Spitak

Spitak is a town on the shores of Pambak River in Northern Armenia, surrounded by mountains, between Gyumri and Vanadzor. The town was the epicenter of the Spitak earthquake, the results of which are still visible throughout town. == Understand == The epicenter of the 1988 Spitak earthquake was just north of Spitak and largely destroyed the town, killing one third of its 15,000 population. The town as it was rebuilt lies slightly eastwards from the original location. Remnants of the distroyed quarters are still there, but the city is developing and new infrastructure and buildings are being constructed. In 2022, Spitak had around 13,000 inhabitants. The town sits 1,650 m above sea level, and is overlooked by the Bazum mountains to the north and Pambak mountains to the south. Spitak has very cold winters and mild summers. The annual precipitation level reaches up to 440 mm (17 in). == Get in == The M-3 Motorway that connects Yerevan with Tbilisi, and the M-7 Motorway connecting Gyumri and Vanadzor pass through Spitak. From Gyumri and Vanadzor, Spitak may be reached in a 45 minutes Marshrutka-ride (about AMD 800). There is also a train station in Spitak. However, the trains have a less than daily frequency, serving only late in the evening. As of December 2025, Spitak is not served by taxi drivers using the GG taxi app. Use Yandex Go or ask a local instead. == Get around == Spitak is small enough to explore by foot. Note however there are considerable differences in altitude across town. == See == The ethnographic museum. 1 Metal Church and Cemetery. In the west of Spitak, there is a large cemetery covering a hill leading to the “Metal Church”. A view on the gravestones illustrates the devastating impact of the 1988 earthquake; Many lives ended in 1988, and numerous gravestones show figurative references to the disaster. (updated Jan 2026) 2 Spitak Monument. On a hill overseeing the town of Spitak stands the monument for the 1988 earthquake. The monument itself is poorly maintained and not necessarily worth visiting. The view on Spitak and neighboring villages is nice though. (updated Jan 2026) == Do == == Buy == == Eat == == Drink == == Sleep == 1 Spitak YMCA. This lively place hosts a kindergarten in the ground floor and a number of guest rooms in the 2nd floor, all run by the same friendly staff. From the hotel, the city center is reached in a 10-15 minute walk including a significant climb. For current price and availability info, you may use popular booking sites. The rooms are basic but clean and bright. AMD 20,000 for double room. (updated Jan 2026) == Go next == Gyumri Vanadzor