Cherkezi Dzor (Circassian Gorge) is located in Gyumri, near Karmir Berd (the Red Fortress). Early 19th-century accounts of Gyumri mention that on the flat land above the gorge there was a settlement of about 100 houses with an old church built of black stone.
So why “Circassian Gorge”? There are two explanations for the name; according to one of them, the area was named after Circassians who came here and pitched their tents.
The gorge stands out for its natural springs, which gave rise to the fish farm of the same name. Through old water channels preserved in the gorge, water once flowed towards the city, as far as today’s Gorky Park.
From the late 1990s, the now well-known Cherkezi Dzor fish farm and leisure spot began to take shape in part of the gorge. In 1999, a company founded here used the cold spring water for fish farming, building ponds and starting to raise trout and sturgeon. Later, a restaurant was added on the site.
At the restaurant you can taste fresh fish and traditional dishes and enjoy the special atmosphere of being surrounded by nature.
