www.armeniantourinfo.com One can hardly find a poet, an artist or a musician in Armenia who has not praised in his own way the divine beauty of Lake Sevan. "To be in Armenia and fail to see Sevan is to fail to see Armenia", people say. Lake Sevan, one of the world's largest high-altitude lakes, lies at a height of 2,000 meters above the sea level.

The climate in the lake's coastal area is moderate, with the mean summer temperature at the water surface standing between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius. The alpine sun, sandy beaches and pure cool water provide excellent conditions for swimming, sailing and boating.

 The shores of the lake are a perfect place for sunbathing and picnics. The name Sevan is of Urartian origin. Siuna means country of lakes. In ancient times it was called Geghama Sea.

The lake has an almost magnetic power to attract tourists. Some three dozen streamlets pour into it. The Hrazdan river is the only river that originates from the lake.

The pearl of Armenia, Sevan is also a favorite destination for fishing. The most famous fish of Sevan is called Ishkhan (prince). The Sevan basin is rich with archeological and historic monuments.

The northwest part of the lake is covered with fir-groves. The beach is sandy and calm. The cold winds blowing from the Geghama mountains are absorbed in the foliage of the trees.

The shore offers many resorts, small and large hotels and motels and lots of restaurants and cafes. There is a railroad along the beach that gives tourists the opportunity to travel along the beach and admire the unique beauty of the lake. It is hard to imagine the island of Sevan (currently a peninsula) without the Sevan Monastery, which harmonizes perfectly with the fabric of the amazing surroundings.