TSAKHKADZOR, ARMENIA

If you're visiting Armenia in the winter pack your skis! Tsaghkadzor has a great ski resort for quite cheap. It's got brand new ski lifts from Austria which have been installed over the last few years to upgrade the old lifts and new runs are being added. There is also an immaculately restored monastery that's a thousand years old with intricately carved stone crosses that remind you of the Irish knotwork patterns but often more complex. It's also a very relaxing place to visit the rest of the year when things are quieter. The mountains and forests lend themselves well to walks hikes bike rides and relaxation.