Modern Yerevan is built largely with Tuffa, the country's pink volcanic stone. This serves to give it an attractiveness in spite of the more modern, bland Soviet architecture which has so destroyed any aesthetic grace in many an Eastern European city. Some streets, like Kiev Avenue, are lined with very beautiful houses, full of character.

Yerevan is built on the banks of the Hrazdan River in the Ararat valley and is dominated by the spectacular twin peaks of Mount Ararat (which are now in neighbouring Turkey), the reputed resting place of Noah's Ark. Though Yerevan itself is at an altitude of 1,300 metres, it is surrounded by high mountains which are in turn dwarfed by the Great Ararat and Little Ararat peaks at 5,165 metres and 3,925 metres respectively.

It is a city of wide, plane tree planted avenues and large squares and green parks. Cafes and restaurants are now beginning to replace the traditional stalls selling local pastries, Airani (a traditional and very refreshing yoghurt drink) and Pasatempo (dried pumpkin seeds which are eaten as a snack).Armenian cooking is very tasty and, with independence and growing wealth, is coming to the fore once again. The Hrazdan River, surrounded by greenery, is full of swimmers in the summer months and along its banks there are many shady cafes and restaurants.

Armenia is still poor and this is quite evident in many buildings in and around Yerevan, but the crime rate is one of the lowest in the world and the spirit of the people unbowed. Changes are taking place rapidly with new shops and restaurants opening almost daily.

Yerevan boasts the Matenadaran museum, the world's biggest repository of priceless, ancient manuscripts; a unique collection tracing Armenia's turbulent history and culture. The National Gallery, an imposing eight storey building, dominates one side of the enormous Republic Square and houses one of the finest art collections in Eastern Europe. There are several other smaller museums and house museums to visit.

This is an easy and interesting city in which to wander and, each weekend, the enormous and fascinating `Vernissage' market attracts sellers of everything you could imagine.