Things to Do in Gyumri: Crafts and Museums

Gyumri is a craft-and-museum city on the Shirak plateau, about 1,550 m above sea level and roughly 115,000 people. Its best activities are a working metalwork tradition, house-museums in black tuff mansions and a local table built around slow-baked dishes. The plateau has no beaches, vineyards or rafting, so plan around streets, workshops and galleries. Prices below are in Armenian dram (AMD); the rate is roughly 365 to 390 AMD to the US dollar.

The mushurba cup

The mushurba, also called klklan, is Gyumri’s signature craft: a hand-hammered brass, copper or silver drinking cup with a hidden air chamber that gurgles as you sip. It was first made in the 19th century by coppersmiths whose families came from Kars. Eduard (Edik) Zhamkochyan is widely described as the only maker of authentic cups, and each one takes about eight hours of hammering. Visits to his workshop in the Kumayri district are by arrangement, so ask your hotel or a local guide to set one up. A bronze monument to the cup stands on Sayat-Nova Avenue.

Blacksmithing

In December 2023 UNESCO inscribed the “Tradition of blacksmithing in Gyumri” on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, details at ich.unesco.org . Forge visits show bellows, anvil work and the wrought-iron railings that decorate old Gyumri balconies. Local guides can arrange a demonstration; agree the time and any fee in advance.

Museums with guided excursions

The state museums publish their hours and prices on mus.am , and each offers an excursion in Armenian, Russian or English on top of the entry ticket. Hours change, so check the site before you go.

  • Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life, 47 Haghtanak Ave: open most days, about 11:00 to 17:00. One ticket of about 1,500 to 2,000 AMD also covers the Merkurov House-Museum in the same courtyard; under 12 free. Excursions cost 2,000 AMD in Armenian and 4,000 AMD in English, Russian or French.
  • Aslamazyan Sisters Gallery, 242 Abovyan St: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 to 17:00. Foreigners pay 1,000 AMD; excursions cost 1,000 AMD in Armenian and 2,000 AMD in Russian or English.
  • Mher Mkrtchyan Museum, 30 Rustaveli St: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 17:00. Foreigners pay 1,000 AMD.
  • Hovhannes Shiraz House-Museum, 101 Varpetats St: Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 to 17:00, Thursday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:30. Foreigners pay 1,000 AMD.
  • Avetik Isahakyan House-Museum, 91 Varpetats St: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 18:00. Foreigners pay 1,500 AMD.

Kyalla and the local table

Kyalla is Gyumri’s most famous dish: a calf head seasoned with herbs and hot pepper and baked for hours in a clay tonir, then shared at the table with lavash and pickled peppers. It takes many hours to cook, so ask a local restaurant to order it ahead and plan to eat it in a group.

Local beer

The Gyumri brewery was founded in 1970 and its factory stands on Yerevanyan Highway. Its Aleksandrapol label cites the date 1898. The beers are sold in Gyumri’s bars and shops, and the brewery’s own site, gyumribeer.am , shows the range.

Plan and safety

The old town, museums and fortress take one to one and a half days; add regional day trips and a stay stretches to two or three days. A train from Yerevan takes about three hours, with timetables at railway.am . Gyumri hosts a Russian military base next to the Black Fortress, so do not photograph military sites. Check gov.uk and travel.state.gov for current Armenia advice before you go. Winters are cold and snowy, and cobbles ice over; summer days can pass 30 C with strong sun at this altitude.

Read more: Sightseeing in Gyumri covers the churches, fortress and house-museums street by street.

Booking help

Guided city walks and craft experiences can be compared on GetYourGuide .