• Armenian Video in Global Cultural Trend Takes Social Media by Storm and Draws Attention From International Media

  The video BORN FROM CULTURE | ARMENIA, created as part of an international visual trend by director and cinematographer Avo Harutyunyan and the Black Flight team, surpassed one million views just one week after its release...

• “Navasard” Armenian-Iranian Festival Celebrates Anniversary: ​​Two-Day Cultural and Culinary Celebrations Expected in Sisian

  This year, the “Navasard” Armenian-Iranian Cultural and Culinary Festival celebrates its 5th anniversary...

• The Armenian Footprint in K-pop: The Story of a Young Man from Armenia Conquering the Korean Entertainment Industry

  Geopolitically and culturally, Armenia is most familiar to global audiences through Armenian-American icons like Kim Kardashian or Cher. But while the nation remains a mystery to most Americans, a powerful movement of K-pop fans and performers is thriving inside Armenia itself, writes Grace Kao, Professor of Sociology and member of the Ethnicity, Race, and Migration program at Yale University, in an op-ed for The Korea Herald...

• Poisoner, Lover, Defender: The Horrific Death of Queen Parandzem of Syunik

  Parandzem is an Armenian queen whose death ranks among the most tragic and brutal accounts in Armenian historiography...

• Elle Arabia Names Armenia the Next Hidden Gem for Luxury Travel

  Armenia has caught the eye of one of the world's premier fashion and lifestyle publications. Elle Arabia, the Arabic edition of the iconic international magazine, featured the country on its official Instagram account, highlighting it as a "hidden luxury destination no one is talking about...

• Beyond Five-Star Hotels: How Armenia Is Redefine Luxury Travel

  This movement—dubbed experiential luxury—has propelled glamping into one of the most sought-after travel formats in recent years. With its dramatic mountains, deep canyons, and serene lakes, Armenia seamlessly aligns with this global shift, offering its own unique interpretation of modern luxury...

• Kapan Fest: Why Musicians Keep Coming Back to Kapan  

  A few minutes before the concert, Gilles Apap was backstage talking to me about surfing. Then he picked up a rose and balanced it on the tip of his nose. A music stand came next. Students tried to imitate him. None succeeded....

• New Odysseus TV Series to Film in Armenia and Greece

  A new independent TV series, Odysseus, is in development from Greek production company Tanweer, alongside U.S. producers Tectonic and U.S.-Armenian company USATV….

Armenia is a land of ancient monasteries, hidden caves, and buildings where time seems to have stopped. But there are places where only the brave dare to venture after sunset. We’ve compiled seven such locations—real, documented, yet shrouded in legends, rumors, and unexplained stories.

Bear Cave

One of Armenia’s most eerie yet mesmerizing places is located in the Vayots Dzor region, about 130 km from Yerevan. Bear Cave was discovered by hunters in the 1940s. It is a 300-meter-deep shaft with branches totaling around 4 km.

The cave’s ceilings are decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, and daylight barely penetrates inside. Studies suggest the cave formed due to geothermal processes. At its base, the bones of a bear, several hundred years old, were found—hence the name.

Visiting the cave is restricted as it’s a protected natural site and home to rare bat species. Due to its difficult terrain and numerous cliffs, it is considered extremely dangerous. The entrance has recently been sealed, but occasionally adventurers find narrow passages formed by collapses.

Matosavank Monastery

This 13th-century monastery is located near Dilijan. Standing in the middle of a forest, it is partially ruined but retains its mysterious aura.

Matosavank is considered one of the most hidden and hard-to-find monasteries in Armenia. Who built it and why in the heart of the forest remains unknown. Partially overtaken by vegetation, it appears as though nature is gradually reclaiming it. According to legend, monks are buried here under unmarked graves.

Yerevan Children’s Railway

Built in 1937 as part of a Soviet educational program, the Children’s Railway allowed kids to learn about railways and dream of becoming train engineers. It operated until 2024. Today, the station and tracks appear abandoned, though original architectural elements remain—stained glass, reliefs depicting playing children, and an old chandelier inside the station.

There were three stations on the line, one of which is now overgrown and rarely visited. A tunnel built for the railway still stands, filled with rusted rails, broken glass, and remnants of the trains that once carried children.

“Haunted” Church in Stepanavan

In the scenic village of Amrakits near Stepanavan stands the abandoned Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. Its history dates back to the mid-19th century, when Slavic families from Borjomi settled the area and built the church in 1846. The current building dates to the 1910s.

The church suffered significant damage during the 1988 Spitak earthquake. Since then, it has been inactive and in need of restoration. Locals call it the “haunted church,” claiming that at night lights flicker in the broken windows and faint bells can be heard, even though no services have been held for decades.

Ghost Factory in Aparan

The Aparan cleaning products factory was once a major industrial site in Armenia. After the Soviet collapse and the 1990s economic crisis, it closed. In Soviet times, it produced “Pemoxol,” a popular cleaning product, remnants of which can still be found among the debris.

Locals say the factory ceased operations in 1992, and its last director soon passed away. Since then, the building has been empty, slowly deteriorating, and has become part of the region’s “industrial folklore.”

Anomalous Zone on Mount Aragats

On the road to Amberd Fortress lies a site locals call an “anomalous zone.” At around 2,000 meters above sea level, strange things happen: cars appear to roll uphill, balls thrown downward stop and roll back, and water flows against gravity. Even walking uphill feels easier than descending.

Scientists attribute this to optical illusions and the unique terrain, but for many visitors, the sensation remains uncanny. Locals say this is not the only such spot in the Aragats mountains; other areas also display reversed effects.

Hndzoresk Cave City

Once the largest settlement in Eastern Armenia, Hndzoresk consisted of nine quarters with terrace-style houses: the roof of one served as the courtyard for another. This layout made Hndzoresk resemble a giant multi-story building, with cave entrances serving as “windows.”

People lived here until the 1950s, manually expanding and adapting spaces for habitation. Today, the cave city is just 15 minutes from Goris and can be reached via a long suspension bridge over a deep gorge. When fog envelops Hndzoresk, the place truly looks eerie—a ghost town seemingly frozen in another era.

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram