Eastern Europe and the Ae gean - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 113

Khor Virap Monastery with
Mount Ararat in the background,
Armenia

June to September. For further details of tours see
W www.ecotourismarmenia.com or E v_hugous@
yahoo.com; T [phone].

144 ridE towards mount
ararat, armEnia

A horse trek with the Ayrudzi Riding Club is
a journey into the distant past. Trips on their
thoroughbred horses through the fruit groves
and meadows lining the mountain streams of
Armenia, which can last anything from a few
hours to several days, take in pagan sanctuaries,
a ninth-century church carved into a volcanic
cave and the mighty Mount Ararat, where Noah
is said to have finally found land. At night you
either camp under the stars, often beside ruined
castles or temples, or stay back at the cottages
that adjoin the riding club. At the latter, organic
meals are accompanied by Armenian shadow
theatre (an ancient form of shadow puppetry) or
folk songs to the tune of the Zourna flute - two of
the many traditional activities revitalized since
Ayrudzi started bringing visitors through these
remote areas.

145 livE among birds oF PrEy
at dadia, grEEcE

As you begin the hour-long walk from Dadia
village to the bird hide, griffon vultures circle
slowly overhead in the clear sky. According to
the local guides accompanying you, nine in the
morning is the best time to see the various birds
that live around this medieval settlement, 50km
from Alexandropolis in northern Greece. It's best
to leave for the hide well before eight though,
since as all but two of Europe's 38 raptor species
inhabit these woodlands, you're bound to get
waylaid trying to spot some of them - such as the
black vulture and the sea eagle - en route.
To make sure you get there on time you can
stay at the ecotourism centre in Dadia, which has
simple rooms in single-storey white stone buildings
surrounded by forest. It also means that when

Need to know The riding club is in Ashtarak,
20km from Yerevan. All levels are catered for and
equipment is provided. The best time to visit is