Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan, Armenia — one of the world's largest high-altitude lakes, its cold blue water ringed by mountains and watched over by two ancient monastery churches on a former island.

Sevanavank monastery sits on what was once an island, now a peninsula joined to shore since Soviet-era water diversion — climb the short hill for panoramic lake views. Summer brings lakeside beach towns and grilled Sevan trout (ishkhan) at roadside restaurants.