My Armenia Program

Mikael Shelemetev and Paloma Rubio, a young couple, moved from Spain to the village of Tandzaver in 2019 to develop geotourism in Armenia. Once Mikael 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 people, mountains, gorges, tranquility, clean air, and the prospect of engaging in tourism activities. Mikael and Paloma’s settling in the village is not only about two young people finding their new home in this wonderful corner of nature, but also about how local villagers redefined their opinions about their surrounding environment.
Tandzaver - Mountain' Spirit / Տանձավեր

Harutyun is a third-generation winemaker who has transformed his love into a profession and business. When Harutyun’s grandfather Jivan Hovhannisyan moved to the Ararat Valley from Vayots Dzor in 1964, he brought with him a vine originally planted by his father to ensure the continuity of his family’s winemaking traditions. Harutyun keeps his family’s winemaking traditions alive while also developing new innovations.

Avetik Grigoryan ran a successful restaurant in the main town of Martuni and used those proceeds to establish a restaurant in the ancient settlement of nearby Mtnadzor, the nearly abandoned village where he grew up. As a child, Avetik spent many summer days with his father and grandfather in Mtnadzor and the surrounding mountains.
Մթնաձոր Ռեստորան

The hosts of this experience are Svetlana and Gevorg, who started winemaking during the 1990s. They share a similar story with the majority of families living in late-Soviet Areni and are helping to keep Areni’s local winemaking heritage alive. As the wine factories refused to take their grapes, they decided to make their own wine to not lose their entire harvest. At the time, they couldn’t imagine that they’d become one of the village’s first homemade winemakers who would host tourists and introduce local wine and the story of Areni village as the homeland of wine production. This married couple is full of warm hospitality and stands apart with their ability to learn and innovate, combined with their inquisitive minds and an incessant desire to build better lives together.
Ar Areni restaurant