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All Armenia Tatev Wings of Tatev

Wings of Tatev

The world's longest nonstop reversible cable car soars through spectacular scenery to the medieval Tatev Monastery.

Tatev, Armenia

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Daja
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Wings of Tatev cable car.   David Stanley/cc by 2.0
Wings of Tatev cable car.   Armineaghayan/cc by-sa 3.0
The Tatev Monastery.   Diego Delso/cc by-sa 4.0
The view from the Wings of Tatev.   Ashot Arzumanyan/cc by-sa 3.0
Cable car over the stunning gorge.   AnDavtyan/cc by-sa 4.0
Cable car over the stunning gorge.   Daja / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The wonderfully named Wings of Tatev stretches over 3.5 miles between the Armenian village of Halidzor and the famous Tatev Monastery, a center of education and religion in the Middle Ages. The aerial tram holds the Guinness title as the longest nonstop double-track cable car in the world, but that's not even the most extraordinary thing about this piece of infrastructure.

The cableway soars over the deep Vorotan River Gorge, offering breathtaking views of the landscape as you approach the monastery, which sits perched on a large plateau at the edge of a cliff over the stunning gorge. The monastery complex dates back to the 9th century and is an architectural and historical icon of Armenia, though the structure itself can be overshadowed by the out-of-a-fairytale natural landscape that surrounds it.

The total ride from one side of the cable car to the other is about 12 minutes. Large pillars divide the ropeway into four sections, the longest of which is 1.6 miles long and overlooks the monastery. On top of its record-breaking length, it is also one of the highest reversible cable cars in the world, reaching an elevation of more than 1,000 feet at its highest point. 

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Infrastructure Transportation Monasteries Landscapes Panoramas Medieval

Know Before You Go

The village of Tatev is reached via a serpentine macadam road, but the cable car is the best and easiest route to the monastery. The line runs between the Tatev station (at the map coordinates above) and the tramway station in Halidzor, also off of H45. Each cabin can accommodate 30 passengers and one attendant. 

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Daja

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Martin, Meg, gingercinnamon

  • Martin
  • Meg
  • gingercinnamon

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October 10, 2018

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  • http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-non-stop-double-track-cable-car/
Wings of Tatev
H45
Tatev
Armenia
39.381017, 46.249485
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Tatev, Armenia

miles away

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Khndzoresk, Armenia

miles away

Zorats Karer

Sisian, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tatev

Tatev

Armenia

Places 2

Nearby Places

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Tatev, Armenia

miles away

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Khndzoresk, Armenia

miles away

Zorats Karer

Sisian, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tatev

Tatev

Armenia

Places 2

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