Amberd castle ruins are actually being taken care of by people and there's an entrance fee. Talk to Khachik, the caretaker and director of the ruins. He's a very kind soul who fought in the Artsakh war in 2020. Enjoy some ice cream and fresh Gata too
Sometime during the beginning of the hikes we lost sight of the trailmarks, so keep an attentive eye on that. There's a part you have to go through the woods, keep your GPS on here, so you don't get too lost. You'll make it, though!
Amberd is one of the rare witnesses of medieval Armenian military architecture. The fortress, built on a mountain spur, was part of a defense system that controlled the Plains of Ararat.
In addition to the remains of the fortifications and the small Church of Our Lady (Surb Astvatsatsin), parts of a three-story palace, a bathhouse covered by two domes, a central heating system, the water supply system including cisterns, and a secret passage from the palace to the other buildings have been preserved.