This trail is out of this world! You’ll travel through space and time as you hike from the impressive Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory to the towering Radio-Optical Telescope in Orgov. 

Starting at Byurakan, you can kickstart this cosmic trip with a guided tour of the observatory, which was founded in 1946 by famous Armenian scientist Viktor Hambartsumyan and was an important scientific center in the USSR. Over the decades, its scientists have made a staggering number of astronomical discoveries. Ever heard of the Margarian galaxies? A cluster of 1,500 galaxies of ultraviolet excess, they were named after the Armenian astrophysicist who discovered their existence in  — you guessed it — Byurakan! 

From the observatory, make your way down through the river valley and back up to the other side in the village of Orgov. Between the months of April and May, be mindful of snakes along the river — it’s breeding season! A moderate 2 and a half hour hike, the trail ends right at the entrance of another Soviet scientific site — the Orgov Radio-Optical Telescope! Tours of the grounds, the telescope, and the telescope control room (pretty cool, huh?) are available from Monday through Saturday, depending on staffing. Simply fill out a form at the main gates. You can also call ahead of time (+374 010 23 26 00) to check if tours are running. For more information on Byurakan Observatory and Orgov facility, check out bao.am.