Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Picture Gallery

Northern Armenia

LoginSave

Housing an eclectic collection of European and Armenian art from the 16th to 20th centuries, this gallery is Dilijan's major cultural institution. Some of the older works from Italian and French artists had been housed in museums in Moscow and St Petersburg but were moved to Dilijan during WWII for safekeeping. The standout Armenian work is Arpenik Nalbandyan's Cézanne-like Children from Khndzoresk. Downstairs is a thrilling ethnography and archaeology collection featuring axes and chain mail.

The museum is located in a grandiose building on the road to the upper town.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Lori Berd

    Lori Berd

    29.33 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…

  • Haghpat Monastery

    Haghpat Monastery

    25.81 MILES

    Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen…

  • Haghartsin Monastery

    Haghartsin Monastery

    4.55 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…

  • Akhtala Monastery

    Akhtala Monastery

    28.95 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…

  • Sanahin Monastery

    Sanahin Monastery

    26.28 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…

  • Sevanavank

    Sevanavank

    14.16 MILES

    A pagan temple once occupied this elevated site overlooking the lake, but was replaced by a now-ruined church in 305. Two further churches, Surp…

  • Goshavank

    Goshavank

    6.86 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…

  • Kobayr Monastery

    Kobayr Monastery

    22.01 MILES

    Perched above the hamlet of Kobayr is the 12th-century monastery of the same name. The main church has some partially restored Georgian-style frescoes and…

View more attractions

Nearby Northern Armenia attractions

1. Dilijan Historic Centre

0.1 MILES

This Disneyfied collection of stone and wooden traditional buildings includes the Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex, workshops for local craftspeople,…

2. Haghartsin Monastery

4.55 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…

3. Parz Lake

4.96 MILES

About 13km from Dilijan, Parz Lich (meaning clear lake) is an attractive sight that explodes with tourism during the summer months. Lakeside attractions…

4. Goshavank

6.86 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…

5. Sevanavank

14.16 MILES

A pagan temple once occupied this elevated site overlooking the lake, but was replaced by a now-ruined church in 305. Two further churches, Surp…

6. Kecharis Monastery

16.22 MILES

From the square, take Khachatur Kechavetsi St uphill to the Kecharis Monastery, a complex comprising the Surp Grigor Church (1003), an attached 13th…

7. Ijevan Wine Factory

16.31 MILES

Put aside all expectations of a picturesque winery, because Ijevan's wine factory is just that – a large industrial complex where the local grape harvest…

8. Hovhannes Tumanyan House Museum

19.29 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…