Parz Lake

Parz Lake (Armenian Պարզ լիճ, literally “Clear Lake”) is a small forest lake in Dilijan National Park, east of the town of Dilijan in northern Armenia. The water lives up to its name — in calm weather the beech and hornbeam trees on the shore reflect in it like a mirror. The lake sits at 1,334 m in dense Caucasus forest and is one of the main natural attractions of the Tavush region. Unlike Armenia’s other big lakes, this one is small, family‑friendly, and easy to reach: 1.5 hours from Yerevan, paved road to the parking lot, no hike required.

Why Visit Parz Lake

The appeal is the forest setting. Dilijan is sometimes called “Armenian Switzerland”, and Parz is one of the easiest places to feel why — temperate broadleaf forest, mossy logs, soft light through the canopy, a small mirror of water in the middle. Visually it has nothing in common with Armenia’s typical dry highland scenery; it looks more like the Carpathians or southern Germany.

The second reason is what you can do there. Parz works equally well for a quiet walk and for an active day with kids: boats, a zipline over the water, a tree‑top ropes course, BBQ gazebos, lakeside cafés. It’s the only lake in Armenia that doubles as a small adventure park.

The third reason is the hike to Goshavank Monastery — a 6.5–7.5 km forest trail that’s part of the Transcaucasian Trail and ends at a 12th‑century stone monastery. One of the most rewarding “lake to monastery” routes in the South Caucasus.

How to Get to Parz Lake from Yerevan

By car: the M‑4 highway via the Sevan Pass to Dilijan (~95 km, 1.5 h), then a turn east on signs for “Parz Lake / Парз Лич” — another 8–10 km on a paved forest road with switchbacks. The whole road is asphalt; a regular car handles it fine.

By marshrutka: from the Northern Bus Station in Yerevan to Dilijan (~2 h, every 1–1.5 h). From the Dilijan bus station to the lake — taxi only, 2,000–3,000 AMD one way, about 15 minutes. Arrange a return taxi in advance, especially on weekdays.

With a private driver: the easiest option for families. A car with driver in Yerevan lets you combine Parz with Haghartsin and Goshavank in a single day and stop on the road as you like. For groups of 4–7, a Mercedes Vito with driver is more comfortable on the forest switchbacks than a sedan.

Day tours: Parz is usually included in day tours from Yerevan covering Dilijan — typical loop is Haghartsin → Parz → Goshavank.

What to Do at the Lake

• Loop walk around the lake — ~1.5 km, 30–45 min, flat, suitable for kids
• Boats and pedal boats — May through October, paid by the hour
• Zipline over the water — 20–30 seconds of cable from one shore to the other
• Ropes course — multiple difficulty levels among the trees
• BBQ gazebos — rentable by the hour, basic equipment included
• Lakeside cafés — Armenian food, BBQ, open in the warm season
• Cottages — overnight rental, useful for early starts on the long trail
• Deer reserve — about 3 km from the lake, the deer are habituated to people and approach the fence

Swimming is not allowed — the lake is a protected national park water body.

The Hike from Parz Lake to Goshavank Monastery

This is the route most international hikers come for. It’s part of the Transcaucasian Trail and one of the easiest signed long‑walks in Armenia.

• Distance: ~6.5–7.5 km one way
• Time: 2.5–3.5 h one way
• Elevation gain: ~230–280 m
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, well‑marked, mostly through beech forest
• Surface: forest path, dirt road sections, some clay (slippery after rain)
• Endpoint: Goshavank Monastery — a 12th–13th century complex founded by the scholar Mkhitar Gosh, famous for an intricately carved 1291 khachkar (cross‑stone)
• Extension: continue another 2.5 km to Lake Gosh, a tiny forest lake; the full loop on AllTrails (Parz → Goshavank → Lake Gosh → back) is around 12.5 km

What to bring: trekking shoes (mandatory after rain — clay soil gets very slippery), water, snacks, a layer for the forest shade. Mobile coverage is decent but not continuous.

The walk back can be skipped: arrange a driver to pick you up at Goshavank village.

When to Visit

• May – June: lush green, full springs, fewer tourists
• July – August: peak season — all activities running, water +22–26 °C, weekends crowded
• First half of October: golden autumn, the most photogenic period
• Winter: lake may freeze partly, snow‑covered forest, almost empty. Access depends on snow on the access road; ask locally before driving up after heavy snowfall.

What to Combine With

• Haghartsin Monastery — 10th–13th c., one of the most photogenic monastery complexes in Armenia, deep in the forest 20 minutes from Parz
• Goshavank Monastery — endpoint of the trail described above
• Dilijan town — the old craft quarter, museum, and the famous fountain (the “Dilijan water” line from Mimino)
• Aghstev river canyon along the M‑4 — views and a few cliff‑side viewpoints

FAQ

Parz is the easiest forest lake to combine into a Dilijan day trip. For Armenia’s other major lakes, see Lake Sevan (the country’s largest, at 1,900 m) and Lake Kari (the highest drive‑up alpine lake, on Mount Aragats). For the full list of attractions, browse our things to do in Armenia hub.