We have an exclusive where to go and what to do for our travelling red wall in Yerevan this weekend. The game is on Saturday afternoon but there’s nothing like some local knowledge and we have that with Darren who has lived in the city for seven years.

There’s nothing like choices. Quite a few of our Swans Indy regulars are making the journey for tomorrow afternoons big game.

The capital of Armenia, Yerevan ( three hours ahead of the UK ) is one of the oldest cities in the world and in fact, it is twenty-nine years older than the eternal city, Rome. Over time, the city has developed into a lovely place, where you find many restaurants, bars, and cafés along with museums and other cultural places, where you can wholeheartedly enjoy yourself and get the best out of your stay in the city.

First stop for many visitors is the Dargett Craft Beer pub which is in between the Hilton Doubletree and The Dave Hotel in the area where you can also visit the Armenian Genocide remembrance museum. The Armenians were systematically erased from the Ottoman Empire and it’s suggested a million were sent to their deaths in 1915. The Dargett bar is close to Republic Square.

At the bar you can order a plethora of craft beers and they serve food as well. It’s a must visit location in the city. From here you can explore the tourist areas including the Genocide Museum, Republic Square and Sasuntsi Davit Statue.

Next up is Hemingways Bar in Tamanyan St, this bar has open mic nights this weekend, good music and offers food and international beers. There is a superb cocktail list and numerous tap beers. Like a lot of Armenian bars there is a smoking area inside which adds to the overall ambience. The DJ selects music from a bygone age and doesn’t fall in to the techno trap. This bar gives you a real feel for the city and many Armenians go here to speak English and practice their Russian.

Also worth a visit is the Beer Academy on Moskovyan Street, This bar has a beer tasting menu. A varied bar menu with draught beers on tap. This is close to the Alexander Tamanyan Statue. This bar is right next to the beautiful Poplavok park. But the miracle comes at night when the streets become crowded and people enjoy the city of the lights. Restaurants, bars, and cafes become full of people, who hang out with their friends and relatives to chat, chill and relax.

It’s really an undiscovered city for many. Yerevan is one of the safest cities in the world. Yerevan is more of a slow burner. Whether it’s the flea markets and pop up artists selling their work in small city squares or the vibrant cafe and bar scene, the city can actually be pretty intoxicating if you let it. The city metro system is useful and extremely affordable. You just simply buy one-use tokens for each journey you take. The Cascade is a giant stone staircase outside the Cafesijian Museum of Art. It’s incredibly unique and each level of the complex showcases different micro gardens and sculptures. A climb to the top of the five hundred and seventy stairs is completely worth the effort as the unrivalled view sweeps across the city’s skyline to Mt Ararat which can be seen on a clear day.

The area is like a public square and is one of the best things to do in Yerevan for free.

Other bars are the Beatles Pub in Pushkin Street and you have to go to Republic Square. This huge imposing square is the heart of the city and where you’ll find a lot of the streets’ buzz emanating from. In summer, the fountains are full of water and people relax on one of the benches, especially of an evening when the dancing fountains, lights and music are turned on for everyone to enjoy. It’s quite impressive and when you enter the square for the first time, it’s impossible not to be taken aback by the grand stone buildings, which are very reminiscent of the Soviet era.

Travel safely Taff Army. And enjoy this wonderful city.

Photos Swansea Indeoendent & Eddie JB

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