Paloma will help you to find interesting “building blocks” from the forest and open up your creativity to create things you never thought possible.
The beauty of land art is that it comes from nature and it will eventually return to nature, allowing you to become a piece of Armenia’s natural history. Because Mikayel and Paloma are very knowledgeable about the history and nature in the surrounding areas, they may also organize hiking or biking tours to nearby Vanand Fortress and Davit Bek Reservoir known as Chayzami Lake.
Meet your hosts
Meet Mikayel and Paloma, the founders of Pegasus Tandzaver, a young couple who relocated from Spain. With the support of the community leader, they became involved in developing tourism in the area, especially hiking and biking tours to the surrounding natural and historic treasures. Mikayel will tell you that he knew nothing about the village before visiting it. However, once he visited this hidden corner of Armenia tucked away in the mountains near the iconic Tatev Monastery and tram, it felt like home to him. He was fascinated by everything: the nature, people, mountains, gorges, tranquility, clean air, and the prospect of engaging in tourism activities. The appearance of Mikayel and Paloma in the village is not only a story about two young people finding their new home in this wonderful corner of nature. It also stresses how this enabled the locals to redefine their opinions about the village and the surrounding environment.
