The sign says it's a refrigerator shop and you have to ring the doorbell to get in (tell them Lonely Planet sent you), but there's a good reason for that – Vanadzor's reputation for homophobia and sexism means its coolest speakeasy needs to be selective. Owned by the lead singer of a local rock band, Solenoid serves beer, wine and booze.
Solenoid
Northern Armenia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.58 MILES
On a promontory between the gorges of the Dzoragets and Miskhana Rivers, this ruined fortress has huge towers and massive stone blocks along its exposed…
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22.8 MILES
Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen…
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21.3 MILES
Hidden in a verdant valley 13km northeast of Dilijan, Haghartsin ('Dance of the Eagles’) was built between the 10th and 13th centuries and has three…
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27.61 MILES
Akhtala, a small village 20km northeast of Alaverdi, has one major claim to fame: the magnificent frescoes in its 13th-century church. These include a…
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21.28 MILES
Sanahin is a World Heritage site packed with ancient graves, darkened chapels and medieval study halls. The inner sanctum of the cross-shaped Surp…
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29.09 MILES
Once the summer residence of the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, the still-functioning Harichavank is located in the old town of Harich, about 4km from the…
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27.49 MILES
Founded in 1188 by the saintly Armenian cleric Mkhitar Gosh, who was buried in a little chapel overlooking the main complex, this monastery features a…
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28.19 MILES
Snow covers the top of the highest mountain in modern Armenia almost year-round, so climbing is best from July through September. Be careful, though –…
Nearby Northern Armenia attractions
0.23 MILES
Formally known as the Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, this gold-domed church dates from 1895 and serves the city's small Russian Orthodox…
0.34 MILES
Vanadzor's market is the largest in the Lori region and includes fresh produce, dried fruit, cheeses, flowers, nuts and spices.
3. Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts
0.73 MILES
There are nearly 2000 works of art on display at this three-floor branch of the National Gallery of Armenia, including paintings, sculptures, drawings,…
8.72 MILES
This cool and tranquil 35-hectare arboretum 11km south of Stepanavan was established in the 1930s and has a vast array of conifers and deciduous trees. It…
11.07 MILES
Travelling between Stepanavan and the Debed Canyon, one of two possible routes passes the monastery of Hnevank, located on a winding road 7km from Kurtan…
6. Hovhannes Tumanyan House Museum
13.51 MILES
Those who have already visited the Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum in Yerevan will find this timber house where he grew up interesting, but those unfamiliar…
13.58 MILES
On a promontory between the gorges of the Dzoragets and Miskhana Rivers, this ruined fortress has huge towers and massive stone blocks along its exposed…
14.62 MILES
This Soviet-era edifice was constructed in 1978 on the site of the modest timber home of Stepan Shahumian and his wife Ekaterina Ter-Grigoryan, and the…